Dolphins are one of those species that nearly every human on the planet seems to find incredibly endearing. They are also very smart – smart enough to become to stars of an upcoming virtual reality (VR) titles from Tigertron called Jupiter & Mars.
Jupiter & Mars is set in the far future where humankind is almost all gone. Dolphin Jupiter and her companion Mars explore five ‘biomes’ as they try and enlist the help of a group of whales called ‘The elders’ in order to resolve the after effects of the pollution humans left behind.
Many VR players commented that the far future setting and the use of dolphin protagonists make the title feel very much like a spiritual successor to classic SEGA title Ecco the Dolphin and its sequels.
Jupiter & Mars has the dolphin protagonist exploring areas such as tropical islands and underwater sunken cities, all set amidst spectacular ocean environments as the player is exposed to the damaging effects of pollution and climate change, such as the bleaching of coral reefs and ocean acidification – issues that closely reflect those occurring in reality.
Developers Tigertron have been working with The Ocean Foundation to support the marine conservation efforts by including unlockable content in Jupiter & Mars, though there is as of yet no indication on what this content will involve.
James Mielke, the creative director for Tigertron. “Video games are such a unique, interactive medium, we felt this would be the perfect way to introduce groups like The Ocean Foundation to a whole new audience of gamers active and engaged about the world they live in.”
New screenshots of Jupiter & Mars are available to view below. The title is planned for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR, with a release sometime in Summer 2018. A price point has not yet been confirmed.
For further news on Jupiter & Mars and other upcoming VR titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.
