Studio HG – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

April 28, 2018

New Screenshots Released For OVERTURN: Final Operation

Recently it was announced that the story of virtual reality (VR) action title OVERTURN would be containing in OVERTURN: Final Operation. A new multiplayer continuation that sees up to four players working together to save the day in this action packed title.

OVERTURN: Final Operation - Logo

OVERTURN: Final Operation picks up right at the end of OVERTURN and the down of the Beholder. Now, Magi is left alone without any of her abilities and it is up to the players as androids to battle the hordes of enemies that seek to defeat Magi for good. She might not be able to fight but she can use the last of her power in an attempt to escape with the help of the players. This is not a solo-rescue mission mind you as up to four players can work together to battle the endless hordes of enemies and rescue Maji.

Using either the HTC VIVE or Oculus Rift, players will step into the shoes of the mysterious androids sent by an unknown force to rescue Magi. With wave after wave of enemies coming to destroy her you will need to make use of every weapon and item you can find in order to keep her alive and lead her to safety. To mark the announcement a number of screenshots for the title have been released which give players a look at what to expect in this upcoming multiplayer title.

With plenty of enemies to take down, and some rather impressive looking weapons, players will want to work together and utilize their surroundings rescue Magi. If the enemies are getting to much to handle players can make use of items such as grenades to deal some massive damage in a wide area. The shield and healing items will ensure you have more of a fighting chance and for really dealing out the damage there is the Rapid Beam Rifle. This fully automated firearm is designed to fire high damage dealing enemy beans at rapid speeds, making it the ideal combat option.

OVERTURN: Final Operation is set to be releases sometime next month (May 2018) and according to co-developer and publisher oneIMMERS be a free release. VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on OVERTURN: Final Operation in the future and you can view the release screenshots below.

November 3, 2017

Hands-On: ‘Overturn’ is a Serviceable Fast-paced VR Shooter But Missing a Standout Feature

Described as an “action-puzzle adventure game”, Overturn’s puzzle elements play a secondary role; the game weighs heavily on fast, first-person action, combining projectile weapons and frantic melee combat with fists, shields, and blades. Overturn is available now on Steam for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift; it is also in development for PSVR.

Waking up in a laboratory complex, you’re immediately introduced to the game’s narrative design, which is text-based, describing your character’s thoughts in the centre of your vision. It’s a welcome choice in this case, as even the best voice talent would struggle to deliver this questionable script in a convincing manner. Once you begin exploring the laboratory, you’ll find the text ‘checkpoints’ already laid out across the level—similar in appearance to Valve’s ‘developer commentary’ text bubbles—hardly conducive to maintaining immersion.

Floating text aside, Overturn delivers a sharp presentation, with intuitive menu systems, useful tips placed logically in the game world, and slick environments, lighting, and effects. Production values aren’t sky-high, but there are atmospheric moments, particularly when it goes dark and you’re given a flashlight (I just wish it could be held it in both orientations), and levels have been designed intelligently to play to the strengths of VR. The anime-style character design might not be to all tastes, but it is less exaggerated than the work-in-progress footage (and the studio’s previous title that appears to be based in the same universe, Smashing The Battle VR) and works well with the overall aesthetic.

VR FPS locomotion enthusiasts will be pleased to hear the game offers both freeform ‘traditional’ movement input for those who want to glide around smoothly, and teleporting with snap turning for those susceptible to VR sickness. The teleport option is well-implemented, limiting the jump distance so you can’t ‘cheat’ the system too much, and the fuzzy visual blur on each transition is surprisingly effective. Snap turning is also welcome, but the rotation might benefit from being even faster, if not instant.

Overturn’s straightforward level progression is well-judged in terms of pacing, introducing the player to melee combat with fists on a few basic enemy types, before offering grenades and laser weapons. The blocking system works well enough, bringing your hands together to defend as you would in boxing, but the actual punching—and eventually blade-swinging—can quickly regress into wild hand-flailing, particularly on ‘Easy’. ‘Normal’ difficulty is challenging enough to warrant a more deliberate approach at times, but there is a distinct lack of nuance to the close-quarters combat, with little in the way of impact animation. Ranged weapons fare much better, and the grenade-throwing physics are intuitive.

Once you meet Magi, a mysterious girl with incredible powers, the game steps up several notches, and combat becomes more frantic and varied. Magi follows you around, offering a range of power-ups including ‘Time Slow’; as always, slow motion combat is endlessly enjoyable in VR. She can also craft health packs, which you consume by holding them up to your face, and you need to maintain her energy and health too. Battle arenas begin to introduce cover, which, as with all VR FPS games, becomes useful in a more organic way than traditional cover mechanics played on a flat display, as players will naturally gravitate to walls to physically hide/duck behind.

