Category: Werewolves Within

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Ubisoft Releases Major Patch for Werewolves Within

Earlier this month Ubisoft published Red Storm developed cross-platform title Werewolves Within. Offering a simultaneous launch on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR, Werewolves Within is a pure multiplayer videogame, and now the first patch has arrived to improve the gameplay experience.

The patch doesn’t add any additional features merely fixing a load of bugs that players on each of the three systems have found. Most of them also seem to be the same issues for each head-mounted display (HMD), for example a bug that prevented an eighth player from joining a match has now been fixed, or the mic not working on joining a match.

Werewolves Within screenshot 1

An online multiplayer party title for between five to eight people, Werewolves Within is set in the small medieval town of Gallowston.  Players are randomly randomly assigned roles and abilities, with one of these being a werewolf. It’s up to the other players in the group to utilise the skills of their characters, along with a guidebook with hints, and the power of persuasion to assess each other. Each round is played quickly, assigning players new roles every time, mixing up gameplay.

Checkout the full changelog below on the updates, and for further details on Werewolves Within, keep reading VRFocus.

PlayStation VR
• Sometimes an eighth player cannot join the match.
– This is an unreported bug that we have detected and cleared up.
• Any number of spectators will quick match into a 7 player game.
– This was the bug where spectators were not guaranteed a slot in the next round.
• Mic may not work on joining a match.
– This was the problem where you had to exit the match and re-enter.
• Game unplayable after rebooting the headset while receiving an invite.
– This was an unreported bug.
• Fixed an issue where the game would not end correctly due to a combination of roles.
• Fixed an issue causing the book to disappear.
• Fixed the “looping scenes” matchmaking bug.
• Fixed a bug where kicked players were not removed in a timely manner.
• Fixed bug with main menu buttons/selections not responding. If you are experiencing this on a PC, please make sure that the game is selected before you put the headset back on. This is as easy as clicking on the main game window on your screen. If the game is not selected, it will not recognize button input.

*Please note that we are working with Sony to investigate crashes that occur on PS4 Pro.

Oculus Rift
• Fixed an issue where players are unable to enter a room if all players leave with a spectator during discussion phase.
– This is an unreported bug that we have detected and cleared up.
• Fixed an issue where Automatic Gain Control is disabled every round of play.
• Fixed an issue where Sometimes an eighth player cannot join the match.
– This is an unreported bug that we have detected and cleared up.
• Fixed an issue where any number of spectators will quick match into a 7 player game.
– This was the bug where spectators were not guaranteed a slot in the next round.
• Fixed an issue where the mic may not work on joining a match.
– This was the problem where you had to exit the match and re-enter.
• Fixed an issue where the game was unplayable after rebooting the headset while receiving an invite.
– This was an unreported bug.
• Fixed an issue where the game would not end correctly due to a combination of roles.
• Fixed an issue causing the book to disappear.
• Fixed the “looping scenes” matchmaking bug.
• Fixed a bug where kicked players were not removed in a timely manner.
• Fixed bug with main menu buttons/selections not responding

HTC Vive
• Fixed an issue where Vive controllers could not interact with book while spectating.
• Fixed an issue where players are unable to enter a room if all players leave with a spectator during discussion phase.
– This is an unreported bug that we have detected and cleared up.
• Fixed an issue where Automatic Gain Control is disabled every round of play.
• Fixed an issue where Sometimes an eighth player cannot join the match.
– This is an unreported bug that we have detected and cleared up.
• Fixed an issue where any number of spectators will quick match into a 7 player game.
– This was the bug where spectators were not guaranteed a slot in the next round.
• Fixed an issue where the mic may not work on joining a match.
– This was the problem where you had to exit the match and re-enter.
• Fixed an issue where the game was unplayable after rebooting the headset while receiving an invite.
– This was an unreported bug.
• Fixed an issue where the game would not end correctly due to a combination of roles.
• Fixed an issue causing the book to disappear.
• Fixed the “looping scenes” matchmaking bug.
• Fixed a bug where kicked players were not removed in a timely manner.
• Fixed bug with main menu buttons/selections not responding.

