Earlier this month developer Happy Giant studios announced it was working on a new version of Star Wars-inspired digital strategy board game HoloGrid: Monster Battle was being rebuilt with ARKit. Apple have now given approval and the title is available on the Apple App Store.
HoloGrid: Monster Battle was inspired by the ‘Holo chess’ scene in Star Wars: A New Hope and was created in collaboration with the visual effects expert who helped to create that scene, Phil Tippett. Tippett created the various monsters that are used in the title, using his experience in visual effects to bring them to life.
Integrating the new depth-sensing and motion-tracking capabilities available in ARKit, the new version of HoloGrid: Monster Battle is a free-to-play all-digital title featuring new spells, game arenas and monsters. New monsters and spells can be unlocked by opening Treasure Chests, which can be earned by winning matches. Players can also earn currency by winning battles, which lets them level up their monsters and spells. The new ARKit features means that players can scale up the arena to make if life-sized, or scale it down and walk around to get a better view.
“The ARKit version of HoloGrid is a completely different type of gaming experience,” said Mike Levine, HappyGiant’s CEO and Founder. “You can now play the game like before, on a flat table top surface. But we also allow to play it in a huge, “Harry Potter” chess-style, which really takes the game to another dimension. Being able to walk into and around a life-size board game with giant animated monsters is something we think people will enjoy!”
VRFocus will bring you further news on HoloGrid: Monster Battle as it becomes available.