Forge Reply – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

September 14, 2017

Bringing A Myth To Life In VR, Forge Reply Talk Theseus

You may well have seen the 360 degree trailer of Theseus on your Facebook timeline, Twitter, YouTube – or even on VRFocus. Following the videogame’s release on the PlayStation VR back in July, those on PC can look forward to play the it this Autumn on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Theseus screenshot Based around the popular Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, Forge Reply have decided to bring elements not only from the myth but have added horror elements into the equation. This is evident in the design of both the Minotaur and the of Ariadne who acts as a spirit guide for the players, telling them what to do. Theseus can played in third-person and Samuele Perseo, Producer at Forge Reply explains in the interview below that the camera follows you during dramatic moments and is fixed at other times. Although in general the player has control of the camera.

With two to three hours of gameplay, Theseus is heavily reliant on generating atmosphere which it achieves through 3D audio, allowing you to perceive things around you. Perseo wants the player to feel immersed in the atmosphere and world they’ve created. With the combination of third-person and 3D sound, Perseo hopes that users are willing to try a different kind of immersion and narrative that wouldn’t feel the same without the headset. Theseus comes to a natural end, as per the myth, but Forge Reply noted they are looking forward to develop and evolve more stories and videogames with what they’ve learned from Theseus and the use of Unreal Engine.

Check out the video below for Nina’s full interview and be sure to follow us on YouTube for more coming very soon.

September 12, 2017

Mythological Adventure Theseus Will Come To PC In Autumn

Previously released for the PlayStation VR, developers Forge Reply have announced that its virtual reality (VR) experience inspired by Greek myth will soon be heading to HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

Using a third-person perspective that is relatively uncommon in VR titles, the player must help the titular protagonist navigate the dangerous, gloomy labyrinth where the invincible Minotaur waits to rip apart anyone foolish enough to enter. The only guide on this journey is the spirit Ariadne, who can offer advice and clues.

The PC release of Theseus will feature several improvements to graphics, with higher overall resolution, along with tweaks to shadows and textures to provide more polish to the experience. As with the PlayStation VR version, the focus remains on creating an engaging and immersive atmosphere and telling a strong story.

Theseus screenshot

“With the PC release of Theseus, we aim to expand our reach and to consolidate our presence in the VR scenario,” said Filippo Rizzante, CTO at Reply. “PC fans have expressed the desire to play the game since the original announcement, and we are glad that soon they will be able to do just that.”

The developers anticipate the title receiving its release on PC sometime in Autumn 2017, though a firm release date has yet to be confirmed. A price point has not yet been set, but is likely to be in line with the price for the PlayStation VR version, which is currently $19.99 (USD).

VRFocus will bring you further information on Theseus as it becomes available.

July 26, 2017November 1, 2017

Theseus Review: Exploring The Minotaur’s Labyrinth In VR

Theseus, along with Perseus, Heracles, and several others, is often regarded as one of the greatest heroes in the entire lineage of Greek mythology. When you’re given your very own boss fight in the God of War series of video games, that alone is usually enough to mean you’re a pretty big deal.

One of the most well-known and repeated stories of Theseus you’ll find mention of though is his battle with the Minotaur. Typically he fights the beast after navigating a deadly labyrinth. In the appropriately titled new game from Forge Reply, Theseus, you’re tasked with being the star of this tale.

When I previewed Theseus a couple of months ago the build I tried was on the HTC Vive, but the first commercially available version of the game (which is being reviewed here) launched on the PSVR. Ever since the game was first revealed back in February it’s drawn frequent comparisons to God of War for obvious reasons. It’s a third-person action game presumably, utilizes direct references to Greek mythology, and has you doing battle with multiple, often large, monsters. But other than those surface level similarities the games couldn’t really be much different.

God of War is all about action. You get new weapons, unlock flashy combos, and are constantly fighting hordes of enemies. Theseus is about slow-paced, quiet, sometimes tedious, exploration with a scattering of occasional fights along the way. The majority of puzzles consist of climbing on ledges and hiding from the Minotaur itself. In some ways, it’s more of a stealth game than an action game.

The first weapon I found was a torch, which I could use to scare spider-like beasts away when walking around in the dark, but you do eventually get a sword as well. Unfortunately combat never really evolves beyond mashing buttons and trying to dodge enemy attacks. While you could say similar things about games such as Chronos, another third-person action adventure game in VR, that title is much, much longer, with more varied enemies and environments, as well as an actual progression system. Theseus sort of felt like the first act of a larger game that was intended to open up more eventually and never does.

