There have been a few virtual reality (VR) visual novels produced, such as Square Enix’s Tales of Wedding Rings VR, the recently announced Tokyo Chronos, and Project LUX. The latter was the work of Japanese studio SpicyTails which has just revealed its next project, Spice & Wolf VR.
We will make "Spice & Wolf VR". It is scheduled to be released in 2019. VIVE, Rift, others!! pic.twitter.com/SYkCF6Jc13
— SpicyTails@ (@spicytails) July 16, 2018
Spotted by MoguraVR, the new VR project is based on a Japanese light novel series called Spice & Wolf, which then saw mange and anime adaptions. Details on the actual experience haven’t been released as yet but the original story follows a 25-year-old traveling merchant called Kraft Lawrence. After stopping in the town of Pasloe, he comes across a wolf-deity named Holo who is over 600 years old. Taking the form of a 15-year-old girl – except for a wolf’s tail and ears – she wants to join him so she can see the world and eventually return to her homeland.
Original series author Isuna Hasekura will be involved with the new project as well as anime voice actors Jun Fukuyama (Kraft) and Ami Koshimizu (Holo).
Currently, SpicyTails has confirmed that Spice & Wolf VR will support HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and other headsets (most likely PlayStation VR) when it arrives in early 2019.
To see what’s instore then it’s best to check out Project LUX. Designed as a new adventure specifically for VR, the experience takes place during a court trial set in a future where most humans have cyberbrains. On trial is an agent who coordinates with artists to create data for cyberbrains which can interact with people’s emotions. The victim is a girl artist named Lux, and the jury has to investigate what really happened by reliving the memory data of the defendant.
As production has just begun on Spice and Wolf VR, when SpicyTails reveal further details on the project, VRFocus will keep you updated.