Category: blade & sorcery

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Blade And Sorcery Oculus Quest Port Being Looked Into, May Be Quest 2 Exclusive

A Blade and Sorcery Oculus Quest port may be on the cards, but it would likely be a Quest 2 exclusive.

A Quest version of the game was already outlined as a possibility on the evolving roadmap, though only under the ‘To be defined’ category. Even with that in mind, Reddit user RetroCodes claims to have recently asked developer WarpFrog if a Quest version of the game could still be on the cards. We’ve asked the studio to verify its answer but the team reportedly replied: “We don’t like to make promises, but [we] are looking into that.”

The message ends by noting that a possible port “would almost certainly need to be Quest 2 however.”

Blade And Sorcery Oculus Quest Port Might Happen

Again, we’re awaiting confirmation that this message is legitimate but, if true, the developer means that it likely wouldn’t be able to bring the game to the original Oculus Quest. We’re starting to see more and more VR titles leave the first (and significantly less powerful) iteration of the device behind – next month’s Resident Evil 4 VR will be the first Quest 2 exclusive, while the just-announced standalone port of Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will only come to the newer headset. Meanwhile, After The Fall will come to Quest 2 in 2021 with a Quest 1 version to follow next year.

The PC VR version of the bloody combat game is still in early access years after release, but has seen regular updates. Its next major upgrade will include a dungeon mode that offers a more linear experience over the usual arena-based combat, though there’s no word on when a full 1.0 launch might happen. Facebook doesn’t usually allow early access releases on Quest, but has made exceptions for other popular VR games, like Onward.

Would you want a Blade And Sorcery Oculus Quest port? Let us know in the comments below!

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Blade And Sorcery Is Getting Explorable Dungeons In Next Update

Blade and Sorcery’s next big update will introduce a key new feature the adds more to the game beyond its arena-based action.

Update 10 will include an early version of a Dungeon mode, in which players will be able to infiltrate and explore randomized dungeons. The first iteration will include a few different room types, mixing castle and cave environments, though this will be expanded over time, too. Enemy AI will also be tweaked to react a little differently and you’ll also be able to use stealth, though developer WarpFrog has warned this won’t reach the polish of an actual stealth-focused game.

Check out the trailer for the dungeons update below.

“[It’s] a pretty far departure from the familiar B&S arena type gameplay,” WarpFrog noted in a recent Steam update, “but we want it to feel like an adventure!”

It’ll certainly be interesting to see a more progress-based element added to Blade and Sorcery, which has built up a huge following with its arena-based combat. There’s no release date for the dungeons update just yet but hopefully we’ll see it before the end of the year. Looking ahead, WarpFrog plans to implement a ‘progression mode’ in either update 11 or 12 that will feature more interactive environments and a loot system among other aspects.

Or, hey, if you want something new to experience right now, you could check out the incredibly cool Shang-Chi mod, that lets you wield the Ten Rings. This week also saw the launch of another game that looks very similar to Blade and Sorcery’s dungeon mode called Legendary Tales.

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Shang-Chi Blade And Sorcery Mod Lets You Wield The Ten Rings

A new Blade and Sorcery mod lets you wield the legendary Ten Rings seen in recent Marvel blockbuster, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Reddit user ghostplaysvr recently posted a video of the mod — made by lyneca — which lets you wield the deadly weapons just like Tony Leung’s Xu Wenwu does in the movie. Five rings line each arm and can either be fired out in force with a punch or stretched out like deadly metallic whips. Check them out in action below.

You can apparently download the mod from lyneca’s Discord channel, though we had trouble accessing the channel at the time of writing.

It’s yet another incredible display of the power of WarpFrog’s physics-driven VR combat sandbox. Blade and Sorcery has long been popular for its realistic melee simulation, which countless games have since tricked to mimic. But the mod scene for the game is also one of the biggest in VR, with modders putting lightsabers and force powers into the game too.

We recently went hands-on with another Blade and Sorcery competitor, Legendary Tales, which mixes things up with dungeon crawling and RPG elements. You can read our impressions right here.

Elsewhere Blade and Sorcery is soon to get a big update that will add its own dungeons. There’s no release date yet but it’s a big step to bringing the experience closer to a full game.

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AXIS Motion-Tracking Solution Launches Kickstarter Campaign

AXIS node

Full-body motion-tracking is possible at home with systems like the Vive Trackers but that is limited to certain headsets. Singapore-based tech company Refract aims to widen that market with its tracking solution AXIS (Active XR Interface System). With a plan to bring AXIS to market in 2022, today Refract has launched a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to aid that endeavour.

