Runes: The Forgotten Path – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

October 30, 2018

Runes: The Forgotten Path erscheint am 14. November für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive

Entwicklerstudio StormBorn Studio veröffentlicht nach mehr als drei Jahren Entwicklungszeit am 14. November das VR-Spellcaster-Adventure Runes: The Forgotten Path für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive auf Steam.

Runes: The Forgotten Path – VR-Abenteuer mit Magie und Story für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive

In Runes: The Forgotten Path werden die Spieler-/innen in der Rolle des Zauberers Leth in eine gefährliche Fantasiewelt voller Magie geführt. Nach einem schier endlos langen Schlaf erwacht ihr ohne Erinnerung in der dunklen Welt Oblivion. Leider umfassen eure Erinnerungslücken auch eure Zaubersprüche, weshalb ihr euch zunächst beinahe schutzlos in das Abenteuer begebt.

Während eurer Reise durch die dunklen Abgründe eröffnet sich euch Stück für Stück die Geschichte rund um eure Vergangenheit sowie das geheimnisvolle Mysterium rund um das Panopticon, welches die düstere Magiewelt umgibt. So sucht ihr die verhängnisvolle Person, die euch euer dunkles Gefängnis beförderte, um die dahinterliegenden Beweggründe für diese Tat zu erfahren.

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Zum Glück findet ihr auf eurem Streifzug nach der Wahrheit Erinnerungsfragmente, die euch der Lösung des Rätsels stetig ein Stück näher bringen. Praktischerweise beinhalten diese Erinnerungen auch stets neue Zaubersprüche, die ihr im Kampf gegen eure Widersacher einsetzen könnt. Und davon macht ihr mit speziellen Handbewegungen auch reichlich Gebrauch, um die zahlreichen Gefahren auf eurem Weg zu beseitigen. Wie in verwandten Genre-Titeln verwendet ihr dafür eure Motion Controller zum Zeichnen der entsprechenden Sprüche.

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Zur Fortbewegung steht euch neben Teleportation und freier Bewegung zudem eine einzigartige Lokomotion-Methode zur Option. In der Fourth Wall Locomotion werden First-Person-Mechaniken mit Third-Person-Gameplay kombiniert, um je nach Situation zwischen den Perspektiven zu wechseln. Entsprechend kämpft ihr gegen Widersacher während eurer Reise in Egoperspektive und auch und kniffelige Rätsel löst ihr in dieser Ansicht. Längere Reisepassagen überwindet ihr stattdessen in Third-Person mit fixer Kameraperspektive.

Runes: The Forgotten Path erscheint am 14. November für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive auf Steam. Im Jahr 2019 soll zudem eine Version für PlayStation VR (PSVR) sowie Oculus Quest folgen.

(Quellen: Road to VR | Stormborn Studio | Video: Stormborn Studio YouTube)

Der Beitrag Runes: The Forgotten Path erscheint am 14. November für Oculus Rift und HTC Vive zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

October 28, 2018

Become a Renegade Wizard When Runes: The Forgotten Path Appears Next Month

Since 2016 there have been plenty of virtual reality (VR) videogames exploring the realm of magic and wizards, from The Wizards and The Mage’s Tale to The Unspoken and Left-Hand Path. Each offering their own take on the genre. Stormborn Studio has been developing its magical project Runes: The Forgotten Path since at least 2015 – a version appeared on the Oculus Rift DK2 in fact – and it now has a release date set for next month.

Runes: The Forgotten Path image1

Runes: The Forgotten Path is a fantasy adventure where players are cast in the role of Leth, a powerful wizard trying to escape from the Oblivion, a magical sleep prison of the mind, trapped inside by the tyrannical order of the Panopticon. Using powerful spells and wits you’ll need to fight enemies, solve puzzles and pursue the recollection of all your lost memories.

Because you’ve lost all your memories you’ll need to learn all those wonderful spells again. Much like some of the other title mentioned, Runes: The Forgotten Path wants to truly immerse you in its world and one of the best ways to do that is with gesture-based spell casting. So in no time at all you’ll be waving your arms in the air casting all sorts of dangerous attacks.

Being the open world adventure that it is Stormborn Studio has tried to ensure Runes: The Forgotten Path is as comfortable to play as possible. So it has employed the usual teleportation and smooth locomotion found in most modern VR titles, as well as a third which the studio dubs the ‘4th Wall’. Combining 1st person and 3rd person gameplay mechanics, interactions such as fighting and dealing with puzzles is in first-person but when traversing long distances the view can be switched to a 3rd person fixed camera.

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Runes: The Forgotten Path is set for launch on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift via Steam on 14th November 2018. For any further updates prior to release keep reading VRFocus.

October 26, 2018

Fantasy Spell-caster ‘Runes: The Forgotten Path’ to Launch on Vive & Rift Next Month

Runes: The Forgotten Path is a single-player fantasy spell-caster from StormBorn Studio that puts you in the magical garb of a renegade wizard fighting for survival. Now after more than three years in development, the studio has finally announced that Runes is heading to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive on November 14th.

You’ve forgotten everything about your past, finding yourself in an accursed purgatory called Oblivion. Tasked with retrieving your long-forgotten spells and memories—your only means of escape from the strange world around you—you use the movement of your hands to cast powerful spells, solve puzzles and fight dangerous enemies.

Runes is also said to feature a unique locomotion style to go along with standard offerings, teleportation and smooth locomotion, which StormBorn calls ‘fourth wall’ locomotion. Fourth wall locomotion is said to combine first and third-person gameplay mechanics, letting switch between the two depending on the action. Interactions such as fighting and solving puzzles are designed to happen in first person, whereas traversing long distances can be done in the third person with a fixed camera. This, the studio says, “allows for many interesting new concepts, from puzzle mechanics to narrative choices.”

