Now that Halloween is over its time to start ramping up the festivities for 2018’s next big celebration, good old Christmas. Ahead of the big day full of presents and too much food media company REWIND (The Magic Flute, Ghost in the Shell VR) will be hosting the last VRLO event of the year in London, UK.
The one-day event will be an evening of talks, demos and networking opportunities all wrapped up with some festive celebrations.
Sponsored by HP, Jigsaw24 and Bluegfx, HP and Jigsaw24 are teaming up to bring the HP Z VR Backpack PC to VRLO, with a demo version of REWIND’s Silicon Valley: Inside the Hacker Hostel VR.
Also at VRLO will be Coatsink Software, with the studio set to demo relaxing title A Night’s Sky and comedy mini-game collection about robots They Suspect Nothing. Vive Studios will be on hand to showcase 7 Miracles, an immersive adaptation of the seven miracles of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John. It will be the experience’s second showing in London after its World Premiere at Raindance Film Festival last month. Finally, Start VR will demo AWAKE, a character-driven interactive cinematic VR series that blurs the line between dream and reality.
And as a festive treat REWIND will be holding The Santa’s Helper Challenge, you’ll have to attend to find out more.
VRLO will be taking place on Wednesday, 5th December 2018, starting at 7pm and running through to 11pm. It’ll be held at The Microsoft Reactor London, with tickets being free, and entry will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis. For further details and to grab a ticket head to the VRLO Eventbrite page. VRFocus will continue its coverage of REWIND and VRLO, reporting back with further updates.
Later this month videogame developers, publishers and players will get meeting in Birmingham for EGX 2018. Being one of the biggest gaming events to take place throughout the year in the UK, it is a fantastic chance for people to get hands-on with countless number of videogames. Among the large list of AAA releases sit a number of virtual reality (VR) titles that are inviting players to immerse themselves in a range of different experiences, which are definitely worth checking out.
Starting things off with a bang, PlayStation are bringing a number of different PlayStation VR titles to the show including the upcoming Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Blood & Truth and the ever popular Wipeout Omega Collection with it’s VR mode. These titles all offer a different and unique experience and showcase just what the PlayStation VR headset is capable of doing. Other PlayStation VR titles on display at the show are the much anticipated Tetris Effect from legendary videogame developer behind REZ Infinite, Tetsuya Mizuguchi.
The list doesn’t end there. Maybe you want to experience some fast paced action at the show. If that is the case then Skyfront VR will be for you. Offering intense multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) fun, players will be flying through zero-gravity battle arenas as they fight for the best score. Speaking of zero-gravity, the roguelike space shooter Everspace with it’s VR support will also be attending the show. Likewise Sublevel Zero Redux and its six-degrees-of-freedom will also be in attendance.
Other experiences that players will be able to immerse themselves in at the show include They Suspect Nothing. In which players need to blend in as a robot and complete a series of mini-games. Arca’s Path VR will be there as well with it’s charming visual design and captivating gameplay from developers Dream Reality Interactive and Rebellion. There is even a chance to check out Titanic VR in which players will explore the famous ship and learn more about the events that unfolded. Finally, the ever popular Beat Saber will also be at EGX 2018 giving those at the show a chance to let lose and enjoy some rhythm gameplay.
EGX 2018 will be taking place at The NEC in Birmingham from 20th to 23rd September, 2018. Tickets are still available for those who need one and can be purchased from the event website and you can see the full list of games playable here. VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on the VR happenings of the event so stay tuned for more.
First you saved serious cash on buying an Oculus Go headset instead of those pricey Rift thingies, and now you’re getting free content for one of the kit’s biggest games. Lucky you!
Coatsink’s frantic minigame compliation, They Suspect Nothing, will recieve a free update named Overclocked on Friday, Agust 3rd, which adds in eight new experiences for players to test their skills against. These games will be split across two new hub worlds added to the game’s robotic city in which humans are strictly banned. These include Arcadia University and the morbidly named Terminal Park. There’s also some extra items to customize your fake-robo character with.
“The Arcadia City University opens in the campus’ main foyer, a lavish hall filled with robot artifacts and the remnants of a student party,” Coatsink explained to UploadVR. “Unlike previous mini-games (in which the player struggled to prove they’re a robot), here the player must cheat their way through a series of exams to gain their ACU diploma, aided by their new best friend Terrence… a human disguised as a fridge.
“Meanwhile, Terminal Park is a vibrant funfair run by the extravagant fortune teller Voltar and her jaded crystal ball. Despite the wealth of workers (including a littering robot designed to make the place feel ‘authentic’) the player is officially the park’s first visitor. As Voltar says, “There are no tests here. No traps or tricks. Just pure unfettered amusement – built solely, it seems, for you.”