AXIS - Blade & Sorcery

While not specifically designed for virtual reality (VR) use, AXIS is built around active gaming of any type so it’s ideal for energetic VR titles. The system is made up of a series of very neat looking wearable sensors that attach to a player’s arms and legs, recording their movements in real-time. There are nine sensors and an on-body hub for inside-out positional tracking (so no external sensors are required), all of which are water-resistant so they don’t get affected by sweat.

Refract has built AXIS to tailor to three distinct setups depending on a user’s needs: Standard, VR, and Creator. So whether you’re into normal videogames, VR experiences or an animator who needs to use AXIS for motion capture, all bases are covered. When it comes to VR compatibility AXIS out-of-the-box works with OpenVR, OpenXR and SteamVR, with Blade & Sorcery used as an example.

For the Kickstarter, Refract aims to raise $133,900 USD to help it move AXIS into mass production. Like many funding campaigns, AXIS offers backers some big discounts for pledging early with the standard funding tier at $499 supplying nine sensors and hub plus a copy of Freestriker, the company’s own in-house title. For those that are quick, there’s a limited Super Early Bird offer dropping the price to $399.

AXIS - Oculus Quest

Freestriker is a first-person fighting game that looks hyper-realistic – when it comes to body movement – with two players sparring off against one another. It’s not VR-compatible but it would certainly be a great fit for VR gaming. Adding to Refract’s virtual martial arts credentials the company has entered into a partnership with World Taekwondo to develop its virtual sports program.

Founded in 2018 by Unity, EA, and Ubisoft veterans, Refract features a strong team of 40+ employees to bring AXIS to market in 2022. As the Kickstarter progresses through to 1st October VRFocus will report back with any further updates.

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VR’s Favorite Physics Fighter Gets a Major Update Tomorrow, New Trailer Reveals

Fan favorite Physics-based VR melee fighter Blade & Sorcery is still going strong nearly two and a half years after its initial early access release. Back in June, we got our first peek at the next major development which is slated to expand beyond the game’s sandbox roots and introduce a more linear experience with procedurally generated dungeons for players to plunder. Now a new trailer reveals that the update is just around the corner, with a release date set for October 24th.

Update (October 23rd, 2021): In a surprise trailer dropped this week, developer WarpFrog revealed that the U10 ‘Dungeons’ update for Blade & Sorcery is set to launch tomorrow, October 24th!

The trailer shows a range of varied rooms that will be connected into procedurally generated dungeon routes, including some platforming that will see players swinging between hanging lanterns.

At some point players are expected to be able to earn experience or currency from their dungeon runs which can be used to purchase new weapons and abilities, but it isn’t clear yet if that system will be included in the U10 update or added later.

The original article, which overviews what’s known about the new Dungeon mode thus far, continues below.

Original Article (June 8th, 2021): Blade & Sorcery developer WarpFrog today teased the game’s next major patch, Update 10, which will include the beginnings of a new linear game mode called Dungeons. While the developer says the game’s original sandbox mode is here to stay, Dungeons will give players a new way to play the game.

Update 10 will include the first procedurally generated dungeon environment, called Greenland, which the studio says is dynamically pieced together from hand-made rooms so that no two runs will be the same.

Dungeon environment screenshots
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Image courtesy Warp Frog
Image courtesy Warp Frog
Image courtesy Warp Frog
Image courtesy Warp Frog
Image courtesy Warp Frog
Image courtesy Warp Frog

Instead of battling waves of enemies, like in the game’s sandbox mode, dungeons will have pre-spawned enemies that players will need to defeat as they delve deeper inside. Enemies will also have basic AI with patrolling and a field-of-view.

While Blade & Sorcery’s Update 10 will bring the first dungeon environment, along with a revamped ‘home’ space for players (previewed here), it won’t yet include a loot or character progression system. These are expected to be added in later updates; the developer has teased a currency system for buying better equipment and some kind of skill tree for unlocking new abilities.

The studio stresses that it’s still early for the Dungeons mode and the initial release is likely to feel incomplete (it is early access, after all), but the hope is to gather some key feedback as the rest of the systems come into place in later updates. For now, Blade & Sorcery Update 10 is expected to land around Q3 or Q4 this year.

The post VR’s Favorite Physics Fighter Gets a Major Update Tomorrow, New Trailer Reveals appeared first on Road to VR.

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The Goriest VR Games Released So Far

Look, VR is a major force for good. It can teleport us across the planet, link us up with friends and bring us closer to those we’ve never connected with in the past.

It also lets you play Gorn.

Sometimes it’s fun to cause a little carnage and, while there are legitimate concerns about the future of VR violence, there are apps out there right now that toe the line between bloodshed with either humor, fantasy or horror elements. We’re not just talking about tasteless ultra-violent shovelware – these have to be genuine games, too. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the goriest VR games to date.