I spent somewhere between three and four hours playing Theseus before it was over. During that time I often found myself stopping to stare at the nice looking backdrop designs in the distance and can confirm that chills very often shot down my spine when the Minotaur was nearby. Speaking of which, the Minotaur itself may be the best part of the whole game. He’s massive and extremely intimidating. The sense of scale is powerful and I honestly felt scared when I sensed his presence.

The sound design was excellent throughout and did a great job of making me feel like I was actually tip-toeing through a creepy labyrinth with a twisted, evil, and relentless Minotaur trying to hunt me down.

The atmosphere and world building is so strong it feels like a missed opportunity that the actual game itself isn’t better. Walking around environments that all pretty much look the same as a female wisp spirit guides me along was novel at first, but loses its luster quickly.

Just like Chronos, the entire game is played from third-person with mostly fixed camera angles. This means that each time you turn a corner or enter a new room the camera jumps to a new spot somewhere on the wall. It feels like you’re spying on your character and telling him where to go more than it does you’re actually controlling your character. It’s a style of gameplay I’ve never been a fan of with VR titles and vastly prefer an always-following camera in third-person such as in Lucky’s Tale or Edge of Nowhere.

One major reason is because Theseus doesn’t feel like a VR game. Wherein the other mentioned titles feel like they were designed from the ground up with VR mind for the most part, Theseus does not. Several segments have me walking in a straight line, with the camera deciding to suddenly hover behind me, but my character’s body is blocking my view while things are happening in front of him. It’s a bizarre feeling where I cannot see what my character sees even though he is facing straight ahead and it happened frequently.

Many of the textures and areas of the labyrinth appeared as noticeably blurry and jagged to me. Granted, the PSVR isn’t as powerful as the Vive or Rift, but I noticed similar issues on my Vive preview build as well. The art direction is wonderful and looks great in high-resolution screenshots, but those visuals lose their edge and luster when filtered through a VR headset. It’s just another way the game feels under cooked.

Final Score: 5/10 – Mediocre

Theseus is a game that had a lot of promise. The dark and creepy setting comes through with a strong, foreboding atmosphere that’s often difficult to capture in VR games. But unfortunately the actual gameplay itself feels like more of a chore than anything else. It’s over far too soon and doesn’t feel properly designed for VR from the ground up. The Minotaur is terrifying and intimidating, but getting through everything else just to face him isn’t going to be worth it for most people.

This review is based on the PSVR version of the game and was originally published on Jul 26, 2017 but the game is now available on both Rift and Vive as well. Read our Game Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score.

Tagged with: forge reply, Theseus

July 13, 2017

PlayStation VR Adventure Theseus Confirmed for July Launch

Back in February developer Forge Reply announced work on its first virtual reality (VR) title, an action-adventure set in the mythical worlds of Greek gods with Theseus. Then last month the studio confirmed the videogame would be coming to just the PlayStation VR this summer. Today, an exact date has been announced, 26th July 2017.

A modern twist on the classic myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, Theseus has been built from the ground up for VR, tasking players with entering this dangerous world with a 33 feet tall monster at its core.

Theseus screenshot

“We wanted to take a classic story and tell it in a way that has never been done before,” said Filippo Rizzante, CEO at Forge Reply in a statement. “We really hope that players enjoy the handcrafted visual and audio design we’ve put into the world of Theseus.”

“In Theseus, our protagonist awakens alone, stranded in a hostile and mysterious place,” the studio’s description explains. “With Ariadne’s voice as his only guide, players will venture deep into the heart of the Labyrinth to unveil the truth hiding behind its mysteries. But our protagonist is not alone. The mighty Minotaur is the ruler of this world, and you are not a welcomed visitor.

The 26th July launch date applies to the US, Canadian and European territories.

The July and the start of August is set to be a bumper month for PlayStation VR fans, with Fantastic Contraption having launched, and SUPERHOT VR, Dino Frontier and CastleStorm VR all due out soon.

Checkout the new trailer for Theseus below, and for further updates from Forge Reply, keep reading VRFocus.

