You may well have seen the 360 degree trailer of Theseus on your Facebook timeline, Twitter, YouTube – or even on VRFocus. Following the videogame’s release on the PlayStation VR back in July, those on PC can look forward to play the it this Autumn on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Based around the popular Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, Forge Reply have decided to bring elements not only from the myth but have added horror elements into the equation. This is evident in the design of both the Minotaur and the of Ariadne who acts as a spirit guide for the players, telling them what to do. Theseus can played in third-person and Samuele Perseo, Producer at Forge Reply explains in the interview below that the camera follows you during dramatic moments and is fixed at other times. Although in general the player has control of the camera.
With two to three hours of gameplay, Theseus is heavily reliant on generating atmosphere which it achieves through 3D audio, allowing you to perceive things around you. Perseo wants the player to feel immersed in the atmosphere and world they’ve created. With the combination of third-person and 3D sound, Perseo hopes that users are willing to try a different kind of immersion and narrative that wouldn’t feel the same without the headset. Theseus comes to a natural end, as per the myth, but Forge Reply noted they are looking forward to develop and evolve more stories and videogames with what they’ve learned from Theseus and the use of Unreal Engine.
Check out the video below for Nina’s full interview and be sure to follow us on YouTube for more coming very soon.
Previously released for the PlayStation VR, developers Forge Reply have announced that its virtual reality (VR) experience inspired by Greek myth will soon be heading to HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
Using a third-person perspective that is relatively uncommon in VR titles, the player must help the titular protagonist navigate the dangerous, gloomy labyrinth where the invincible Minotaur waits to rip apart anyone foolish enough to enter. The only guide on this journey is the spirit Ariadne, who can offer advice and clues.
The PC release of Theseus will feature several improvements to graphics, with higher overall resolution, along with tweaks to shadows and textures to provide more polish to the experience. As with the PlayStation VR version, the focus remains on creating an engaging and immersive atmosphere and telling a strong story.
“With the PC release of Theseus, we aim to expand our reach and to consolidate our presence in the VR scenario,” said Filippo Rizzante, CTO at Reply. “PC fans have expressed the desire to play the game since the original announcement, and we are glad that soon they will be able to do just that.”
The developers anticipate the title receiving its release on PC sometime in Autumn 2017, though a firm release date has yet to be confirmed. A price point has not yet been set, but is likely to be in line with the price for the PlayStation VR version, which is currently $19.99 (USD).
VRFocus will bring you further information on Theseus as it becomes available.
This is one of the busiest weeks the PSVR has had in quite a while with over half a dozen new releases. There’s something for everyone, too, with single player, multiplayer, and even non-interactive narrative options to pass around.
If you missed last week’s releases then you can see them here. UploadVR has also launched the ‘UploadVR PSVR Community’ on PlayStation 4! Join up, find other gamers to play with, and engage in discussions with them.
Also, don’t forget to check out our list of the 9 Best PlayStation VR Games if you need any extra inspiration.
Theseus, from Forge Reply
Price: $19.99
In this dark third-person adventure game you take on the role of the titular hero, Theseus, in a quest to slay the evil Minotaur. The camera is always in a fixed position like in Chronos as you explore, hide, and fight your way to the end.
Recommendation: There are some good ideas here, but it comes up lacking in most areas. Read our full review for more on why.
Apollo 11, from Immersive VR Education
Price: $11.99
This VR experience has been around for quite a while and is finally making its way over to PSVR. Join the historic crew of the very first moon landing in Apollo 11 as you witness history like never before.
Recommendation: Absolutely worth it for space and history buffs.
Monkey King, from Digital Domain
Price: $9.99
You’ve probably heard, read, or seen some form of the Monkey King story, popularized in the classic 16th century Chinese novel named Journey to the West. This take on the story lets you experience it all in VR as a front-and-center viewer of all the main plot points.
Recommendation: It’s purely passive and doesn’t do much we haven’t seen before, but the animations are fun.
Heroes of the Seven Seas, from Time of Virtual Reality
Price: $6.99 (Currently Discounted)
First released as a Gear VR game, Heroes of the Seven Seas puts you in a bunch of pirate-themed naval battles as you quest for bounty and adventure.
