Nostos – Page 3 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

September 6, 2018

Exploring VR Open World Title Nostos

One of the properties to be revealed at Gamescom this year that drew the attention of the entire VRFocus team was Nostos. Created by NetEase Games, the colourful, dream-like artwork and Legend of Zelda-like gameplay was enough to catch the interest of many. Nina Salamons takes a closer look at what makes Nostos tick.

Nostos has been described as an open world, multiplayer virtual reality (VR) environment. The lush environments have been inspired by the works of famed animation studio, Studio Ghibli, with its beauty defying the post-apocalyptic setting of the story.

NetEase Games turned to the SpatialOS simulation technology created by UK-based company Improbable which allows a seamless open world to be created, which will contain a host of amazing locations, things to be scavenged, or built along with specially simulated weather patterns, which can prove to be as much of an obstacle as the enemies you have to fight.

While the world of Nostos is beautiful, much of it has been left desolate and empty, with the few scattered survivors struggling to survive. Those who are left face the encroachment of the dangerous and continuously expanding ‘Coralsea’ which threatens to encompass the land and drive the remaining survivors to extinction.

Players will be able to explore grasslands, deserts and mountains and discover ancient crumbling cities, which might contain the artefacts needed to safeguard the last remains of humanity and ensure the survival of those who are left. Players will need to for guilds in order to team up to safeguard the other survivors and gather dwindling resources.

Gathering resources comes with its ow risks, as chopping down too many trees risks turning that area into a desert as you irreversibly change the ecosystem. Each Nostos world can contain a maximum of 20 players, though NetEase says there is no limit to the number of worlds which will be available.

The full video is available to view below. Further future coverage of Nostos and other upcoming VR titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.

August 28, 2018

Hands-on: ‘Nostos’ Aims to Deliver Anime-inspired Open World RPG in VR

Nostos, an upcoming open world RPG from China-based tech company NetEase, made its Western debut at Gamescom this year with something that appears to be heavily influenced by the popular anime series such as Sword Art Online.

I got a chance to pop into the NetEase booth at this year’s Gamescom in Cologne, and while there are some clear ‘wow’ moments thanks to the overall beauty of the world, it’s clear the studio has a ways to go before Nostos can be considered a true VR success.

Here’s the pitch: players live in the world of Nostos, a post-apocalyptic, but verdant place littered with the remnants of long-abandoned cities and artifacts that help you survive. Including deserts, grasslands, and mountains, players fight off enemies as a natural timer counts down, an ever-expanding destructive force called ‘Coralsea’. The game is supposed to be an online multiplayer, but it’s uncertain if the ‘M’ for ‘massive’ is applicable at this point.

According to a statement by NetEase, “[t]eamwork is key as players gather resources, build a clan they can trust, and fight to pull the world of Nostos back from the brink of utter desolation.” The game is slated to arrive some time in 2019 for PC via Steam, and for VR headsets via Steam, Viveport and the Oculus Store.

Strapping into a Vive, I got the chance to do a few basic tasks; drive a very Miyazaki-inspired pickup truck, shoot a giant bug-type baddie attacking the base (and loot him for treasure), and walk around to soak in a bit of the world that both NetEase and production studio ShuiGe have created.

In terms of its VR implementation, it’s clear at this point that the game is still in its earliest phases, possibly even too early to really be shown to the public without a healthy dose of disclaimers, something I unfortunately didn’t receive throughout my demo experience. While the game’s UI was serviceable, which is based on selecting options from your wrist-mounted watch, most everything was not stellar at this point.

Besides some basic problems with low frame rate, there’s also the issue of a distractingly-close render distance, which resolves finer details like plants at only about a two meter circle around you. This takes away somewhat from the looming structures in the middle and far distances like mountains, large trees, and a cool looking center structure that reminds me of The World Tree from Sword Art Online.

The demo’s overall object interaction still needs a lot of work too. Simply put, you clip through everything. Example: one aspect of resource gathering relies on you ability to fell trees with your trusty axe, which you then use to build houses, craft items, etc. Despite only working in half of the dozen-or-so times I tried, it never quite felt right because my axe would oftentimes clip through my target at not register on the tree at all—something PC players certainly won’t have an issue with. Even something as simple as getting into a truck didn’t seem to work in a VR-native way, as you would have to remember to press a hotkeyed controller button to enter and exit the vehicle, and not simply walk up to it and open the door.

At this point, Nostos‘ VR version feels like a shoehorned implementation, and I genuinely hope NetEase looks around at true VR natives such as Rec Room, Orbus VR, and Echo VR for inspiration moving forward. It’s still early days, and there’s definitely some good bones here that would be grand in VR if properly fleshed out.

A few positive points: as a VR-capable game with standard PC support, the potential pool of players is likely to be higher, giving the possibility of a pretty good start in terms of raw player numbers.

