Last week a Japanese event called “asobo Indie Showcase 2021” featured a lot of videogame announcements, one of which was 17-BIT’s upcoming virtual reality (VR) title Song in the Smoke. The showcase mentioned a release date for this month, 18th September to be precise, but it seems that was jumping the gun as 17-BIT has confirmed that the date was incorrect.
The studio took to Twitter saying: “We’re so excited that people are SO EXCITED about the upcoming release of Song in the Smoke! Unfortunately our dates have been liquid and the previously announced release date was incorrect, but the final date should be just a few weeks later.” So not exactly an official delay but a longer wait nonetheless. 17-Bit does also note that: “The release date will be a few weeks after the previously announced date, so not long now!” With that information, it looks like Song in the Smoke won’t arrive until October at the earliest.
That 18th September date was a little unusual considering it is a Saturday, a very rare day for developers to release projects. Launches tend to be more midweek, both in VR and non-VR circles. But with 17-BIT’s dates being ‘liquid’ the studio might not reveal anything until the very last minute.
Song in the Smoke is the studios’ very first VR title, aiming to be quite the epic adventure by the looks of things. Droppin players in a primordial wilderness the title is described as “part survival game and part mysterious adventure,” where players can explore a world made up of eight biomes, ranging from lush forests and ancient valleys to frozen peaks.
Featuring art by famed illustrator Katsuya Terada (The Legend of Zelda, Blood: The Last Vampire, The Monkey King), Song in the Smoke will pit players against fantastical creatures – and more familiar stylised ones – as they try to survive the deadly wilderness. Stalk and hunting prey with a trusty bow or getting in closer with a melee weapon, they’ll need to listen out for creatures that may be hunting them.
Song in the Smoke is currently listed to support Oculus Quest, Rift and PlayStation VR when it does finally get a release date. When that happens, VRFocus will let you know.