VR’s Goriest Games

Gorn

Well, it’s kind of in the name, isn’t it? Gorn is an arena battler all about caving in your opponent’s head. Or pulling it off. Or stabbing it. Or– you get the idea. What makes Free Lives’ gladiator sim work is not only the impressive physics on display in its combat but also the brilliant slapstick presentation. Googley-eyed honey badgers spring at you with vicious teeth and ridiculous bosses trip and tumble over each other. Gorn is a bizarre bloodfest you have to try.

Blade & Sorcery

Of all the games on this list, Blade & Sorcery is probably the most violent and, to be honest, the most shocking. Just watch a few minutes of one of the game’s murderous rampages, where glassy-eyed NPCs are condemned to be stabbed and sliced to death and you might decide this one’s not for you. That’s very fair – but you also can’t deny developer WarpFrog has created one of VR’s finest combat systems through years of meticulous updates. Plus the mod scene lets you live out Jedi dreams, and the sorcery element instills at least a little fantasy into the equation. The DNA of Blade & Sorcery can be seen in some of VR’s best games to date.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Take a look at this video and you’ll get a pretty good idea of just how gory The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners can get. Seriously, we can’t embed it on the page because YouTube only lets it be seen on its own site. Developer Skydance gave us the ultimate VR zombie survival experience last year, where impressive physics factored into not just how much fun you could have killing a zombie but also put realistic limits on your performance too.

Resident Evil 7

Resident Evil 7 might not have the same body count as other games on this list, but it’s more about some of the deeply shocking things you experience in VR than it is the bloodshed. Poor old Ethan is really put through the wringer in this one, and some of the game’s opening moments remain some of the most disturbing memories we’ve accumulated in VR so far.

Alien: Isolation (Mothr VR Mod)

There are a lot of games we could get into once we open up the can of worms that is VR mods (you can find our picks for the best here). We’re recognizing Alien: Isolation not so much on the account of the sheer amount of violence so much as how uniquely shocking its moments of murder can be. And that’s because they happen to you. Trust us, wait until you’ve been stabbed through the back and the Xenomorph’s tail is poking out of your torso – then you’ll agree.

What did you think of our list of gory VR games? Let us know in the comments below!

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Watch: Shadow Of Valhalla Is Like Blade & Sorcery… With Zombies, Exclusive Trailer Here

Blade & Sorcery-style combat and zombie survival combines this week in Shadow of Valhalla, and we’ve got an exclusive look.

This new VR horde game — which sprinkles in a little Norse mythology for good measure — is from developer Chicken Waffle and is launching in Early Access on August 20th. At the beginning of the game, you’re killed by a dragon, awakening in Valhalla at the call of Odin himself. You’re tasked with reaching Asgard by slashing your way through waves of the undead. Check out the trailer below.

As you can see, Shadow of Valhalla has players lopping off zombie heads in physics-driven melee combat, but there are also some spells to use too. Enemy waves get progressively harder and boss battles will also feature, meaning you’ll need to perfect your skills if you have any hope of obtaining glory. Chicken Waffle says its controls were inspired by Half-Life: Alyx, including a ‘Lasso Grab’ to snag items from far away.

This being a single-player campaign, there will be new worlds and environments to explore as you progress, and the developer is planning to add new magic powers and items as well as crafting options as the Early Access release progresses. Along with zombies, there will also be giant spiders and other types of enemies too.

Shadow of Valhalla will release on PC VR via SteamVR first, but there are also plans to bring it to PSVR in the future. Will you be checking the game out this week? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Watch: Shadow Of Valhalla Is Like Blade & Sorcery… With Zombies, Exclusive Trailer Here appeared first on UploadVR.

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Tales Of Glory Is Basically Mount & Blade VR, Now Out Of Early Access

Mount & Blade is an extremely popular and successful series of medieval simulation games in which you raise an army, conquer kingdoms, and engage in epic, intense battles with dozens of troops around you. From sieges to horseback rampages, it’s got it all. Tales of Glory is basically that, but in VR.

We first covered Tales of Glory way back in December 2017 — about two and a half years ago — and the developers, BlackTale games, have admirably been hard at work on it ever since. That’s a long time to be in early access and thankfully it didn’t wither away or linger in obscurity forever. In fact, since launch, there have already been additional updates.

Now, as of just about a week ago, it’s out of Early Access as a full launch for $29.99 on Steam with support for all major VR headsets including Rift, Vive, Index, and Windows MR.

Back when I tried it previously it was basically just poorly scripted AI running at each other in open fields while you waggled your weapons to try and emulate some morsel of intensity. It was fine, for the time, but I had honestly forgotten it existed. Until now.

With nearly three years of additional development time the solo indie developer has added a lot of new content and features. In the release trailer above you can see a two-minute long montage showing off how improved the combat looks, how varied the maps are, and the wide array of weapons at your disposal.

