Operencia: The Stolen Sun VR Review – Barebones VR Port Of A Classically-Themed RPG

Operencia: The Stolen Sun isn’t your typical VR RPG port. We break down what works (and what doesn’t) in our full Operencia: The Stolen Sun VR review.

In recent years, the classic genre of turn-based first-person RPGs has made a bit of a comeback and Zen Software’s Operencia: the Stolen Sun was one of the best of the bunch. Tile and turn-based movements—where the player moves a set tile length each push forward—seems like an ideal way to alleviate motion sickness problems in VR. Operencia, however, skirts the line between traditional movement and free-roaming, and its more natural open world is a far cry from confined square dungeons this genre usually sticks to.

The game’s transition to VR is something current fans of the game will likely appreciate more than newcomers. Our initial dive into the Oculus store version of the game was problematic, because a controller bug made it impossible to play until magically it wasn’t. More than that, the Oculus Store version is the only version of the three (It’s on Steam, of course, and PlayStation 4) where you don’t get the non-VR version as well. 

This is an issue for a variety of reasons, but mostly because we just didn’t feel as compelled to play Operencia entirely in VR. That aside, the bigger problem is this is a perfect example of a non-VR game just shoved into VR with few (if any) changes beyond the visual immersion upgrade. While you can technically play it with VR controls, they act just like traditional controls and none of the game mechanics or visuals have been altered. 

operencia magic enemy

So, it’s literally like playing the base game with the ability to look in all directions easily. Obviously, there’s an appeal to this. Operencia is a great RPG and getting a closer look at the colorful, detailed fantasy world is nice, but everything else feels phoned in. Particularly performance. Turn-based  tile-movement proved a necessity in our testing, because free-movement had a distinct habit of tanking the framerate.

For this kind of game style to really work well, the maps are intentionally done in a definitive grid-fashion, but Operencia doesn’t do that. Its world is curvy, contoured, often circular. Grid-based movements don’t mesh well with it, making free-movements feel much more natural here. A perfect example is right at the start of the game, where a large gaping hole has opened up and the player has to perform a simple light reflecting puzzle to place a magical seal over it. 

Moving in stiff lines and sharp angles around a circle just feels silly, and in VR this disjunction of level design and movement style feels especially abrupt. The turn-based combat system was always excellent and actually looks great in VR, but again, feels like a lost opportunity to expand the overall genre by including anything specific to the power of VR beyond looks.

Looking at Operencia from just the VR point of view does paint a grimmer picture than the game as a whole deserves. It’s an excellent RPG, melding bits and pieces from the classic games it was inspired by and newer epics like Skyrim. The turn-based combat system feels immediately familiar for anyone who has played any number of western and Japanese RPGs.

Taking a party of up four traditional fantasy characters—warriors, archers, clerics, spell-slinging wizards, etc.—players will face off against a horde of different monsters. The game’s setting and characters are entirely familiar, so troll, orc, and goblin-like critters, dragons, demons, evil humans, creepy crawlies, and plenty of other monsters await their turn to grind the player down.

The interface for combat is kept fairly simple. The left side of the screen shows turn order, so you know who attacks next. The bottom panel is the array of moves the current player character can perform. Many actions can affect a group of enemies at once or perform a single power attack, but require a cooldown period. So, balancing offense, defence, and healing elements is vital. Combat might be turn-based, but moves at a brisk pace and the accompanying visuals are fun.

Monsters slash in the air with great effect, but aside from a small indicator of the injured character’s icon and some audio cues, you never see any of your team. This is pretty standard in old first-person RPGs, but in VR a little more visual direction would have been appreciated. Either way, Operencia’s combat is definitely keeping in character with the types of games it’s emulating.

operencia forest

Operencia: the Stolen Sun Review Final Verdict

Operencia: the Stolen Sun is an excellent RPG with a lot of great qualities. It looks good, the classic turn-based combat is well done, and the world itself feels expansive. Players can expect between 20-30 hours of adventure as well, so it’s a fairly lengthy game.

For RPG lovers who haven’t checked out Operencia, it’s absolutely recommendable. For a VR-only release, it’s less of a sure bet. Avoid the Oculus Store version and go for either the Steam or PlayStation versions since those let you play the game however you like. 