Recommendation: Not very good at all. Here’s our full review of the original Gear VR version.
Infinite Minigolf, from Zen Studios
Price: $14.99
Golf is one of the foundational video game sports that you’ll find on virtually every single gaming device on the planet. Infinite Minigolf brings a fun, lighthearted take on the genre to PSVR.
Recommendation: Surprising amount of fun and content here. Good online too.
Smashbox Arena, from Archiact
Price: $29.99
Dodgeball in VR, but with a ton of superpowers and crazy powerups that let you do stuff like throw meteor-sized balls and hold up energy shields. We know, it sounds a bit crazy, but it actually adds up to one of VR’s best multiplayer games.
Recommendation: Tons of fun, especially if you have a group of friends to play with. Here are some more thoughts on the original Vive version.
Tiny Trax, from FuturLab
Price: $19.99
Remember what it was like to race those electric cars around plastic tracks in your room, then never want to clean it all up after? Tiny Trax is kind of like that, but in VR. There are definitely some Blazerush vibes and the races can get very intense.
Recommendation: Tiny Trax is a great game for arcade-style racing fans, but is pretty tough to get the hang of. Read our full review for more.
Theseus, along with Perseus, Heracles, and several others, is often regarded as one of the greatest heroes in the entire lineage of Greek mythology. When you’re given your very own boss fight in the God of War series of video games, that alone is usually enough to mean you’re a pretty big deal.
One of the most well-known and repeated stories of Theseus you’ll find mention of though is his battle with the Minotaur. Typically he fights the beast after navigating a deadly labyrinth. In the appropriately titled new game from Forge Reply, Theseus, you’re tasked with being the star of this tale.
When I previewed Theseus a couple of months ago the build I tried was on the HTC Vive, but the first commercially available version of the game (which is being reviewed here) launched on the PSVR. Ever since the game was first revealed back in February it’s drawn frequent comparisons to God of War for obvious reasons. It’s a third-person action game presumably, utilizes direct references to Greek mythology, and has you doing battle with multiple, often large, monsters. But other than those surface level similarities the games couldn’t really be much different.
God of War is all about action. You get new weapons, unlock flashy combos, and are constantly fighting hordes of enemies. Theseus is about slow-paced, quiet, sometimes tedious, exploration with a scattering of occasional fights along the way. The majority of puzzles consist of climbing on ledges and hiding from the Minotaur itself. In some ways, it’s more of a stealth game than an action game.
The first weapon I found was a torch, which I could use to scare spider-like beasts away when walking around in the dark, but you do eventually get a sword as well. Unfortunately combat never really evolves beyond mashing buttons and trying to dodge enemy attacks. While you could say similar things about games such as Chronos, another third-person action adventure game in VR, that title is much, much longer, with more varied enemies and environments, as well as an actual progression system. Theseus sort of felt like the first act of a larger game that was intended to open up more eventually and never does.
I spent somewhere between three and four hours playing Theseus before it was over. During that time I often found myself stopping to stare at the nice looking backdrop designs in the distance and can confirm that chills very often shot down my spine when the Minotaur was nearby. Speaking of which, the Minotaur itself may be the best part of the whole game. He’s massive and extremely intimidating. The sense of scale is powerful and I honestly felt scared when I sensed his presence.
The sound design was excellent throughout and did a great job of making me feel like I was actually tip-toeing through a creepy labyrinth with a twisted, evil, and relentless Minotaur trying to hunt me down.
The atmosphere and world building is so strong it feels like a missed opportunity that the actual game itself isn’t better. Walking around environments that all pretty much look the same as a female wisp spirit guides me along was novel at first, but loses its luster quickly.
Just like Chronos, the entire game is played from third-person with mostly fixed camera angles. This means that each time you turn a corner or enter a new room the camera jumps to a new spot somewhere on the wall. It feels like you’re spying on your character and telling him where to go more than it does you’re actually controlling your character. It’s a style of gameplay I’ve never been a fan of with VR titles and vastly prefer an always-following camera in third-person such as in Lucky’s Tale or Edge of Nowhere.
