Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia – Page 2 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

February 3, 2021

All the Free VR Demos Available in the Steam Game Festival

Today sees the launch of Steam’s annual Game Festival where you can watch developer livestreams, chat with teams about their upcoming titles and, of course, play loads of free demos, over 500 in fact. And just like Steam’s summer 2020 edition of the event, there will be plenty of virtual reality (VR) videogames to sample.

Previously offering over 30 titles to try out, the 2021 edition doesn’t disappoint with 20+ VR videogames available. Some of these are entirely new which VRFocus hasn’t come across before whilst others like Monad Rock’s Blunt Force – which was first revealed four years ago – makes another return.

Those which have caught VRFocus’ eye include Battle Blocks, a competitive puzzle solver; asymmetric party title Operation Armstrong, and Desolatium, a Lovecraftian-style thriller.

As the majority of these are indie videogames the festival offers a great chance to see how small teams are leveraging VR in new and interesting ways.

The Steam Game Festival 2021 runs until Tuesday, 9th February at 10 am PST, so that should be enough time to play all those demos. For further updates on the latest PC VR releases, keep reading VRFocus.

December 3, 2020

Rhythm Of The Universe: Ionia Delayed, Coming Q2 2021 To PC VR, Quest, PSVR

Rhythm of the Universe: IONIA has been delayed until Q2 2021, but will now release simultaneously across PC VR, Oculus Quest and PSVR.

The developers announced that the game would be pushed back yet again – originally, the game was announced in January 2019 with an aim to release sometime that same year. When that didn’t come to pass, we heard nothing until August this year, when a revised Q4 2020 release date was announced for PC VR.

However, with Q4 2020 almost done and dusted, that was looking less and less likely by the day, and now we have confirmation. The game will be delayed once again, this time to Q2 2020. However, on the flip side, the game will now release on more than just one platform – a simultaneous release across Oculus Quest, PSVR and PC VR is the new plan.

Here’s what ROTU CEO Jason Parks had to say:

“We’ve made the decision to delay our musical theory puzzle adventure so we can bring it to Quest and PSVR players at the same time. We want everyone with a VR headset to be able to explore the gorgeous world we’ve created from our experiences working extensively with international musicians and documenting the deforestation of the Amazon.”

The two trailers we’ve seen so far have look absolutely stunning, so it’s unfortunate that the game keeps getting pushed back. IONIA is the first of seven planned games in the series, and it will explore the issue of wildlife presentation while also incorporating music theory elements into the gameplay.

Rhythm of the Universe: IONIA is scheduled for release Q2 2020 on PC VR, Oculus Quest and PSVR.

August 26, 2020

Rhythm Of The Universe: Ionia Is A VR Fantasy Game coming To PC In Q4 2020

The Rhythm of the Universe series was announced back in January 2019, with an aim to release the first episode later that year. While the development team didn’t make that release window, the first episode, IONIA, now has a revised release for PC VR headsets in Q4 this year.

We were really impressed by the announcement trailer for Rhythm of the Universe last year. The footage featured some stunning visuals and presented some amazing landscapes and creatures. Now, a new trailer for the first episode, IONIA, has been released this week and it looks equally stunning. The developers previously stated that real music theory would play a big part as a game mechanic, and you can begin to see some of that in the new trailer. There are various instruments and musical elements at play, alongside more truly breathtaking visuals.

Here’s a few more story details about the episode, from ROTU Entertainment:

Step into Ionia, a lush and richly detailed forest teeming with instrument-inspired flora, fauna and mysterious ruins. Traverse the landscape alongside Allegra, a vivacious young girl, as she seeks to heal the forest and its inhabitants. Solve puzzles with music-based magic as her brother Allegro to unlock the path forward. Head deeper into the Ionian forest to save the Harpa, a mythical being facing terrible danger it cannot overcome alone.

According to ROTU, the game will also raise environmental awareness and teach the players about the importance of animal habitat rehabilitation. To that end, two percent of all the proceeds from IONIA will go to the environmental non-profit organization Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors.

