Developers from the talented studios that brought you Battlefield, Mirror’s Edge and even Angry Birds have now announced their latest videogame, Apex Construct, and it’ll be exclusive to virtual reality (VR) devices such as the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and even Windows Mixed Reality head-mounted displays (HMDs).
Fast Travel Games is the studio behind Apex Construct, and the founders come from companies such as Rovio, DICE and EA, and have since hired talent known for their work at developers such as Bandai Namco and Guerilla Games. Founded in 2016, the studio has been hard at work on Apex Construct since 2016, when they secured funding for the development of the videogame.
The videogame is set in a future where merciless robots prowl the world as a result of humanity’s experiments. You are the last human alive, and will need to explore the world to uncover secrets and surviving assaults from the robotic fiends.
You get a bow with arrows, and a shield, and that’s all the tools you’ll need in order to uncover the mysteries of the world ruled by two opposing AIs.
“One of the stated missions for us at Fast Travel Games is to make VR games that last, and Apex Construct is created to really deliver a lasting experience,” Erik Odeldahl, Creative Director, points out. “In addition to completing the main campaign, which should last around 5 hours and take you to places like pre-apocalyptic research stations, underground caves and parts of an old city, Apex Construct is filled with hidden areas to explore – and the more you explore, the more you understand about the world and the story. We call it ‘Exploration Driven Narrative’ and believe it really rewards players who take their time with the game.”
The videogame incentivises exploration and upgrading their equipment for their own style of play. Levels can be replayed from a safe house, allowing players to explore every inch of each stage to earn everything possible and level up using Radiance Points. “We created the upgrade system to incentivize exploration, but also to allow players to find their own style of play: Do they spend their Radiance Points to improve the bow, the arrows, or will they embrace a more defensive approach and choose to upgrade the shield?” Odeldahl explain. “Radiance Points are also used to acquire items like grenades or health drinks, which adds a level of strategic thinking – should players spend them on short or long term gains?”
PlayStation VR players will be the first to get their hands on Apex Construct on February 20th 2018, while users of Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or Windows Mixed Reality will have to wait until March 20th.
It’s incredibly exciting seeing these talented developers come together for a new game, and we can’t wait to see more of it. There’s a trailer for Apex Construct below, and for everything else VR, stay on VRFocus.