The game is also supporting Improbable’s SpatialOS, a cloud-based server platform that allows for persistent online worlds that continue their physics simulations even if no one is there to interact. This wasn’t available during the demo, but I was told by a NetEase spokesperson that the implementation would be available at launch.

The post Hands-on: ‘Nostos’ Aims to Deliver Anime-inspired Open World RPG in VR appeared first on Road to VR.

August 23, 2018

More Details Emerge About NetEase Title Nostos

Of the virtual reality (VR) offerings being showcased at Gamescom 2018, one of the ones that drew the attention of the VRFocus team was the upcoming title from NetEase, Nostos. Set apart by its amazing artwork, a bit more is now known about this multiplayer VR title for players to potentially get excited about.

The title is described as an open-world multiplayer VR adventure, set in a post-apocalyptic world featuring environments inspired by classic Anime such as the works of Studio Ghibli.

Players will need to explore a vast, beautiful but desolate world where cities have been abandoned for decades, crumbling and forgotten. There are artefacts left behind in these lost cities, however and these ancient relics might be the key to ensuring the survival of those who still live in this world, who are facing new dangers as access to resources becomes limited.

There will be fierce enemies to fight, and dangerous locations with treacherous climates. Players will be able to wander across deserts, grasslands and mountains to find the secrets to ensuring the survival of those who are left.

A significant part of the danger faced by the survivors is the ‘Coralsea’ a dangerous area that is continuously expanding, threatening the engulf the land the people need in order to survive. Players will need to team up and form guilds to gather and safeguard resources.

In order to build this vast VR world, NetEase have utilised the SpatialOS simulation technology from Improbable, which will allow players to explore a seamless open world which will contain unexpected weather patterns, intense combat and new wonders to find or build.

NetEase say that the cloud-based SpatialOS platform will allow players to experience superior physical simulations and a unique VR world. Nostos is said to be coming in 2019, though there is currently no confirmation on what VR platforms the title will be compatible with.

For further news on Nostos and other upcoming VR titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.

August 23, 2018

Nostos: Open World VR-RPG auf der Gamescom 2018 vorgestellt

Das chinesische Internettechnologie Unternehmen NetEase präsentiert auf der Gamescom 2018 das vielversprechende Open World VR-RPG Nostos für Oculus Rift, HTC Vive und Windows-VR-Brillen. Der Multiplayer-Titel von Entwicklerstudio Shuige soll eine gigantische Spielwelt, Sandbox-Elemente sowie einen JRPG-typischen wie liebevoll erstellten Grafikstil bieten.

Nostos – Zelda meets postapokalyptisches Fantasy-VR-MMO

Das Open World VR-RPG Nostos führt die Spieler/innen in eine postapokalyptische Fantasywelt, in der eine einst hochtechnologisierte Zivilisation lebte. Doch die Tage der Moderne sind gezählt, die Städte sind verlassen und die Natur holt sich erbarmungslos zurück, was einst ihr gehörte. Die Überlebensbedingungen sind hart und die letzten Tage des Planeten scheinen anzustehen, denn der Coralsea breitet sich unaufhaltsam aus und scheint alles zu bedecken, was ihm in die Quere kommt.

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In dieser harten aber zeitgleich majestätischen Welt kommt ihr als eine der wenigen Überlebenden ins Spiel. Eure Aufgabe besteht in der Erkundung der mysteriösen Umgebung, dem schlichten Überlebenskampf und dem Wiederaufbau der desaströsen Landschaft. Dafür streift ihr durch Wälder, Wüsten und Steppen und müsst mit euren Mitstreiter/innen kooperieren, um Ressourcen zu sammeln und Monster zu besiegen. Als Zusammenschluss in einem Clan könnt ihr gemeinsam versuchen, die erbarmungslose Zerstörung aufzuhalten. Das Artwork setzt auf einen JRPG-typischen Anime-Stil, der in einer liebevoll detaillierten Umgebung umgesetzt wurde.

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Zusätzlich nutzen die Devs eine SpatialOS-Technologie, welche es erlaubt eine schier endlos wirkende Spielwelt zu erschaffen. Diese beinhaltet zudem meteorologische Wettereffekte, die sich stets verändern sowie einen Tag-Nacht-Wechsel.

Nostos-VR-RPG-MMO-Oculus-Rift-HTC-Vive-Windows-MR

Dank der cloud-basierten Plattform sollen sich die Kämpfe intensiv und realistisch anfühlen und dadurch eine immersive VR-Erfahrung offenbart werden. Dank des neuen 3D-Betriebssystems sollen sämtliche Bewegungen der Spieler/innen in Echtzeit erfasst und synchronisiert werden. Das dahinterstehende Entwicklerstudio Shuige kann insgesamt zehn Jahre Erfahrung in der Spielentwicklung vorweisen sowie ausgiebige Forschung innerhalb des MMO-Marktes.

Nostos soll 2019 für Oculus Rift, HTC Vive und Windows-VR-Brillen erscheinen.

