Here’s an interesting one – VR roguelike Star Shaman gets an update today that optionally stops it being a roguelike. Or less of one, at least.
The Balancing Update, as it’s called, includes a Boss Checkpoint mode that saves your progression once you’ve beaten one of the game’s towering enemies. The original version of Star Shaman (which can still be played) saw players gathering resources before taking on bosses and moving to the next level to rinse and repeat. The number of resources needed continues to grow and death takes you right back to the start.
New Star Shaman Update Goes Live
But in Boss Checkpoint mode, dying will take you back to the last boss, making it much easier to get through a run. The game’s combat has also been further balanced, and you refill health when regenerating a planet.
Elsewhere there’s a new spell that shoots out a rippling shot that ricochets and 14 new moons added to the levels. Finally, there are 11 new achievements to earn, if that’s your thing. If you haven’t already picked the game up then it’s currently the Daily Deal on Quest, too, going for 20% off.
We thought Star Shaman’s core mechanics were brilliantly fluid but agreed that progression in the original version moved at a crawl. Developer Ikimasho has clearly done a lot to address this since launch; this is the second update the game’s seen since launch, with the first adding new weapons and 90Hz support.
Will you be checking out today’s Star Shaman update?
Yet another Oculus Quest 2 title now supports the headset’s 90Hz mode. This time it’s VR roguelike, Star Shaman.
Ikimasho’s debut title just got a big update across PC VR and Quest that adds much more than just 90Hz support. When I took a look at the game a few months back, I noted that its core loop was held back by just how much progress you lose when you die, making it hard to justify starting a new run. To that point, Star Shaman 2.0 now adds perks and persistent spells to your arsenal when you die, giving you a leg up for your next run. Check out the trailer revealing the updates below.
Not only that, but the update also introduces three new spells, including a beam attack that requires you to hold the trigger down, a new hand grenade that can stun enemies and a companion that fights alongside you for a limited time.
Elsewhere Ikimasho has redesigned the game’s HUD and added 15 new moons to keep the visuals interesting. Plus there’s a reworked tutorial and traveling between planets (or, in other words, loading) has been made shorter. Finally, there’s support for seven new languages including Spanish and Japanese and your character will have their own voice, too.
It’s good to see Star Shaman getting updates, as we thought the game had some really fantastic ideas and great visual presentation. The game has you saving the universe by taking it back from the clutches of evil corporations and turning galaxies green again. I really liked its fluid approach to combat. Also joining the 90Hz club this week is VR kart racing game, Dash Dash World.
Will you be checking out the Star Shaman update? Let us know in the comments below!
We revealed Star Shaman to the world back in June, but even I’ll admit I never really understood what this debut from Paris-based Ikimasho really was.
The game’s lush visuals and vibrant aesthetic impressed and it’s vision of fighting for climate change on an intergalactic scale intrigued, but gameplay remained a bit of a mystery. How did all of that come together into something you, y’know, actually played?
A few hours surfing Star Shaman’s glitzy galaxy reveals a roguelike with some pretty fantastic VR centric design, even if the basics need a bit of work.
In this snackable shooter you hop to planets enslaved by grimy megacorps, blowing up their worker-bots and allowing vegetation to thrive once more. You gain currency to upgrade your weapons and add new attacks as you build towards boss encounters. As with other roguelikes though, death will take you back to the start with some of your progression intact. Think Until You Fall or In Death’s core loop, mixed with the eco-positive tones of Fuji and gameplay closer to, say, Blasters of the Universe and you’re about there.
What Star Shaman does right it does pretty brilliantly and, crucially, completely in-step with its platform. Yes, this is a wave shooter in the strictest sense, but one unlike most of the genre’s competing shovelware. To activate your attacks and defenses, which start off as a simple single-shot magic staff and wrist-mounted shield, you reach out and pluck orbs from an interface, which in turn creates more orbs floating in front of you in a pattern. Trace the outline and you’ll spawn the given spell.
It’s a brilliantly fluid approach to VR gunplay, swapping out the raw, often rigid intricacies of realistic weapon reloading for something with decided pace and groove. Star Shaman doesn’t have any Beat Saber-esque rhythm mechanics, but it’s hypnotic soundtrack, pulsating visual flair — including some incredible character artwork – and emphasis on flowing movement make it as much a trip back in time to the disco as it is an intergalactic adventure.