3 STARS

pro con list operencia vr review

For more on how we arrive at our scores, check out our review guidelines.


UploadVR Review Scale Large

Operencia: The Stolen Sun is available now for PC or with optional VR support on both SteamVR and Oculus Home for PC.

Ilysia VR MMO Doubles Kickstarter Goal, First Look At Gear And Weapons Here

Ilysia is an upcoming VR MMO currently in the final days of its Kickstarter campaign. After initially launching with a meager $60,000 target, the team has far exceeded that and is already over double the original asking amount.

As of the time of this writing, Team 21 has just over $125,000 in Kickstarter pledges. Admittedly, if you know much of anything about what it takes to make an MMO, that isn’t very much money. However, the team is small, reportedly very efficient and lean according to themselves, and has clear goals. Time will tell if they can deliver.

We first reported on Ilysia last weekend after I spoke with some of the founding members of the project. Needless to say I’m impressed with what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, so I’m eager to dive in for myself and see how it stacks up.

One of the main things I’ve been most curious about is the gear and equipment system. In games like OrbusVR, which is the first actual MMO in VR, character models are extremely simplistic and all of your gear is managed and seen in a floating flat menu. Same with Skyrim VR without mods and so many other RPGs with VR support.

But in an MMO, especially a VR MMO, I want to be as immersed as possible. Ideally, to really capture that Sword Art Online meets .hack//sign meets Ready Player One vision, we need everything to be interactive and to have gear and equipment visible on a fully-tracked body — not floating hands and torsos.

ilysia gear menu equipment vr mmo gif

In some brand new exclusive Ilysia assets provided to us by Team 21, it looks like they’re doing their best to deliver on that front. In the GIF above you’ll see the equipment menu — this is shown to manage what you’re wearing and see what you look like, but once you equip weapons you’ll grab them physically on your body. There are slots for: head, shoulder, chest, arms, legs, hands, feet, rings, neck, back (that means capes! woo!), belt, house key, and mount. Gear will also be tiered based on color, such as: grey (Poor), white (Common), green (Superior), blue (undisclosed tier name), and orange (undisclosed tier name).

There will be one-handed weapons, two-handed weapons, ranged weapons, offhand items like books, relics, and totems, and consumable items like food and potions. You can also choose your character’s gender, race, facial preset, hairstyle, and skin tone. All standard fare for the most part.

Here is the belt slot weapon being drawn in-game as an example:

drawing weapon ilysia vr mmo

According to the developers you’ll have two hip slots, two back slots, and two belt slots for weapons and items. Additionally, you can see in the featured image at the top of this article every character is wearing full armor with varied styles, donning a multitude of weapon types, and showcasing a diverse set of character styles.

Since it’s a free form class system, it looks like you’ll be able to have a very open-ended progression system, as shown in this menu:

ilysia skill tree vr mmo

Finally, here are some in-game screenshots that show off the world, various characters in-game, and some battles.

As of now, backers have unlocked 11/14 stretch goals after hitting the $125,000 threshold. This includes full-body VR tracking, mount breeding, a battle royale instance, pet breeding, additional starting zones, and more. Plus, this glorious mount named Handsome Joe’s Prized Pony for all backers:

The remaining stretch goals include a PvP Honor Rewards System ($150,000), Guild XP and Leveling ($200,000), and expanded player-owned Inns / Shops with Skills and XP ($250,000).

What I like about this art style (which I’ve been told is not final and will be improved) is that it reminds me a lot of old-school EverQuest. To me, those are still the glory days of MMOs and the developers claim to be intent on rediscovering that sense of wonder for VR.

ilysia vr mmo Spider Fight ilysia vr mmo spider fight magic spell ilysia vr mmo PvP Arena ilysia vr mmo spider fight group

Ilysia is slated to eventually release at some point next year on PC VR, PSVR, and Quest with full crossplay between all platforms. Let us know what you think down in the comments below!

[Disclosure]: The author of this story, David Jagneaux, pledged to the Ilysia Kickstarter at the $50 ‘Alpha Squire (Early Access – A1) tier. This has not affected his coverage of the game.

