3rd eye studios – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

October 4, 2018

Downward Spiral: Horus Station to get a Physical Release in November

Last month saw 3rd Eye Studios launch its virtual reality (VR) sci-fi thriller Downward Spiral: Horus Station for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR. Today the studio has announced a partnership with Perp Games to bring the title to retail stores, starting in November with Europe followed by North America in the near future.

Downward spiral horus station screen 1

Offering a core single-player adventure where players find themselves on a deserted space station, Downward Spiral: Horus Station is a zero-g thriller with players having to solve puzzles and unlock the story through environmental clues – there are no cut-scenes or dialogue in the videogame.

Whilst investigating, players will find out that they’re not completely alone on the station which is why they they need to find maintenance hardware on the ship, such as bolt throwers, rail guns and arc wielders to help solve the puzzles and fight back against oncoming threats.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station will be available for PlayStation VR at retail in Europe on 9th November, with a USA release to follow. “We think Horus Station is something special and are very much looking forward to seeing it physically in stores,” 3rd Eye Studios Co-Founder, Tapio Vierros said in a statement. “From the outset, Perp Games looked like an ideal partner to make that happen, and it has been a pleasant experience to work with them.”

Downward Spiral: Horus Station

“We love 3rd Eye Studios approach to gaming. So many new and exciting ideas are packed into Downward Spiral: Horus Station. From the amazing Zero Gravity movement to the eerie silence of the abandoned space station, the game is simply mind blowing,” adds Rob Edwards, MD of Perp Games.

Alongside the singleplayer you can always team up with a mate in the co-op mode, or go head to head with the PvP multiplayer.

VRFocus reviewed the PC version of Downward Spiral: Horus Station, giving it a solid four stars, commenting: “Downward Spiral: Horus Station does exactly what it needed to, presenting a far grander and more engaging instalment to the VR series.” For further updates from 3rd Eye Studios keep reading VRFocus.

September 18, 2018

Zero-G Thriller Downward Spiral: Horus Station Lands on PlayStation VR

After a successful launch for PC virtual reality (VR) headsets a few months ago, 3rd Eye Studios has today released the second installment of its sci-fi thriller Downward Spiral: Horus Station for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station

Continuing on from 2017’s short introduction Downward Spiral: Prologue, Downward Spiral: Horus Station takes that initial idea and expands on it greatly. Players find themselves in a zero-g environment, a deserted space station, seemingly completely alone with not a crew member in sight across the vast complex.

“Combining the thought-provoking mysteries of sci-fi classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris with interactive exploration has been a dream of ours for years, and we can’t wait for PlayStation players to experience Downward Spiral: Horus Station’s unique atmosphere and story,” said Gregory Louden, Lead Designer of 3rd Eye Studios in a statement. “While entirely captivating on a flat screen, Downward Spiral: Horus Station cranks the immersion up to 11 for those with PlayStation VR – especially if used in tandem with the PlayStation Move controllers!”

Players have to uncover the story through their own close observation and interpretation of the environment, as 3rd Eye Studios has provided no cut-scenes, dialogue or text to figure out what’s gone wrong. But Downward Spiral: Horus Station isn’t purely and exploration/puzzle experience as players will soon find dangers lurking in the shadows. Luckily they’ll be able to find maintenance hardware – like bolt throwers, rail guns, and arc welders to take out threats.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station

The studio has ensured the space station can be traversed as easily as possible, either through direct contact with the environment by grabbing and launching of objects, or using the grappling hook to tether to distant objects and reel yourself in.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station isn’t just a solo campaign to play through. You can also co-op with a buddy to make the process easier plus there’s even a game mode that removes combat entirely from the campaign for players who prefer a more relaxed experience. In addition to the story campaign, there’s eight-player PvP and PvE multiplayer modes including Deathmatch and Horde to increase the gameplay variety.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station is out now on PlayStation 4, with optional PlayStation VR support, for $19.99 USD / €14.99 EUR / £11.99 GBP / $22.95 AUS. For any further updates keep reading VRFocus.

July 16, 2018

Sci-fi Thriller Downward Spiral: Horus Station Coming to PlayStation VR in August

3rd Eye Studio launched the second installment of its sci-fi thriller series Downward Spiral: Horus Station at the end of May for PC-based virtual reality (VR) headsets HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift. The studio always planned on releasing a version for PlayStation VR and now it has confirmed a launch window.