I also love, love, love Star Shaman’s transition between worlds. Like, really love. The game’s played in pretty short bursts that see you jumping from planet to planet every few minutes, and loading could threaten to slow the pace to a crawl. But instead of your traditional screens, the game creates a portal you zoom through, providing a seamless path that keeps you immersed right the way through a gameplay session.
There are ideas here that frankly most over VR developers could stand to learn from. That said, when it comes to hooking you into a life and death cycle, Star Shaman stumbles a little.
To progress in the game, you need to gather set amounts of resources earned by beating short levels. When you have enough you’ll face a boss fight and then move on to the next round of collecting. If you die, however, your progress is recorded but you’ll be sent all the way back to the start to rinse and repeat. Whereas games like In Death and Until You Fall are instantaneous and varied enough to keep you coming back round after round in a single play session, Star Shaman’s pace can’t quite keep up. Each level is essentially the same and I’ve found myself hesitant to keep going after a few deaths every time I pick it up.
Perhaps if the game took you from scene-to-scene with a little more urgency, rather than taking time to reflect between every 1 – 2 minute burst of gameplay, I’d feel more compelled to keep going. It’s genuinely great to watch lifeless husks return to their former glory, and there’s fantastic variety in the game’s galactic biodiversity, but taking it in does distract from what’s meant to be an addictive, moreish game at heart, and Star Shaman isn’t quite there yet.
Still, Ikimasho continues to update the game, so I’m hopeful it can iron out some of those shaky steps. Star Shaman is definitely still worth a look if you want a more positive gaming experience on your Oculus Quest or PC VR headset.
Star Shaman is available now on the Oculus Quest and Steam. What do you think of the game? Let us know in the comments below!
We revealed Star Shaman to the world back in June, but even I’ll admit I never really understood what this debut from Paris-based Ikimasho really was.
The game’s lush visuals and vibrant aesthetic impressed and it’s vision of fighting for climate change on an intergalactic scale intrigued, but gameplay remained a bit of a mystery. How did all of that come together into something you, y’know, actually played?
A few hours surfing Star Shaman’s glitzy galaxy reveals a roguelike with some pretty fantastic VR centric design, even if the basics need a bit of work.
In this snackable shooter you hop to planets enslaved by grimy megacorps, blowing up their worker-bots and allowing vegetation to thrive once more. You gain currency to upgrade your weapons and add new attacks as you build towards boss encounters. As with other roguelikes though, death will take you back to the start with some of your progression intact. Think Until You Fall or In Death’s core loop, mixed with the eco-positive tones of Fuji and gameplay closer to, say, Blasters of the Universe and you’re about there.
What Star Shaman does right it does pretty brilliantly and, crucially, completely in-step with its platform. Yes, this is a wave shooter in the strictest sense, but one unlike most of the genre’s competing shovelware. To activate your attacks and defenses, which start off as a simple single-shot magic staff and wrist-mounted shield, you reach out and pluck orbs from an interface, which in turn creates more orbs floating in front of you in a pattern. Trace the outline and you’ll spawn the given spell.
It’s a brilliantly fluid approach to VR gunplay, swapping out the raw, often rigid intricacies of realistic weapon reloading for something with decided pace and groove. Star Shaman doesn’t have any Beat Saber-esque rhythm mechanics, but it’s hypnotic soundtrack, pulsating visual flair — including some incredible character artwork – and emphasis on flowing movement make it as much a trip back in time to the disco as it is an intergalactic adventure.
I also love, love, love Star Shaman’s transition between worlds. Like, really love. The game’s played in pretty short bursts that see you jumping from planet to planet every few minutes, and loading could threaten to slow the pace to a crawl. But instead of your traditional screens, the game creates a portal you zoom through, providing a seamless path that keeps you immersed right the way through a gameplay session.
There are ideas here that frankly most over VR developers could stand to learn from. That said, when it comes to hooking you into a life and death cycle, Star Shaman stumbles a little.
To progress in the game, you need to gather set amounts of resources earned by beating short levels. When you have enough you’ll face a boss fight and then move on to the next round of collecting. If you die, however, your progress is recorded but you’ll be sent all the way back to the start to rinse and repeat. Whereas games like In Death and Until You Fall are instantaneous and varied enough to keep you coming back round after round in a single play session, Star Shaman’s pace can’t quite keep up. Each level is essentially the same and I’ve found myself hesitant to keep going after a few deaths every time I pick it up.
