Head Down the Rabbit Hole with 9 mins of Gameplay Footage

Gamescom 2019 had an impressive amount of virtual reality (VR) content thanks to a lot of European developers showing up in force. One of those was Cortopia Studios who demoed its new puzzle experience Down the Rabbit Hole. For VRFocus’ final piece of coverage on the title from the show, it’s time to see the videogame in action.

Down The Rabbit Hole

As VRFocus has previously written, Down the Rabbit Hole is a collection of mini-scenes which appear and surround the player as they progress through this fantastical world. While inspired by the classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland children’s novel, the storyline takes place prior to Alice, featuring another girl who just so happens to stumble upon the realm.

Still featuring some of the book’s most well-known characters, Down the Rabbit Hole’s puzzles are a mixture of third-person interaction by way of controlling the girl or other characters and direct interaction as some sort of godly overseer. For example, you need to run her around a series of doors to find the right path, then in another instance directly hit plants to make a musical melody.

Played on the Oculus Quest, Down the Rabbit Hole is being developed for multiple VR headsets including PlayStation VR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. A release date is expected before the end of the year. To learn more about the videogame also check out VRFocus’ interview with Cortopia Studios.

Down The Rabbit Hole

VRFocus previewed Down the Rabbit Hole, noting: “From what was shown Down the Rabbit Hole is going to be a delightful little puzzle adventure. The gameplay uses the characteristics of VR in all the right ways, from all-encompassing scenes to deliver the story to lots of interactive elements that can be grabbed and pulled.”

Take a look at the first gameplay footage from Down the Rabbit Hole, or head on over to VRFocus’ other gameplay videos from Gamescom 2019 including The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets and Acron: Attack of the SquirrelsFor further updates fro Cortopia Studios keep reading VRFocus.

Preview: Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency – Making the Robot Overlords Bow Down

Neat Corporation released its first virtual reality (VR) title Budget Cuts last year after several delays, receiving a mixed response. A stealth-action experience using a rather unique teleportation system, the studio has teamed up with fellow VR developer Fast Travel Games for follow up title Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency. From what’s been shown so far the project is already coming along very well.

Budget Cuts 2

Demoing the title at Gamescom 2019, Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency still offers the same sneaky abilities as before, with a teleportation gun which can be fired around corners whilst offering a handy window to check for guards. You can also continue to kill robot guards by throwing scissors or any other sharp object at your disposal.

What has changed though is the inclusion of a rather deadly bow. This is no surprise as Fast Travel Games created Apex Construct, which just so happens to have some of the best bow mechanics found in any VR videogame. The bow almost feels like it has been directly lifted from Apex Construct, with a beautiful motion to drawing back the arrow and a satisfying and powerful thump when it hits a target.

Budget Cuts 2

The arrows look like crossbow bolts for some reason yet do behave like standard arrows once loaded into the bow. One notable difference between the two bows is the fact that in Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency you can’t liberally fire off arrows indiscriminately, they are valuable and in short supply. Which means every shot needs to count, especially as the level being demoed took place outside on the top of skyscrapers so it was very easy to lose arrows. On the plus side – and a very nice little feature – the arrows can be reclaimed from walls or heads they’re wedged into.

So killing stuff was easy and a lot of fun. What was a bit finicky and not so efficient was the menu system between the main items. So there’s the bow, the teleportation gun and the grab tool as your primary tools. Naturally, you want the bow out at all times, but this then means sacrificing one of the others. Movement is fairly key, especially when spotted by a guard. On the other hand, you can’t fire the bow without the grab tool. Hence there’s a choice to be made – and no strafing – with a slightly high learning curve for new players.

Budget Cuts 2

Which means you kind of need to find your own formula and preference when handling Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency. This creates very methodical gameplay so that there’s very little barrelling into a dangerous situation, and if that does happen then death tends to be inevitable as one-hit means it’s all over.

The collaboration between Neat Corporation and Fast Travel Games certainly seems to be paying off, with Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency offering a greatly improved experience. With a launch expected later this year the sequel turnaround has been quite rapid, however, the quality of the videogame shown didn’t feel rushed. As long as Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency has enough content for a robust experience then this is one to look forward to.

