The ball invasion is upon us! Today, independent developer Bolder Games launches its feverishly fun 3D action platformer Virballs on Steam! Experience an adventure inspired by the likes of Ratchet and Clank and Kirby as you rid the galaxy of elementally charged creatures by collecting and combining their abilities to create powerful new weapons.
The villainous Dr. Corvid has evaded authorities, and sources state that his virus-like creatures have spread throughout the galaxy. The study of virballs’ biology is still in its early stages, but research suggests they have many similarities to viruses. Symptoms of a virball infestation are heavy wind, spontaneous fireballs, electrical discharge, and dozens of other elemental ailments. In the wild, virballs have been observed devouring each other, creating unusual hybrids as a result. Assuming the mad doctor went down with the ship following his confrontation with galactic law enforcement (spoiler: he didn’t), the PopoBots summoned the clean-up crew: YOU!
In Virballs, you play as ORB, a run-of-the-mill Object Removal Bot tasked with cleaning up the mess of the PopoBots. Your mission is to eradicate the virballs from every planet by any means necessary. Additionally, a few locals, known as Floobers, are struggling to evacuate and need your assistance reaching their ship.
Don’t worry about accomplishing your mission; ORB comes equipped with rocket-propelled grappler claws, small thrusters to increase his mobility, and a containment sphere for special hazardous materials. Within this containment sphere, ORB can harness the powers of the virballs to create elemental Cores that allow him to grow his arsenal and thwart Dr. Corvid’s plans.
Key Features of Virballs:
- A Galactic Adventure Begins: Virball’s story campaign will introduce new planets to explore and missions to complete during its Steam Early Access phase. The first available planet is Jambito, a desert world home to many species of hardy flora and fauna that survive among the rock, dust, and ruins of ancient civilizations. By its 1.0 launch in 2025, Virballs will feature six unique planets.
- Collect Virballs: ORB can weaponize the unique elemental properties of the virballs — Earth, Water, Electricity, Air, Fire, and … Slime (?) — to create dozens of devastating ammunition types for his blasters.
- Run, Jump, and Blast: Battle your way through levels packed full of enemies and challenges, utilizing ORB’s trusty rocket-propelled claws, blasters, thrusters, and other special abilities.
- Bossy Balls: Defeat ultra-powerful virball bosses to unlock new Cores, which further expand ORB’s arsenal with new elemental weapon combinations.
- Help the Floobers: The loveable and innocent Floober people are in danger! Evacuate the remaining civilians from their infested planets so that they may floob another day.
Developer Bolder Games will continually expand Virballs throughout its Early Access period. The next update, coming in November, will introduce the second planet, Everfin. A third update will follow in December, introducing the sandbox mode ‘Dr. Corvid’s Lab.’ Virballs will feature six mission-packed planets by the time of its full release on Steam in early 2025.
Virballs is available now in Early Access on Steam for Windows PC for $19.99.
