Skip to main content

‘Recoil’ is like playing Call of Duty in your backyard, and we’re into it

Pokémon Go made “augmented reality” a household term, but what if you would rather play soldier than trainer? Skyrocket Toys’ answers the call of duty with Recoil, an outdoor multiplayer AR shooter game that’s kind of like, well, Call of Duty. Using a Wi-Fi hub that broadcasts a 500-foot diameter “playing field,” you and up to 15 friends have lots of space to duck, hide, and attack using guns that attach to your phone for an augmented-reality experience. Set up sniper nests, create barricades, and call down air strikes to defeat your enemies. We had a chance to try it out!

Lock ‘n load

The basic Recoil starter set includes two RK-45 Spitfire guns, a Wi-Fi base station, two belt clips, and and two phone clips. Before you can start playing, you need to download the Recoil game app from the App Store or Google Play Store. The first thing the app will tell you to do is use headphones. Recoil features 3D audio, so you can hear where you are being shot at from. Next, you’ll use the app to set up the base station, and follow the rest of the steps in the app to set up your gun.

Recommended Videos

During the game your app will display a game screen. On this screen you will see your health bar, how much ammo you have, and a mini map of the play area.

On the battlefield

To start a game, one person hosts a lobby that other players can join, and sets up all the rules. Once everyone has joined, the host taps accept and the game begins.

Like most first-person shooters, you have a certain amount of health, which gets whittled away every time you are shot, or get hit by a grenade or air strike. When it’s gone, you’re dead. You also have a limited amount of ammo. When your clip runs out of bullets, hit the button on the bottom of the gun to reload. To get more bullets, run over the ammo that appears on the mini map of the play area on your phone screen. As in Call of Duty, crates will show up on your mini map containing power ups you can use if you run over to them, like air strikes.

It plays a lot like laser tag, taken to a whole new level by all the augmented-reality perks piled on top. Watch David Cogen from TheUnlockr take to the battlefield in our video review.

David Cogen, a regular contributor here at Digital Trends, runs TheUnlockr.com, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him over at Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.

Nicole Edsall
Former Digital Trends Contributor
New Catly trailer shows what the controversial game actually looks like
A cat sits in a room full of corn in Catly.

After a controversial and confusing reveal at this year's Game Awards, developer SuperAunthenti Co. has released a new two-minute trailer for Catly. The clip gives a much better idea of what the game is, as does new updates to its Steam description.

Catly debuted during The Game Awards with a short teaser trailer filled with highly detailed cats. It seemed harmless enough, but the clip sparked concerns among viewers who suspected it was using generative AI. When Digital Trends asked if AI is being used in Catly, SuperAuthenti Co. told us that it was not sharing any more details until 2025. Later, internet sleuths discovered that the company's co-founder, Kevin Yeung, had started another studio two years ago that was working on a blockchain game with a similar description to Catly. Yesterday, SuperAuthenti Co. broke its silence and confirmed that Catly does not use AI nor blockchain tech.

Read more
Dying Light: The Beast: release date window, trailers, gameplay, and more
A giant zombie getting shot with a grenade in Dying Light: The Beast.

There's no zombie game quite like Dying Light. The series combines first-person action with a fast, fluid, and satisfying parkour system that makes running from zombies just as much fun as drop-kicking them. There are tons of other great first-person games to look forward to, like Doom: The Dark Ages and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but the zombie genre doesn't have many upcoming video games on the way. Except for Dying Light: The Beast, that is. This is a new adventure in the Dying Light world, but features a familiar face for fans of the original. Lace up your shoes and make sure to get inside before dark as we run through everything we know about Dying Light: The Beast.

There are dozens of games to look forward to and it can be hard to keep track of them all. Instead, check out our lists of upcoming PS5 games, upcoming Xbox Series X games, upcoming PC games, and upcoming Switch games to stay in the loop.
Release date window

Read more
Steam Replay 2024 is live — here’s how to see yours
The Steam Replay 2024 profile showcase.

It's that time of year again -- time for Steam Replay. Similar to Xbox Year in Review and PlayStation Wrap-Up, Steam Replay 2024 looks back over your gameplay stats for the entire year, showing you what you've played, how long you've played it, and the feats you've accomplished along the way.

As usual, Steam Replay runs through the end of the year, so if you want to view your Replay and unlock the exclusive Steam Replay 2024 badge, you'll need to sign in soon. Thankfully, you can save your Steam Replay to your profile as a featured showcase, as well as share it out with your friends to view throughout the next year.
How to see Steam Replay 2024

Read more