Colab – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

December 28, 2017

The Hottest Apps For Gear VR So Far

Since its arrival, the Samsung Gear VR has been a beacon of hope. Hope for millions that they will be able to get their hands on wallet friendly virtual reality experiences. Up until Gear VR, the phrase ‘affordable VR’ was reserved for things like Google cardboard, so it’s hardly surprising that their is a lot pinned on the success of Gear VR Apps and the, hopefully, affordable VR revolution that it heralded.

An increased field of view and smooth as butter design makes the latest offering even better value for money. If you have managed to pick one up, or you are about to, you are doubtless eager to see what it can do when put through its paces. What better way to take it for a spin than with some free apps?

Samsung BeFearless – Heights

A ‘BeFearless’ campaign launched by Samsung was headlined by the challenge set in Heights. VR technology is used more and more in the tackling of phobias, and Samsung in all their wisdom decided to bring much of that tech into the home, and Gear VR users have been grateful ever since! Using scientific data as its basis, Heights teaches users to face and hopefully overcome their fear of heights.

Every level, presented in glorious 360° video, sees a small increase in the uncomfortable stakes, gradually easing you up the mountain, so to speak.

Sonar

A lot of the time, a successfully immersive experience relies on the quality of the visuals; nothing rips you out of an experience faster than corrupted graphics, edge clipping or just plain old poor visuals. Luckily, Sonar is borderline beautiful to look at.

Dropping you into the cockpit of a hi-tech (is there any other kind?) spaceship, Sonor is a space flight simulation like no other. No spoilers here, but get ready to need a hug at the end. The app received an update earlier this year to bring it to the Google Daydream.

The Expanse VR

If you are a fan of sci-fi – and who isn’t’? – then you are going to love this offering from NBC Universal Media. The Expanse VR takes the user on a journey into deep space, in a future where mankind has colonized the galaxy and make deep space its new home. A narrator takes you through the experience (think Harrison Ford in Blade Runner, except much more engaging) as you take in the sights of some seriously impressive space stations that now inhabit the milky way.

CoLab – Trial Rooms

This offering presents the player with a labyrinth simulation and is perfect if you are new to virtual reality technology as it takes you through the usage of Gear VR and its abilities. This is less a tutorial however and more of an intensive exercise in critical thinking and VR world navigation.

Players are guided through the labyrinth by a distant and disembodied voice, but don’t expect that to make things easier. Definitely worth picking up, you can take a look at Trial Rooms on YouTube.

Invasion!

There are few things, either virtual or actual, in this world that are cuter than wide eyed bunny rabbits. Jumping into this VR experience is like chewing sugar cubes while a unicorn licks your toes. While not interactive, you will not be able to prevent yourself falling in love with this short, 360° animated film. Join the cutest, fuzziest little rabbit in the universe has it faces up to alien ‘invaders’.

Invasion actually won an Emmy for its efforts, and it really isn’t hard to see why. You can see Invasion on YouTube and there is also a free video on the Xbox One store.

Rilix Coaster

Strong stomachs are a must for Rilix Coaster, as it has the ability to make even the sturdiest of people motion sick. Isn’t that a bad thing, though? No, you amateur! Half the fun of VR experiences like this is being taken out of your comfort zone and having your senses messed with.

In the case of Riix Coaster, you will find yourself reaching out to grab something for balance – and not in a disoriented way, in a beautifully realistic way to support yourself as the coaster throws you around. The very fact that Rilix manages to do this despite the low graphics is a huge testament to the overall quality of the simulation. Highly recommended and you can get a preview of Rilix Coaster on YouTube – don’t let the slow start fool you!

Rilix Coaster screenshot High quality VR experiences have never been as affordable as the Samsung Gear VR but let’s hope that it sets a trend, and not just for this type of headset experience either. VR technology has been around a good while now, with a bit of luck it will increase in popularity and enough to the point where manufactures are able to adjust price points on high-end devices too.

December 28, 2016

‘CoLab’ Review – Want To Be On A Game Show? Come On Down!