Gamescom 2019 Interview: Cortopia Studios Re-envision Alice’s Wonderland

Cortopia Studios has had plenty of success with its virtual reality (VR) PvP title Wands, bringing the magical combat experience to several headsets. Now the studio is working on something slightly different, a puzzle experience called Down the Rabbit Hole, inspired by the classic children’s novel Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. Making its debut during Gamescom 2019, VRFocus spoke with the team to learn a little more about this particular re-imagining of the tale.

Down The Rabbit Hole

While inspired by the book Down the Rabbit Hole doesn’t use the storyline. So there’s no Alice in this version as it takes place before she ever discovers Wonderland, but there are still a few familiar faces to be found along the way. For this edition, you control an unnamed female character who stumbles into this fantastical world, solving puzzles to find a way home.

The title puts you in a sort of cylindrical cave, with the levels displayed as little dioramas which can be peered into. As you progress through each one a new scene will appear, sometimes higher or lower than the last. Because of these fluctuating scenes, players can turn the cave by grabbing onto various roots growing out of the walls. The experience isn’t entirely viewed from this point either. While some puzzles are interacted with directly, at various times you’re pulled into the scene for an immersive view of the experience.

VRFocus previewed Down the Rabbit Hole, noting: “From what was shown Down the Rabbit Hole is going to be a delightful little puzzle adventure. The gameplay uses the characteristics of VR in all the right ways, from all-encompassing scenes to deliver the story to lots of interactive elements that can be grabbed and pulled.”

Down The Rabbit Hole

Speaking with Ola Bjorling, Chief Strategist for Beyond Frames Entertainment (an umbrella group for Cortopia Studios, Zenz VR, Odd Raven Studios and Moon Mode) he reveals how the experience came about and what to expect from the puzzle title.

Check out the video below or take a look at VRFocus other interviews from Gamescom including Somnium Space, Pixel Reef, Dark Curry and Carbon Studio. For further updates from Cortopia Studios, keep reading VRFocus.

6 Minutes of Puzzling in The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets

Virtual reality (VR) developers were out in force at Gamescom 2019 last month and VRFocus is still catching up on the content. One of the highlights of the event was The VR Games Showcase, the brainchild of Fast Travel Games. Naturally, the studio also had a new videogame to share in the form of The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets which VRFocus demoed and recorded.

The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets

The video showcases the very first level of the title so completely avoid it if you don’t want any puzzle spoilers. The entire experience is a very light-hearted puzzle adventure designed for any age but most likely aimed at a younger VR audience.

With colourful scenery and characters animated in a stop-motion style, the aim in each floating 3D world is to locate three hidden animals. From merely hiding in a bush to more complicated challenges involving several stages, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is very much a hands-on videogame. You need to spin the world to fully explore all the nooks and crannies, picking things up to find what’s interactive and what’s simply there for decoration.

As well as the various animals to find there are other bonus treasures to locate which are much more easy to spot. It’s a living breathing world where there are interesting little things going on, offering a very different experience to that of Fast Travel Games’ last VR title Apex Construct.

The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets

A video is one thing but if you want a more in-depth analysis of The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets then have a read of VRFocus’ preview which noted: Fast Travel Games isn’t going for hardcore puzzle gameplay here as you’d find in Gadgeteer or TransposeThe Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets even made it onto VRFocus’ ‘Favourite VR Games From Gamescom 2019‘ list, highlighting the fact it did make VRFocus smile.”

Demoed using an Oculus Rift S, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets will be released later this year for PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Check out the full gameplay video below and for further updates on the title, keep reading VRFocus.

Preview: The Wizards – Dark Times – A Different Kind of Magic

When Cortopia Studios released The Wizards in 2018 the virtual reality (VR) title offered decent fantasy gameplay, with its main feature being gesture-based spells. The main downside was the feeling it was merely an advanced wave-shooter, locking you in locations to kill a set number of monsters before moving on. The studio has taken all this feedback on board for its next instalment in the franchise The Wizards – Dark Times.