The most immediate comparison that’s easy to draw with Tales of Glory is obviously Blade & Sorcery. Both games feature physics-based medieval combat, but they have some major differences as well. Blade & Sorcery seems to have a much more reactive and realistic physics system and a wide mix of both melee and magical abilities. Tales of Glory on the other hand is less about simulating dueling and small group fights and more about cramming as many characters on screen as possible to reenact sieges and mounted combat. It’s not as accurate from a physics level, but it does offer a lot that Blade & Sorcery doesn’t.

tales of glory forest screenshot tales of glory melee screenshot

The developer boasts that the sandbox-style campaign, War of the Five, offers 30 hours of content with its free form Mount & Blade style progression. There are 40 weapons to pick from, including swords, maces, flails, bows, and more, as well as horseback riding, mounted combat, and even jousting. Plus, 40 battlefields that range from coastlines, various castles, caverns, and more with a randomization system to keep things fresh.

We have not tried the launch version of the game yet as of the time of this writing, but you can expect impressions in the coming days. Reportedly, there’s a lot to try out here.

For more on Tales of Glory, check out the game’s Steam page, official website, YouTube channel, and official Discord. And don’t forget a sequel is already in development with a much different setting.

The post Tales Of Glory Is Basically Mount & Blade VR, Now Out Of Early Access appeared first on UploadVR.

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Blade & Sorcery’s big June Update Will be Magical

Blade & Sorcery

WarpFrog’s Blade & Sorcery has been in Early Access for 18 months now, garnering a strong player base thanks to its physics-driven combat system. But like the title suggests the gameplay should involve blades and a magical element, the latter of which has been lacking. That’s going to change next week with the launch of The Sorcery Update.

Blade & Sorcery

As you’d expect the update is all about unlocking that magical component so you can master the elements, throw fireballs and imbue your weapons for enhanced effects. There will be a new spell wheel to access these magical forces and the UI, in general, will see a makeover.

The Sorcery Update will add a new map called The Citadel plus there will be a new model for the bow, arrows and quiver. A long requested feature to imbue the arrows with fire, lightning etc will finally be added.

Armour physics are another important part of the update with three tiers of armour; cloth, leather and plate available, all of which are modular. This adds an extra level of strategy to Blade & Sorcery as: “a slash with a blade across some leather might do nothing, while a rapier thrust may penetrate the same leather,” the developer explains. This goes even further when magic is involved as blades imbued with fire can cut through metal while magical blunt weapons can do twice the damage.

Blade & Sorcery

On the visual front the developer has also noted that: “The enemy, armour, map, textures, weapon models are all new and custom, making it essentially a different game from the original EA launch.”

This should make Blade & Sorcery a more rounded, complete VR experience when the update arrives on 4th June via Steam and Oculus Store, supporting PC headsets like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Valve Index.

Check out the new trailer below or take a look at these other sword-based VR titles. As further updates for Blade & Sorcery are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.

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Blade & Sorcery Gets Massive Magic Overhaul On June 4th With ‘The Sorcery Update’

The new trailer for Update 8, the massive “Sorcery Update” for Blade & Sorcery just dropped yesterday with the reveal that it will hit both Steam and Oculus Home for Rift platforms on June 4th.

One of the recurring jokes about this game is that ever since it debuted in Early Access the title has been half a lie. It’s called Blade & Sorcery, but it’s really just focused on blades and other melee weapons with almost every single update. Now that’s finally changing.

In the trailer above you can see tons of new spells, like a Gravity spell that lets you levitate enemies and even push the air like a Jedi Force Push power. There are flaming swords, lightning staves, and so much more. It’s a lot to process, not to mention the brand new, massive, Citadel map.

One specific new feature I want to highlight is armor penetration. Now, enemies will wear three different tiers of armor (cloth, leather, and plate) and it’s all modular. A slash across leather armor probably won’t do anything, but a stab with something like a rapier could. And plated enemies require you to target the expose portions of their body like in the cracks of limbs and their neck/face. Here is a quick clip showing that off a bit more:

We mentioned the news earlier this month, but the new trailer really puts the cherry on top of just how massive of an update this truly is. Blade & Sorcery is one of my personal favorite VR games, even if it’s barely a game and is actually just an immensely fun wave combat sandbox experience. There is no story, no structured content like quests, not even a procedural dungeon to explore. You literally go to a map, spawn enemies, spawn weapons, and fight. But because of how intricate the physics engine is and how satisfying it all feels, I can get lost in this kind of blood bath for hours.

I’m honestly at a loss for additional words here after watching that trailer. It’s epic and full of amazing feats of creative violence. I’m extremely eager to dive back into this game and deep down I long for the day this sort of combat system can find its way into a larger, more proper adventure like The Elder Scrolls or Asgard’s Wrath.

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