Entwicklerstudio Marvov Co. Veröffentlichte kürzlich sein neues VR-Steampunk-Adventure Chiaro and the Elixir of Life für Oculus Rift, HTC Vive und Windows-VR-Brillen auf Steam sowie im Oculus Store. Der Indie-Titel wurde dank einer erfolgreichen Kickstarter-Kampagne finanziert und trägt die Spieler/innen in eine zauberhafte Welt voller Maschinen und Alchemie.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life – VR-Adventure für Oculus Rift, HTC Vive und Windows-VR-Brillen
Mit Chiaro and the Elixir of Life trifft die Welt von Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) auf die Virtual Reality. In der Rolle des jungen Ingenieurs Chiaro erschafft ihr in der zauberhaften Steampunkwelt von Neverain euren zukünftigen Gefährten Boka, einen mechanischen Pinguin, den ihr mit dem uralten Kraftstoff Elixier zum Leben erweckt. Gemeinsam begebt ihr euch auf eine abenteuerliche Reise, um die legendäre Quelle des Elixiers zu finden.
Während eurer Reise durch die bunte Umgebung begegnen euch zahlreiche Charaktere mit ganz eigenem Charakter. Neben eurem besten Freund dem Pinguin trefft ihr unter anderem auf eine uralte Maschine aus der Vergangenheit und einem Schwein, das sich auf einer endlosen Suche nach Erdnussbutter befindet.
Nebenbei gibt es zahlreiche Rätsel zu lösen, welche ihr mit speziellen Gadgets, wie einem Feueratem lösen müsst. Als besonderes Gameplay-Element nutzt ihr die uralte Janus-Klinge. Diese erlaubt euch, mit dem darin befindlichen Edelstein Portale in der Welt zu öffnen. Dadurch bewegt ihr euch durch die Umgebung vorwärts und erreicht auch weit abgelegene Orte. Zur Steuerung kommt hauptsächlich Teleportation zum Einsatz.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life ist für 27,99 Euro für Oculus Rift, HTC Vive und Windows-VR-Brillen auf Steam sowie für knapp 30 Euro im Oculus Store erhältlich. Wir haben uns das VR-Adventure bereits näher angeschaut und verraten euch in unserem Test, ob sich der Kauf wirklich lohnt.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life (2018) is a single-player, story-driven adventure game with emphasis on puzzle-solving and some light platforming. Accompanied by your penguin robot pal Boka, you go out in search of the Elixir of Life, a special alchemical brew that brings life to machines like Boka. Grand Studio Ghibli-style set pieces, mostly fun characters, and some interesting puzzles are however hobbled by finicky object interaction and a tone-deaf script that doesn’t ever quite deliver the punch it promises.
Developer: Martov Co. Available On:Steam (Vive, Rift, Windows VR), Oculus Store (Rift) Reviewed On: Rift, Vive Release Date: September 14th, 2018
Gameplay
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life features a unique portaling mechanic that drives most of the action. During the course of the game, you happen upon a knife that contains a portal-opening ball at its base; when you dislodge the ball from the knife and throw it, you can then connect a few floating dots that appear in front of you with the knife’s blade, letting you open a portal to where your ball landed.
Drawing the portal, Image captured by Road to VR
The knife’s portal-ball eventually also doubles as an incendiary device, which will help you blow up obstacles like ice walls, and the game’s few bad guys which you meet later on. While not a combat-driven game per se, locomotion, clearing obstacles, and blowing up the odd robot require you to throw the portal-ball accurately so you can land a hit where it counts. The game smartly prefaces all of this by getting you to play catch with Boka first, doubling as a bonding moment between you and the quippy bot-buddy before you head out on the adventure. Throwing the portal-ball generally worked well, and while the wholw mechanic begins to wear a little thin in the ‘wow’ department after you 50th time, it’s still a fun and creative way of getting around.
Image captured by Road to VR
Much of the portal-ball movement mechanic culminates in time-sensitive puzzles, the bulk of which take place in the middle of the game where you need to activate disparate energy boilers with the help of your ‘Salamander’s Breath’ blowtorch. Activating all of the boilers in a given room more often than not opens a door to the next puzzle. There are a few other one-off puzzle types throughout—most of them simple—that keep things from getting too repetitive.
Even when object interaction suffers (more on that later), puzzles are mostly rewarding enough to keep you pushing forward. There are some basic issues though that would stop even the most resourceful players from getting through the game without feeling a bit frustrated.
Inventory, Image captured by Road to VR
I encountered several bugs throughout my testing of game’s final consumer version: a power receptacle that needed to be open was closed shut and wouldn’t budge. A key item fell through the world and never reappeared. A character was in the middle of explaining how a large 3D printer worked, but disappeared mid-sentence, only to be found a few meters away sitting in a chair humming a tune ad infinitum, leaving me to figure out the contraption without any explanation. In these moments, I did everything I could to continue, although in the end the only fix was to restart the chapter from scratch; no mid-chapter saves are allowed.