Ilysia VR MMO Doubles Kickstarter Goal, First Look At Gear And Weapons Here

Ilysia is an upcoming VR MMO currently in the final days of its Kickstarter campaign. After initially launching with a meager $60,000 target, the team has far exceeded that and is already over double the original asking amount.

As of the time of this writing, Team 21 has just over $125,000 in Kickstarter pledges. Admittedly, if you know much of anything about what it takes to make an MMO, that isn’t very much money. However, the team is small, reportedly very efficient and lean according to themselves, and has clear goals. Time will tell if they can deliver.

We first reported on Ilysia last weekend after I spoke with some of the founding members of the project. Needless to say I’m impressed with what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard, so I’m eager to dive in for myself and see how it stacks up.

One of the main things I’ve been most curious about is the gear and equipment system. In games like OrbusVR, which is the first actual MMO in VR, character models are extremely simplistic and all of your gear is managed and seen in a floating flat menu. Same with Skyrim VR without mods and so many other RPGs with VR support.

But in an MMO, especially a VR MMO, I want to be as immersed as possible. Ideally, to really capture that Sword Art Online meets .hack//sign meets Ready Player One vision, we need everything to be interactive and to have gear and equipment visible on a fully-tracked body — not floating hands and torsos.

ilysia gear menu equipment vr mmo gif

In some brand new exclusive Ilysia assets provided to us by Team 21, it looks like they’re doing their best to deliver on that front. In the GIF above you’ll see the equipment menu — this is shown to manage what you’re wearing and see what you look like, but once you equip weapons you’ll grab them physically on your body. There are slots for: head, shoulder, chest, arms, legs, hands, feet, rings, neck, back (that means capes! woo!), belt, house key, and mount. Gear will also be tiered based on color, such as: grey (Poor), white (Common), green (Superior), blue (undisclosed tier name), and orange (undisclosed tier name).

There will be one-handed weapons, two-handed weapons, ranged weapons, offhand items like books, relics, and totems, and consumable items like food and potions. You can also choose your character’s gender, race, facial preset, hairstyle, and skin tone. All standard fare for the most part.

Here is the belt slot weapon being drawn in-game as an example:

drawing weapon ilysia vr mmo

According to the developers you’ll have two hip slots, two back slots, and two belt slots for weapons and items. Additionally, you can see in the featured image at the top of this article every character is wearing full armor with varied styles, donning a multitude of weapon types, and showcasing a diverse set of character styles.

Since it’s a free form class system, it looks like you’ll be able to have a very open-ended progression system, as shown in this menu:

ilysia skill tree vr mmo

Finally, here are some in-game screenshots that show off the world, various characters in-game, and some battles.

As of now, backers have unlocked 11/14 stretch goals after hitting the $125,000 threshold. This includes full-body VR tracking, mount breeding, a battle royale instance, pet breeding, additional starting zones, and more. Plus, this glorious mount named Handsome Joe’s Prized Pony for all backers:

The remaining stretch goals include a PvP Honor Rewards System ($150,000), Guild XP and Leveling ($200,000), and expanded player-owned Inns / Shops with Skills and XP ($250,000).

What I like about this art style (which I’ve been told is not final and will be improved) is that it reminds me a lot of old-school EverQuest. To me, those are still the glory days of MMOs and the developers claim to be intent on rediscovering that sense of wonder for VR.

ilysia vr mmo Spider Fight ilysia vr mmo spider fight magic spell ilysia vr mmo PvP Arena ilysia vr mmo spider fight group

Ilysia is slated to eventually release at some point next year on PC VR, PSVR, and Quest with full crossplay between all platforms. Let us know what you think down in the comments below!

[Disclosure]: The author of this story, David Jagneaux, pledged to the Ilysia Kickstarter at the $50 ‘Alpha Squire (Early Access – A1) tier. This has not affected his coverage of the game.

Hands-On: Orion13 Is A Narrative-Based Neon-Coated VR Action Game

Not many VR games allow you to roam and jump around freely like traditional non-VR games often do, but Orion13 hopes to give players access to that. The first-person VR hack-and-slash title aims to deliver a full-fledged story-based action game to VR players, and during PAX East 2020, I got the chance to run through some of the adventure.

