There are surprisingly few virtual reality (VR) videogames that make use of the idea of gaze control, and even fewer that do it well. Dream Reality Interactive and publisher Rebellion are hoping to give this type of control scheme a revival with Arca’s Path.
Arca’s Path has been designed to be a serene and relaxing puzzle title that doesn’t need any controllers to get the user totally immersed within its world.
Those who have tried Arca’s Path compared it to classic puzzler Marble Madness. There is a ball, and the player’s gaze directs it where to go, with the camera slowly following along behind.
The player guides the ball through an obstacle course which is decorated in a beautiful and unique art style that features styled grass, tress and flowers, with pastel-shaded backgrounds that appear to have been inspired by Roger Dean paintings.
The music is provided by electronic music label Ninja Tune, which is responsible for the soothing background that is aimed at bringing the user to an almost Zen state.
It’s quite a switch away from the other VR title that Rebellion is known for, arcade tank battler Battlezone. Developer Dream Reality Interactive are working with Rebellion to bring Arca’s Path to all the high-end VR platforms, PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Oculus Go.
VRFocus boss Kevin Joyce managed to get hands-on with Arca’s Path during E3 2018, where he said: “Arca’s Path VR is by no means a revolutionary experience; a question remains over whether or not the videogame benefits from VR at all. However, it does appear to have the potential to deliver a satisfying platform experience which the player can take at their own pace: the antithesis of those wave shooters, and for that alone it’s a title worth watching.”
The screenshots can be viewed below. Further news on Arca’s Path and other upcoming VR experiences will be here on VRFocus.