Enemy types and boss battles are also varied, and the game introduces new weapons and mechanics at an enjoyable pace. Since its recent launch on Steam, Overturn has grappled with enemy balancing, with the ‘Normal’ mode being rather too difficult at times. After a few rounds of updates, the game is in a better place, while still offering a serious challenge. There isn’t a stand-out feature, and its presentation is dripping with clichés, but Overturn is weirdly compelling enough to retain my attention.

The post Hands-On: ‘Overturn’ is a Serviceable Fast-paced VR Shooter But Missing a Standout Feature appeared first on Road to VR.

October 18, 2017

OVERTURN Smashes On To Steam

Much has already been written on this site about OVERTURN, the Smashing the Battle spin-off from developer Studio HG, including a preview where enthusiasm was expressed for the title’s addictive gameplay. Now HTC Vive and Oculus Rift users have the chance to try it themselves with OVERTURN’s official launch.

OVERTURN puts the player in the role of a prisoner, awoken with no memory in a futuristic laboratory. Meeting fellow prisoner Magi, who has developer psychic powers offers a way out, but to escape will mean fighting against the forces that run the ominous laboratory, trying to unravel the secrets of your past and that of your mysterious psychic companion and eventually, learning exactly what the people who run the laboratory are trying to accomplish.

There are both action-combat elements and puzzles woven into the gameplay. Players will have access to an array of weapons that will become available as they progress through the levels. Beam rifles, energy swords, grenades or even bare fists can be used to take down the enemies that are trying to keep you imprisoned. As the game progresses, players will be able to enlist the help of Magi, using her powers such as Time Slow, Shield, HP Boost or Battle Magi to aid in the fight, but the story of OVERTURN poses the question, can Magi really be trusted?

OVERTURN is out now on Steam for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. A launch discount is currently available, reducing the price to £20.69 (GBP), a 10% discount from the usual price of £22.99. Further information and updates can be found on the Steam Store page. The launch trailer is available to view below.

VRFocus will bring you further news on OVERTURN as it becomes available.

September 28, 2017

VRFocus Leaves a Trail of Destruction Playing OVERTURN

Earlier this weeek VRFocus reported that Studio HG and publisher YJM Games announced their next virtual reality (VR) title, OVERTURN, for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Whilst previewing the title VRFocus decided to capture some gameplay video showcasing some of the action.

OVERTURN is set in the same universe as Studio HG’s other VR experience Smashing the Battle, but this time you’ve got to escape a laboratory that’s been engaging in genetic experiments, upon you and your companion MAGI. While you provide the muscle, dispatching enemies at will MAGI provides support, with both offensive and defensive capabilities like grenades or HP boosts.

The gameplay video below takes place on the third level, with the first two gently easing you into the mechanics of OVERTURN before you meet MAGI at the end of level two. The reason for starting at level three is that it gives you a good idea how most of the gameplay works, with plenty of action dispatching foes with two blades and a couple of simple puzzles to break things up.

OVERTURN will launch for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift via Steam and Oculus Store on 17th October 2017, for any further updates keep reading VRFocus.

September 27, 2017

Preview: OVERTURN – Glorious Anime VR Mayhem

You may have heard of indie developer Studio HG before, with its first virtual reality (VR) title Smashing the Battle, a top down hack n slash adventure where players control one of two female characters as they try to escape a massive robotics factory. Well sticking to the same universe is follow-up OVERTURN, keeping its predecessors all out action, just this time you’re right in the middle of the fight.

OVERTURN’s story goes along the line of you playing someone who’s been imprisoned in a laboratory by some evil corporation that’s engaged in live genetic experimentation. So you need to escape and this can only be done with the help of MAGI, a fellow prisoner whose developed psychic powers from the tests. So using her skills and your brawn it’s a case of killing your way through as many enemies as possible – whilst solving some puzzles on-route – in a bid for freedom.

Being a hack n slash adventure most of the action unfolds as you may expect, enemies see you, then depending on their armament will generally shoot or charge at you. And so begins a lot of repetitive gameplay, with you just having fists to punch hostiles before eventually picking up grenades or limited use guns – there’s no inventory so if you can’t hold it you can’t take it. It’s just that once you get past the first couple of levels and begin unlocking all the items and abilities that repetition isn’t mundane, in fact it becomes a highly energetic challenge that’s very addictive.

Once you gain the energy swords and can start doing some serious damage to enemies, that’s where the fun begins, as each kill gains you more ESP to use MAGI’s abilities, such as healing you, giving you a grenade or activating Battle MAGI for a short period to unleash massive laser blast – although this does reduce her health.

As mentioned, OVERTURN does have a puzzle element to it, but from what VRFocus has seen so far it’s a very basic addition to a title that’s all about combat. To unlock certain doors you’ll need to find power buttons, or to pass a gap simply find a switch to make a bridge. As the levels tend to be fairly linear, with one way in and out, locating what you need to progress never tends to be overly difficult or faraway, it’s more about defeating the enemies in your path.