Downward Spiral Horus Station

Last week saw the studio release a blog posting of behind the scenes videos, saying: “We are closing in to the launch of Downward Spiral: Horus Station for PlayStation 4 and PS VR. The version is in the final stages of certification, so only the very last bugs remain to be squashed. That also means that the release is just weeks away.”

The team then went on to clarify the following day via Twitter that those weeks would definitely fall within the month of August. So PlayStation VR fans won’t have too long to wait, although there’s still a specific date to be announced.

Following on from the story of Downward Spiral: Prologue, this second episode continues to take players through a lost vessel abandoned by its crew with 3rd Eye Studios focused on visual storytelling whether in single-player or two player online co-op. Players will have to piece together the plot through observation and interpretation as they navigate the derelict space station’s environmental storytelling.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station's next stop is on PS4 and PSVR in August. Before that check out our our collected highlights from the development. #indiegamedev #history #highlights #screenshotsaturday

— 3rd Eye Studios (@3rdeyestudiosfi) July 14, 2018

VRFocus awarded Downward Spiral: Horus Station four stars in our review, saying: “Downward Spiral: Horus Station does exactly what it needed to, presenting a far grander and more engaging instalment to the VR series. It’s not perfect, with some annoying glitches that really do need to be ironed out. However, the core experience is thoroughly enjoyable and more importantly massive.

As there’s only a few weeks to go until launch, when 3rd Eye Studios do eventually confirm the launch date, VRFocus will let you know.

July 16, 2018

‘Downward Spiral: Horus Station’ to Arrive on PSVR Next Month

3rd Eye Studios, the Helsinki-based developers behind Downward Spiral: Horus Station (2018), today announced the PS4 and PSVR version of the game is slated to land on PSN in August.

According to 3rd Eye’s blog, the studio is closing in to the launch of Downward Spiral: Horus Station for PlayStation 4 and PSVR.

“The version is in the final stages of certification, so only the very last bugs remain to be squashed. That also means that the release is just weeks away. We will announce the exact date as soon as we know for sure,” the creators say.

The studio also tweeted out that both the VR and traditional monitor version of the game is slated to arrive in August 2018.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station's next stop is on PS4 and PSVR in August. Before that check out our our collected highlights from the development. #indiegamedev #history #highlights #screenshotsaturday

— 3rd Eye Studios (@3rdeyestudiosfi) July 14, 2018

Flying in zero-G, users propel themselves through the derelict Horus Space Station using a few methods, be it a retracting grappling hook, air booster, or by pushing off the station’s internals such as bulkheads and comm panels.

In our review, we thought Downward Spiral: Horus Station skimped on two crucial elements to the adventure however: story and gunplay. Despite this, it’s undeniably atmospheric and visually stunning. A soundtrack created by ex-HIM front man Ville Valo certainly sets the stage.

In addition to the campaign mission, Downward Spiral includes eight-player PvP and PvE multiplayer modes including Deathmatch, Horde and Survivor challenges. Despite the game’s misgivings, there’s a lot to like about Downward Spiral: Horus Station, so we’re definitely hoping the game’s slick visuals translate despite the PSVR’s graphical limitations.

The post ‘Downward Spiral: Horus Station’ to Arrive on PSVR Next Month appeared first on Road to VR.

May 30, 2018

Review: Downward Spiral: Horus Station

Having tested the waters last year with its short but sweet debut experience Downward Spiral: Prologue, 3rd Eye Studios has returned in 2018 all guns a blazing with the next instalment in the franchise, Downward Spiral: Horus Station. Looking to expand on that initial offering, Downward Spiral: Horus Station offers the next chapter of the space-based adventure with more of just about everything to create a far richer and involved virtual reality (VR) experience.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station Screenshot

You don’t necessarily need to have played the first title to understand what’s going on in Downward Spiral: Horus Station, although story wise it does help a little. There’s no real introduction or tutorial to speak of, you’re just thrown straight in with a couple of pointers on how the control configurations work.

If you’ve played any sort of space-based title – like Lone Echo for example – you’ll instantly be at home with the low-gravity movement system of grabbing ledges and handles to pull yourself about and fling across wide open rooms. Yet there’s much more instore as you progress, with a very handy grappling hook style weapon becoming available early on and then a jet tool which grants you more speed. These really do help getting around the station a breeze and work far better than just using your hands. At points grabbing a wall or handle can glitch on occasion, and certainly doesn’t feel as robust as Lone Echo’s hands-on mechanics.