VR has an obvious opportunity to pull users into virtual spaces modeled after fantasy or reality but there are some experiences that may not have immediately come to mind for the medium. Many of us have watched game shows from an early age and possibly even fantasized about being on one of the many shows. Remember the youth-friendly experiences like Legends of the Hidden Temple and GUTS? What about Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune as you got a bit older?

Then you’re in luck! While CoLab from Pixel Federation doesn’t quite mirror those experiences exactly, it does drop you into a game show of its own design with quite a bit of fun in store.

As a contestant on CoLab, the game show involves over 100 puzzles that center around a few mechanics you’re introduced to during “tryouts”. On the Samsung Gear VR the whole game functions without a gamepad if desired, as any puzzles can be solved with a mixture of your gaze and the side touch pad. On Rift and Vive, you’ll use your gaze and a button on your controller of choice.

With the style of puzzles presented in smaller rooms, you half expect not to have to change your perspective in the virtual space very much outside of turning in 360-degrees. Before tryouts end though, you’ll be moving around via teleportation and even using static portals (a Portal joke is made, of course) as the designers better utilize the 3D space from top to bottom.

In said space, you’ll be connecting blocks to others in order to create a flowing current, maneuvering plates in sliding puzzles so that you can direct lasers to their target, moving your head as you guide a dot through a maze on a floating sphere, and a few others. Combinations of the mechanics of these puzzles and some new ones start to pop up as you get further into the game and the final boss, without spoiling things for you, adds a layer of excitement that’s not in any other part of the game.

The game show of CoLab eschews a virtual audience, instead inspiring you to progress by way of the promise of “premium access” in the grand finale. The episodes are of a decent length, with the experience rounding out at around 4-5 hours if you don’t have any significant trouble with some of the puzzles. Once you reach the end of the episodes that are presented to you, there are a few secret levels to work through before the final chapter. Even after that, there’s a puzzle segment to conclude the story that involves a very annoying task that ends on a very hit or miss joke.

In game shows the contestants switch with every episode and very rarely leave an impression, so the show’s host has to be a charismatic character that carries the event. Initially, the CoLab host’s enthusiasm is off putting. The floating robot gives off an air of disinterest while maintaining an energetic speech pattern, which I initially felt would limit the immersive trip into this virtual experience. Soon, though, it’s understood that the robot’s manner is purposeful as it ushers you through the experiences with a mixture of clever and not so clever quips much like Portal’s GLaDOS and that’s not a bad character to aspire to emulate. It even clicks into place in a more firm way in the closing moments.

Final Score: 7/10 – Good

CoLab, as a package, is a lot of fun. Instead of innovating a great deal, it presents a well made package influenced by well known puzzlers, utilizes the 3D space well, and closes out in an interesting way. There’s not much replay value to be found, considering the structure of the game has you retreading the same mechanics multiple times, but it’s worth a purchase for fans of the genre.

Read our Game Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score. You can purchase CoLab on the Oculus store for Gear VR at the price of $1.99 or on Steam for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive at the price of $4.99.

Tagged with: CoLab, oculus, pixel federation, puzzle, samsung gear, VR

December 16, 2016

Pixel Federation’s CoLab Makes its Way to HTC Vive and Oculus Rift

Pixel Federation’s puzzle title CoLab has appeared in several forms in the last year as the studio has developed the project. In February this year it released CoLab – First Rooms for the Oculus Rift DK2 via Oculus Share – as it existed back then – before launching CoLab – Trial Rooms for Samsung Gear VR. Now the videogame has seen a fully fledged launch on Steam, supporting Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets.

Just like the previous versions, CoLab is a puzzle solver set to a backdrop of a VR reality show, where the show’s host will help players through the maze by offering advice, only problem is most of it’s for his amusement rather than their success.

Featuring over 100 puzzles to solve, including boss fights, CoLab has implemented a teleportation system – common in VR titles now – to eliminate most of the motion sickness issues gamers may come across. While gameplay is kept simple and accessible using one button input coupled with head movement for controlling puzzles, making it intuitive and accessible for those experiencing VR for the first time.