June 5, 2017

5 PlayStation VR Games to Watch at E3 2017

The PlayStation VR benefited from a huge swathe of videogame titles at launch, but in the months that followed this barrage slowed to a trickle. The recent releases of the well received Farpoint and Star Trek: Bridge Crew see the first wave of titles announced coming to a close; so what’s next? VRFocus looks at five new titles on the horizon, and why you should be excited for them.

The Persistence

After the success of Playroom VR, UK-based Firesprite are coming back for more virtual reality (VR), this time with a much darker experience. The Persistence is a horror title featuring procedurally generated environments. In a similar fashion to Ubisoft’s Zombi, every time the player dies they become a new character, but in The Persistence the space ship upon which they are based will have changed: a new layout, enemy placement and items.

To connect each attempt, the player can harvest cells which can be used to improve attributes such as speed, health and stealth. If a player dies these are transferred for the next play through, hence that title.

The Persistence was originally expected to launch last month, however there’s no signs of a release date at present. It’s likely we’ll learn more at next week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Los Angeles.

Bloody Zombies

Another UK studio, nDreams pledged their commitment to the new medium very early in the wave or modern VR. After launching The Assembly last year, the developer/publisher is returning to PlayStation VR with Bloody Zombies: a side-scrolling brawler.

While the genre may not scream ‘VR’, it is actually a perfect combination of technology and action. The 2D characters appear like cardboard cutouts in the virtual environment and the added benefit of a widened viewpoint allows developer Paw Print Games to hide secrets beyond the edge of the traditional 2D screen.

Bloody Zombies has been designed to allow for up to four players to use any combination of VR and non-VR when playing together online, keeping the experience open to all. VRFocus has already been hands-on with Bloody Zombies and will get to experience the title once again at next week’s E3.

Theseus

Recently confirmed for PlayStation VR, Forge Reply’s Theseus proposes an interesting combination of platform challenges and brawling, combined with static and dynamic camera angles, screams ‘God of War’.

According to Samuele Perseo, Producer at Forge Reply: “Theseus is not an ordinary hero; in our game he is the prey, not the hunter. He is “only human” while his enemy, besides being 33 feet tall, has otherworldly strength… and he is invulnerable.

“Theseus cannot just fight the Minotaur head-on: each encounter between the two poses a new challenge. It may be necessary to resort to stealth, or an ancient mechanism could be the key to escape death. The monster is blind, but his hearing and his smell are sharp.”

Theseus is expected to launch on PlayStation VR this summer, and as such will likely make its playable debut at E3 next week.

Tiny Trax

The third UK studio delivering their wares to this list, FuturLab has built a strong audience thanks to the success of the Velocity series. Now however, the developer is turning its attention to VR, with the upcoming Tiny Trax.

Having been compared to Micro Machines with a hint of Off-Road 4×4 thanks to its unique viewpoint, Tiny Trax will follow Codemasters’ Toybox Turbos in delivering an unconventional racing videogame to VR players. Featuring both single player gameplay and an online multiplayer for up to four people, Tiny Trax will include six vehicles to select before heading out onto the track.

No release date has yet been announced for Tiny Trax, however FuturLab has suggested that it will be ‘coming soon’. Of course, VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details.

Sony Santa Monica

So, we don’t actually know what this one is. So why’s it on this list? Because Sony Santa Monica is one of the most highly respected developers on PlayStation hardware. That’s why.

As you will most likely have seen, last month VRFocus reported on an unofficial statement regarding Sony Santa Monica’s continued work in VR, and that after assisting a number of studios with external projects its first title for the PlayStation VR will likely be announced soon. That ‘soon’ may well be at E3 next week.

Whether it will be a part of an existing franchise – Sony Santa Monica has of course championed the God of War series – or a brand new title is yet to be seen, but you can be sure that whatever comes will shoot straight to the top of PlayStation VR owners’ most wanted lists.

June 2, 2017

Forge Reply’s Mythological Adventure Theseus Confirmed for PlayStation VR

Several months ago Forge Reply announced development on its first virtual reality (VR) experience, a fantasy adventure based around the myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. Titled Theseus, the studio at the time didn’t reveal which head-mounted displays (HMDs) would be supported. That’s now changed with confirmation of PlayStation VR getting the videogame.

Samuele Perseo, Producer at Forge Reply confirmed as much with a posting on PlayStation Blog. Being the studio’s first foray into VR Perseo said: “It has been a step into the unknown for us. However, the virtual reality scene is so filled with opportunities to try new things, that we wanted to have our say.”