Perhaps if the game took you from scene-to-scene with a little more urgency, rather than taking time to reflect between every 1 – 2 minute burst of gameplay, I’d feel more compelled to keep going. It’s genuinely great to watch lifeless husks return to their former glory, and there’s fantastic variety in the game’s galactic biodiversity, but taking it in does distract from what’s meant to be an addictive, moreish game at heart, and Star Shaman isn’t quite there yet.
Still, Ikimasho continues to update the game, so I’m hopeful it can iron out some of those shaky steps. Star Shaman is definitely still worth a look if you want a more positive gaming experience on your Oculus Quest or PC VR headset.
Star Shaman is available now on the Oculus Quest and Steam. What do you think of the game? Let us know in the comments below!
Funky-looking VR newcomer, Star Shaman, is releasing later this month, and it’s got a great new trailer.
The game is coming to PC VR and Oculus Quest before the end of October, but no specific date yet. We first revealed this debut project from Paris-based Ikimasho at the Upload VR Showcase: Summer Edition earlier in the year. At the time, it was still pretty hard to pick apart what you actually do in the game, but this excellent new trailer makes things much clearer.
Star Shaman Trailer
The trailer is another collaboration with VR video studio, Splitverse, which recently produced memorable trailers for Tarzan VR and Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife. It shows the player thrown into a world in which the ‘Architects of Entropy’ have brought the galaxy to its knees by destroying biospheres. Cast as a Star Shaman, you’re tasked with restoring planets to their former glory by ridding the world of evil forces.
Based on the trailer, that will involve shooting and slicing enemies down and casting spells with gesture-based controls. It looks like an active sort of wave shooter, though maybe don’t try out the incredible moves the player is pulling off in the trailer at home unless you have years of training as a gymnast and space not to backflip into your TV.
We’ll be looking forward to trying out Star Shaman soon, then. The game will launch on the Quest store and be playable on both the OG Quest and Quest 2, as well as arrive on Steam and Viveport will support for all major PC VR headsets.
Das Indiestudio Ikimasho hat einen neuen Mixed Reality Trailer veröffentlicht, mit dem das Team die Vorfreude auf Star Shaman steigern will, welches noch im Oktober erscheinen wird. Das Spiel wird über Oculus Quest / Oculus Quest 2 sowie Steam und Viveport erhältlich und mit allen wichtigen PC Headsets (Oculus Rift und Rift S, HTC Vive und Cosmos, Valve Index) spielbar sein. Star Shaman wird €19,99 kosten.
Star Shaman für Oculus Quest, Quest 2 und PC VR
In Star Shaman wirst du Galaxien durchreisen und in die Rolle eines Schamanen schlüpfen. Du kämpfst darum, die Umgebungen zurück zum Leben zu erwecken und regenerierst dabei ganze Sonnensysteme.
Ikimasho beschreibt es wie folgt:
“Atemberaubende, farbenfrohe und prozedural generierte Galaxien dienen dabei als Hintergrund für den Kampf gegen die brutalen Architekten der Entropie. In turbulenten Gefechten verhindern die Spieler ein endgültiges Einfrieren aller Existenz im Universum. Star Shaman ist ein unbeschwertes und dennoch zum Nachdenken anregendes Spiel über das Wiederherstellen von biologischer Vielfalt, das Spieler sowohl in der virtuellen als auch in der echten Welt bestärken und inspirieren soll.” [Quelle: Pressemitteilung ICO)
Star Shaman ist momentan für zwei Kategorien des Raindance Immersive Awards nominiert: Best Debut und Outstanding Achievement in Audio.
Für mehr Information zum Spiel kannst du die offizielle Website besuchen.
There have been plenty of new virtual reality (VR) content announcements over the past few weeks, especially when it comes to Oculus Quest. Paris-based indie studio Ikimasho will soon be launching its debut title for the headset as well as PC VR devices, a magic-based rogue-lite called Star Shaman.
Players take on the role of the spell-casting Star Shaman whose job it is to preserve and maintain biodiversity across the galaxy. This is put in jeopardy by the Architects of Entropy, beings who wish to create uniform, geometrically-perfect worlds stripped of all their natural resources.
To do this Star Shaman can wield gesture-based spells and use a magical staff, destroying enemies as they travel from planet to planet. Doing so regenerates the planets and then entire solar systems. All the galaxies are procedurally generated so each playthrough offers different challenges.
Because of the fluid, physical nature of the gameplay Ikimasho hired Just Dance choreographer Barbara Chane-Kane to help create natural movements for players. “From a game standpoint, the moves are paramount,” says Ikimasho co-founder Olivier Piasentin in a statement. “Casting your magic and dodging and shooting at your enemies will make you move as you’ve never moved before in VR.”