While the bugs I found are likely to be fixed in future updates, the game’s inconsistent object interaction really left much to be desired, which I’ll talk more about in the Immersion section below.
Finishing Chiaro in around three hours, I never really got that Studio Ghibli-esque emotional punch the game wanted me to feel. There’s some clear intention to make characters as endearing as possible and even put them in harm’s way, but it oftentimes lands an ineffectual hit. When a dramatic moment happens that’s supposed to deliver genuine wonder or even loss, it’s invariably punctuated with unabashed cringe-inducing songs, or corny dialogue that all feels shoehorned into what otherwise should have been a moment to reflect on something important.
Immersion
The game’s cartoony set pieces and character design are competent, albeit a bit low resolution in terms of textures used; the overall effect though really helps visually build the Studio Ghibli-inspired world developers were looking to create. The game’s orchestral soundtrack is also a delight to hear, as it accompanies you along your trials through the game’s varying areas, be it a dangerous fire temple or a serene lake.
Image captured by Road to VR
Interior level design is mostly good, however much of the game features conveniently placed barriers like crashed planes and even invisible walls that keep you confined to a certain area, making you take the game’s very specific path through the narrative. These barriers are an absolute detriment to immersion, as you curiously try to walk in an open field only to be met with invisible wall, or see a downed plane that you would otherwise easily teleport over or create a portal to bypass. It’s a lazy touch to level design that becomes even more frustrating in VR, as your expectations of existing in the world are entirely thwarted.
Object interaction is also inconsistent, and at times very frustrating. Oftentimes I experienced objects wigging out and clashing with the game’s geometry (retrieving anything from a drawer can be hit and miss). Hand presence is also fairly low due to the over-sized hand models that are anchored strangely to your controller, making the game’s smaller control panels, levers, and knobs extremely fiddly to operate.
Teleportation (not counting the portaling mechanic) is the sole way of moving around the world of Chiaro, which not an entirely bad thing, would have been better serviced with some
Comfort
That said, teleportation is one of the most comfortable ways to move around in VR, although some options would have been greatly appreciated in that department. Rift users have snap-turn at their disposal (for 180-degree setups), while Vive users simply look in their desired direction. An option for smooth-turning was grayed out in the settings menu, which I assume will come in a future update.
Chiaro is decidedly missing some ‘quality of life’ options that would help it overcome some of its inherent awkwardness of toggling the crouch button and seeing the world lower by a few feet. Without a ‘force grab’ to reach objects, you’re basically toggling the crouch button every so often to pick up something from the floor, which can be both annoying from a comfort standpoint and a break in immersion.
Developer Martov Co first began to draw attention with its Kickstarter campaign for Chiaro and the Elixir of Life. The crowdfunding campaign drew a very positive response, and managed to successfully fund the project and then some. Backers and other interested parties will no doubt be pleased to learn that the title is now ready for release on Steam.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is a first-person virtual reality (VR) adventure which has been inspired partially by the Steampunk aesthetic and partially by classic children’s picture books.
The story concerns a young engineer called Chiaro who has returned to his home in the forest of Noverain to build a robot called Boka and bring him to life using the mysterious Elixir. The two then embark on a quest to find the Fountain of Elixir in an attempt to restore the list race of living machines.
Players can expect to encounter all sorts of unique characters, from faithful steam-powered companion, to Ellary, the owner of the Neverain Tool Company and the oddly-named Peanut Butter Pig.
A range of puzzles are available to solve along with various mini-games. Chiaro gets access to certain special tools to assist in solving puzzles and passing obstacles, such as the Janus Knife which can cut portal into reality or the flaming lantern the Salamande’s Breath. Players can even play a game of Catch with Boka, who will engage in impressive acrobatics to snag the object you throw.
The developers have aimed to create a mysterious and beautiful fantasy land that has been built specifically with VR in mind using Unreal Engine 4. To enhance the experience, a sweeping orchestral soundtrack has been added, to bring players closer to the characters in the tale.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is available on Steam for HTC Vive, Oculus rift and Windows Mixed Reality, priced at £23.79 (GBP). Further information can be found on the Steam Store page. Future coverage on new and upcoming VR projects will be here on VRFocus.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life (2018), a first-person VR adventure from Montreal-based Martov Co., launched today on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows VR headsets. The result of a successful Kickstarter campaign, which saw a complete funding total of $10,088 CAD (~$7,730 USD), Chiaro is the new indie studio’s first game.
Stepping into the shoes of a young engineer named Chiaro, you’re accompanied by your little steam-powered robot pal named Boka, who you bring along with you as you open portals to traverse a world marred by a conflict that’s left ‘Neverain’ nearly uninhabited. Together they seek out the ‘Fountain of Elixir’ in effort to revive the lost race of alive machines, using alchemical powers and solving puzzles along the way.
