Earlier this year Wobbly Duck Studios began a Steam Greenlight campaign for its magic-based virtual reality (VR) title Spellbound. The campaign was a success and now Spellbound has arrived on Steam Early Access for HTC Vive.
Spellbound casts players as a wizard who can cast magical spells just by using their hands. This initial release is the first in a planned three part story. The studio explains the story about: “A red wizard who has suffered from a lifetime of loneliness after being chased away from his home village by villagers scared of his magical abilities. He grew up in a hidden tower deep in the dark forests, never meeting another person, always fearful of his own magical abilities. One day, he meets a strange crow on a tree which somehow knows how to speak. They become friends and the crow becomes his mentor on all magical things. What the wizard doesn’t know is that his feathered friend isn’t just any old run of the mill talking bird, there is something deep, dark, and sinister lurking beneath the surface…”
The early access title will fully launch once The Red Wizards Tale has been completed, with the further story arcs coming as DLC. Wobbly Duck Studios list these in the following order:
The Red Wizards Tale
Prelude: Fully playable, Released, 95% complete
Act I: Mostly playable, Unreleased, 80% complete
Act II: Not Ready, 5% complete
Act III: Not Ready, 5% complete
The Sorceress of Light (DLC)
Act I: Not started
Act II: Not started
Act III: Not started
The Necromancers Folly (DLC)
Act I: Not started
Act II: Not started
Act III: Not started
Spellbound fully supports the HTC Vive at present but further platforms are currently in development. The Oculus Rift will be next, with the developer stating its around 75 percent complete, but Oculus Touch will also need to be implemented and as yet doesn’t have access to the controller. Leap Motion support will also be added but currently sits at the lowest priority.
As development of Spellbound continues the current early access price of £14.99 GBP is likely to increase due to the added content introduced by the indie studio.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Spellbound, reporting back with any further updates.