One major reason is because Theseus doesn’t feel like a VR game. Wherein the other mentioned titles feel like they were designed from the ground up with VR mind for the most part, Theseus does not. Several segments have me walking in a straight line, with the camera deciding to suddenly hover behind me, but my character’s body is blocking my view while things are happening in front of him. It’s a bizarre feeling where I cannot see what my character sees even though he is facing straight ahead and it happened frequently.
Many of the textures and areas of the labyrinth appeared as noticeably blurry and jagged to me. Granted, the PSVR isn’t as powerful as the Vive or Rift, but I noticed similar issues on my Vive preview build as well. The art direction is wonderful and looks great in high-resolution screenshots, but those visuals lose their edge and luster when filtered through a VR headset. It’s just another way the game feels under cooked.
Final Score:5/10 – Mediocre
Theseus is a game that had a lot of promise. The dark and creepy setting comes through with a strong, foreboding atmosphere that’s often difficult to capture in VR games. But unfortunately the actual gameplay itself feels like more of a chore than anything else. It’s over far too soon and doesn’t feel properly designed for VR from the ground up. The Minotaur is terrifying and intimidating, but getting through everything else just to face him isn’t going to be worth it for most people.
This review is based on the PSVR version of the game and was originally published on Jul 26, 2017 but the game is now available on both Rift and Vive as well.Read our Game Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score.
Der erste Trailer des labyrinthischen VR-Titels Theseus konnte durch schnucke Grafik überzeugen, nun steht die Veröffentlichung für die PlayStation VR am 26. Juli unmittelbar bevor. Aus der Third-Person-Perspektive muss der titelgebende griechische Held sich dem Minotauros stellen und dem Labyrinth entkommen.
Theseus: Griechische Mythologie in Action-Form
Das Spiel bedient sich bei der griechischen Mythologie und setzt auf Theseus als Helden, um ihn in das Labyrinth auf der Insel Kreta gegen den menschenfressenden Minotauros zu schicken. Im Spiel ist die Mischung aus Stier und Mensch zwar noch grob erkennbar, aber zum düsteren, riesigen Ungeheuer mutiert, das Schatten verbreitet. Sie ist zwar blind, kann aber unseren Helden schon aus weiter Entfernung hören und riechen. Wie in der Sage gilt es also auch in der virtuellen Welt, sich dem Ungeheuer zu stellen und letztlich dem Labyrinth zu entkommen, ohne vorher einen ganz unsagenhaften Tod zu sterben. Hilfe bekommt der Spieler dabei von Ariadne, statt eines Fadens wie in der Sage gibt die Geliebte Theseus in der modernen Fassung gesprochene Tipps. Zu viel wollen die Entwickler derzeit nicht verraten und damit Überraschungen spoilern. Ein frischer Trailer verspricht aber ansehnliche Grafik in einem interessanten und düsteren VR-Setting.
Derzeit ist das Spiel Theseus exklusiv für die PlayStation 4 geplant, einen Preis nannte der Entwickler Forge Reply noch nicht. Auch die Spieldauer bliebt neben dem Verhältnis zwischen Action und Rätsel derzeit offen.
Back in February developer Forge Reply announced work on its first virtual reality (VR) title, an action-adventure set in the mythical worlds of Greek gods with Theseus. Then last month the studio confirmed the videogame would be coming to just the PlayStation VR this summer. Today, an exact date has been announced, 26th July 2017.
A modern twist on the classic myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, Theseus has been built from the ground up for VR, tasking players with entering this dangerous world with a 33 feet tall monster at its core.
“We wanted to take a classic story and tell it in a way that has never been done before,” said Filippo Rizzante, CEO at Forge Reply in a statement. “We really hope that players enjoy the handcrafted visual and audio design we’ve put into the world of Theseus.”
“In Theseus, our protagonist awakens alone, stranded in a hostile and mysterious place,” the studio’s description explains. “With Ariadne’s voice as his only guide, players will venture deep into the heart of the Labyrinth to unveil the truth hiding behind its mysteries. But our protagonist is not alone. The mighty Minotaur is the ruler of this world, and you are not a welcomed visitor.
The 26th July launch date applies to the US, Canadian and European territories.