Horus Station is a massive sprawling construct yet it isn’t exactly open and free roaming. 3rd Eye Studios has a story to tell, and as such Downward Spiral: Horus Station is fairly linear in its construct – at points you do start to come back on yourself several times. There are sections with numerous doors yet only one is accessible, limiting that exploration factor to finding local items to unlock the next door.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station lasers

And with a lot of doors to open one big problem seems to be the loading of the next area. Reviewed on Oculus Rift, every time a new door had to be opened the visuals in Downward Spiral: Horus Station started jumping all over the place, only for a few seconds, yet it was terribly immersion breaking and will likely cause discomfort for some players. Once the opening sequence had finished everything was fine, and going back through the same door wouldn’t present an issue.

Despite this issue once inside some of the cavernous areas of Downward Spiral: Horus Station – or when venturing outside – the title is a visual feast. It has that impressive feel of old school sci-fi technology – levers to pull, grainy dot-matrix style screens – mixed in with a bold futuristic aesthetic that emulates films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars.

Thankfully this isn’t some quiet solo adventure that revolves around puzzles and figuring out the story. There are lots of little angry robots to deal with, and a nice assortment of weapons to find, mimicking shotguns, rifles, pistols and more. Adding to this is the co-op element where you and a mate can join forces, which not only helps with the more difficult puzzles but also the action sequences, especially when it comes to the boss areas.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station does exactly what it needed to, presenting a far grander and more engaging instalment to the VR series. It’s not perfect, with some annoying glitches that really do need to be ironed out. However, the core experience is thoroughly enjoyable and more importantly massive. With eight acts to play through, and each one taking around an hour – depending on how long you search for collectables – there’s a solid amount of content to get engrossed in. For players that enjoy floating around in space, Downward Spiral: Horus Station is a great all-rounder.

80%

Awesome

Verdict

May 15, 2018

Release Date Revealed For Downward Spiral: Horus Station

Zero-gravity sci-fi thriller Downward Spiral: Horus Station has been waiting in the wings for a while now, and developers 3rd Eye Studios thinks that the title is almost ready to make its debut, as they have revealed that it will be appearing on virtual reality (VR) headsets by the end of May, 2018.

The story of Downward Spiral: Horus Station concerns a space vessel which is adrift, having been mysteriously abandoned by its crew. Boarding to investigate, the player must discover the truth about Horus Station.

Downward spiral horus station screen 1

Of course, not everything is as it seems, and solving the mystery will take wits and cleverness as dangers lurk in the creepy abandoned rooms and corridors. Protecting yourself involves repurposing the ship’s maintenance hardware, so things like bolt throwers and arc welders can be modified into dangerous weapons.

The development team have previously said that they are keen on the idea of environmental storytelling. The storyline of Downward Spiral: Horus Station isn’t revealed through the traditional route of dialogue and cutscenes. Instead, players will need to piece together clues gathered from observation and interpretation.

Realising that players enjoy playing videogames in all kinds of different ways, the team at 3rd Eye Studios have added in multiple gameplay options. Players can indulge in the full immersion of VR and motion control, play entirely in single-player or bring a friend for co-op, and there is even an option that removes combat from the gameplay for a more relaxed style of play.

“Downward Spiral: Horus Station represents our dream of how immersion, interactivity, and storytelling can combine into a cohesive whole,” said Gregory Louden, Lead Designer of 3rd Eye Studios. “We’d like to combine the thought-provoking mysteries of sci-fi classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Solaris and combine it with the moody, immersive and interactive atmosphere.”

Downward Spiral: Horus Station Screenshot

Downward Spiral: Horus Station will be coming to PC on 31st May, 2018, compatible with the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality devices and priced at £14.99 (GBP), €14.99 (EUR) & $19.99 (USD). A PlayStation VR release will follow in Summer 2018. VRFocus will continue to keep you informed on the latest news.

April 23, 2018

3rd Eye Studios On The Road To Downward Spiral: Horus Station

Developer 3rd Eye Studios is working hard on their upcoming virtual reality (VR) title Downward Spiral: Horus Station. Ahead of release VRFocus’ Nina Salomons sat down with Greg Louden, Lead Designer at 3rd Eye Studios for a chance to talk about their upcoming title.