Some bits worth noting: the game’s primary locomotion scheme is based on standard teleportation, although a mysterious artifact gives you the power to open up portals, which you prompt by tossing an orb to your intended spot. This essentially lets you travel to far away platforms that you couldn’t reach using teleportation. The game also is heavy on object interaction and room-scale movement.
After having popped in for about an hour, the scenery and characters really remind me of steampunk-inspired anime like Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Studio Ghibli’s Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986). We’ll have our full review out upon completion of the game, so check back soon.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is now live on Steam (Vive, Rift, Windows VR) and the Oculus Store (Rift), priced at $30.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign early this year, the team at Martov Co. have now released a new trailer for their upcoming virtual reality (VR) videogame Chiaro And The Elixir Of Life, along with a release date. Following the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from funding raising campaign, the team have been hard at work to get the title ready for its release which has now been confirmed to be early September.
“Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is, for us, a glimpse of what can be possible for adventure in virtual reality. And like any good adventure, it would not have been possible without the support of our friends: the community and players we’ve been lucky enough to put headsets on and take feedback from over the 3 years or so we’ve been in development.” Explains Jay Rosenkrantz, Game Director and Co-Founder of Martov Co.
“It is truly humbling and inspiring to be creating in this new medium today, and we are super excited to finally unbottle and share Martov Co’s unique brand of magic with the wider gaming world.” Rosenkrantz continues: “We can’t wait to hear what everyone has to say about Boka, Ellary, Scoria, the Peanut Butter Pig and all the rest — we loved making this game, and we hope you enjoy playing.”
The title invites players to the magical realm of Neverain where they take on the role of a young engineer called Chiaro, who is determined to unearth the long-lost secrets of the Alchemists, the mysterious and powerful creators of the fabled Alive Machines. Assisted by a steam-powered penguin named Boka, players will need to decipher puzzles left behind by the Alchemists in order to unlock the mystery that is at the heart of the world and overcome the dangers that await. Together with Boka, players are in for an epic adventure that is as magical as it is beautiful.
VRFocus’ Senior Staff writer Peter Graham previewed Chiaro And The Elixir Of Life saying: “A big side to the gameplay will obviously be the interaction between you and your robotic mate Boka. While Boka’s personality is one of the jovial sidekick, who will jump about, fall over and generally cause a little mayhem, there will be those bonding moments. After stepping out into the world of Neverain Boka will want to play a game of catch, that traditional of all sports growing up. Hopefully Martov do explore this side of the gameplay further as they have confirmed several other characters will come into play.”
Chiaro And The Elixir Of Life is releasing on Steam on September 13th, 2018 and supports the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. You can see the trailer below and for more on the title in the future, keep reading VRFocus.
VRFocus first came across Chiaro and the Elixir of Life in May when developer Martov launched a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign for the virtual reality (VR) experience. While some developers use the platform to get a project off the ground Martov has been working on the videogame for over two years, constructing a fantasy, steampunk style world that’s all about making friends and saving the day. The studio gave VRFocus a look at some of the first few chapters, and initial impressions are positive.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is a story driven experience which Martov has said is inspired by the aesthetics of Studio Ghibli and the gameplay of Zelda. The narrative revolves around Chiaro, a young engineer who lost his parents in a great war involving machines that are brought to life with an ancient fuel called Elixir. All is right with the world and Chiaro has returned to his home of Neverain in a bid to find the lost Fountain of Elixir.
To do this Chiaro needs some help, so he’s created a small robot friend called Boka to help him on his travels, and that’s where the videogame begins. After the cinematic story intro – which happens to be on a wide screen at the moment – Chiaro and the Elixir of Life begins in a tower instructing you to pick up an object located on a plinth in front. There’s no specific tutorial to tell you what does what but the controls are simple enough. The menu system did show the button layout for HTC Vive, however VRFocus used Oculus Rift for the demo so that wasn’t much help.
The adventure continues to Chiaro’s home, a quaint cottage style abode with all the features you’d expect of a steampunk adventure, robot parts littered around, pipes and levers connected to various contraptions and more. The first job is to build your buddy Boka, snapping together its various parts onto an elevated body. It’s here that Chiaro and the Elixir of Life, like many a VR puzzle adventure, can frustrate to begin with due to its teleport system. There’s always a difficulty in finely moving around an area when there’s only teleportation on offer which is certainly noticeable when playing Chiaro and the Elixir of Life as a seated experience. In roomscale those problems are reduced, so hopefully Martov do plan on adding a direct locomotion system for those who prefer that gameplay style.