As players progress through Star Shaman they are rewarded in a multitude of ways, collecting moons, upgrading skills and spells, as well as mana, score multipliers, currency, lives, and new spells and powers.
“VR games have tremendous potential for empowering individuals to bring lessons learned in the virtual world back to the real world,” adds Ikimasho co-founder Yann Suquet. “Add that games are the dominant medium of the 21st Century and you’re left with an incredibly powerful medium with great responsibility.”
Currently, Star Shaman is slated for a late summer 2020 release, supporting Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive/Vive Cosmos and Valve Index. As further details on the videogame are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.
Wow, what a show that was! We have just wrapped up this year’s Upload VR Showcase: Summer Edition with some incredible reveals such as Area Man Lives, Trover Saves The Universe, and not to forget a surprise appearence from Norman Reedus (just a friend of mine, no biggie).
However, the day is still young! We have nine exclusive interviews with developers on games featured in the showcase which will premiere on YouTube throughout the day.
11am PT: Blaston with Tommy Palm from Resolution Games
We speak to Tommy Palm, CEO of Resolution Games, about the studio’s upcoming 1v1 duelling game, Blaston. You may recognise the studio from our E3 VR Showcase from last year when Acron: Attack of the Squirrels! featured.
11:30am PT: Saints & Sinners with Marcie Phillips from Skydance Interactive
Marcie from Skydance Interactive joins David in our Upload VR Studio to talk about The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners’ Meatgrinder Update. Yes, it’s an incredibly gruesome name for an utterly awesome game, we agree.
12pm PT: Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife with Andreas Juliusson from Fast Travel Games
Andreas from Fast Travel Games gives us deeper insight into the full-on VR horror, Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife. Fast Travel Games has taken a leap in the opposite direction after its cutesy last title, The Curious Tale Of The Stolen Pets!
12:30pm PT: Vertigo Remastered with Zach Tsiakalis-Brown from Zulubo Productions
Zach may only be 19, but don’t let that fool you – he’s already created a VR game, worked for Valve, and is now releasing Vertigo Remastered! Catch our interview with him above.
1pm PT: Star Shaman with Yann Suquet & Olivier Piasentin from Ikimasho Games
Ikimasho Games is an all-new studio that revealed its upcoming title, Star Shaman. Yann and Olivier tell us more about their planet-hopping, funky VR game.
1:30pm: Vacation Simulator with Devin Reimer & Andrew Eiche from Olwchemy Labs
Ian sits down with Devin and Andrew from Owlchemy Labs to talk about Vacation Simulator: Back To Job.
2pm PT: Operencia with Chris Baker from Zen Studios
Harry sits with Chris Baker (no relation) of Zen Studios to talk about Operencia, including its origin which may surprise you.
2:30pm: Pistol Whip with Antony Stevens from Cloudhead Games
Antony from Cloudhead Games breaks down each of the three tasty Pistol Whip announcements made in the Upload VR Showcase.
3pm PT: Solaris: Offworld Combat with Damoun Shabestari from First Contact Entertainment
Damoun spills the beans on everything Solaris: Offworld Combat! We debuted this game last year at our E3 VR Showcase, and we’re proud to be giving you first gameplay this year, too.
Paris-based Ikimasho is working on this funky debut, the first trailer for which can be seen below. Ikimasho describes Star Shaman and a planet-hopping, spell-casting game, but there’s a lot more to learn about it. We can see the player collecting orbs with their hand, throwing projectiles and instantly hopping between planets as they battle waves of enemies. The trailer carries a groovy beat to it that suggests this could be a trippy experience. Seeing a flying neon manta ray glide through a waterfall only reinforces that suspicion.
The trailer also gives us a look behind the scenes of the new studio and the team’s reasoning for jumping into VR. Ikimasho is comprised of industry veterans that decided to take a leap of faith on VR after working at bigger studios in the gaming industry and beyond.
Ultimately the trailer doesn’t give away too much, though. For now we’re definitely liking the game’s groovy visual style and emphasis on physical movements. We can’t wait to learn more about how it plays and what modes will feature.
And we don’t have to wait much longer; Star Shaman is coming to Oculus Quest and PC VR headsets later this summer. We’ll keep you updated with all the latest on the game, including a full interview with the studio’s founders with more information, so check back soon. We’ve got plenty more news spinning out of the Upload VR Showcase, so tune in!
