Among us: Airship thoughts
Among Us’ huge Airship map finally arrived on Wednesday, offering new tasks for crewmates, new ways to get around, and new ways to plot against your friends as the imposter. I tried out the new level for an hour or so last night, and players who might have grown bored of the well-worn pathways of Among Us’ other levels will have a lot to play with on the airship.
The airship is Among Us’ biggest map yet, but to my surprise, I actually didn’t feel all that overwhelmed in my first matches. Developer InnerSloth did a great job making the different rooms visually distinct. The circular records room has four large bookshelves, for example, while the kitchen has a charming tile pattern and a pot simmering on a stove. The airship also adds a couple of new ways to get around, including ladders and a floating platform that moves you across a chasm.
On some of Among Us’ other maps, I have trouble remembering exactly where I’ve been. But the notable traits of many of the airship’s locations made them easier to recall when pleading my innocence in player meetings.
For crewmates, the airship has a lot of new tasks to keep you busy while avoiding the imposter. In my hour or so of playtime last night, I hammered a showerhead into place, shined a jewel, waved a phone around to get good reception, fast-forwarded a video cassette, dressed up a mannequin, and even unclogged a toilet. And if you’re a longtime Among Us player, you’ll recognize some old standbys — rest assured that your finely honed card swiping skills will be put to good use.
If you’re an imposter, the airship is a playground, packed with large objects and distant corners you can use to strategically hide the bodies of your crewmates. And of course, imposters can still use vents to zip from room to room as well as turn off the ship’s lights, communications, and other functions to mess with other players.
At times, the airship can feel too big, though; at the default walking speed, it takes a long time to get from place to place. To help with that, InnerSloth lets you start from one of three rooms every time you jump into the map. But no matter where you start, it still takes a while to get to the opposite side of the ship. In games with fewer players, the sheer size of the airship also means you may not see a lot of your crewmates. It almost seems designed for the upcoming 15 player lobbies.
Wednesday’s update also adds an account system and some new free hats, including a poop hat. Among Us is available on PC, mobile, and Nintendo Switch, with an Xbox version set to release sometime this year.