PlayStation VR has sold over 1 million units and had more success in sales compared to the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. VRFocushas put together a list of games that we know are coming to the PlayStation VR. If you prefer watching all the games coming to PlayStation VR, scroll down to the bottom to view it.
Farpoint is a first-person shooter on the PlayStation VR. When it launched, it debuted at number two in the UK Sales chart and is sold alongside the new Aim controller. Starting with a bloke putting on a PlayStation VR in his basement he then finds himself transported to an uncharted alien world filled with all manner of enemies.
Survive in an unknown alien world after a crash, search for fellow human survivors whilst shooting hoards of alien creatures. The new DLC Cryo Pack coming on the 27th of June, a 2 player co-op with challenge levels in an ice world.
This VR game is a multiplayer racing title based on slot car racing. You can play with up to four friends or race AI opponents. Taking inspiration from toys by Scalextric and Carrera, FuturLab has created a title that evolves slot-car racing in a way only videogames can do.
Featuring both a singleplayer – against AI – or an online multiplayer for up to four people, Tiny Trax includes six vehicles to select before heading out onto the track. Friends can select either single races or go for a tournament to test their skills.
Is a first-person shooter set in the year 2076, where you must throw, slow and shoot your way through extraterrestrial-bots inspired by classic arcade shooters, the studio only released one image, showing a vicious looking robot. First Contact Entertainment describes ROM: Extraction’s gameplay mechanic as “Throw, Slow & Shoot.” Whereby players will have the ability to slow down time – called “Reflex” power – to help defend themselves against these dangerous looking, extraterrestrial robots. The videogame will be a first-person shooter (FPS) using motion-based controls, three difficulty settings and global and local leaderboards.
Gran Turismo Sport was original slated for release at the end of 2016, but the developers were forced to push back the release date to 2017. Polyphony Digital are known among fans as being perfectionists, so it was not a huge surprised that an ambitious project such as Gran Turismo Sport ended up taking extra time.
The game now has a new Racing wheel designed exclusively for Gran Turismo Sport on the PlayStation 4. Specifically designed specially to enhance the experience of playing Gran Turismo Sport, the upcoming driving and racing simulator from Polyphony Digital on the PlayStation 4. Gran Turismo Sport is also offering virtual reality (VR) compatibility, which in combination with Thrustmaster’s racing wheel, could offer even more immersion to players.
THESEUS is a third person action-adventure where you play the titular character on a quest to slay the Minotaur from the ancient Greek mythology.
Taking inspiration from titles such as ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and the Last Guardian, Forge Reply has gone for a third-person viewpoint for its VR adventure, with Theseus employing a mix of static and dynamic cameras to aid immersion and gameplay.
Play this survival horror game where you wake up from a cryrosleep in the year 2521. Survive an experiment gone horribly wrong to save the ship.
Sneak around and hide behind cover, being stealthy will feel natural in VR and give you the upper hand.
7. Bloody Zombies – nDreams
Bloody Zombies is a side-scrolling brawler set in London. It supports one to four players online or locally. Follow the story of four lone survivors and fight zombies who appear as 2D cardboard cut-outs in a virtual environment.
A real-time strategy game announced at the 2016 PlayStation Press Conference and will be released in Japan in 2017. You’ll play as the demon load with the aim to conquer the world.
Play the the God of Destruction and fight against those heroes of justice by using the food cycle, breeding monsters and repelling incoming heroes while conquering strongholds.
Is a Chinese developed game set in a medieval-themed world and strategic gameplay where you assume the role of a commander. You have to build up your team to enjoy PVE and pvp, each battle lasts about 5 minutes and you will win the game after you destroy the enemy’s forts.
It’s cross-platform and is supported by HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR, Google Daydream and Samsung Gear .
Archangel is coming exclusively two PSVR for two weeks before coming to any other platform. In this story-driven shooter where you become a six-story-high war-machine and fight against the tyrannical HUMNX.
AI-controlled teammates in different vehicles will need your protection and will support you when your shields have failed.
SUPERHOTVR is finally coming to PlayStation VR, after debuting on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
SUPERHOT had heaps of critical acclaim at launch, and its VR version received equal praise. We can only assume the PlayStation VR version will be equally beloved.