On top of the DLC, the game’s soundtrack will also go live on Spofity, iTunes and Amazon music.
They Suspect Nothing now boasts 20 minigames. It’s an experience that fits in with the core value of the Oculus Go itself; to get people into VR with accessible, engaging hardware and software. That is to say, it might not be the game for hardcore VR gamers, but it’s great for showing off your shiny new VR gear to friends and family. It’s available on both Go and Gear VR for $7.99/£5.99.
In the world of virtual reality (VR) British developer Coatsink Software is synonymous with quality videogames for Samsung Gear VR, creating some of VRFocus’ favourite titles include Esper 2 and Augmented Empire. With the advent of Oculus Go the indie studio has built a humorous mini-game compilation called They Suspect Nothing to mark the launch of the device. With a high pedigree behind them can Coatsink do no wrong this time around?
As soon as They Suspect Nothing starts it’s easy to see the studio’s style and quality emerge, with rich cartoon aesthetics, plenty of attention to detail and some quality narration and sounds wafting into the ears – the team even got award winning actor Jim Broadbent (Harry Potter, Moulin Rouge!, Hot Fuzz) to voice one of the characters.
The story (and mini-games) revolve around a future Earth where mankind has made the planet all but uninhabitable (what’s new there) leaving the place for robots to thrive. These aren’t The Matrix or Terminator style mechanoids, more like those found in cartoon feature film Robots. You happen to play a human dressed up in robot garb to blend in and not get spotted. But to see whether you’re actually one of them the robots have a series of tests that must be completed. Succeed and you’re one of them, don’t and well nothing happens (it’s not that sort of videogame).
After trying a few styles out in the wardrobe it’s time for the first four tests, complete them all and the next area will open. With a total of three areas and 12 tests to complete. There’s a decent amount of variety to each of them seeing as the Oculus Go controller is 3DoF, they do tend to boil down to picking stuff up and moving it from A to B, remote controlling an object, or sorting stuff. As each trial is completed you’ll be rewarded with more robot costume parts for the wardrobe.
Everything is quick fire, none of the mini-games are what you’d called leisurely but mini-game titles never tend to be. As such the controller implementation needs to be spot on, and it is. So long as you have the controller nicely centred before starting there should be no issues, whether it’s trying to expertly fly a drone whilst avoiding missiles or frantically stamp the right books, the input feels sure and solid for all the games.
The real problem is duration, 12 mini-games just doesn’t seem enough. Even with Easy, Medium, and Hard settings for each one it’s quite easy to burn through them all in one sitting. Then it’s just time to continually replay them until boredom sets in. Make[REAL]’s Loco Dojo only had a few extra mini-games yet it seemed like a lot more, plus they were suitably zany, They Suspect Nothing feels a little held back, almost dour at points.
They Suspect Nothing is a consistent bundle of fun mini-games, yet as a launch title slightly underwhelming. It’s a safe and easy experience for gamers of all ages that looks great and plays well. On the other hand They Suspect Nothing isn’t Coatsink’s best VR work, that’s still Augmented Empire (which handily now supports Oculus Go).
Oculus Go was made to be simple. Facebook’s first standalone headset doesn’t require a high-end PC, nor room for external trackers or space to walk around in. It wants to bring in millions of newcomers with an affordable price and a pickup and play interface. But the many hundreds of hours Oculus has no doubt invested into making Go as sleek (or perhaps the better term is ‘un-ridiculous’) as possible would be for waste if it didn’t have software made in the same vein.
They Suspect Nothing is very much created with those ideals in mind.
This is the latest Oculus Studios project from Coatsink, arguably one of Gear VR (and, in turn, mobile VR’s) most prevalent and prolific developers. Whereas the studio has recently dabbled with bringing classic gaming genres into VR with impressive results (Augmented Empire), They Suspect Nothing is a return to a more introductory strand of entertainment like Esper and A Nighty’s Sky, well-served by the polite slapstick silliness that Coastsink has honed over the past four years.
Robots rule the world, then, and they really hate humans. That’s bad news for you because you’re still made of flesh and blood, and you need to prove otherwise to your new overlords. 12 minigames are designed as tests to demonstrate your calculated efficiency and, wouldn’t you know it, they all double as effective showcases for Go’s motion controller. From what I saw you can swing a magnet around to drop bots off in the scrap yard, drag a pointer for a machine to scurry after and collect batteries, guide a massive metal dog in a VR twist on Hungry Hippos and more.