The studio originally tried its hand at a Kickstarter campaign last year, which unfortunately didn’t meet its €30,000 funding goal. Undeterred, the Trieste, Italy-based studio continued on with development of the room-scale game, something that the trailer reveals to be well past the demo provided last year to prospective backers.

You can check out Runes: The Forgotten Path on Steam here.

The studio maintains that both PSVR and Oculus Quest versions of Runes are slated for release sometime in 2019.

The post Fantasy Spell-caster ‘Runes: The Forgotten Path’ to Launch on Vive & Rift Next Month appeared first on Road to VR.

May 12, 2017

Runes: The Forgotten Path Is A VR Adventure About Life As A Powerful Wizard

The first time I played The Unspoken by Insomniac Games, I knew I’d just done something really special. The act of reaching out with my hand to cast a fireball in VR felt so satisfying I found it hard to imagine playing an RPG again outside of VR; that’s how powerful the feeling was. And for everything The Unspoken got right in terms of PvP gameplay it was sorely lacking a single player narrative-driven campaign mode.

On the flip side, Runes: The Forgotten Path by Stormborn Studio wants to tell a singularly focused story that puts you in the shoes of a powerful renegade wizard. Channeling a mechanic that I’ve been a fan of ever since I first played Arx Fatalis, in Runes you’ll have to draw the shapes of spells in the air using your hand in order to cast them. It’s similar to how you select spells in SoulKeeper VR.

The premise of the game is that your memories have been stolen from you and you’re on a journey to find them once again and re-establish yourself in the world of magic by avoiding Oblivion, which sounds like a pretty bad thing. There’s a Kickstarter live for the game right now that also includes a demo that’s currently playable. It includes spellcasting, puzzles solving, and a bit of adventure to whet your whistle. There’s also a separate combat demo as well.

Runes: The Forgotten Path is currently estimated with a November 2017 release, but as Kickstarter projects go, don’t be surprised if it gets delayed. The project is currently sitting at approximately 25% funded as of the time of this writing with 16 days left to go.

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

Tagged with: Runes: The Forgotten Path

April 27, 2017

Unlock Your Wizard Potential as Runes: The Forgotten Path Appears on Kickstarter

Two years ago indie developer Stormborn Studios came onto VRFocus’ radar with its magical wizardry title Runes: The Forgotten Path for the Oculus Rift DK2. That first early iteration supported the Razer Hydras and the STEM motion controllers, but a lot has happened since then. Then earlier this month the studio announced it would be launching a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to support development, which has now gone live.

Runes: The Forgotten Path is a virtual reality (VR) adventure videogame set in a fantasy world of spells and magic. Players are cast in the role of Leth, a powerful wizard trying to escape from the Oblivion, a magical sleep prison of the mind, trapped inside by the tyrannical order of the Panopticon. Using powerful spells and wits you’ll need to fight enemies, solve puzzles and pursue the recollection of all your lost memories.

Runes The Forgotten Path screenshot 2

Stormborn Studios aims to raise €30,000 EUR by 29th May. The Kickstarter backing tiers start from €5, rising all the way up to €5,000. To secure a copy of the videogame early backers will only need to pledge €15, while progressively higher tiers will bag them more goodies. Those who splash out the maximum €5K will get to design one of the main spells for the experience.

Runes: The Forgotten Path supports both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift with Touch, and players can download a demo before putting down some cash.

“Our Kickstarter is finally live with a demo for everyone to download that will allow people to enjoy the magic of Runes before they pledge on our Kickstarter.” Said Alejandro Castedo of Stormbon Studio, “In Runes we implemented an innovative locomotion system called 4th Wall to provide a seamless experience devoid of motion sickness. We really hope that this will change somewhat the way people experience the immense potential of Virtual Reality.”

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Runes: The Forgotten Path, reporting back with further updates on the campaign.

April 5, 2017

Runes: The Forgotten Path Heading to Kickstarter in April

It’s been almost a year since Stormborn Studio’s Runes: The Forgotten Path graced the pages of VRFocus, previewing the virtual reality (VR) title in an early form. Now the developer has announced an upcoming Kickstarter campaign for the project, as well as a new teaser trailer.

Runes: The Forgotten Path is a fantasy VR adventure videogame where you play as Leth, a powerful wizard trying to escape from the Oblivion, a magical sleep prison of the mind, trapped inside by the tyrannical order of the Panopticon. Using powerful spells and wits you’ll need to fight enemies, solve puzzles and pursue the recollection of all your lost memories.

Runes The Forgotten Path screenshot 2

Using the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift motion controllers, players cast spells by drawing symbols in the air. Stormborn Studio locomotion system named “4th Wall”, combining first-person gameplay with 3rd person movement. Close interactions such as fighting and solving with puzzles happen in 1st person whereas roaming the world can takes place in 3rd person perspective to reduce any discomfort in VR.

After opening up the studio last summer and giving all of our time and dedication to the game, we realized

our dream was finally coming true,” said Alejandro Castedo of Stormborn Studio. “This game is the product of a long and hard adventure and now we want to finish it in the right way. The Kickstarter is the final push needed to make this game as we envisioned the first time we put a VR headset on and we want you to share this amazing adventure with us!”

The Kickstarter will launch on 27th April, with Stormborn releasing more details on the campaign closer to the time.

Checkout the teaser trailer below although it details very little. For further updates on Runes: The Forgotten Path and Stormborn Studio keep reading VRFocus.