The acclaimed shooter is finally coming to PlayStation VR, but this isn’t simply a port of a game you’ve already played, but an all-new installment built for VR.
Developed by id Software, the studio that created the DOOM franchise, DOOM VFR casts the player as the last known human survivor of the demonic invasion of the UAC’s Martian research facility.
Bethesda’s beloved The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is making its way to VR on PlayStation 4.
Publisher Bethesda Softworks has announced that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is set for a November 2017 release on PlayStation VR, and all of the original console downloadable content (DLC) will be included with both the digital and physical editions of the videogame.
Star Child was announced with a short trailer during Sony’s E3 press conference.
Star Child takes place on an alien world, filled with mysterious creatures and futuristic space ships. The man-made interiors of the planet hide many incredible fluorescent and neon creatures, all of which are sure to look incredibly imposing in VR.
Final Fantasy XV: Monster of the Deep will offer PlayStation VR players the opportunity to explore the world’s oceans, lakes, ponds and rivers and participate in a wide variety of fishing challenges. Many returning characters from the original Final Fantasy XV will appear in the videogame, including familiar faces such as Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, Gladiolus, and more.
17. Bravo Team – Supermassive Games
Bravo Team, appears to be a military first-person shooter (FPS). Releasing at the end of the year for PlayStation VR, Bravo Team will be one of the first competitive multiplayer VR shooters for the platform.
In Moss you will be focusing on puzzle solving and exploration, slowly finding your path forward through these huge stages. Butterflies and insects appear huge next to your mousey character as they are entirely dwarfed by trees and other creatures – something that becomes very obvious when coming face-to-face with a hungry snake.
Sparc is a skill-based, physical sport, where two players use PlayStationMove motion controllers to aim and throw projectiles at each other inside a virtual arena, all the while defending themselves by dodging, blocking, or deflecting incoming attacks from their opponent.
Sparc includes multiple two-player game modes where players can compete against their friends or find challengers via online matchmaking. Additionally, a selection of single-player challenges and training modes are included, plus a wide range of customization and personalization options for competitors.
Good morning one and all. You may have seen earlier this month a trailer be released for the videogame Theseus which is coming to the PlayStation VR later this year. A story-driven action-adventure videogame that PlayStation describe as “a modern and obscure take on the classic myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth”. This Theseus certainly has to deal with a lot more monsters and dark magic than you might recall from your days studying Ancient Greek myths in history class.
However whilst the trailer was billed as the ‘reveal trailer’ it was not the first time we’d seen the title. Perhaps it was for the PlayStation VR, but Italian developers Forge Reply (also reponsible for games In Space We Brawl and the videogame based on Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf) first put out a teaser back in February.
And that teaser was in 360 degrees.
So it’s only appropriate we have a look at it for today’s Life in 360. If you saw the aforementioned trailer you’ll notice it is set in a familiar location and Theseus it seems isn’t in particularly good shape.
VRFocus will be back on Wednesday for another visit to 360 degree videos.
The PlayStation VR benefited from a huge swathe of videogame titles at launch, but in the months that followed this barrage slowed to a trickle. The recent releases of the well received Farpoint and Star Trek: Bridge Crew see the first wave of titles announced coming to a close; so what’s next? VRFocus looks at five new titles on the horizon, and why you should be excited for them.
The Persistence
After the success of Playroom VR, UK-based Firesprite are coming back for more virtual reality (VR), this time with a much darker experience. The Persistence is a horror title featuring procedurally generated environments. In a similar fashion to Ubisoft’s Zombi, every time the player dies they become a new character, but in The Persistence the space ship upon which they are based will have changed: a new layout, enemy placement and items.
To connect each attempt, the player can harvest cells which can be used to improve attributes such as speed, health and stealth. If a player dies these are transferred for the next play through, hence that title.
The Persistence was originally expected to launch last month, however there’s no signs of a release date at present. It’s likely we’ll learn more at next week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Los Angeles.
Bloody Zombies
Another UK studio, nDreams pledged their commitment to the new medium very early in the wave or modern VR. After launching The Assembly last year, the developer/publisher is returning to PlayStation VR with Bloody Zombies: a side-scrolling brawler.
