After a long wait, publisher 1C Company announced last month that surreal virtual reality (VR) supported puzzle-adventure title Unknown Fate would be arriving on Steam for HTC Vive in September. Well it seems that time has caught up and the day is at hand for Unknown Fate to become known.
At launch Unknown Fate will only fully support the HTC Vive and non-VR PC, but support for the Oculus Rift along with eye-tracking support is due in a post-release patch.
Unknown Fate is described as a highly story-driven first-person adventure where players will need to defeat enemies and solve puzzles in order to progress. Players will take on the role of a man called Richard, who finds himself drawn into a surreal universe which contains strange characters, odd artefacts and scenes resembling twisted versions of Richard’s own life.
Players will be able to explore the strange world of Unknown Fate using either gamepad, tracked motion controllers or keyboard and mouse, and can choose either an immersive VR experience or traditional PC as the mystery unravels before them, with the layer guiding Richard as he struggles to remember the details of his life.
“Players can now enter the strangely fascinating world of Unknown Fate to experience a mind-altering adventure playable in both VR and non-VR modes,” said Nikolay Baryshnikov, VP of 1C Company, “The early response has been incredible, and the game is only getting better with support for Oculus Rift and VR eye tracking functionality coming after launch.”
The title is out now on Steam for HTC Vive and non-VR PC. There is a 15% launch discount currently available, putting the price at $12.75 (USD) compared to the usual price of $14.99. Further information and updates can be found on the Steam Store page.
For future coverage on new and upcoming VR titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.
It has been a very long time since we last mentioned surreal virtual reality (VR) adventure videogame Unknown Fate. First revealed from MarsLit Games back in 2016, over two years ago. Following updated trailers for E3 and Gamescom in 2017, Unknown Fate was last seen dated for a release in Autumn 2017 after which it’s name became awkwardly apropos.
Now after a long wait, the title being published by 1C Company is finally set to make its bow onto the PC and HTC Vive next week, on September 6th 2018. Hitting Steam at $12.75 (USD) for a short period, a 15% discount off the regular price of $14.99 (USD). Not only this, but 1C Company has announced the title will be receiving eye tracking support features thanks to a new parternship between 1C Company and specialist technology and analysis company Tobii. This is in addition to support for the Oculus Rift which is being added at a later date.
Unknown Fate sees players take on the role of protagonist Richard. Who, upon suddenly losing conciousness wakes up in a surreal world that unfortuantely seems very much to not be a dream. Not only that he can’t seem to fully recall who he was or the life he previously had. As Richard you are tasked with hunting down clues, possessions and memory triggers that will allow Richard to piece back together the person he once was and the life that he has lost. But in a strange world, where he is a stranger even to himself, that’s going to be easier said than done.
Listed features for the title include:
Highly Story-Driven: Explore a strange and surreal world as Richard seeks to find his way back to reality.
Mind-Twisting Puzzles: Manipulate objects to uncover clues and find a way through.
Definitively Designed for VR: Experience reality and unreality in a truly immersive fashion.
Immersive Eye Tracking: Chart a trail to the answers you seek via object highlighting and environmental event triggers in non-VR mode at launch with Tobii support also coming for VR.
Full Controller Support: Tracked controllers, gamepad, and keyboard/mouse are all supported.
Speaking on the reveal, Vice President of 1C Company, Nikolay Baryshnikov, commented: “Players will be able to embark on an amazing and immersive journey in Unknown Fate when it launches next week on Steam for PC with HTC VIve VR support. There was tremendous excitement among players at Gamescom, and we’re thrilled to be adding eye tracking support via Tobii.”
You can check out some additional screenshots released for Unknown Fate below. VRFocus will bring you more news on the project as we get it.
Last summer indie developer MarsLit Games announced its first title with virtual reality (VR) support, Unknown Fate. Prior to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017 next week, publisher 1C Company has announced the videogame is due to launch this Autumn and provided a new trailer to tease the upcoming release.
