Bullet Time Agent Is A Full Eight Hour Game Coming To VRChat Soon

Bullet Time Agent is set to launch soon, inviting players into a unique eight-hour adventure inside VRChat, and we got early access. Read on for our first impressions.

Created by solo developer Lakuza, this action-adventure title is more than just a game; it’s a testament to what can be achieved in user-generated content platforms without a traditional game development background.

Set inside VRChat’s diverse ecosystem, Bullet Time Agent puts players into the role of a thief turned hero. Things take an unexpected twist after being tasked to retrieve a mysterious artifact that unexpectedly bestows time manipulation powers upon the player. This power isn’t just for show; it’s a fundamental mechanic woven into the game’s fabric, creating layers of bullet-hell combat, puzzle-solving, and platforming challenges.

Emerging from its modest beginnings as a prototype and developed over more than three years, Bullet Time Agent reflects an innovative use of VRChat. Using VRChat, Lakuza bypassed traditional coding barriers and focused their effort on design and player experience. When asked about this approach, Lakuza replied:

“I’m not a coder in the traditional sense of writing code in c#, so I didn’t write any programming lines manually however I am using coding concepts. This is done using a unity plugin specifically for vrchat that lets you select actions from a drop down menu and then select a target for the action. Behind the scenes, it’ll compile the code for me based on my selections, so it allows someone without training or experience to create logic. Of course, since I’ve been making worlds since 2018, I have gradually learnt how to use variables, make if conditions using these drop down menus. VRChat does support different methods to make worlds, including actual coding for people that prefer to do it that way. I use a plugin called, CyanTrigger, which is free for world creators to use.”

The gameplay in Bullet Time Agent is satisfying, with the “death rewind” mechanics requiring players to strategize each battle. Checkpoints ensure progress isn’t lost, but with the crucial twist of limited rewinds during boss encounters, this compels players to think and react in new and inventive ways heightening tensions and rewarding persistence. Slowing the attack of swarms of enemies with the ability to manipulate time feels great, and it is exhilarating to double-jump high into the air and come down forcefully to destroy the next enemy in the chain with a thrust of your fist.

While VRChat’s multiplayer capability adds a form of cooperative play in Bullet Time Agent, progression remains individual. So, if tagging along as a second player, just remember that you’re mostly just along for the ride. Also, unlike many VRChat worlds, Bullet Time Agent supports saving and re-loading your previous progress upon launch, a feature that is set to become more mainstream as VRChat’s native persistence update is released later this year.

Seeing this feature in use for the first time in a VRChat game was refreshing, and although it looked a bit complicated at first, this method seemed to work well. Game saves using the persistence mode are done through the generation of a long hash code that users copy into their computer’s clipboard and then save into a document for retrieval on their next play through by reversing the process.

Bullet Time Agent is available through both the PCVR and Quest versions of VRChat. The full game is currently playable on PCVR, while on Quest stage 1 is available split across 3 worlds. It’s the same gameplay experience on both systems, but the standalone version lacks some of the shine we see in the PCVR release. Lower resolution textures and some missing lighting and environmental effects are noticeably absent, making the PCVR version the one to play if graphics are important to your enjoyment of VR content.

After playing the early access preview on both systems, it’s apparent that Bullet Time Agent is pushing the boundaries of VRChat’s framework, especially for Quest. The puzzles, platforming, and combat elements shine. Combined with great graphics, sound, and voice work, this VRChat game stands shoulder to shoulder with many of the mainstream VR offerings we see on Steam or the Quest store.

According to a recent post by Lakuza, Bullet Time Agent will officially launch inside VRChat on 11/22/2024, with a launch event party planned for 11/21 on the eve of the game’s release.

We’re excited to see more titles like this coming to the VRChat platform, so if you know of any we should check out, please tell us about them at tips@uploadvr.com.