As you’d expect from a developer making its fifth VR app in partnership with Oculus, the game’s controls are intuitive, inviting playful fun that will have you pushing yourself. Directing a magnetic crane by simulating a joystick with your controller leaves just enough room for slippery error, which will make pursuing top scores in each of the three difficulty modes a challenge.
Probably my favorite of the lot was a robotic take on Surgeon Simulator, in which you have to fix machines as quickly as possible, memorizing the correct tools for the job despite ridiculous names that are so bafflingly British we wouldn’t be surprised if they were invented by Stephen Fry. It’s a manic marvel, juggling tools and digging out parts as quickly as possible, and sure to put a grin on anyone’s face. They Suspect Nothing seems to have no shortage of entertaining minigames that anyone could grasp in seconds. It’s easy to envision a family or friends passing around the headset, taking turns with the games, which is pretty much what Go itself is desinged for.
Not every game fares quite so well, though; steering a robotic dog around to gobble up smaller machines doesn’t feel quite so responsive on the control-front and could leave me feeling frustrated at times. At the same time, I couldn’t grasp the hook of a game in which you fire asteroids at a limited number of targets on a distant planet, though I only saw each game’s easiest difficulty.
The true joy of They Suspect Nothing, though, is rightly in the world around you. The robot haven you’re trying to infiltrate is filled with delights, mainly centered around the cast. There are three hub worlds for now, each holding four games along with a handful of other areas. Each has their own robotic companion to assess you, including a cheerful, muscle-bound scrapyard worker who’s never short on daunting words and a mechanical hydra that towers over you as she judges you. It’s in meeting these characters that the game earns its keep as a VR experience as opposed to, say, a minigame collection for the Wii. And, yes, that is Jim Broadbent you can hear in the trailer above, who lends his own brand of welcoming lunacy to proceedings.
They Suspect Nothing sees Coatsink remain expectantly on form, then. This isn’t something that those intimately familiar with VR will be rushing out to buy (and, arguably, neither is the Go itself), but instead a fitting starting line for anyone pulling on a headset for the first time. It’s your own way of infiltrating the VR ecosystem and getting started with an all-new platform.
They Suspect Nothing will be available at the launch of Oculus Go (whenever that is) and will also release on Gear VR.
If you own a Samsung Gear VR then you should own a Coatsink videogame, it’s almost mandatory. With polished titles like Augmented Empire, Esper, Esper 2 and A Night Sky for the platform, the UK-based team have certainly fine tuned their skills for mobile virtual reality (VR), so its no surprise Oculus wanted the studio to build something for its next headset, Oculus Go. That’s come in the form of They Suspect Nothing a collection of mini-games.
Now Oculus wasn’t exactly giving lengthy demos at its Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2018 booth, allowing what seemed like enough time to learn the controls, figure out what the hell was going on before being booted out. They Suspect Nothing is a collection of 12 mini-games that definitely seemed like a showcase for Oculus Go and its diminutive controller.
These mini-games are split between hubs, four levels in each, with VRFocus managing time for just one, a sort of weird robot surgery game that tested speed and knowledge. The task looked simple enough, a digital board brought up the name of a tool and a particular robot part that it needed to be used on. Yet this is Coatsink, so there was no grab the hammer and hit the broken pipe, nothing so mundane. No, the tools had abstract names to make them more difficult to remember and so did the organs. So the challenge was to match the two correct items up to score points, win the game and prove you’re not a human.
That’s because you play the last human on Earth, a world now controlled by the mechanical menace so many films warned about. These ‘games’ are in fact a human detection test, all of which need to be passed in a methodical, robot-like fashion to stop you being killed.
While that sounds quite dark and grim, They Suspect Nothing is actually very comedic and light-hearted, with a bright cartoon style that’s very much Coatsink’s style, a kind of mix between A Night Sky and Esper.
The control scheme was a drag and drop style mechanic, ideal for Oculus Go’s 3DoF controller. Without seeing any of the other mini-games its hard to judge how innovative They Suspect Nothing will actually be as it feels like a very safe bet for the standalone headset, a long way from the rather brilliant Augmented Empire.
There’s no question that They Suspect Nothing will have high production values – the voice cast includes award-winning actor Jim Broadbent – and VRFocus has learnt further hubs are planned upon, continuing the 4 games per section. But mini-game collections can be a tricky business, offering great pockets of gameplay with an overall throwaway feeling. Whether this is the case remains to be seen – you’ll have to wait for Oculus Go – with VRFocus looking forward to seeing more of the videogame.
Developer Coatsink Software have announced their newest title coming to the upcoming Oculus Go in the form of virtual reality (VR) videogame They Suspect Nothing.