Orion13 puts you in the robotic shoes of its titular character, a character that has not only become self-aware, but is now looking to break free from society and head back home. Throughout the game, you’ll have to solve various puzzles, learn the secrets the game has to offer and, most importantly, slash your way through a surprisingly large variety of enemies. A challenge mode also exists for players who want to test their might against hordes of enemies, with an online leaderboard showcasing just who the best of the best is.

Movement in Orion13 fairly standard, with your controllers operating how you move and your head acting as where you aim and look. The world of Orion13 is a very bright and colorful one, and surprisingly large. Speaking with Metro VR Studios’ President and Lead Developer Scott Matalon, he said it was his goal to give players a sense of scale and show them just how much there was to do in every level. Some of the tall buildings you might see ahead as you explore will be explored later, for example, meaning that the pretty backdrop you see isn’t just there to make you stare in awe.

When it comes to fighting enemies, Orion13 takes the generic hack-and-slash combat mechanics and tweaks it just a bit. Instead of being able to simply flail your arms around to win, you’ll have to actually try and land heavy strikes against enemies. Many times during my demo, I was forced to retreat from a fight because I wasn’t landing enough hard hits. I needed to relearn my combat tendencies.

Because the game tracks how hard you’re swinging the sword as well, it can take some time to get used to just how to take enemies down, but once you do, it’s extremely satisfying to feel the strength of your swing correlate to an attack in the game. The enemies in the game aren’t any slouches either, as they can take you down very quickly if you let them. Unfortunately, there are some issues with the combat, specifically due to when enemies swarm you.

orion13 sword fight

Enemies often got very close, making combat not only even more difficult, but downright impossible thanks to how the game is meant to be played. Thankfully, there are features to help you get out of a bind, as you’re equipped with two different abilities, one of which allows you to sap life from an enemy and give it to yourself, and the other freezes an enemy and lets you unleash a flurry of attacks on it. The lack of distance from enemies can get annoying, but at least you do have these options to make the fight fairer for you.

Outside of the combat, it was clear during my time with the demo that Orion13 aims to be much more than just a simple hack-and-slash title. During the end of the first level, you’re presented with a button pressing puzzle – one of many puzzles in the game, according to Matalon –  to solve in order to proceed. Later in the game, you can also find various platforming sections, which sees you having to time jumps across large chasms, a feat that isn’t too hard in a non-VR game, but becomes much more challenging (and even more rewarding) when you have to stare down the jump in a virtual world.

During my brief time with Orion13, it was clear that the focus was very much on creating something that encompassed a ton of genres. The heavy focus may have been on hack-and-slash action, but there were other elements very creatively layered on that made me want to keep playing. Given that the combat is so much of the game, it could use some more fine-tuning to further enhance things. Orion13 may not have the polish of a AAA VR title, but it does have a ton of ambition, and manages to stick the landing on many of its attempts.

Orion13 is available now on Steam for the Oculus Rift at the price point of $19.99.

The post Hands-On: Orion13 Is A Narrative-Based Neon-Coated VR Action Game appeared first on UploadVR.

Job Simulator Has Now Sold Over 1 Million Units

Google-owned VR development studio Owlchemy Labs announced today that it had reached a massive sales milestone for its breakout hit, Job Simulator [original Vive review from 2016], which has now surpassed one million units sold.

Job Simulator originally launched for HTC Vive back in the first half of 2016, nearly four years ago, and is a great example of a game that’s easy to pick up and endlessly fun to play repeatedly. It has universal appeal with a sense of humor for all ages and requires very little in the way of tutorialization. In a lot of ways, it was VR’s truly first big hit back before headsets had even officially launched.

Since release it has also made its way to the Oculus Rift when Touch controllers released, the PSVR, and the Oculus Quest putting it on every major VR platform. Owlchemy Labs is also the developer of Rick and Morty: Virtual-Rickality and Vacation Simulator, two follow-ups that build upon the foundation laid in Job Simulator.