Downward Spiral Horus Station

Louden talks about the title as a mystery that is to be discovered rather than told, allowing users to explore the title and uncover the story of the title rather than being spoon-feed. Louden explains in the interview about how the environmental story telling that is accompanied by a stunning soundtrack is how the narrative of the title is delivered, as traditional cutscenes and voice-over are not present. Players will need to explore and witness events throughout the world in order to uncover the full story and piece together what is going on.

3rd Eye Studios released Downward Spiral: Prologue last year as a proof of concept for the Downward Spiral: Horus Station but Louden explains that this release is much bigger featuring eight times the enemies, eight times the weapons and eight chapters. When asked how long the title would take complete Louden said that some testers were taking up to ten hours to finish the title in co-op. Of course, if players speed through then they will likely finish it in less time.

The multiplayer for Downward Spiral: Horus Station will work with Stream VR to allow users to play together. Though cross-platform play is something that Louden comments is something they might explore in the future, it is not a feature at launch. Downward Spiral: Horus Station

Louden also reveals that the team at 3rd Eye Studios would love to build the title into a much larger franchise but will see how the release of Downward Spiral: Horus Station goes. He also commented that their are clues to their future plans found throughout the title and maybe even in the promotional material for the title.

VRFocus’ Editor Kevin Joyce previewed Downward Spiral: Horus Station saying: “3rd Eye Studios is aiming for eight chapters lasting over an hour each, combining puzzle, exploration and combat challenges into a varied space-based VR experience. What was seen in this initial chapter holds promise, but just as Downward Spiral Prologue before it leaves the player wishing for more depth: the mechanics of movement and combat seem disparate from the world, not cohesive in the way that the aforementioned BioShockcleverly made you believe in its world through mise-en-scene.”

For more on Downward Spiral: Horus Station, stay tuned to VRFocus and check out the full interview in the below video.

April 14, 2018

17 Minutes of Sci-fi Adventure ‘Downward Spiral: Horus Station’, Gameplay Video Here

Downward Spiral: Horus Station is an upcoming sci-fi adventure set in the lost and forgotten Horus space station. Created by Finland-based 3rd Eye Studios, the minds behind the game recently put out an extended look at some of the its atmospheric exploration and puzzles in a new gameplay video.

While the video gives us a peek into the game’s PS4 version, the mechanics seen here can be found in the game’s VR-compatible antecedent, Downward Spiral: Prologue (2017), which served as a tantalizing proof-of-concept back when it was released last year. With VR motion controllers and supported headset (listed below), you use the environment to physically propel yourself forward, or a number of tools found along the way to navigate the sprawling space station like a grappling gun.

17 Minutes of Sci-fi Adventure ‘Downward Spiral: Horus Station’, Gameplay Video Here

3rd Eye Studios Detail Production on Downward Spiral: Horus Station in new Video

Having released the first in its anthology series Downward Spiral: Prologue last year virtual reality (VR) developer 3rd Eye Studios has been eagerly showcasing its next installment, Downward Spiral: Horus Station. Whether at events like the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2018 or new gameplay videos. The team has now released another video, this time however it goes behind-the-scenes of the upcoming sci-fi thriller.

Downward Spiral Horus Station

This new video is the first in a series of developer diaries 3rd Eye Studios has planned, with this one focused on the art style the studio has implemented. The team discuss how they were influenced by some of the sci-fi movie greats from the 1970’s, like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Star Trek and more, combining a bold visual style with practical and old technology to give the Horus Station its own unique look.

3rd Eye Studios then go into greater detail about the art process, sketching out spaces whilst doing a lot of play testing because of perspectives and the zero-g movement. Of importance to the team was to make sure areas were visually interesting to players and not repetitive and boring due to the fact that Downward Spiral: Horus Station is much bigger and longer then the previous installment.

Downward Spiral: Horus Station is a first-person, zero-g sci-fi thriller which lures players through a lost vessel abandoned by its crew. To solve the mystery of the space station players will need to use their wits and ingenuity as they either fight or avoid the lurking dangers. They’ll have access to the ship’s maintenance hardware – like bolt throwers, rail guns, and arc welders to take out threats, solve puzzles and find the truth of why Horus Station has been left drifting in space.

Downward spiral horus station screen 1

The studio plans on launching Downward Spiral: Horus Station in Spring 2018 for PlayStation 4, PC with optional PlayStation VR, Oculus Touch, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality support. Check out the video below, and for further updates on Downward Spiral: Horus Station, keep reading VRFocus.