2021 had some classic virtual reality (VR) videogames arrive including indie gems like Mare. The work of Visiontrick Media, a team based in Sweden and Japan, Mare offered a wonderfully imagined world and puzzles, even if it was a little short. Initially exclusive to Meta Quest, the studio has now confirmed Mare is coming to SteamVR later this month.
Since the Quest launch, Visiontrick Media has worked on making sure Mare fully utilises the extra power PC VR headsets can access. “The PC version will feature a whole new level of visual fidelity including real-time lightning among other improvements making it an even more engrossing experience to savour in virtual reality,” the studio notes in a statement.
Mare is set in a mysterious world that you view from overhead, controlling a mechanical bird from perch to perch. As you do so you encounter a young girl who’s seemingly lost and in need of your help. You then have to guide your new AI companion through a vast interlocking landscape, full of deadly traps and a few inhabitants.
Spanning eight chapters, Mare rolls from open puzzle to the next, slowly revealing its narrative as well as hidden secrets if you’re observant.
Reviewing the Meta Quest version of Mare, gmw3 said: “Mare is as an enchanting as it is bewildering. There’s nothing wrong with its vague narrative as that mystery is what keeps it interesting[…] but just because it is pretty doesn’t mean to say Mare forms a cohesive whole, feeling like it’s not quite reached its potential.”
Mare is scheduled to launch on SteamVR for PC VR headsets on 17th March 2022. Check out the new trailer below and for further updates on the latest VR games, keep reading gmw3.
Visiontrick Media has been working on its first virtual reality (VR) title Mare since at least 2016, a puzzle experience with beautiful scenery and a mysterious plotline all about a girl who needs your help. Little had been heard from the team until the title reappeared on the Oculus Store, now exclusive to Oculus Quest. But can a videogame which looks gorgeous yet seemingly unchanged after all these years still offer the type of VR gameplay everyone now expects?
When you first look at Mare its scenic, atmospheric visuals are instantly enthralling, a patchwork of sweeping vistas that stretch far into the distance. From open grassy plains to crumbling ruins of settlements long forgotten, the pastel colours and low-poly design in combination with the ambient soundtrack by space music pioneer Tony Gerber create a relaxing, almost meditative experience.
You’ll find yourself in control of a mechanical bird, a steampunk style creation which is repeated throughout Mare, providing a stark contrast to the landscape it inhabits. As this bird, you become acquainted with a young girl who appears lost, in doing so you both help each other navigate the towering peaks and dilapidated buildings looking for a way through.
Nothing is ever explained in Mare. There’s no text, voice or options of any kind to explain why you’re here or what you’re supposed to do. That’s left entirely to your imagination and also in part due to the simple, linear structure of the gameplay. Comfort is a complete non-issue as the bird you control moves between electrified pylons with a click of the controller, fading in and out between locations. So it’s best to find a comfy chair that spins for the approximate three hours the game will take to play through.
While the point-to-point flying creates a comfortable experience it does make Mare feel somewhat dated as the lack of being able to freely fly through the valleys and into the clouds – which it looked like you could do in video clips – would’ve been great. It wouldn’t have helped the puzzles just the sense of freedom as you want to explore this lush landscape yet you’re constrained to the various pylons which mark your route. There are also no gaze controls, removed in favour of point and click interaction with a single controller which floats as a ghostly outline, ruining the view and the immersion.
And that view needs to be good as you wait for the girl to run through the level. This is actually part of the overall puzzle design as she’ll follow you, chattering away in a seemingly made-up language. She’s got plenty of leg work to do, running up and down steps endlessly yet always happy in her task. It’s very endearing and even with the annoying four lines she repeats when she disappears from view, you do begin to worry where she’s gone. You don’t have anywhere near the character connection titles like Mossemploy, yet the barren environment coupled with the superb musical score ensures Mare has an ambience and soul few VR projects achieve.
The main environmental challenges aren’t that taxing which can make the first half of Mare seem more like an interactive experience rather than a fully-fledged videogame. It’s the lost artefacts littering the levels which provide the real meat of the gameplay, some hide in plain sight yet they all require careful examination of the environment to collect, only the girl can pick them up and you can’t directly manoeuvre her. They’re well worth collecting and thankfully the studio put in a chapter and map select do aid that process, the only option selection in the whole game.