This is a massive sales milestone to reach. When compared to traditional non-VR video games, one million units is still seen as a huge success for non-AAA products, especially in the indie space. Few VR games have reached this point. Beat Saber revealed the number back in March of 2019 after its viral success and Sean Murray from Hello Games estimated that at least one million of his players had VR headsets already before No Man’s Sky got its VR update — counting the new copies that were sold it could likely be over that figure as well. Estimates also put around one million have played Resident Evil 7 in VR on PSVR, but it has sold far more copies overall as part of a massive Capcom AAA franchise that’s also playable outside of VR.

“We first developed Job Simulator as something that could only exist in VR. It was built for hardware that wasn’t yet available to consumers and was a very risky product.” says Owlchemy Labs CEOwl Devin Reimer in the company blog post. “Job Simulator going platinum shows that the consumer VR market is capable of generating huge hits. We’re delighted that Job Simulator has found a diverse audience that enjoys our game.“

Regardless of how you look at it, this is a big milestone. As VR continues to grow and reach mainstream adoption, expect to see more breakout success stories like this.

The post Job Simulator Has Now Sold Over 1 Million Units appeared first on UploadVR.

Journey for Elysium Review: Atmospheric But Brief Trip To The Greek Underworld

We embark on our Journey for Elysium with this full review of the recently released atmospheric puzzle game about the Greek underworld.

Greek mythology has long since proven to be fertile ground for video games and Mantis Games’ Journey for Elysium is a good example why. Using VR’s unique abilities to immerse the player in the game world, this dark and foreboding tale of the Greek afterlife and one unknown soul’s quest for redemption is strikingly stylish. Like so many VR games though, it’s also incredibly short.

Journey for Elysium has a lot going for it. Right from the start, the gorgeously moody black and white landscapes just ooze creepy atmosphere. The game uses limited color to highlight puzzle elements, such as gold coins that unlock new memories to push the story forward. Items to complete the memories are hidden close by. Grab them and place them were they go to complete the ghostly sequence.

Traveling by boat, the waters you row through are replete with the tormented dead, their anguished faces staring up as you pass over. Looking onward at the cliffs surrounding your path reveal massive stone statues of the gods stare down. From the shores and cliffs, ghoulish dead wander aimlessly. In short, Journey for Elysium is a great looking game, with a soundtrack that fits the dark themes and visuals.

Journey for Elysium memories gameplay story

The actual gameplay is a mash up of VR motions. Rowing is one of the main activities and, if you’re not familiar with this particular exercise, takes some getting used to. Settling into a rhythm to move straight ahead proved to be a puzzle in itself for those of us with sketchy coordination. At times, you’ll have to manipulate the boat to be in a specific spot to solve a puzzle. This requires dealing with a whole host of boat physics. Some people will probably get into the level of detail the developers put into just this aspect of the game, but others might flail around a lot.

Beyond boating, there are times when Journey for Elysium takes on a kind of first-person Tomb Raider vibe. These are probably the best parts of the game. There’s a fun sense of vertigo climbing up walls, moving hand to hand along ledges, lifting yourself up to the next. Chains and ladders require coordinated hand motions and moving from one chain to another is almost, but not quite like swinging across gaps. It requires using your reach and a bit of inertia to reach the next chain (or ledge) without falling to your doom.

Puzzles aren’t particularly hard to solve. Finding coins and other items tends to just involve wandering around in the small areas of the game and picking up shiny things. Other tasks are more involved, such as using a bow and arrow to light fires, but none of the solutions are too taxing.

Comfort

Journey for Elysium gives players the option for either teleporting or free movement, depending on your system specs and comfort level. Given the use of heights, climbing, and falling, there’s definite potential for motion sickness as well, although the overall game ran very well and didn’t require a room-sized set up.

That brings us to the major problem. Journey for Elysium can be finished in under two hours. If you really want to stretch it out, you could maybe get three or four. There’s not really any particular replay value in terms of alternate paths, hidden secrets, or different endings.

journey for elysium

Journey for Elysiums Review Verdict

Journey for Elysium’s gorgeous black and white visuals offer a terrific atmosphere and the trip to the end is fun, thanks to the variety of game play elements. But the game is over way too soon with some frustrating boating sections and simple puzzles.

