A zero gravity thriller in VR
Downward Spiral: Prologue is a sci-fi thriller set in zero gravity, built around free movement in VR that is designed to avoid motion sickness. The game leans on environmental storytelling instead of dialogue or cinematics, so the story is read off the surroundings rather than told to you. Its look is inspired by 70's sci-fi movies and modern TV series, and the electronic ambient soundtrack was composed by Ville Valo, frontman of HIM. You can play with or without room-scale.
Playing together
There are three game modes: Solo, Co-Op and Deathmatch. Journey mode runs about 15 to 30 minutes and is meant to be played online in co-op, where the trip is at its most immersive. Deathmatch is the competitive side, an intense zero gravity firefight for up to 8 players. So a group can either run the journey side by side or scatter across a match and shoot at each other while drifting.
Before you start
This is a VR title, so plan on a headset setup, and decide in advance whether you want room-scale or not. The Journey mode is short, roughly a quarter to half an hour, which makes it easy to fit into a session, while Deathmatch is where a larger group ends up. Expect atmosphere and discovery rather than cutscenes or spoken story, since the game carries its narrative through the environment alone.