As I was saying on VRFocus just the other day, it is only natural that as soon as October comes around that not only grizzly ghouls rise from their crypts but so do an army of undead-related virtual reality (VR) experiences.
T’is the season to be spooky.
It’s not just in the home where developers are taking advantage of the Halloween season, however. Studios working with location-based entertainment (LBE) are also looking to provide some tricks and treats. One such studio being independent Seattle-based videogame developer Holospark (Seance: The Unquiet). They have just lifted the spiderweb-covered curtain on a new experience The Haunted Graveyard, which is available to VR arcades through SpringboardVR, SynthesisVR and also through direct license.
In The Haunted Graveyard players, find themselves in a graveyard slightly less quiet and peaceful than the regular kind of graveyard – for a start it’s occupied by a number of characters who may very well be both dead and alive. Twisting pathways, lost vaults and tombs await as well as a story to enjoy. Just don’t stay too long, at midnight you might turn into something far worse than a pumpkin.
“VRcades are bringing a broad new audience to virtual reality, but most experiences on the market are made for hardcore gamers.” Says CEO of Holospark Russell Williams in a statement. “With The Haunted Graveyard, we have created a new entertainment format that appeals to all audiences, driving VR forward to mass market entertainment.”
“To create The Haunted Graveyard, we assembled the best technology and an award-winning development team,” Says executive producer John Scott Tynes. “Using their expertise in both games and film development, our team created a VR experience that does what VR should do — it transports users into another world using mesmerizing graphics and sound.”
“VR is a powerful new entertainment medium that can truly transport you no matter who or where you are.” Adds art director Bruce Sharp. “It’s the power of dreams come to life – or in this case, nightmares!”
You can check out a trailer for The Haunted Graveyard below. The title, though made for VR arcades, is also out now on Steam and on special offer until October 15th. It supports both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, and you can get it for £4.31 (GBP) until that time.