While the genre may not scream ‘VR’, it is actually a perfect combination of technology and action. The 2D characters appear like cardboard cutouts in the virtual environment and the added benefit of a widened viewpoint allows developer Paw Print Games to hide secrets beyond the edge of the traditional 2D screen.
Bloody Zombies has been designed to allow for up to four players to use any combination of VR and non-VR when playing together online, keeping the experience open to all. VRFocus has already been hands-on with Bloody Zombies and will get to experience the title once again at next week’s E3.
Theseus
Recently confirmed for PlayStation VR, Forge Reply’s Theseus proposes an interesting combination of platform challenges and brawling, combined with static and dynamic camera angles, screams ‘God of War’.
According to Samuele Perseo, Producer at Forge Reply: “Theseus is not an ordinary hero; in our game he is the prey, not the hunter. He is “only human” while his enemy, besides being 33 feet tall, has otherworldly strength… and he is invulnerable.
“Theseus cannot just fight the Minotaur head-on: each encounter between the two poses a new challenge. It may be necessary to resort to stealth, or an ancient mechanism could be the key to escape death. The monster is blind, but his hearing and his smell are sharp.”
Theseus is expected to launch on PlayStation VR this summer, and as such will likely make its playable debut at E3 next week.
Tiny Trax
The third UK studio delivering their wares to this list, FuturLab has built a strong audience thanks to the success of the Velocity series. Now however, the developer is turning its attention to VR, with the upcoming Tiny Trax.
Having been compared to Micro Machines with a hint of Off-Road 4×4 thanks to its unique viewpoint, Tiny Trax will follow Codemasters’ Toybox Turbos in delivering an unconventional racing videogame to VR players. Featuring both single player gameplay and an online multiplayer for up to four people, Tiny Trax will include six vehicles to select before heading out onto the track.
No release date has yet been announced for Tiny Trax, however FuturLab has suggested that it will be ‘coming soon’. Of course, VRFocus will keep you updated with all the latest details.
Sony Santa Monica
So, we don’t actually know what this one is. So why’s it on this list? Because Sony Santa Monica is one of the most highly respected developers on PlayStation hardware. That’s why.
As you will most likely have seen, last month VRFocus reported on an unofficial statement regarding Sony Santa Monica’s continued work in VR, and that after assisting a number of studios with external projects its first title for the PlayStation VR will likely be announced soon. That ‘soon’ may well be at E3 next week.
Whether it will be a part of an existing franchise – Sony Santa Monica has of course championed the God of War series – or a brand new title is yet to be seen, but you can be sure that whatever comes will shoot straight to the top of PlayStation VR owners’ most wanted lists.
Several months ago Forge Reply announced development on its first virtual reality (VR) experience, a fantasy adventure based around the myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. Titled Theseus, the studio at the time didn’t reveal which head-mounted displays (HMDs) would be supported. That’s now changed with confirmation of PlayStation VR getting the videogame.
Samuele Perseo, Producer at Forge Reply confirmed as much with a posting on PlayStation Blog. Being the studio’s first foray into VR Perseo said: “It has been a step into the unknown for us. However, the virtual reality scene is so filled with opportunities to try new things, that we wanted to have our say.”
Up until now very little of the gameplay had been revealed, with a short trailer and description to go on. Now Perseo has detailed what awaits players when they head into the labyrinth. “Theseus is not an ordinary hero; in our game he is the prey, not the hunter. He is “only human” while his enemy, besides being 33 feet tall, has otherworldly strength… and he is invulnerable,” Perseo notes. “Theseus cannot just fight the Minotaur head-on: each encounter between the two poses a new challenge. It may be necessary to resort to stealth, or an ancient mechanism could be the key to escape death. The monster is blind, but his hearing and his smell are sharp.”
Taking inspiration from titles such as ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and the Last Guardian, Forge Reply has gone for a third-person viewpoint for its VR adventure, with Theseus employing a mix of static and dynamic cameras to aid immersion and gameplay.
Theseus will launch during this summer – no exact date has yet been given – just for PlayStation VR. Checkout the new reveal trailer below, and for any further updates on Theseus, keep reading VRFocus.