Final Score: :star: :star: :star:   3/5 Stars | Just Okay

journey for elysium pro con review list


This review was conducted using an original Oculus Rift with the Steam version of the game. Journey for Elysium is available on Steam for $19.99 with support for Rift, Vive, and Index headsets.

You can read more about our five-star scoring policy here.

The post Journey for Elysium Review: Atmospheric But Brief Trip To The Greek Underworld appeared first on UploadVR.

Vanishing Realms: Making A VR RPG As A Solo Indie Developer

Vanishing Realms just exited Early Access and released its massive expansion DLC, The Sundered Rift. We had great things to say in our full review and took some time to send a few questions over Kelly Bailey from Indimo Labs about its development that spanned across nearly four years.

Kelly Bailey has been hard at work on Vanishing Realms ever since first getting an HTC Vive developer kit in late 2015 and the hard work shows. Bailey previously worked at Valve, specifically on the Half-Life franchise, and has been focused on VR since founding Indimo Labs.

vanishing realms sundered rift featured image

Below are all of the questions we sent Bailey over email, as well as his unedited responses:


UploadVR: How has the reception to the expansion been so far? Has it been going well?

Kelly Bailey: The new Expansion has been quite well received, some fun play-through videos starting to show up, reviews are very positive.  It’s really rewarding to see players getting creative with the new types of melee and ranged weapons, the little Spirit Guide seems make people smile, people seem to be enjoying playing through the new environments. I got a little carried away in the final six months of development, and somehow the Expansion grew to become larger than the base game. It wasn’t really planned that way, just a consequence of iterating on new ideas and integrating playtest feedback.

UVR: What is the biggest difference between developing and releasing VR content now in mid-2019 vs. 2016 when VR was brand new?

KB: There is certainly more hardware to support in 2019, and the tools available to developers have come a long way.  Way back in 2016, VR Devs all needed to figure out the fundamental interactions, such as moving the player around the world, interacting with objects, constraining the player to world boundaries, designing a VR-friendly UI etc.  Now developers can download various plugins to help solve those problems, and the barrier to entry is definitely lower now.

vanishing realms sundered rift review enemy image

UVR: Looking back, would you have done anything differently in developing Vanishing Realms?

KB: I launched the base game in Early Access in 2016, then spent a year or so updating it with a ton of new features and expanded content. Community feedback was super helpful, definitely made the game better. By late 2017 I’d pushed the base game pretty far and felt it was ready to ship, however I ultimately decided to keep the game in Early Access during the development of the Expansion.  I announced this to the community late 2017, and forged ahead. Remaining in Early Access allowed me to easily share content and code between the base game and expansion, and I felt it was important to maintain the freedom to experiment with the code right up the final launch day.  I tend to develop in a very iterative way, and many of the features that ended up in the base game or Expansion started as “what-if” experiments.  The game’s melee combat system, UI, climbing, throwable weapons, various forms of monster AI, new player locomotion modes, a complete hard mode, expanded mid-game dungeon and outdoor areas – all had quite a few versions and many were delivered as later updates to the base game.  Some changes, like the more detailed outdoor areas, where just delivered in the base game this month.

However this method of working also tends to make it difficult to predict a delivery schedule, and that relatively long development period in Early Access made it hard to communicate the ongoing plan to newer customers.  In retrospect, it would have been a much clearer message to customers had I shipped the base game out of Early Access back in 2017, rather than waiting until the Expansion was also complete.  I would have also communicated more frequently, rather than keeping my head down working in the code for months on end!

So overall, I would have maintained a simpler plan with a simpler message. By keeping the code sharing simple, I inadvertently created a very complex messaging problem that I never really solved.

UVR: Are there plans for more expansions or a sequel? Or a new IP?

KB: Having just come off of a very intensive and extended work schedule, it still feels too soon to start planning next steps.  I truly enjoy creating games, I’ve been doing it for over 20 years now – I don’t think Vanishing Realms: The Sundered Rift is my last game.  Right now, however, I’m focused on getting some surfing in!