Rhythm of the Universe: IONIA will launch in Q4 this year for $9.99 for PC VR, including Valve Index, Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive, Vive Pro, HP Reverb G2 and Windows MR headsets, plus Oculus Quest via Link. The developers did originally announce a native Quest release, but there’s no word on whether that is still on the cards this year and the Q4 date is for PC VR headsets only.

The post Rhythm Of The Universe: Ionia Is A VR Fantasy Game coming To PC In Q4 2020 appeared first on UploadVR.

July 5, 2019

E3 2019 Interview: Get in the Groove With Rhythm of the Universe

One of the great things about the virtual reality (VR) industry is the experimentation being employed by developers and hardware manufacturer’s alike. There always seems to be something interesting being thought up, as enthusiasts of VR better understand what it can do and the boundaries which can be pushed. ROTU Entertainment is a company currently creating a rather abstract title for home and location-based entertainment (LBE) use called Rhythm of the Universe (ROTU). Attending the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019 for the first time, VRFocus got an update on the progress of the project.

Rhythm of the Universe image1

Rhythm of the Universe only came to VRFocus’ attention back in January when the studio announced the successful completion of a financing round as well as debuting a teaser trailer. The videogame will be episodic, with seven instalments planned in total. The storyline and gameplay mix some curious variables, with music, history, and mythology the three main factors.

During E3 2019, ROTU Entertainment showcased a demo called Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia featuring two heroes, Allegra and Allegro, siblings from the land of Ionia who need to save the beloved creatures of the Ionian forest. As Allegro, VRFocus was able to test some of the musical puzzles and see the grand environments that will be making up this virtual universe. One of the main sequences in the demo revolved around a giant frog (or maybe a toad) needing to find food to heal the creature, setting off musical notes in the process.

From the looks of it, ROTU Entertainment’s concept is ambitious, with gorgeous looking scenery, intricate puzzles and some beautiful audio. The first episode is expected later this year for LBE venues with a home version planned for 2020.

Rhythm of the Universe

To find out more about the project and what the studio has planned VRFocus spoke with ROTU Entertainment’s CEO Jason Parks in the interview below.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Rhythm of the Universe, reporting back when further announcements are made. In the meantime take a look at VRFocus’ other interviews from E3 2019 with Oculus’ Jason Rubin, Vertigo Games, Gearbox Software, Ready at Dawn, nDreams, Digital Lode, Sensorium, Survios and Rebellion.

June 12, 2019

Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia Debuts at E3 2019, Arriving for VR Arcades December

Back in January ROTU Entertainment released the first details for its episodic location-based virtual reality (VR) project, Rhythm of the Universe. For the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019 this week the studio is giving attendees a chance to play the first instalment ahead of its launch later this year.

Rhythm of the Universe image1

Called Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia, the new demo will give players a first glimpse into the mythology and lore which forms a core part of the experience.

“The saga begins with the creation of the universe as matter and time collide and reverberate into the origin of a rhythmic god like being, Pan,” explains ROTU Entertainment. “In this ultimate interactive storytelling experience, feel the power of music like never-before as you explore vivid landscapes, charismatic characters, and dynamic worlds generated through global rhythms that pulse before your very eyes.”

Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia features two heroes, Allegra and Allegro, siblings from the land of Ionia who need to save the beloved creatures of the Ionian forest. You play Allegro, a boy with a world-shattering secret.

Rhythm of the Universe

“For lovers of superpowers, fantasy, and epic stories. Rhythm of the Universe is a saga for all ages,” said Jason Parks, CEO of ROTU Entertainment in a statement. “We are designing ROTU to be fun and thought provoking. We are conscious of the issues our world faces and utilize the strengths and opportunities of VR to share a message of hope with everyone.”

Rhythm of the Universe will be a seven-episode series, with the studio forecasting that each episode will be released every six months. The first will be made available for licensing to VR arcades in December 2019. A consumer version is scheduled to happen in 2020, with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Oculus Quest previously mentioned.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Rhythm of the Universe, reporting back later in the week with a hands-on assessment of Ionia.