It’s been a while since Artifact 5 released any new details about its introspective, virtual reality (VR)-compatible adventure Anamorphine. Today however, the studio has now confirmed that the title will see a release this winter on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR.
Anamorphine tells the story of Tyler who struggles with guilt and post-traumatic denial after his wife Elena falls victim to an accident leaving her unable to play the cello―an activity that represents both her livelihood and emotional outlet. Elena quietly slips into depression as Tyler revisits the milestones of their relationship and attempts to overcome painful memories warped by his troubled psyche.
Rather than being a videogame Anamorphine focuses on pure environmental storytelling, with no dialogue, text, UI or action buttons to speak of. Instead, you move through the story purely through movement and sight – possibly in a similar vein to Manifest 99 – as it explores themes of mental health, depression, and loss.
Having already received several accolades including Best Narrative Design & Best Innovation at the Montreal Indie Games Festival 2016, and Best Story/Storytelling at Game Connection 2017, Artifact 5 will be bringing Anamorphine to IndieCade 2017 from 6th – 8th October in Los Angeles.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Anamorphine, reporting back with the latest updates.