UVR: Do you have any interest in working with a publisher, or is 100% indie something you’re proud to continue doing?

KB: The great thing about working on a team with a publisher is the leverage you have – all the game’s content can be crafted as a unified, original vision for instance.  The down side is that I believe most publishers would not have been willing to take the kinds of risks that I took in developing Vanishing Realms. I did not have a detailed development schedule, at the outset I had a very loose vision of the product, and I worked almost entirely iteratively.  I added many, many features based on direct customer feedback, all without a fixed final delivery schedule or budget.  I believe that kind of freedom made the game much better in the end, but it would have driven a budget and schedule conscious publisher a bit crazy!

vanishing realms sundered rift landscape

UVR: How large is the team that worked on the initial Vanishing Realms EA release and how large is the team that worked on 1..0 + Sundered Rift?

KB: The Base Game and the Expansion were both single-developer projects.

UVR: Are there any plans for Quest or PSVR versions?

KB: Both platforms are super interesting. I don’t have a dev kit for either right now.

UVR: What would your main points of advice be to VR developers, as someone that’s been making VR content since before Vive/Rift even shipped?

KB: Some questions that might be useful to a new VR developer:

Am I taking advantage of the latest VR plugins? It doesn’t make much sense these days to write your own player movement system, input system, UI etc.

Am I controlling the budget? Although it’s growing, VR is still a much smaller customer base than the PC market. There’s a reason many VR titles are built by small teams.

Am I playtesting with people of differing size, age, experience? This is super important in VR. You’re building an environment that must fit diverse body sizes and abilities.

Do my playtesters think the game is fun? Would they keep playing? Continue iterating until the answer is consistently YES.  Ask what their high and low points were during the playtest.

Does my game contain features that are interesting and unique in VR?  The medium is still so new, you have a chance as a VR developer to create something that literally no one in history has ever experienced before. That’s a pretty fun idea.

UVR: Anything else you’d like to add?

KB: Vanishing Realms: The Sundered Rift is available on Steam here.


For more on Vanishing  Realms and The Sundered Rift, check out our full review right here.

The post Vanishing Realms: Making A VR RPG As A Solo Indie Developer appeared first on UploadVR.

To The Top: VR-Parkourspiel erscheint am 29. Mai für PSVR

Das VR-Parkourspiel To The Top von Entwicklerstudio Electric Hat Games erhält beinahe ein Jahr nach seiner Veröffentlichung eine Konsolenadaption für PlayStation VR (PSVR). Der VR-Titel soll am 29. Mai im PlayStation Store veröffentlicht werden. PS-Plus-Mitglieder können das Spiel derzeit zum reduzierten Preis vorbestellen.

To The Top – Veröffentlichung Ende Mai für PSVR

Das Parkourspiel To The Top spielt in einer futuristischen Sci-Fi-Welt, in der die Menschheit auf hochmoderne Roboteranzüge zur Fortbewegung setzt, die dank neuster Technologie übermenschliche Fähigkeiten verleihen. Als neustes Mitglieder der To The Top Academy müsst ihr euer Können im komplexen Fluganzug beweisen.

To-The-Top-PlayStation-VR-PSVR

Daher stürzt ihr euch parkourartig durch die mit unzähligen Hindernisse gespickten Level und setzt auf die einzigartigen Bewegungsmöglichkeiten des Anzugs. Mit euren Händen heftet ihr euch an die verschiedensten Objekte und Strukturen, um die anstehenden Herausforderungen zu meistern. In mehr als 35 verschiedenen Levels dürft ihr euch währenddessen völlig frei bewegen und mit rasanter Geschwindigkeit durch die Abschnitte springen.

Zur Steuerung nutzt ihr entweder den DualShock-4- oder PlayStation-Move-Controller. Damit visiert der Spieler sein gewünschtes Ziel an, um sich mit einer Greifbewegung an das entsprechende Objekt zu ziehen. Neben der sprunghaften Fortbewegung könnt ihr ebenso an Wänden entlang klettern, auf Brettern skaten oder mit Düsenantrieb durch die Lüfte fliegen.