The Wizards - Dark Times

Attending Gamescom 2019 the team said they wanted to create an experience far more freeing than before, keeping what made The Wizards great whilst dispensing with the less desired elements. This was obvious straight away as the landscape no longer features those arena-like locations. The world was twisted and dark, gnarled tree roots descended down steep rock walls while strange glowing mushrooms scatter the ground. It felt very much like being in the Dark Crystal universe.

While looking the part, this forest location kept to a linear formula so there was no real exploring as such. Paths were predefined with a puzzle here and there to mix up the gameplay design. As mentioned enemies are no longer confined to specific locations so it was very nice to find deadly mushrooms popping up and charging unexpectedly, or some sort of demonic creature staying back and launching a volley of arrows.

This all made The Wizards – Dark Times more dynamic and enjoyable to play. Just as in titles such as The Mage’s Tale or Witching Tower there’s now more to pay attention to with few lull moments where you’re wandering around simply heading to the next activation point.

The Wizards - Dark Times

As with any videogame featuring spells and incantations, The Wizards – Dark Times is all about the magic. All those gesture-based spells for attacking and defending are still there but now they’ve been improved, not only making them easier to cast but also great for combination effects. The two spells most commonly used tend to be the fireball and the shield. The fireball was always the simplest to conjure, however, now it’s now available at (the literal) flick of the wrist. While the shield is just an arm movement across the chest. There doesn’t seem to be an issue with getting the gesture exactly right, a problem which occasionally occurred in the original – meaning much arm-waving when an enemy got too close.

There’s also greater depth to the spells. The ice arrow returns where you can once again fire five before recasting. Now, two direct hits will freeze an enemy plus the bow can split into two making dual-wielding swords for close combat. As for those combination effects, freeze a monster, then defrost with a fireball. As they’re now dripping wet a nasty lightning spell is going to be even more effective (cue cackling laugh).

Only a few spells were on offer during the demo with Cortopia Studios saying 11 will be made available in the final release. Which should open up plenty of strategic opportunities. Especially as the enemies shown so far do actually seem to be fairly intelligent and offer a challenge – apart from the suicidal mushrooms.

The Wizards - Dark Times

From what’s been shown so far The Wizards – Dark Times is definitely on track to offer an even more engaging experience than before. The spell casting works well, the environments look great, and the monsters put up a fight. So hopefully things are only going to get better, just so long as there’s a hefty campaign to back it all up.

Gamescom 2019 Interview: It’s no Monster Just a Paper Beast

There were several virtual reality (VR) titles at Gamescom 2019 that VRFocus was very interested in seeing, one of which was Paper Beast by Pixel Reef. With some beautiful screenshots and trailers having been released over the past few months as well as details regarding the narrative, it was still unclear what the goal (if any) was. So VRFocus sat down with Pixel Reef CEO and Paper Beast creator Eric Chahi to hopefully understand more.

Paper Beast

When looking at screenshots they often only tell half the story, and on some occasions distort the truth as to the quality of the experience. Paper Beast doesn’t suffer from the latter, in fact, the videogame looks even more spectacular in its VR form than as a 2D image. The former issue, on the other hand, is a different conundrum altogether and one that will never truly be understood until the final release in Q1 2020.

Paper Beast is a title about animals but these are no ordinary creatures. Because they and the world around them are born from big data, or more precisely an ecosystem formed out of lost code and forgotten algorithms. Just as data is constantly in flux so is the environment in Paper Beast. Players will be able to form bonds with the creatures around them interacting with these strange abstract creations made of paper – picking them up and throwing them into the distance is one avenue VRFocus tried.

VRFocus’ recent preview of Paper Beast said: “Paper Beast is a delight of design and imagination, beautiful to look and puzzling to experience. Hopefully, the final version will develop those interactive elements rather than purely being an elaborate art piece. Whatever happens Paper Beast is going to be one of the more intriguing VR titles to emerge in 2019.”

Paper Beast

In the interview below, Chahi goes into more detail about the creation of this surreal world and what players can expect from this PlayStation VR exclusive.

From this initial first look, Paper Beast is going to be one of the more unusual VR titles to arrive early next year. As further details are released including a confirmed release date, VRFocus will let you know.