Theseus - image 1

Up until now very little of the gameplay had been revealed, with a short trailer and description to go on. Now Perseo has detailed what awaits players when they head into the labyrinth. “Theseus is not an ordinary hero; in our game he is the prey, not the hunter. He is “only human” while his enemy, besides being 33 feet tall, has otherworldly strength… and he is invulnerable,” Perseo notes. “Theseus cannot just fight the Minotaur head-on: each encounter between the two poses a new challenge. It may be necessary to resort to stealth, or an ancient mechanism could be the key to escape death. The monster is blind, but his hearing and his smell are sharp.”

Taking inspiration from titles such as ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and the Last Guardian, Forge Reply has gone for a third-person viewpoint for its VR adventure, with Theseus employing a mix of static and dynamic cameras to aid immersion and gameplay.

Theseus will launch during this summer – no exact date has yet been given – just for PlayStation VR. Checkout the new reveal trailer below, and for any further updates on Theseus, keep reading VRFocus.

February 16, 2017

The Immortal Tale of Theseus and the Minotaur Coming to VR Headsets in 2017

The countless tales of ancient Greek gods and the legends that surround them have been utilised to such a degree that everyone will likely know one story or another. One of the most well known is that of Theseus and the Minotaur, so Forge Reply has chosen this tale as inspiration for a virtual reality (VR) experience.

Created as a dark and mature representation of the Greek myth, Theseus is a third-person adventure built specifically for VR. Players will have to scour the seemingly endless labyrinth in search of the legendary monster, with its minions and other obstacles there to hamper progression.

Theseus - image 1

For the announcement Forge Reply has released a 360-degree trailer, giving a brief glimpse at the darkness that awaits. “You wake up alone, stranded in a hostile, mysterious place. With Ariadne’s voice as your only guide, you explore alleys and chambers, venturing deep into the heart of the Labyrinth. In the distance, you can see a pillar of light. It shines in the darkness, beckoning you to go ever forward…,” states the official description.

“Forge Reply is investing significant resources in the Virtual and Augmented Reality solutions for the business market. Theseus represents the logical next step and the first VR piece of content that the studio has developed for gamers and enthusiasts. Virtual Reality is the perfect platform for Theseus and the team is working hard to deliver an immersive and compelling experience,” said Forge Reply’s CTO, Filippo Rizzante, in a statement.

The studio has yet to confirm which head-mounted displays (HMDs) will support Theseus, or when during 2017 the videogame will launch. When VRFocus finds out these details, we’ll report back.

February 16, 2017

Theseus’ Version Of The Minotaur Myth Looks Like VR’s God of War

We’ve seen ancient Chinese texts, historic works of art and more adapted for VR, now it’s time for our first Greek myth.

Forge Reply, the developer behind Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf and In Space We Brawl, today announced Theseus, a new take of the Greek myth of the Minotaur, coming to VR headsets. This isn’t your average first-person experience, though; Theseus is set to be a third-person game in which you battle monsters. Take a look at the 360 trailer below and screenshots in this post, which look to us a little like the gameplay of Gunfire Games’ Chronos [Review: 7/10] with the camera from Insomniac Games’ Edge of Nowhere [Review: 9/10]. The game will apparently mix this camera with static third-person viewpoints too.

As you’d expect, you play as the titular character, who awakens inside the sprawling labyrinth that has been seen in countless forms of media by now, but never VR. Searching for an answer behind your imprisonment, you make your way to a beacon of light in the center of the maze. It’s not just the Minotaur you’ll encounter in this take on the story; the trailer shows another, bigger beast, while it looks like there will be standard enemies to fight too.

That said the one look at the mythical creature we to have — seen above — is particularly harrowing. It all looks a little like Sony’s God of War series, which is not a bad thing to compare yourself to. Sadly, that’s pretty much all we have to go on right now.

In a prepared statement Forge Reply CTO Filippo Rizzante said that the studio was now “investing significant resources” into both VR and AR. This is just the first in what will hopefully be a number of new apps from the company.

The developer isn’t announcing what headsets the game will be available for just yet, though we’d imagine it will be a mix of Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR if not all three. We’d also imagine you’ll be playing with a standard gamepad and not a motion controller. That’s refreshing to see, as we still believe the gamepad plays an important part in VR’s future. No release date has been announced at this time.

Tagged with: Forge Reply, Theseus