Already revealed as a launch title for the Oculus Go earlier in the week, the title now has more details that help to give an idea of what sort of gameplay players can expect from this title. The title will put players in the shoes of the last human on earth with the task of infiltrating a robot-only society by completing a series of bizarre human detection tests. Assuage suspicion with machine-like efficiency as you conduct open part surgery, pilot a drone, manage rush hour in an explosives plant and even instigate armageddon in a cataclysm simulator and eight other ridiculous and entertaining experiences.
They Suspect Nothing has twelve humorous mini-games with three difficulty settings to test a players dexterity, perception and logic that you will need to use to ‘prove you’re metal’ and confirm there’s nothing suspicious about you at all. With a customization robot avatar with local profiles and leaderboards players can compete to see who is the best, utilizing a ‘pass and play’ gameplay feature thanks to the Oculus Go. Once more the whole title is voiced with a cast of interesting actors including the award winning actor Jim Broadbent.
Recently this week VRFocus‘ Senior Writer Peter Graham was able to get hands-on with the Oculus Go at the Game Developer Conference saying: “…for this brief first look Oculus Go certainly offers a compelling VR experience. It may not offer roomscale, inside-out tracking like Vive Focus but for $199 there’s already plenty of tech built in. If standalone devices like Oculus Go become popular the days of plugging a phone into a HMD may be numbered.”
They Suspect Nothing will be able at launch for the Oculus Go and will also be coming to the Samsung Gear VR. Though no set release date has been announced you can expect the title to drop later this year in Spring. A trailer is available to watch below.
VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest on They Suspect Nothing and Oculus Go in the future so make sure to stay tuned for more.
In the run up to the release of the highly anticipated Oculus Go standalone all-in-one virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD), Oculus confirmed a number of titles that will be part of the launch content for the platform.
The Oculus Go HMD will provide users with a chance to experience stunning and immersive content all without the need for a mobile device or computer. With the all-in-one design offering three degrees of freedom (3DoF) along with an orientation-tracked controller, the Oculus Go will be a lightweight and portable solution for those wanting to experience VR.
Settlers of Catan (Catan VR) will be a launch title for Oculus Go offering players a chance to enjoy the hugely successful board game of the same name. Released today for the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR, the Oculus Go release will be cross-play compatible with the other versions allowing players to come together and play regardless of the platform of their choice.
Anshar Online, the next evolution of the popular VR franchise, Anshar Wars, will bring a rich single-player campaign to Oculus Go that can be enjoyed alone or with friends. The massive multiplayer online (MMO) space shooter where six players will be able to seamless play cross-device with Oculus Go, Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift.
They Suspect Nothing invites players to complete a series of bizarre tasks, tests and puzzles to prove they are not human. Featuring over 20 mini-games, with downloadable content available as well, across a number of levels. Players must do everything they can to ensure they the robots suspect nothing and make it through the challenges.
Lastly from developer Owlchemy Labs, creators of the popular Job Simulator, will be the follow-up title Vacation Simulator. In a similar vain to Job Simulator, players will be able to join computerized companions beach-side for some virtual relaxation.
All of these titles will be available on Samsung Gear VR as well as the Oculus Go, offering players more choices when it comes to picking a platform to play on.
The Game Developer Conference is running all week and VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest from the show throughout the week.
Oculus Go was a big focus of the company’s 2018 Game Developers Conference session today, so it’s only natural that we saw some new games announced for the standalone platform alongside other Oculus hardware.
First up is a game you knew about: Catan VR. The virtual version of this classic boardgame is actually launching on the Oculus Rift and Gear VR today with cross-play and will also support cross-play when it launches on Go in the coming months. We went hands-on with the VR build yesterday and found it to be just as fun as playing in real life.
Next up is a surprise sequel to a hit Gear VR series. OZWE Games is working on Anshar Online, again coming to all three platforms with cross-play support in the near future. Those familiar with Anshar will know it for its exciting space combat, and this iteration will feature co-op play and PVP across 50 different missions.
Finally we have They Suspect Nothing, which we don’t know a whole lot about yet other than that it too is cross-play across all three Oculus headsets. Look for more details on that one after we’ve gone hands-on at the Oculus Booth today.
Now Oculus wasn’t exactly giving lengthy demos at its Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2018 booth, allowing what seemed like enough time to learn the controls, figure out what the hell was going on before being booted out. They Suspect Nothing is a collection of 12 mini-games that definitely seemed like a showcase for 
There’s no question that They Suspect Nothing will have high production values – the voice cast includes award-winning actor Jim Broadbent – and 