Gamescom 2019 Interview: Somnium Space is a Virtual Investment

Making any sort of investment comes with its own particular risks and rewards, from something as simple as buying an in-game item to putting money into stocks and shares. Many companies have invested in the future of virtual reality (VR) technology and as you’re reading VRFocus you probably have to, most likely by buying a VR headset. However, what about the virtual world itself? It’s long been imagined some sort of VR universe may well become a hub for all content, with projects like Somnium Space creating those building blocks. Yet the platform wants users to have a real vested interest in it by offering virtual land that can be owned and built on. So at Gamescom 2019, VRFocus caught up with CEO and co-founder of Somnium Space, Artur Sychov, to learn more about this grand ambition.

Somnium Space

Somnium Space is a vast open-world designed for VR devices like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Much like Project Sansar the platform is designed to be a digital social location where people from around the world can meet, socialise, enjoy events, play games and much more.

What makes Somnium Space a little more unique than other VR social experiments is that users can actually take ownership of the land, just as you would do in the real world. Using blockchain as its backbone Somnium Space allows users to purchase ‘land parcels’ on which they can then theoretically build whatever they want. And just as in real life city centre land is more expensive due to its inherent appeal more than land out in the middle of nowhere.

Currently, version 1.0 of Somnium Space is available to download now via Steam for free, with version 2.0 in the works.  Sychov explains that the new edition will add a lot of the features the community has been after, including full-body avatars, SDK’s, enhanced controller support as well as Oculus Go and Oculus Quest support.

Somnium Space

A big part on Somnium Space’s expansion will happen this October when the Initial Land Offering (ILO) sale commences. Running from 6th – 13th October you’ll be able to bid for those ‘land parcels’ mentioned. Check out the full interview below with Sychov going into greater detail about version 2.0, blockchain and the decentralised marketplace. As always, for further updates keep reading VRFocus.

15 Minutes of Acron: Attack of the Squirrels Gameplay

Today, Resolution Games has released its eighth virtual reality (VR) title, moving away from its single-player experiences like Bait! and Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs into the multiplayer realm with Acron: Attack of the Squirrels. The studio demoed the videogame at Gamescom 2019 last week and with VRFocus in attendance recorded 15 minutes of squirrel-based mayhem.

Acron: Attack of the Squirrels

Acron: Attack of the Squirrels is a multiplayer party game for up to nine players, unique in the fact that it employs mobile devices. Unlike titles such as The Persistence which featured a mobile companion app for friends to help or hinder the VR player, Resolution Games’ is much more akin to PlayStation VR’s social screen on The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure where non-VR players are essential to the whole experience.

One player dons the VR headset and becomes the tree who must protect their golden acorns while up to eight mobile players are the squirrels, running around trying to steal four acorns and get them home. As the Tree players can throw items to knockout the squirrels or when close enough grab them a fling them out the level. As a mischievous squirrel, there are four to choose from, each with their own particular abilities to help the team.

As you’ll see in the video below, matches are fast and frantic only lasting three minutes apiece. As the VR player, there are are a lot of variables to keep an eye on, from where the acorns are to what player is doing what. The gameplay video only features four squirrel players so you can imagine when the full quota of eight is filled how hectic things can get.

Acron: Attack of the Squirrels

Acron: Attack of the Squirrels launches today for Oculus Rift/Rift S, HTC Vive and Oculus Quest headsets via the Oculus Store and Steam, retailing for $19.99 USD/£14.99 GBP. On the mobile side, the videogame can be downloaded for free for iOS or Android devices (iOS 12.4, iPhone 6 and up; Android 5.0 and up).

Check out the gameplay video below and for any further updates on Acron: Attack of the Squirrels or any other Resolution Games projects, keep reading VRFocus.

Review: Corsair’s Curse LBVR

Location-based entertainment (LBE) is becoming an important revenue stream for a lot of virtual reality (VR) developers. It’s why in VR arcades you’ll see well-known titles for home headsets reworked for venues as well as original IP’s. This is sort of the case with Corsair’s Curse a team-based puzzle solver from the Innerspace VR team, who’ve loosely based the LBE title on their last consumer release A Fisherman’s Tale.

Corsairs Curse

Still featuring a nautical theme, rather than being a humble fisherman you’re now placed in the role of a pirate, and what do pirate’s always want? Treasure of course. In Corsair’s Curse you play a greedy pirate cursed by pirate captain Corsair whilst looking for his treasure. Turned into wooden dolls you and your teammates need to solve Corsair’s puzzles to break the curse.

