Echo Point Nova: The 2007-Core FPS That’s Too Fast for Its Own Good

A former high school teacher turned indie dev is reviving 2007-era shooter design with Echo Point Nova, a game that swaps modern minimalism for bullet-time hoverboard chases and 4-player co-op chaos.

Matt Larrabee, founder of Greylock Studio, calls it a "millennial shooter"—a term he defines through Max Payne’s melancholy and FEAR’s freneticism.

Larrabee’s transition from programming instructor to game designer began with Severed Steel (2021), a title his last publisher tried to market broadly. "It was never obvious to me that it paid off," he said. Now with Echo Point Nova, he’s doubling down on niche appeal.

The game’s sky archipelago map and weaponized bullet time earned 96% positive Steam reviews—but also highlight the risks of designing for a shrinking audience.

Co-op in open worlds remains a technical minefield. Syncing hoverboard physics and bullet-time mechanics across four players required custom networking solutions.

Larrabee’s team prioritized "2007-core" polish—think mod-friendly systems and weapon variety—over AAA-scale spectacle. "Even as a kid playing Unreal Tournament, I’d use mods to add M4s and AK-47s," he said. That ethos now defines a genre where Ultrakill and Abiotic Factor are touchstones, not blueprints.