(Quellen: NetEase Press Release | Nostos | Upload VR | Video: Upload VR YouTube)

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August 22, 2018

Nostos Is An Open World VR RPG That Looks A Lot Like Sword Art Online

I’m a simple man. I love beautiful, cel-shaded worlds, RPGs, and fighting monsters online with friends. Similar in many ways to Sword Art Online, Nostos is all of those and more, in virtual reality, and I’m absolutely foaming at the mouth to see more of this game.

We would really love a true, in-universe VR MMO that follows the plot of the first season of the popular SAO anime, but the prospect of that ever really happening is pretty slim. The only VR game to speak of the series has so far is more of a dating experience and it’s just…not what we want.

So far, all communication we’ve received from NetEase and their PR indicates that despite what it looks like, Nostos is actually not an MMORPG at all, but simply an open-world VR RPG with online elements. For now, your best bet for a VR MMO is still Orbus VR and its forthcoming relaunch.

As you can see in the trailer above, Nostos is absolutely gorgeous. The art style is reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and recent Tales Of games, which is quite the compliment. NetEase is a China-based company, but everything I’m seeing has a distinctly JRPG flair. As I sit here writing this in my Zelda t-shirt, listening to Kingdom Hearts music, looking at my Final Fantasy art book, I can say with complete confidence that I am this game’s target audience based on what I’ve seen so far.

Details are scarce right now, but according to a press release today, NetEase are leveraging Improbable’s SpatialOS simulation technology, the same platform in use for social VR MMO, MetaWorld. In the trailer we can see players climb the environment, chop down trees, build houses, and fight monsters in a pseudo-survival focused open world. Seasons and time of day shifts also seem to play a big role.

While at Gamescom UploadVR’s Editor-in-Chief, Tal Blevins, got to try a brief demo and didn’t get enough time to write a full hands-on report, but did give me some details.

First of all, his demo only featured four total players, but it was a large sandbox as you see in the trailer and images. Even though it looks inspired by a lot of classical JRPGs and anime, the developers are still unclear on if they will include a formal “quest” system or leave it entirely open-ended for player-focused emergent storytelling.

There will be a mixture of modern and fantasy weapons, such as bows and guns, and the art style he says reminded him of Final Fantasy XI Online. He also took note of a clever weapon-holstering system in which you can store weapons along your belt to carry around, which sounds similar to how Stand Out: VR Battle Royale handles storing guns. In his demo they came across a truck similar to the one in the trailer that they were able to get inside of and drive around — he even ran over some other players while doing so.

Performance-wise it’s still very early on in the project’s life cycle so he noticed significant pop-in on objects and textures like grass, which only rendered about 20-feet away at its furthest point.

For more details on Nostos make sure to check out the official website and the game’s Twitter and Facebook. There is no release date yet, but it’s playable already at Gamescom this week.

Let us know what you think down in the comments below!

Tagged with: Gamescom, mmo, Nostos, rpg, Sword Art Online, VR RPG

The post Nostos Is An Open World VR RPG That Looks A Lot Like Sword Art Online appeared first on UploadVR.

August 21, 2018

NetEase Games Reveal Nostos, An Open-World VR Adventure Videogame

NetEase, a leading Chinese internet technology company have revealed their latest videogame at Gamescom 2018 in the form of the virtual reality (VR) title Nostos. This new title invites players to the vast, tranquil world of Nostos where they will step into the shoes of a survivor who must work together with others in order to survive within this unknown land.

Nostos Trailer

Details on the title are thin at the moment, but from what is currently available it is clear that Nostos is a virtual world full of a rich variety of landscapes and locations to explore. Historical sites are located throughout the world and these hold the remnants of a war that will need to be uncovered in order to learn the truth about what happened, now lost to the sands of time.

Described as an open-world VR title that is brimming with life, the videogame features a range of beautiful looking locations that are full of both animals and nature to offer a truly immersive experience. In the trailer released for the title, there is what looks to be a mix between technology and a more fantasy world. With large spanning forests, winding rivers and breath taking views to enjoy, the world of Nostos seems rich and detailed.

Nostos Artwork

As for gameplay, it looks as though the title will feature a number of different mechanics including climbing, house building, combat and possibility even cooking. As players will need to work with the characters of the world to survive in this world, they can expect to need to master the basic arts of survival such as building shelter and fighting off dangerous monsters. Speaking of which, the enemies in Nostos look to be right out of the worst parts of the world but you’ll be able to fight back using what looks like swords and guns.

On top of all that, the character design of Nostos are interesting and unique and even the friendly animals are a pleasure to view. What mysteries the world holds however, and what players ultimate goal will be remains unknown at this point. If the trailer – which you can watch below – is anything to go by though, this looks to be a very detailed and promising title that hints at possible multiplayer as well.

VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on the title in the future so make sure to stay tuned for more.