The official twitter for independent development studio Oddbug Studio has announced that its hand-drawn 2D platform title The Lost Bear will be launched on PlayStation VR on 31st August, 2017 for a price of $12.99 (GBP).
The title’s director, Daniel Robinson had previously indicated that The Lost Bear was headed to an August release on the PlayStation Blog. Robinson spoke on the genesis of the project and how the idea of moving it into virtual reality (VR) influenced the direction of the title: The VR mechanics of the game took a lot of time to get right,” Robinson explained, “We didn’t want Walnut to be aware of the player and we wanted to avoid any mechanics that did not fit the feel of the experience or break the flow of the game.
The Lost Bear is a puzzle-platformer that follows a girl called Walnut, who learns how to overcome obstacles and challenges on a journey to recover her beloved lost teddy bear. Her bear has been captured by the toy-stealing villain, Snatcher, and Walnut must learn new skills and overcome her fears to escape Snatcher and find her way back home with her bear.
The aesthetics of the title were heavily inspired by Eastern European puppet show theatre and as such features a paper-cut-out style that uses hand-drawn animation throughout, offering a VR cinema effect, with the player effectively part of the audience, while still being in control of the action.
VRFocus will continue to bring you news on The Lost Bear as it develops.