To-The-Top-PlayStation-VR-PSVR

Im Singleplayer-Modus ist entweder ein freies Erkunden oder der Wettlauf gegen die Zeit möglich. Während der Erkundungstouren könnt ihr versteckte Abschnitte finden, wofür Medaillen als Belohnung winken. In den Speedruns werden die besten Ergebnisse in einem Leaderboard eingetragen, um einen internationalen Vergleich zu gewährleisten. Im Multiplayer-Modus könnt ihr online gegen andere Spieler antreten oder im Co-op-Modus zusammenarbeiten.

Zum anstehenden Release auf der PlayStation VR (PSVR) gibt es einen neuen Trailer, der Einblicke in das Gameplay auf der Konsole vermittelt:

To The Top soll offiziell am 29. Mai für PlayStation VR (PSVR) im PlayStation Store für 24,99 Euro erscheinen. PS-Plus-Mitglieder können den VR-Titel bereits jetzt zum reduzierten Preis von knapp 20 Euro vorbestellen.

(Quellen: Road to VR | To The Top | Video: PlayStation Europe Youtube)

Der Beitrag To The Top: VR-Parkourspiel erscheint am 29. Mai für PSVR zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

Wanted Killer VR: Indie-Shooter ab Mai im Early Access verfügbar

Der neue Indie-Shooter Wanted Killer VR von Berliner Entwicklerstudio Playsnak für HTC Vive steht auf Steam in den Startlöchern und soll ab Mai im Early Access erhältlich sein. Der First-Person-Shooter bietet einen an Boarderlands erinnernden Comic-Stil, eine Story, in der ihr vier unterschiedliche Charaktere auswählen dürft, und ein kombo-lastiges Kampfsystem.

Wanted Killer VR – Ab Mai im Early Access auf Steam

In Wanted Killer VR schlüpft ihr in die Rolle eines Helden aus dem Elitesöldnerteam WK4, das sich in den Kampf gegen die bösartige Organisation GENETIC MINDS stellt. Eure Mission liegt in der Auslöschung der Armee der grauenvollen Gruppierung sowie den Fall des rücksichtslosen CEO des Unternehmens herbeizuführen, um die Zeit der Tyrannei und Unterdrückung endlich zu beenden.

Damit dies gelingt, stehen euch vier verschiedene Helden zur Auswahl, die einen unterschiedlichen Spielstil ermöglichen. Als Ricky setzt ihr auf eure zwei Pistolen und ballert aus mittlerer Entfernung, während Mia die Spielweise einer Assassine ermöglicht und aus dem Schatten heraus attackiert. Teo bevorzugt den brutalen Nahkampf und steckt ordentlich ein, Aya setzt dagegen auf ihre Maschinengewehre und ordentlich Feuerkraft.

Wanted-Killer-VR-SteamVR-HTC-Vive

Als Fortbewegungsmethode nutzen die Entwickler den Teleport, jedoch mit einer neuen Facette: der taktische Teleport ermöglicht es, die Kontrolle eurer Gegner zu übernehmen, wodurch sich völlig neue strategische Spielweisen und -optionen offenbaren. Zusätzlich setzt der VR-Titel auf ein Bullet-Time-Kombo-System, das stylische Bewegungen und Tricks zum Ausschalten der zahlreichen und teils skurrilen Gegner bereithält. Zusätzlich könnt ihr sowohl in der Singleplayer-Kampagne wie auch in speziellen Herausforderungen oder dem Wave-Shooter-Survival-Modus Münzen erhalten, die für neue Waffen und Upgrades eintauschbar sind.

Das Spiel basiert vage auf dem Mobile-Titel Wanted Killer vom koreanischen Studio nChant Interactive. Laut den Entwicklern handelt es sich bei der neuen Adaption allerdings nicht nur um einen einfachen VR-Port, sondern dank neuer Story und erweiterten Spielelementen um einen komplett eigenständigen Titel.

Wanted Killer VR soll ab Mai 2018 im Early Access auf Steam für HTC Vive erscheinen.

(Quellen: Playsnak | Video: Playsnak GmbH Youtube)

Der Beitrag Wanted Killer VR: Indie-Shooter ab Mai im Early Access verfügbar zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!