Designed for up to four players, Corsair’s Curse always needs a minimum of two because of the way the puzzles are designed. Using HTC Vive Pro’s, backpack PC’s and Vive wireless adaptors the tech allows for complete free-roaming but the title doesn’t require major amounts of space. This is because once you’re inside the galleon most items are nearby, particularly useful for VR arcades which don’t have loads of space. Plus the fact up to four people need to occupy the area.

As an arcade experience designed to be inclusive no matter the skill level before the main game begins there’s time to get acclimatised to VR, great for new players. Set on a desert island there’s a mirror so you can see your avatar as well as a range of hats to customise your ideal pirate look. Peer past the mirror and your teammate is on the other side, so you can shout, wave or simply taunt them if you wish (great for building that pirate moral).

Corsairs Curse

Inside the ship both players are separated so they can’t directly help each other but they can offer guidance – think of game shows like the Crystal Maze. For those that have played A Fisherman’s Tale then you’ll also notice another theme come into play, scale and perspective. Innerspace VR loves to play with size in VR so in Corsair’s Curse one player was huge while the other was tiny.

Most of the puzzles had a dual effect, completing one would then unlock the next for the other player. For example, playing as the tiny pirate one of the puzzles included firing a cannon. Gunpowder needed to be mixed and put in place, then a cannonball loaded before finding a flaming torch to light the fuse. The target was in the other players’ side, blasting a hole to locate a hidden object.

All of which meant teamwork was key adding to the overall experience. Neither person could succeed without the other, offering a decent sense of camaraderie once complete. It’s also worth noting that not all the puzzles were used, certain sections of the ship which looked interactive weren’t, possibly only becoming available when four players are present. VRFocus did learn however that there weren’t massive variations in the experience, so if two players came back again the puzzles would be the same.

Corsair’s Curse is ideal for those stepping into a VR arcade for the first time, rather than some intense first-person shooter (FPS). There’s time to learn the basics and the joy of VR gaming, picking stuff up, the visual impact of scale and much more. The replay factor might be somewhat muted after a couple of sessions but with a few friends, it’s still worth playing.

80%

Awesome

  • Verdict

Gamescom 2019 Interview: Fighting the Hordes in Undead Citadel

Melee combat can be brutal and very satisfying in virtual reality (VR), actually feeling like you’re swinging a sword or blocking a blow with a shield. Currently, Spanish studio Dark Curry is in the process of developing its next virtual reality (VR) title  Undead Citadel which is all about cleaving monsters with any dangerous object to hand. The team attended Gamescom 2019 to showcase an early demo and naturally VRFocus had a play and chat to find out more.

Undead Citadel

Set in medieval times of knights, castles and grand quests you play a battle-weary soldier who is looking for a place to rest and recuperate. Spotting a town you head inside looking for shelter and food, yet all you find is death and destruction, a settlement crumbling and apparently empty…but not for long.

Undead Citadel is unapologetically a brutal first-person combat experience, there’s a storyline revolving around finding what happened but mostly its all about hacking undead enemies into little bits. There are two modes, the campaign itself and a horde mode for those who love endless arena battles. The campaign is very much an adventure where players do have to explore to find new weapons, potions and other secrets.

While there is a bow, most of the weapons are melee-based, swords, axes, hammers, maces and alike. To make the combat realistic and visceral Dark Curry has employed a physics system allowing limbs to be removed with a quick slice here or dice there. And there’s no keeping hold of a favourite weapon, they can all break, each one taking a particular amount of damage which needs to be monitored – having a weapon break mid-fight will lead to death.

Undead Citadel

Attending Gamescom was CEO and Dark Curry co-founder Daniel Solis to discuss the idea behind Undead Citadel.  Interestingly, the studio teamed up with 3dRudder for the event, demoing the videogame using Oculus Rift and the foot-based controller. This was a fairly good match, being able to naturally walk around the dilapidated citadel using 3dRudder.

Check out what Daniel had to say in the interview below and as further details are released keep reading VRFocus for the latest updates.