With this type of title movement is an important issue and thankfully OVERTURN has two options available, teleportation or free movement. If you’re new to VR or suffer from simulator sickness then teleportation works well enough, especially on the early levels when the enemies are spaced out. For everyone else you should be choosing free movement, no if’s, but’s, or maybe’s, because it makes OVERTURN that much better. On HTC Vive’s touchpad just lightly having your thumb on it will move you forward, with a press increasing the speed. Or press down both pads in the same direction to move even faster. When correctly applied, darting around the arenas and corridors becomes a breeze, dodging past incoming fire or going in for a sword attack then quickly moving back to avoid retaliation. It’s certain seems to be one of the best movement systems around for dealing with single or multiple enemies.

With this initial look at OVERTURN it’s a videogame that’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, just done well, offering players an action filled journey with swords, lasers, grenades and a very silent sidekick. Sure the puzzles aren’t that complex, and you spend a lot of time waving your arms around punching people in the face, sometimes that’s all you need. OVERTURN is coming out mid-October and VRFocus thinks this is one VR title that should be on your radar.

September 26, 2017

Check out the new Gameplay Trailer for OVERTURN

Yesterday VRFocus reported on Studio HG and publisher YJM Games announcing that their virtual reality (VR) title OVERTURN now had a confirmed release date of 17 October for both headsets. If you liked the look of the previous screenshots and cinematic trailer released then you’ll want to check out this new gameplay video.

As previously reported, OVERTURN’s adventure combines immersive puzzle elements with action gameplay across multiple hours of in-game levels, with the plot revolving around two subjects who are trying to escape from a deadly laboratory that engaged in live genetic experimentation.

Players are teamed up with fellow subject MAGI, together they must survive an onslaught of robotic enemies using an assortment of weapons, from beam rifles, energy swords and grenades, to mechanical robots and bare fists. MAGI has immensely powerful psychic powers, able to wield offensive powerups like Infinite Charge, Grenade, and Battle MAGI, and defensive abilities such as Time Slow, Shield, and HP.

Take a look at the frantic action in the gameplay video below, and keep reading VRFocus for the latest updates.

September 25, 2017

Action-Puzzle Title OVERTURN Coming to HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in October

Just prior to the closing of Steam Greenlight in June, developer Studio HG and publisher YJM Games succeeded in getting enough votes to get their action-puzzle adventure title OVERTURN Greenlit by the community. Today the studio’s have announced that OVERTURN will now be released in October for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

OVERTURN tells the tale of a daring escape of two subjects from a deadly laboratory that engaged in live genetic experimentation, resulting in psychic power. With the help of MAGI, a fellow lab experiment, players need quick reactions to dodge incoming projectiles and mastery of the in-game arsenal which includes beam rifles, energy swords, grenades, mechanical robots and bare fists. While MAGI offers offensive powerups like Infinite Charge, Grenade, and Battle MAGI, and defensive abilities such as Time Slow, Shield, and HP.

The initial launch will only feature the single-player campaign to begin with. Studio HG plans on adding a multiplayer element sometime after.

For video creators OVERTURN also includes features to support content creation, including built-in Twitch chat support as well as third-person camera systems that can be manipulated to provide an alternate perspective on the action.

OVERTURN will launch on 17th October via Steam and Oculus Store for $29.99 USD. Check out the new cinematic teaser trailer below, and for any further updates keep reading VRFocus.

June 8, 2017

VR Puzzle-Shooter Title OVERTURN Gets Greenlight Approval

Combining an action shooter with puzzle elements is OVERTURN, developed by Studio HG, which has just successfully passed the Steam Greenlight process.

OVERTURN’s story mode puts players in the position of a person trying to escape a dangerous secret laboratory when they stumble across a girl called MAGI, who has been subjected to horrific experiments that give her incredible psychic abilities. Teaming up with MAGI to escape, the player and MAGI face hordes of robotic guards and deadly traps, designed to prevent anyone from leaving.

Players have the option of using different kinds of weaponry, with ranged weapons such as beam rifles or grades, or melee weapons like energy swords or even bare fists. A variety of skills can be unlocked, such as Slow Time, Shields or the ability to instantly fire charged shots.

“OVERTURN is uniquely positioned to offer players the fast-paced, free-moving FPS action that VR is able to deliver, while at the same time providing an engaging and intriguing narrative as players search for answers about what’s going on” said David Han, Founder of Studio HG.

The title uses a blink teleport system for movement to minimise adverse effects on players. OVERTURN will be launched for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in late Summer, 2017. A price point for the release has not yet been established. Multiplayer functionality is planned to be added at some point after the initial release.

Further information can be found on the Steam Greenlight page, or the official OVERTURN website.

VRFocus will continue to bring you news about OVERTURN and other upcoming VR projects.