Best known as a videogames publisher rather than a developer, Ripstone Games has announced the launch of the first title to be entirely developed by its in-house development team; Chess Ultra.
The title will be heading to PC and console, with virtual reality (VR) versions available for PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift. Non-VR versions will also be released on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and the company have also announced that the title will be heading to the Xbox One X.
Ripstone Games have revealed that the AI for Chess Ultra was tested an approved by a chess Grandmaster. Single-player within VR consists of the player taking on The Grim Reaper, playing against Death himself to save their mortal soul. If players do well, Death’s eyes with light up with rage and lava will flow through the pits of Gomorrah where the chess duel is taking place. If the player loses, then Death claims their soul.
There are 10 Grand-master approved levels, with several modes including Classical, Blitz and Marathon, all of which feature several different styles of chess set to choose from. Cross-platfrom play between console and PC has been included, the allow for both local and online multiplayer, along with a ranking system. Over 80 chess puzzles have been included, and there are tutorials for players who are new to chess.
To support online play, Ripstone plans to hold official tournaments where users can either spectate or compete, using the full Twitch integration to allow players to show off how well (or how poorly) they perform against friends or the AI.
You can view the Chess Ultra launch trailer below.
VRFocus will bring you further information on Chess Ultra and other new VR titles as they become available.