The CoLab release on Steam can be downloaded for £3.99 GBP. Checkout the launch trailer below, and for all the latest VR releases on Steam, keep reading VRFocus.

November 18, 2016

New Oculus Rift and Gear VR Releases For The Week Of 11/13/16

Can you hear that? It’s the sound of silence. The Oculus Rift doesn’t have much going for it this week, and it’s more than likely because we’re now just three weeks away from the launch of Oculus Touch, and there’s going to be a content blowout when it does hit. Still, there is one intriguing new release for the kit, and a host of stuff for Gear VR.

If you missed last week, you can see those new releases here. And don’t forget that UploadVR has a Steam community group complete with a curated list of recommendations so that you don’t have to waste any money finding out what’s good in the world of VR.

Salvaged, from Opposable Games
Price: $12.99 (Rift)

After a long absence, Opposable’s unique strategy game finally debuts on the Oculus Rift this month. Take on the role of Commander Alex Pieterson and order troops through wrecked spaceships, salvaging parts, and fighting aliens. It’s an early access release for now, but it features a full campaign.

Recommendation: Strategy fans will definitely want to check this one out.

Motorbike, from baKno Games
Price: (Rift)

If Motorbike looks familar to you, it’s probably for a number of reasons. It could be because the game first released without VR support in 2011. The more likely answer, though, is that it looks exactly like a Trials game, and not a very glamorous one at that. The game might be good, but we don’t really see why this needs to be in VR.

Recommendation: We’d skip this.

CoLab, from Pixel Federation
Price: $4.99 (Gear)

This is a pretty interesting project. Disguised as a VR reality show, you’ll solve more than 100 puzzles. Wrestle with lasers, get cubes in the right positions and more. It’s definitely got a whiff of Portal to it, but that isn’t a bad thing in the slightest.

Recommendation: Definitely looks worth it for VR puzzle fans.

The Purge Day, from Red Limbo Studio (Gear VR)
Price: $2.99

A little FPS action for those with a Gear VR here. Fight to save your wife in what looks to be yet another alien invasion. Graphically it’s not much, but this could be fun for those of you looking for more shooters right now.

Recommendation: Don’t expect anything revolutionary but this could be fun for the price.

Peronio Pop-Up Book, from Ovni Studios
Price: $2.99 (Gear)

Here’s a nice little idea for those with kids. Peronio takes the concept of a pop-up story book and brings it into VR as an interactive game. Join Peronio, a young boy that wants to become a dragon dentist, and explore new worlds with each flick of a page.

Recommendation: This is a great example of what VR can do for kids.

FIRMA, from Think Heavy Ltd.

Price: $12.99

In FIRMA you pilot a small craft across the Moon and Mars as a courier in this sci-fi future. You’ll deliver supplies through various territories and situations including attempting to land on a speeding train.

Recommendation: Fast paced arcade fun. Grab it.

Primitive Road, from MoMo Games

Price: $2.99

Primitive Road is an on-rails shooter that takes you through 9 levels with varying visual styles in each. You shoot objects along the way as you head toward the final stage.

Recommendation: Mellow experience with relaxing music at a low price. Try it out.

Lantern, from Storm in a Teacup

Price: $6.99

In Lantern you control the wind as you guide a lantern through scenes, reviving the scenery with depths of color and bring lantern festivals to life.

Recommendation: Reminiscent of Flower on PS4, but perhaps a bit disorienting. Try at your own risk.

Neptune Flux, from Zoxide Games

Price: $11.99 (Currently Discounted)

This story-driven, open world adventure puts you in control of an underwater colonization specialist as she attempts to discover the cause of underwater surges that are disrupting her work. Use your dive pod to collect items, complete tasks, and unravel the deep-sea mystery.

Recommendation: Engaging, but extremely short. Gauge th value for yourself.

Tagged with: CoLab, Salvaged, The Purge Day