Unknown Fate is a story-driven first-person adventure set in a surreal universe. Players are cast in the role of Richard, needing to piece together his broken memories by exploring several worlds, each occupied by a guardian. There are four guardians, each of which occupy his own world, but there is a fifth, who has succeeded in breaking the boundaries tying him to one place. Able to roam all the worlds freely, this last guardian might be able to answer all the questions in Richard’s head, depending on which side is chosen.
Players will encounter strange characters, unfamiliar artifacts and scenes resembling Richard’s former life, having to solve environmental puzzles and defeat enemies as they progress.
The new trailer has been rendered in-engine with Unity, giving the best look yet at what Unknown Fate will offer.
MarsLit Games will be demoing Unknown Fate for the first time at Gamescom 2017 in August, which VRFocus will be attending, so expect some hands-on coverage from the event.
VRFocuswill continue its coverage of Unknown Fate, reporting back with any further updates.
Thatgamecompany has made a name for itself in the indie game space for crafting gorgeous, thought-provoking, and mesmerizing adventures that are best experienced rather than described. From the beautifully esoteric Cloud and flOw, to the simple and stunning Flower, and the critically acclaimed and award-winning Journey, the studio only knows how to craft cult classics and beloved experiences. Lantern, a recently released PC game in a similar mold of “calming, relaxing, vague, and meditative” games is not created by Thatgamecompany — and it shows.
When we first caught wind of this beautiful title, we called Storm in a Teacup’s thoughtful and beautiful Asian-fused adventure “VR’s beautiful answer Flower“. While that wasn’t inaccurate, Lantern lacks that special ‘something’ needed to ultimately claim that crown.
In Lantern, you’ll find a game that’s light on details and heavy on atmosphere, as expected. The opening moments set you in a small shack, seemingly near the ocean, as you can see the breeze lightly fluttering the tapestries around you. There are four total worlds adhering to each of the seasons to choose from — Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring — unlocked in sequential order. Picking Summer, you begin the game as a single, red Lanter, hovering over the water bank, near a small oceanside village.
Controlling the lantern is simple: hold down the A button to accelerate, tilt the left analog stick to steer, and once charged, you can boost with L2 or emit a burst with R2. Playing with a controller is highly recommended, as the analog stick is a much more fluid control scheme. No motion controllers are supported at this time. As you move across the world, every area that you fly over is regenerated with bold and bright colors. Your role as the lantern is not only to light the way, igniting the lights along paths, but to bring back the life, warmth, and love to the land. It’s a beautifully poetic premise that’s both mesmerizing and soothing to experience.
Lantern features VR support for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and OSVR platforms — this review was conducted using an HTC Vive. The reason I state this so clearly is that, other than supporting these headsets and letting you look around the world in 360-degrees while playing, no other work has gone into accommodating VR platforms.
This is a major issue for the game because, as you can tell from the footage, you spend the entire experience flying around large Asian-inspired environments. Constantly. Every time you tilt the stick, the camera moves fluidly across the Y-axis, banking and turning as your lantern flows through the air. I’ve never experiences real motion sickness before, but even this game made me feel a bit light-headed after an hour or so.
Implementing an Eagle Flight-esque control method for VR that allowed you to tilt your head for turning instead of moving the control stick would have been greatly preferable. Or at the very least coning the field-of-view to limit the motion sickness.
Optimization for VR games is also incredibly important, but even thought I greatly outpace the recommended specs, I still dropped frames and noticed a jitter when turning in the air. That issue disappeared outside the headset.
Final Score:5/10 – Mediocre
These shortcomings as a VR title are disappointing because, as a game in and of itself, Lantern is well-made. Fans of meditative adventures such as Flower and Journey will find a lot to love here, as the addictive nature of slowly returning life and color to a black and white world is infectious and rewarding on a purely visual basis, although simplistic and boring if the genre isn’t for you. Ultimately though, the gameplay when wearing a VR headset comes off as lackluster and borderline nauseating — even for those with sturdy VR legs.
You can purchase Lanternon Steam for PC with Rift, Vive, and OSVR support for $6.99. Read our Game Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score.
Listed features for the title include:
