Category: The Elder Scrolls: Blades

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The Best Mobile Games Coming in 2019

Consumer mobile virtual reality (VR) may have been going longer than its tethered, high-end brother, thanks to Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard, but it was until 2018 that the industry took a shift thanks to Oculus Go and Vive Focus. While headsets like Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR have the graphical power, mobile and standalone devices have the freedom to be used anywhere, which opens up new possibilities for developers. 2019 looks to be even bigger for mobile with the upcoming release of Oculus Quest, but for now, VRFocus will be concentrating on videogames for the most currently available headsets.

The Best Mobile Games Coming in 2019

The Elder Scrolls: Blades – Bethesda

Announced during Bethesda’s pre-Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 press conference, The Elder Scrolls: Blades was originally due to arrive Fall 2018 for iOS and Android devices but a Tweet in November pushed the launch into this year. With classic role-playing game (RPG) mechanics the series is known for, The Elder Scrolls: Blades will feature three areas, Arena; a PvP area where players can challenge each other using melee and magical combat. An endless dungeon called The Abyss, filled with all sorts of enemies and treasure to help improve the character. And lastly The Town, which is the main campaign area, with a full storyline to complete.

Currently, there’s no precise launch date for The Elder Scrolls: Blades.

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Unannounced Title – Fierce Kaiju/Coatsink Software

Honestly, this is a complete unknown at this stage. British developer Fierce Kaiju and Coatsink Software announced way back in November 2017 that they were working on a new VR project together. VRFocus knows that the title will be an entirely new IP, but the studios haven’t released any further details since 2017. As they have both primarily worked on mobile VR titles its safe to assume this will be the case again.

Hopefully, 2019 will be the year that Fierce Kaiju and Coatsink Software reveal more info.

Angry Birds VR Isle of Pigs Coming Soon Image

Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs – Resolution Games/Rovio

Resolution Games and Rovio Entertainment announced a couple of weeks ago plans to bring one of the biggest mobile franchises to VR. Details are still scarce, including gameplay details or what it’ll look like. When it comes to headset support they’ve simply stated it’ll be available ‘across all major VR platforms’ so VRFocus is assuming a franchise born onto mobile will keep with its mobile roots.

Expect more bird-flinging action when Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs arrives later this year.

InandOut

In&Out – Underdogz

A videogame VRFocus came across while wandering around Gamescom 2018 in Germany, In&Out is a spy adventure of sorts that’s played entirely cooperatively. Designed before Oculus Casting came about, the VR player has to navigate a secret facility with the help of their ever watchful companion viewing details on a mobile device. Without teamwork, the VR player will easily die, as they don’t have all the info to avoid traps and solve the puzzles.

We’ve not heard much about the Oculus Go compatible title since that first debut, so hopefully, 2019 will be the year for further updates.

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Spectro – Borrowed Light Studios

From the team behind Vincent Van Gogh tribute, The Night Cafe is a rather spooky experience called Spectro. Originally announced way back in 2016, the studio has been somewhat quiet about Spectro’s development over the last couple of years. You are the sole proprietor of Spectro Co., a ghost detective agency, going out to explore haunted houses and ridding them of their malevolent spirits.

Borrow Light Studios says that: “Spectro is currently in development for all of the major VR headsets with a focus on releasing on mobile first.” That would make 2019 a great year for a frighteningly good mobile videogame.

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52 VR Games We Can’t Wait To Play In 2019

vr games 2019 oculus rift htc vive PSVR

2018 is over and it’s clear to see that it’s been a great year for VR gaming. We’ve had highlights like Creed, Firewall, Astro Bot, Skyrim (on PC) and many more. But, as much fun as we’ve had inside headsets this year, 2019 is looking even better.

Every year at Upload we compile a list of all the games we’re looking forward to in the year ahead. While this year’s list isn’t bigger than the 2018 iteration, there’s definitely more genuinely promising games on the way as opposed to a swathe of wave shooters and the like. VR developers seem to be getting a real grasp on the language of the platform now, and that’s a very exciting thing indeed.

So, without further ado, here’s what VR games 2019 is going to throw at us.

A Fisherman’s Tale (Jan 22nd) – Rift, Vive, Windows, PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

Firebird developer Innerspace tries its hand at VR gaming with its latest project and the early signs are hugely promising. This is a narrative-driven puzzle game with some amazing ideas behind it, including a strange sort of Russian Doll mechanic that will have you teaming up with yourself in order to fix the world around you. It’s early days but we’re betting this could be one of 2019’s most memorable VR games.

Ace Combat 7 (Jan 18th) – PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

Ace Combat 7 may have barrel rolled out of 2018 but its January 18th 2019 release date is right around the corner and we remain very excited about it. The PSVR exclusive mode on offer here will no doubt be short and leave us wanting more but, from what we’ve seen, it’s still set to be a blockbuster PSVR experience with production values that’ll be tough to top.

Alice’s Lullaby: Albino Lullaby Episode 2 (TBD) – Rift, Vive, PSVR

2018 was a quiet one for this Albino Lullaby follow-up, but we’re hoping to have news on the second installment at some point in 2019. This is a horror series that doesn’t rely on jump scares but instead psychological tricks that will keep you on your feet. We have high hopes for the second episode.

Bebylon Battle Royale (TBD) – Rift, Vive, PSVR

Yes, it’s still coming. Senza Peso developer Kite & Lightning has been working on its first full VR game for some time now, but we’re hoping 2019 is the year we get to play it for ourselves. Set in a strange world in which humans have stopped aging, never-aging ‘Bebys’ battle it out for supremacy. The team’s recent work with facial capture on the iPhone X has been especially interesting to watch.

Blood And Truth (TBD) – PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

Blood and Truth didn’t quite make 2018 but, given the year the headset had, it’s no big loss. Sony London builds on what it learned with its popular London Heist demo here. Blood and Truth promises a full, highly-polished first-person shooter campaign on PSVR, with realistic shootouts thanks to PlayStation Move. Step into the shoes of a former SAS soldier and take the fight to the gangs of the UK capital in this sweary shooter that aims to deliver the AAA experience people crave.

Blunt Force (TBD)

We still haven’t heard much more on Blunt Force since its announcement in 2016, but the high amount of visual polish has us hoping it’ll resurface this year. It’s a World War II-set shooter with a story from Hollywood screenwriter Mark Bristol that aims to provide a full gaming experience within VR. Here’s hoping it lives up to that promise.

Border Patrol (TBD) – Rift, Vive

We’ve seen a promising demo of this Papers Please-style assessment game from developer Paw Print Games, but we’re still looking forward to the full thing. You have to judge a series of robots that are hoping to pass through your crossing based on certain standards. This looks like it could capitalize on the awkward sense of judgment that can come with staring down on people in VR, and may be one of the year’s most unique titles.

Chimera Zero (TBD)  – Rift, Vive, PSVR

We know very little about this VR debut from former PlayStation figurehead Shahid Kamal Ahmad (which was announced all the way back in 2016), but we’re still excited by it. It shares its name with the 33-year-old action-adventure, Chimera, which Ahmad also worked on. That said, he’s promising an experience quite different from that debut. What does he have in store?

Coatsink/Fierce Kaiju Project (TBD)

This project sat 2018 out so let’s hope 2019 is the year. Coatsink and Fierce Kaiju are two UK-based indie developers known for their early adoption of VR hardware, both launching games on the Innovator’s Edition of Gear VR. After releasing games like Viral EX and Augmented Empire, the two are pairing up for an unannounced project which we really hope will reach even greater heights than either of them have yet achieved on their own.

Defector (TBD) – Rift (Read Our Hands-On)

Twisted Pixel’s follow-up to Wilson’s Heart didn’t quite make it out of the gate in 2018 but hopefully we won’t have to wait too much longer to get it now. This is a high-octane VR thrill-ride backed by the production values that only Oculus Studios can afford, taking you from sky-diving setpieces to sneaky spy missions. If it’s as polished as Wilson’s Heart it’s bound to be a hit.

Dreams (TBD) – PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

We’ve been waiting for Media Molecule’s Dreams for so long that the idea it might actually release in 2019 itself feels like, well, a dream. But with the beta opening up, it is seeming like a genuine reality. With VR support now officially, officially confirmed multiple times (for day one!) we can confidently say this is one of the most important titles releasing for Sony’s headset. Making your very own VR world is hopefully just a few months away.

Eden Tomorrow (TBD) – PSVR

Eden Tomorrow debuted at Gamescom several years ago with a promising demo that let you walk with space dinosaurs. It’s been away for some time since, but now it’s back promising a full adventure that we’ll hopefully get our hands-on this year. We’re looking for more amazing moments out of this one.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades (TBD) (Read Our Coverage)

There’s still a lot to learn about how and when The Elder Scrolls: Blades will work with VR headsets, but we do know it’s coming. This’ll be a cross-platform RPG that distills some of the core elements of the franchise into a much more streamlined package. Whether or not it pays off remains to be seen, but we’re holding out hope for another Bethesda VR hit.

Espire 1: VR Operative (TBD) – Rift, Vive


Though it didn’t make its original 2018 release window, Espire 1 has quickly become one of our most anticipated VR games of 2019 thanks to a publishing partnership with Tripwire Entertainment. Stealth in VR can be utterly thrilling and this looks like it could be the best entry in the genre yet for VR headsets. Keep a very close eye on Espire 1.

Everybody’s Golf VR (Spring) – PSVR

It’s hard to believe it’s taken us this long to get an Everybody’s Golf game onto Sony’s headset but this rendition of the series looks like it will have been worth the wait. This is a much more realistic-looking take on the long-running franchise that will have us using Move controllers to take swings and score birdies. Just mind the lampshades.

Falcon Age (TBD) – PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

VR can do wonders for building a relationship with virtual characters and Falcon Age seems to speak directly to that. In this new adventure you raise a pet Falcon and grow a bond as you care for it. Eventually, you’ll find yourself fighting for survival against an aggressive group of robots that threaten the land you roam. We can’t wait to see how Falcon Age mixes its story and action together.

The Gallery Episode 3 (TBD) – Rift, Vive

Enough time has passed now that we’re beginning to let ourselves dream about the third installment in Cloudhead Games’ The Gallery series. Episode 2 represented a massive leap over the original in pretty much every area, and hopefully we can expect a similar sort of expansion here. The Gallery remains one of VR’s most recognizable and best-realized series. Episode 3 can’t get here soon enough.

Ghost Giant (TBD) – PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

Moss and Astro Bot have already proved that third-person VR can work incredibly well, and Ghost Giant looks like it’s set to continue that trend. You build a relationship with a town of cutesy little creatures, each of which is wondering why this enormous ghost has suddenly appeared in their lives. We’re looking forward to exploring more diorama worlds and unearthing more of this storybook universe.

Golem (TBD) – PSVR

Despite a last-minute delay that’s now stretched on for something like nine months of silence, Golem remains one of our most anticipated VR games. With its intriguing use of just one Move controller for exploration and sword combat, we’re excited to see if the game manages to set any new standards in VR gaming. At the very least, it’s ancient ruins look like a joy to explore.

inXile’s Next VR Game (TBD)

Microsoft recently bought the makers of The Mage’s Tale, but they’ve assured us that work on their next VR project is still very much underway. inXile is making an open-world survival RPG for VR that, while still officially unrevealed, sounds like it could be a spin-off of its Wasteland series. If so, this’ll be one of 2019’s biggest VR games without a doubt.

Jupiter & Mars (TBD) – PSVR

Fans of games like Echo the Dolphin might want to check this enchanting new title. Together with a friend or AI partner, you explore the remains of mankind, left to drown in a neon-lit ocean. It looks utterly breathtaking and a perfect example of VR’s ability to amaze through discovery. Prepare to have your jaw dropped.

Kill X (TBD) – PSVR

It was about two years ago now that we first played a demo of Kill X, but since then the Sony-incubated game has grown to become a full first-person shooter that’s even being published by PlayStation itself. We hope that means that this is the headset’s next great shooter, but only time will tell on that front.

Kingdom Hearts VR (January) – PSVR

2019 looks to be the year that Kingdom Hearts III will finally launch on consoles, but we’re just as excited about the tie-in piece that’s going to come alongside it. It’s not a full game but instead one of those short promotional apps that will give you just a taste of what the world of Disney and Final Fantasy characters might look like in VR. We’re looking forward to seeing what’s possible.

Lone Echo 2 (TBD) – Rift

The sequel to one of our all-time favorite Oculus Rift games is finally on the way. Lone Echo had something of an abrupt ending so we can’t wait to pick back up with Jack and Olivia. We’ll be excited to see how Ready at Dawn continues to build on its groundbreaking zero gravity traversal, which is still some of the most convincing movement in VR. Expect this to be big.

Megalith (Jan 9th) – PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

Technically this hero shooter is already out with an extensive open beta running into next year, but we’re looking forward to the full release. You become a titan that uses their size and firepower to win a contest to become a god. With free locomotion and destructible environments, this might be one of the year’s most polished action games.

Mini-Mech Mayhem (TBD) – PSVR (Read Our Coverage)

Velocity and Tiny Trax developer FuturLab trades twitch-based arcade gameplay for a manic multiplayer tabletop experience here and the results are very promising. Mini-Mech Mayhem is a game about anticipating your opponent’s every single move and watching turns unfold to often hilarious effect. It helps that the little machines you partner with are highly customizable and utterly adorable.

Node (TBD) – Rift, Vive, Windows

Some VR games seem to just appear out of thin air. Node is certainly one of those games. This is a surprisingly solid-looking shooter in which you train to become the ultimate soldier. The game mixes roguelike elements with classic shooter design (a little like Compound) to offer an experience you can come back to time and again. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this one as the year progresses.

Nostos (TBD) – Rift, Vive, Windows (Read Our Hands-On)

Nostos really didn’t impress us when we tried it at Gamescom earlier this year, but the game is so good looking that we’re still holding out hope for a solid final product. This is an MMO-like experience in which players explore a massive world together, taking on vicious creatures in combat and uncovering the secrets of the gorgeous world that surrounds them. If NetEase corrects its course, this could be a big 2019 game.

Numenera: Beyond Tactics (TBD) – Rift, Vive

The popular board game is getting the VR treatment, but not in the way you might expect. Beyond Tactics is going to take the world of Numera and build a new turn-based strategy game around it. We’ve played a very early build and the pieces seem to be in place for a solid tactical game that uses VR to smart effect.

Oculus Quest Ports (TBD) – Quest

We’ll cheat with this one a little. We wouldn’t usually include ports or stack multiple games together but Oculus Quest’s standalone, 6DOF features mean that we’re genuinely excited to revisit confirmed games like Superhot VR, The Climb and Dead and Buried with wire-free, fully-tracked tech. We still have a lot to learn about Quest’s launch line-up but that’s one of the most exciting things to look forward to in 2019.

Population One (TBD) – Rift, Vive, Windows VR

This isn’t VR’s first attempt to break into the ever-popular battle royale genre, but it might well be its best yet. From the makers of Smash Box Arena comes a massive new last man standing multiplayer game in which you can build structures, glide through the air with jet packs and, of course, shoot your friends in the middle of their faces. Expect Population One to cause a big stir in the VR community.

Prey: Typhon Hunter VR (Early 2019) – Vive, PSVR (Read Our Coverage)

Prey’s first VR escape rooms released in last 2018 and they were fun, if a little underwhelming. We’re more excited about this year’s promised support for the game’s multiplayer mode, though, which has players hunting shape-shifting mimics controlled by other players. It promises some silly jump scare fun at the very least.

Proze Episode 1 (TBD) – Rift, Vive

Proze: Prologue was a short but promising teaser of what developer SignSine has in store for its upcoming episodic series. Episode 1 will take us back to the frozen wastes of Russia which we last visited in the Cold War era. We’re hoping for plenty more puzzles and the chance to unravel some of the mystery that’s been laid out before us.

Raiders of Erda (TBD) – Rift, Vive (Read Our Impressions)

We’ve been paying close attention to this promising debut from UK-based Cooperative Innovations for two years now and we’re hopeful that this is finally the year we’ll get to play it. Not only does Erda promise hours of co-op questing with friends but the team behind it has taken a long look at the current state of VR sword combat in hopes it can provide a much richer experience than what’s come before.

Respawn Entertainment’s Oculus Shooter (TBD) – Rift

We’ve waited patiently for an update on Titfanfall developer Respawn Entertainment’s Oculus-exclusive shooter and were dismayed to discover it wasn’t at Oculus Connect this year. Still, Oculus assures us that development is progressing, which means we’re still hoping to see the game in 2019. Given this studio’s pedigree, we expect nothing less than a bar-raising shooter.

Rogan: The Thief (TBD) – Rift, Vive

A visually striking take on Thief in VR that caught our attention last October. Rogan has you sneaking through a castle, pickpocketing guards and hiding in the shadows. It looks like a more polished version of the excellent Unknightly, so we’ve got our fingers crossed that this will be the best VR stealth game yet. Did I mention it looks beautiful?

Shaman: Spirithunter (TBD) – Rift

Former members of The Climb developer Crytek assemble here for one of 2019’s most intriguing VR games. Take on the role of the last shaman of a tribe, searching for the reason behind the weather that has wiped out all of his tribe. Stealth-based gameplay takes center stage in this chilly adventure that will have you fighting the elements.

Space Junkies (TBD) – Rift, Vive (Read Our Hands-On)

Arcade shooter thrills await you in this multiplayer jet-packed fueled action game from Ubisoft. Expect zero-gravity shootouts with the Touch controllers and Vive wands as you jet around enormous maps, grabbing guns and dodging incoming fire. Think Echo Arena but with guns (and no, not Echo Combat).

Star Child (TBD) – PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

Star Child went MIA in 2018, but Playful Corp assures us it’s still in development and that’s great news. This is a 2D platformer of sorts in which the player’s character, Spectra, forms a strong bond with a giant robotic companion as she explores an alien planet. Expect classic platforming action with a few twists in this imaginative adventure.

Star Wars: Vader Immortal (TBD) – Quest

Could this be the Star Wars VR experience that finally lets us execute true blade-to-blade lightsaber combat? Vader Immortal’s stunning trailer suggests as much meaning that, even if this technically isn’t a ‘game’, we’re still really, really excited to, you know, play it. There’s still much to learn about this one, but expect it to be one of the biggest VR releases of 2019.

Stormland (TBD) – Rift (Read Our Hands-On)

Insomniac Games may have significantly raised its profile with its Spider-Man PS4 game but it’s not abandoning VR. Stormland is set to use procedural generation to offer one of VR’s biggest and most detailed adventures to date. We’re looking forward to co-op combat and slick traversal in a package that will hopefully show what this platform can really do for action games.

Table of Tales:  The Crooked Crown (TBD) – PSVR

This is an interesting one. It’s an RPG of sorts in which you stand in one room but the table in front of your morphs into different environments, letting you explore an entire game world without ever really breaking the immersion. As for how Table of Tales plays, there’s still much to learn but consider us very interested.

Telefrag VR (TBD) – Rift, Vive (Read Our Hands-On)

The developers of Detached return with another multiplayer VR game that’s sure to make your stomach twist. Telefrag wants to be VR’s very own Unreal Tournament with arena-based shooting in which players can jump between walls and ceilings, using the titular feature to teleport into opponents and burst them. We’ll be interested to see if Telefrag is refined enough to justify its dizzying gameplay.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners (TBD)

Very little is known about the gaming industry’s latest take on much-explored The Walking Dead series. This isn’t even the franchise’s first excursion into VR, but developer Skydance Interactive’s work with the excellent Archangel: Hellfire has us hopeful that this will be more than your average zombie-killing slaughter fest.

Titan Arena (TBD) – Rift, Vive

Titan Arena is probably the closest we’re ever going to get to Shadow of the Colossus in VR, but it looks like a game that will also be able to stand on its own two giant legs. You take on enormous bosses in arena-sized battles, finding their weak spots and scaling up them as soon as you get the opportunity. Scale is still one of the best elements of VR and this promises to capitalize on it in a big way.

Trover Saves The Universe (TBD) – PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

Justin Roiland’s Squanch Games continues its weird and wacky adventure into VR with another eccentric experience. Trover seems to be a third-person action game of sorts that will borrow from the book of Accounting. That is to say it’ll be very strange, entirely unpredictable and, hopefully, another absolutely essential exploration of what the platform can do.

Undead Citadel (TBD)

Revealed in the final weeks of 2018, Undead Citadel promises to be one of the more polished takes on a genre that’s already familiar to VR; zombie slaying. Normally we wouldn’t turn an eye to yet another zombie game, but Citadel’s crisp visuals and vague promise of some sort of narrative have caught our attention. Let’s see what the new year brings for this one.

Unseen Diplomacy 2 (TBD)

The original Unseen Diplomacy is one of the few VR games to really explore what can be done with room-scale VR, and it does so to wonderful effect. We’re hoping for a sequel with much more content and some fresh ideas on what moving through virtual space really means. Platforms haven’t been confirmed but we’d love to see this on Quest.

Vacation Simulator (TBD) – Rift, Vive, PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

After spending 2017 with Rick and Morty and then suffering a slight delay to its original 2018 release window Owlchemy Labs is finally returning to the series it made its name with. In many ways Job Simulator served as a template for the current state of VR gaming and now the studio is going on vacation. Vacation Simulator promises to deliver more slapstick VR worlds that we love to get lost in, now complete with the shining sun, crystal clear waters and maybe a new job bot or two.

Valve’s Three VR Games (TBD)

Image credit to Damien Labonte

Well it wouldn’t be a Valve game without an unbearable stretch of silence, would it? It’s been nearly three years since Valve confirmed it was working on three VR games now and only very recently did we hear from sources that one of them will be a Half-Life VR title (!). We’re begging for more news at this point, and our fingers are tightly crossed that 2019 is finally the year Valve delivers.

Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot (TBD) – Vive, PSVR (Read Our Hands-On)

Machinehead Games excellent take on a beloved IP is finally getting the VR treatment. Acting as a side-story to B.J. Blazkowicz’s trigger-happy adventures, Cyberpilot sees you hacking different types of Nazi war machines and then turning them on their rulers. We weren’t too impressed with the original build we tired at E3, but still look forward to the full thing.

Zed (TBD) – Rift, Vive

Obduction and Myst developer Cyan has already done a lot for VR but now it’s helping others to find their way in the industry. Zed is a Cyan-published game from Eagre Games that looks to be a bit of an existential treat. We follow along in the life of an aging artist that’s reflecting on his years as dementia starts to creep in. We’ll be interested to see how the game utilizes VR to spin a memorable tale.

 

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The Elder Scrolls: Blades: Release auf Anfang 2019 verschoben

Auf der E3 2018 kündigte Bethesda den Mobile-Titel The Elder Scrolls: Blades für Smartphones und VR-Brillen an. Ursprünglich sollte das Spiel bereits 2018 erscheinen, jedoch verkündeten die Verantwortlichen, dass sich der Release auf Anfang 2019 verschieben wird.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades – Release auf Beginn 2019 verschoben

Der Name Bethesda ruft derzeit eher Unmut bei der Gaming-Community auf, denn der Release von Fallout 76 und die Geschehnisse rund um den Multiplayer-Titel kratzen am Ruf des Entwicklerstudios mit der einst weißen Weste. Dennoch sollte der Blick nach vorne gerichtet werden, denn uns erwarten besonders im VR-Bereich vielversprechende Spiele von den Devs. Eines davon ist The Elder Scrolls: Blades, ein kostenloser Mobile-Titel, der ebenso für PC und diverse VR-Brillen erscheinen soll.

Das neue Abenteuer im bekannten Fantasy-Universum von The Elder Scrolls soll die Spieler in verschiedenen Spielmodi in prozedural generierte Dungeons schicken, um die darin lauernden Gefahren zu bewältigen. Auch ein Story-Modus und Cross-Plattform-Support sollen dazugehören. Laut Todd Howard, Game Director und Executive Producer bei Bethsda, soll das Spiel neben iOS und Android ebenso für PC und diverse VR-Plattformen veröffentlicht werden.

Allerdings verzögert sich der Release auf Anfang 2019, wie die Verantwortlichen Ende November per Twitter verkündeten:

Somit erscheinen zunächst die Smartphone-Versionen des Spiels, ob damit ebenso die VR-Adaptionen für mobile VR-Brillen gemeint sind, ist derzeit noch unklar. Ebenso unbekannt ist, für welche VR-Brillen der Titel letztlich erscheinen soll. Ein Release auf der kommenden Oculus Quest wäre durchaus denkbar.

Eine Anmeldung für den Early Access von The Elder Scrolls: Blades ist auf der offiziellen Webseite möglich.

(Quellen: Upload VR 1 | 2 | Twitter: The Elder Scrolls | Video: Gamespot YouTube)

Der Beitrag The Elder Scrolls: Blades: Release auf Anfang 2019 verschoben zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!

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The Elder Scrolls: Blades Mobile Version Delayed To 2019

The Elder Scrolls: Blades Mobile Version Delayed To 2019

Bethesda has announced that their upcoming mobile game The Elder Scrolls: Blades will not release until “Early 2019”. The previously stated release window was Autumn 2018. Blades is a new installation in The Elder Scrolls series made for mobile devices and is planned to eventually release on PC, consoles, and even VR headsets.

The game was first announced at E3 2018. On stage, Bethesda’s director & executive producer Todd Howard stated that the game would be available for all levels of VR, from mobile VR to high end PC VR.

The announcement today only mentions that iOS and Android are coming in early 2019. While this could technically also include Android based VR platforms like Oculus Go and Google Daydream, it seems unlikely. The more likely situation here is that the VR version will come later in 2019 (at the earliest) as a lower priority.

It’s not clear what has caused the delay for Blades. In an interview with Geoff Keighley at the time of the announcement, Todd Howard said that his ideal scenario was to release it right after E3. Perhaps the recent issues and controversy with Fallout 76 have caused the company to reprioritize their developers, although it could be unrelated.

We also still don’t know exactly which VR platforms the game will land on. With Oculus Quest releasing in 2019 too however, Blades could be that headset’s biggest hit, or greatest missed opportunity. We’ll keep you updated on any further news about Blades from Bethesda.

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The Elder Scrolls: Blades Could Be Oculus Quest’s Biggest Hit Or Greatest Missed Opportunity

The Elder Scrolls: Blades Could Be Oculus Quest’s Biggest Hit Or Greatest Missed Opportunity

I think Ian said it best in his pre-Oculus Connect 5 predictions piece last week: a low-cost standalone VR headset that could run both Beat Saber and Superhot could dominate the VR market in the years to come. Well, we know Oculus Quest has Superhot, we know it’s a reasonable $399 and there are plenty of hints that Beat Saber is on the way. But what about a game that could go even further than that? Something with wider appeal that could really convince naysayers that this was a worthwhile gaming console? At first, I thought it could be Star Wars: Vader Immortal.

Then it hit me; it might actually be The Elder Scrolls: Blades.

Despite its stunning visuals and breadth of content, Bethesda’s big new mobile game wasn’t met with an explosion of hype when it was revealed at E3 last June, largely due to the resistance to mobile gaming from those that prefer to play on consoles. Our ears pricked up, though, when we heard that the game was also coming to VR headsets. Specific devices weren’t confirmed, but Bethesda’s Todd Howard did show an image of an HTC Vive, promising cross-platform multiplayer, and explaining that he wants to release it on as many platforms as possible.

Now, again, Blades on PC VR sounds great though we’re not sure it’ll live up to the excellent port of Skyrim that just about anyone with a headset has already bought and it still comes with all the complications that have stalled the market from growing at this early stage. That said, the idea of exploring an all-new Elder Scrolls adventure on Quest with six degrees of freedom (6DOF) inside-out tracking providing realistic sword and shield combat as well as truly satisfying spell-casting is an exciting one. The chance to face off with your friends running the game on mobile nearby only sweetens the deal. We went hands-on with the mobile version at E3 to take a look at how the core game plays.

This is a series that’s so feverishly popular that Bethesda announced the sixth mainline installment before its even properly shown the game that’s coming before it. All signs point to Skyrim VR having sold well, and Elder Scrolls is the ultimate fantasy adventure, so Quest may represent the easiest way to virtually visit the sprawling universe yet. It’s got to be a no-brainer, right?

Except there’s one problem.

Earlier today, we asked Bethesda if there are any plans for the game on Quest. As expected, the company declined to comment past reconfirming the previously-announced mobile versions launching this fall. Perhaps Bethesda is playing its cards close to its chest, but it’s also a very real possibility that we never see Blades on Quest due to a larger struggle between Oculus and Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax Media.

As you may or may not know, Oculus and ZeniMax are currently enthralled in a lengthy legal battle. The latter accused Oculus of stealing technology when John Carmack, formerly of the Bethesda-owned id Software, moved over to the VR company in 2013. It resulted in a heated courtroom battle at the start of 2017 that ended with Oculus being ordered to pay ZeniMax $500 million. Fast forward about 20 months, though, and the conflict is still developing, with Oculus recently halving its payout and vowing to remove the rest, too.

Whilst Bethesda once said that the legal dispute wouldn’t keep its games from coming to Oculus headsets, none of its three PC VR games have yet launched on Oculus Home. In fact its first two releases, Doom VFR and Fallout 4 VR, don’t even feature native Oculus Rift support on SteamVR. It was only this year’s launch of the PC version of Skyrim VR that finally acknowledged Rift compatibility via the third-party platform. Granted, none of this can be explicitly linked to the lawsuit, but it does seem telling.

If Quest were to somehow support SteamVR (which is entirely unlikely), then it might be that Blades came to the headset that way, but we’re not so sure Bethesda is ready to officially release its first product on an Oculus platform. We’ve got our fingers crossed that that might change, though, because the more we think about it, the more Blades seems like it could be a genuinely important piece of making Quest VR’s first mainstream device, and its absence on the platform might prove to be Oculus’ biggest penalty yet.

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E3 2018 Hands-On – The Elder Scrolls: Blades Feels Like A Natural Fit For VR

E3 2018 Hands-On – The Elder Scrolls: Blades Feels Like A Natural Fit For VR

When Bethesda announced a new Elder Scrolls game at their E3 2018 press conference, I got extremely excited. Knowing that it was a mobile game designed to leech off of Fallout Shelter’s massive success, I tempered my expectations, but it was still a landmark moment to see one of my all-time personal favorite game franchise’s get a new entry — mobile or otherwise. The later announcement of The Elder Scrolls VI was enough to just send me over the edge, but that’s unrelated here.

Todd Howard got on stage and explained that with The Elder Scrolls: Blades, they want to bring it to as many platforms as possible, which means mobile obviously, but also PC, consoles, and even VR. Even though he mentions VR, I made sure to ask Pete Hines, Bethesda’s SVP of Global Marketing and Communications, if that was just an idea or if it was actually definitely happening:

“It’s definitely coming to VR,” said Hines. “[Todd Howard] wouldn’t get up on stage and say it’s coming to VR if it wasn’t. We are absolutely going to do it for VR. As for when or how long that version takes beyond the phone version I don’t have any idea. It was a thing where, because of the control system, it felt pretty natural for VR.”

So that’s reassuring at least. At E3 they only had demos of the mobile phone version, so that’s all I was able to play, but I’ve got a pretty good idea of how the game works and why I think it would be a natural fit for VR headsets later on down the line.

When I saw the trailer for the first time (embedded above) mobile VR immediately came to mind. The movement system in the mobile phone version of the game is either virtual joystick-based (as in, you hold your thumb on the screen and move it around like an imaginary joystick is beneath it) or you can just tap to move to a spot in the distance. The latter feels a bit like old-school isometric RPGs, such as Baldur’s Gate, except the view is first-person.

The tap to move scheme would work great in VR since it’s basically teleport movement already, or let us use the joystick and trackpads of the Rift and Vive to move around easily. Done.

I didn’t get to try out a whole lot of the game, really just wandered around a castle dungeon and forest killing spiders and skeletons. For combat, everything I saw was purely one-on-one based. When you initiate, the camera centers on the enemy. At the bottom left there’s a block button, which can be timed to cause a small stagger, as well as ability buttons for shield bash and spells. It’s unclear if magic will be utilized in any other way.

To attack you just hold your thumb over the enemy and try to release it as soon as the two circles overlap each other. I liked the system because of how easy to pick up and do it was with either one hand in portrait mode or two hands in landscape. Here is an example of the portrait mode I recorded during my demo:


The trailer mentions a lot of other systems in the full game, such as a city-building management mechanic, as well as PvP arena. I don’t see why porting all of that to VR would be a problem.

This really seems like a game designed from the ground up for mobile phones and I’m already pre-registered to try it out as soon as it’s available on my Google Pixel 2. Hopefully it won’t take long before I can have it installed on my Oculus Go, Rift, Vive, and elsewhere soon too.

If Todd Howard’s plans come true, we may even have all versions of the game connected across the same shared world, which would be excellent. I still just have so many questions. Like, where in Tamriel does this take place? Can we sneak? Can I use a bow? Do I level up skills? Can I marry Lydia? I need answers.

Do you plan on playing The Elder Scrolls: Blades on mobile, or VR, once it comes out? Maybe both? In the meantime, catch up by reading our Skyrim VR review (PSVR version or PC version) to prep your mind.

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

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Wolfenstein, Prey and The Elder Scrolls: Bethesda Look to Continue VR Games Bull Run in 2018

2017 was a landmark year for virtual reality (VR), with not only the hardware maturing but also a number of huge entertainment properties making their way to the medium. Leading the charge was Bethesda Softworks, with adaptations of three of their most popular videogame experiences. Now, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018, the publisher has confirmed three more titles are on their way, and this time VR is coming closer to home.

The first VR title confirmed at this year’s event was a brand new standalone experience set within the Wolfenstein universe, Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot. Following a fashion similar to DOOM VFR, Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot takes place two decades since the events of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. It expands on the storyline presented within the bloodline titles while casting the player in a new role: in this case, a fire-breathing Panzerhund and other familiar war machines. The second title, an expansion to 2017’s Prey reboot, presents an interesting new competitive mode, playable against non-VR players. Set to be offered as part of the with Prey: Mooncrash update later this year, Prey – Typhon Hunter pits one player against several others cast as Mimics with nothing more than survival being the objective.

An additional new gameplay mode coming to Prey offers a single-player escape room scenario, called TranStar VR. As one of several TranStar employees the player will be faced with finding a solution for puzzles laid out ahead of them in different environments from the Talos I space station.

While these all sound like incredibly enticing gameplay opportunities and potentially huge boons to the entertainment side of VR, the third title is undoubtedly the most interesting. Presented as a videogame built for smartphones, The Elder Scrolls: Blades is apparently coming to every conceivable format; including consoles, PC and VR. In fact, according to Todd Howard, Director and Executive Producer at Bethesda Game Studios, it would appear that The Elder Scrolls: Blades will hit ‘most every head-mounted display (HMD) aside from PlayStation VR.

“This is an Elder Scrolls game that you can play however and wherever you want,” stated Howard during Bethesda Softworks’ pre-E3 press conference yesterday. “And we are going to bring Blades to every device and system we can; phones, PCs, consoles, also virtual reality on mobile, all the way up to high-end VR on PCs.”

That is of course not confirmation that The Elder Scrolls: Blades won’t launch on PlayStation VR, but the wording seems very specific. Time will tell on that front.

Right now however, what we do know is that with The Elder Scrolls: Blades, VR is being treated as part of the standardised array of formats. Players will be able to enjoy playing The Elder Scrolls: Blades on their smartphone against players in VR, or on their console with VR players. Exactly how this will play out is not yet known, but the fact that one of the biggest videogame producers in the world is looking at VR as a peer to smartphone, console and PC gaming is undoubtedly an exciting takeaway from this year’s E3.

But given last year’s successful VR push it’s no wonder Bethesda Softworks are looking to bring more titles to VR. The publisher has quickly become synonymous with some of the most exciting and enduring experiences available through the relatively youthful medium and in 2018 will be looking to cement that position way ahead of the maturing of VR for mainstream audiences. There’s still a chance that Ubisoft might pull something out of the bag during their pre-E3 press conference later today, but as things stand Bethesda Softworks are looking to take home not only the E3 mantel for VR, but also 2018 as a whole.

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The Elder Scrolls: Blades Shows Off With Some Screenshots

The Bethesda presentation at E32018 managed to raise excitement among much of the videogaming community, with some huge reveals and announcements and further details of other upcoming Bethesda projects. One of the big announcements was a new Elder Scrolls title called The Elder Scrolls: Blades, and fans can get a closer look with new screenshots.

Bethesda’s Tod Howard announced that The Elder Scrolls: Blades would have virtual reality (VR) compatibility and would be available on a huge range of platforms, from Mobile up to high-end PC VR.

The developers have managed to distill The Elder Scrolls into its essential elements, providing the classic fantasy adventure expected by the fans with high-quality graphics and an expansive game world to be explored.

Players will be able to experience the title in either portrait or landscape orientation on their smartphones, and gameplay will be split into three main areas. There will be the PvP Arena where players can take on each other to see who is best.

There’s also The Abyss for players who prefer to crawl through dungeons. An endless dungeon area filled with enemies and treasure to help upgrade your gear. Finally, the main campaign area is The Town, which will feature a full storyline, as well as the chance to develop the area as they see fit.

During the presentation Bethesda indicated that it was trying to create in The Elder Scrolls: Blades an experience that players can pick up and play wherever and whenever they want. The title will initially be made available on Android and iOS, with plans to expand it to other platforms.

While the HTC Vive was featured as part of the reveal video, it has not yet been confirmed what other VR platforms The Elder Scrolls: Blades will be available on.

The currently available screenshots can be viewed below. For further news on Bethesda’s VR projects, keep checking back with VRFocus.