These first few chapters do feel very much like short but sweet training levels, with a couple of basic puzzles to solve and secret golden coins to find, each one lasting around 15 – 20 minutes. Chiaro and the Elixir of Life mainly consists of exploring at your own leisure the relatively small locations then completing story objectives by finding the relevant items. With Oculus Touch the grab function was a little hit and miss at points, requiring a couple of attempts to pick things up which can be annoying when it happens.
A big side to the gameplay will obviously be the interaction between you and your robotic mate Boka. While Boka’s personality is one of the jovial sidekick, who will jump about, fall over and generally cause a little mayhem, there will be those bonding moments. After stepping out into the world of Neverain Boka will want to play a game of catch, that traditional of all sports growing up. Hopefully Martov do explore this side of the gameplay further as they have confirmed several other characters will come into play.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life already looks the part of an epic adventure, with gorgeous scenery and detailed characters. It certainly radiates years of work but there is some fine tuning still to be made, on the movement side especially. Yet that doesn’t diminish VRFocus’ interest in Chiaro and the Elixir of Life as another story-driven experience that will likely be welcomed by VR players.
Kickstarter crowd-funding campaigns can be used for all stages of a project, from trying to get one off the ground to helping a team realise their goals after years of development. Canadian indie developer Martov Co. and its virtual reality (VR) project Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is very much the latter, having worked on the title for over two years and in the final stages of production.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is a VR adventure for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift inspired by the aesthetics of Studio Ghibli and the gameplay of Zelda. Describing the gameplay on its Kickstarter page, Martov Co. explains: “Throughout the course of the several-hour-long adventure, players build machines and bring them to life, solve deeply engaging puzzles, form an unbreakable bond with a steam-powered penguin, and work their way through an epic, character-driven story that will decide the fate of human and machine life in Neverain.”
In the magical realm of Neverain players take on the role of a young engineer called Chiaro, determined to unearth the long-lost secrets of the Alchemists, the mysterious and powerful creators of the fabled Alive Machines. Helped by a steam-powered penguin sidekick named Boka player need to decipher the puzzles left behind by the Alchemists to unlock the enigma at the heart of Neverain — the Fountain of Elixir.
The team has exhibited Chiaro and the Elixir of Life at game festivals worldwide, including MIGS, Canadian Gaming Expo, Fantastic Arcade and DreamHack Montreal. In December 2017, they also received the NVIDIA Edge Program Award from NVIDIA and Unreal Engine. Currently they estimate that the project has around three more months of work (fixing bugs, polishing assets, play testing), with an expected launch window being July 2018.
The studio hopes to raise $10,000 CAD by 3rd July, having already achieved $3,390 at time of writing. Funding tiers start from $8 but to grab a copy of the videogame you’ll need to pledge $26 or more. The modest tiers end at $150, gaining backers beta access, a t-shirt, digital art book, and plenty more. There is a $5,000 tier for those with deep pockets, gaining access to the launch party, dinner with the team and executive producer status.
As the campaign continues VRFocus will keep you updated on the latest Chiaro and the Elixir of Life news.
Kickstarter crowd-funding campaigns can be used for all stages of a project, from trying to get one off the ground to helping a team realise their goals after years of development. Canadian indie developer Martov Co. and its virtual reality (VR) project Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is very much the latter, having worked on the title for over two years and in the final stages of production.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is a VR adventure for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift inspired by the aesthetics of Studio Ghibli and the gameplay of Zelda. Describing the gameplay on its Kickstarter page, Martov Co. explains: “Throughout the course of the several-hour-long adventure, players build machines and bring them to life, solve deeply engaging puzzles, form an unbreakable bond with a steam-powered penguin, and work their way through an epic, character-driven story that will decide the fate of human and machine life in Neverain.”
In the magical realm of Neverain players take on the role of a young engineer called Chiaro, determined to unearth the long-lost secrets of the Alchemists, the mysterious and powerful creators of the fabled Alive Machines. Helped by a steam-powered penguin sidekick named Boka player need to decipher the puzzles left behind by the Alchemists to unlock the enigma at the heart of Neverain — the Fountain of Elixir.
The team has exhibited Chiaro and the Elixir of Life at game festivals worldwide, including MIGS, Canadian Gaming Expo, Fantastic Arcade and DreamHack Montreal. In December 2017, they also received the NVIDIA Edge Program Award from NVIDIA and Unreal Engine. Currently they estimate that the project has around three more months of work (fixing bugs, polishing assets, play testing), with an expected launch window being July 2018.
The studio hopes to raise $10,000 CAD by 3rd July, having already achieved $3,390 at time of writing. Funding tiers start from $8 but to grab a copy of the videogame you’ll need to pledge $26 or more. The modest tiers end at $150, gaining backers beta access, a t-shirt, digital art book, and plenty more. There is a $5,000 tier for those with deep pockets, gaining access to the launch party, dinner with the team and executive producer status.
As the campaign continues VRFocus will keep you updated on the latest Chiaro and the Elixir of Life news.