Mare is as an enchanting as it is bewildering. There’s nothing wrong with its vague narrative as that mystery is what keeps it interesting. The art style never gets boring and the detail achieved on the Oculus Quest 2 makes it a feast for the eyes. But (and there’s always a but) just because it is pretty doesn’t mean to say Mare forms a cohesive whole, feeling like it’s not quite reached its potential. The whole experience goes by in a blink even when waiting for the girl the catch-up. Mare is one of those VR videogames worth a look at some point, even if it’s just for the view.
A few days ago VRFocus reported on Visiontrick Media’s long-awaited puzzle title Mare appearing on Oculus Quest’s ‘Coming Soon’ section of the store. Today, the studio has released a brand new trailer whilst confirming the launch date will take place this week.
Previously, the last footage from the indie team was over a year old, released for SXSW 2019 when the videogame was only slated for the Oculus Rift. As so much has changed in that time in regards to the Oculus platform it’s no surprise that Oculus Quest has become the main focus whilst the Rift has taken a back seat.
To that end, Visiontrick Media is releasing Mare first for Oculus Quest, saying in a recent statement: “After years in the works, we’re happy to announce that it will finally see the light of day coming exclusively for Oculus Quest on January 7th, 2021. Mare will deliver the full experience on both Oculus Quest 1 & 2, including 90Hz support for Oculus Quest 2; furthermore, Mare will be coming to Oculus Rift at a later date in the near future.”
Looking like it’ll be the first Oculus Quest release of 2021, Mare is a gorgeous puzzle experience by a small 3-man operation based between Sweden and Japan. In the videogame you embody a mysterious artificial bird, able to fly through this vast crumbling landscape with only one mission, to help guide and protect a girl on her adventure.
As the new trailer showcases, even with Oculus Quest’s performance, the visuals do look quite epic. Viewed entirely third-person, when you’re not soaring through the skies the bird can perch to activate various switches and other interactive objects remotely so the girl can navigate the environment.
Mare‘s narrative unfolds over eight chapters, with an ambient atmosphere created by live space music pioneer Tony Gerber’s otherworldly music. Along the way, you’ll want to hunt for hidden artefacts which help to unlock secrets in the videogame.
With Mare arriving this Thursday for Oculus Quest, as more details of the Rift version are released, VRFocus will let you know.
There are plenty of exciting virtual reality (VR) titles arriving across 2021 for headsets including Oculus Quest. Recently, Visiontrick Media’s puzzle adventure Mare has appeared on the Oculus Store, with the launch slated for the beginning of the year.
Mare isn’t a new videogame out of nowhere, in fact, the title was first revealed back in 2016 with Visiontrick Media teaming up with Oculus for a platform exclusive. The newest trailer arrived in 2019 as the team exhibited Mare at SXSW in Austin, a launch slated for that summer. For those that have been following its development, the wait is almost over recent tweets confirm.
The videogame looks like it’ll be quite the puzzle adventure where you control a mechanical bird who needs to protect and guide a helpless AI companion. Offering gorgeous environments to explore, your job is to get your charge to her destination as part of her destiny. Needless to say, there’s a mysterious storyline to uncover whilst doing so.
This takes place across eight chapters, all filled with lost artefacts to discover which help to unlock a final secret. You do all of this with your gaze, soaring through the skies or swooping through valley’s purely looking in the direction you want to go. This should make for a comfortable, seated experience for most players, hopefully.
Currently, Mare only appears on Oculus Quest’s ‘Coming Soon’ section of the Oculus Store but Visiontrick Media has confirmed an Oculus Rift version is also due. “There will be a Rift version as well, but it will arrive slightly later than the Quest version,” the team said on Twitter.
Whilst Oculus Quest owners have got Mare, Yupitergrad,Baba Yaga and The Climb 2 to look forward to, if you’re new to the platform then head over to VRFocus’ roundup of the “Best Oculus Quest Games of 2020” for some content suggestions. As further details regarding Mare are released, VRFocus will let you know.