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‘Werewolves Within’ Review

Based on the popular party game Mafia (also known as Werewolf), Werewolves Within represents Ubisoft’s first dive into the world of social VR games. I first got my hands on the game at GDC earlier this year, and while it remains basically the same since I last played, really settling into the gameplay provided me with some amount of insight into myself, including just how comfortable I am lying to complete strangers. The answer: I’m surprisingly comfortable.

Werewolves Within Details:

Developer: Red Storm Entertainment
Publisher: Ubisoft
Available On: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PSVR 
Reviewed on: HTC Vive
Release Date: December 6th, 2016

Gameplay

If you’ve ever played the party game Mafia, which is designed around the idea of assuming a number of assigned ‘innocent’ roles in effort to root out the bad guys, you’ll be right at home with Werewolves Within. When starting a match (requiring at least 6 people), you’re automatically assigned 1 of 11 different roles, each with their own abilities. Your job, providing you’re neither a Werewolf, Turncloak, or Deviant, is to sniff out and correctly guess who among you is a shape shifting fiend.

werewolves-within-roles

Thankfully the game provides a handy in-game reference guide to see what role is what, so first-timers can jump in without too much fuss. That same guide can also be used to vote for the suspected Werewolf, use your unique abilities, and mute/kick fellow players.

Because everyone was functionally a newcomer to the game, the playsessions I participated in were casual and pretty forgiving, but I can imagine savvier players picking it up and dominating once they get an instinctual handle on how each role functions.

It took a few matches until I was assigned the Werewolf, and I was surprised to see another Werewolf sitting across from me. We exchanged a furtive glance, and taking his lead we started to gang up on what was revealed to be a the Drifter sitting next to me, a British guy playing on PSVR.

Like most players, he would lean over to the left or right of him to initiate the ‘Whisper Mode’ and secretly talk to people next to him. Eventually I stood up, initiating a ‘Speech Mode’ that lets you mute all other players, and summarily accused him of conspiring against us, the peace-loving townsfolk. Hook. Line. And sinker.

Of course, once voting was over and we had falsely convicted the Drifter, my Werewolf-kin and I were ousted to reveal our true natures. Absolutely sure that no one would trust me from that point forward, I left the match for another group.

WerewolvesWithin_BookInTownsquare_FINAL

The game is cross-compatible with PSVR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, and also offers private matches so you can try out your new deception tactics on friends and family. And while the aim of the game is virtual deception, I really wouldn’t be surprised if I made real friends in the process during random quick matches.

Any which way you slice it, Werewolves Within proves to be cleverly balanced and frighteningly fun.

Immersion

Setting the right atmosphere for a game is important, and that goes doubly so for one that’s essentially static like Werewolves. Thankfully the game is absolutely dripping with cool outdoor set pieces, that because of a constant bustling of background wildlife, really makes the game feel alive. It’s actually a shame you can’t get up out of your seat and explore the Romani camp, or the little village’s various pubs, stores and churches. They’re just too expressive not to be curious.

WerewolvesWithin_CaravanCamp_FINAL

Set in the fictional town of Gallowston, a cartoony Central European village filled with timber-framed houses seemingly pulled straight from classic monster movies like Frankenstein (1931) or The Wolf Man (1941), you’re supplied with a randomly assigned avatar. Around the campfire you’ll see Romani fortunetellers, headscarf-clad spinsters, gruff tradesmen, hunters, and an assortment of dopey looking serfs. This is where the polished aesthetic of the game somewhat clashes with my idea of personal choice.

Firstly, you can’t choose your avatar, which isn’t the worst thing in the world I suppose. But regardless of whether you have hand controllers like PSVR Move, the Vive’s controllers or the recently released Oculus Touch, you are constricted to use automatic emotes, i.e. ‘press A for clap your hands’. This is by far my least favorite part of the game. I would much rather have the weirdness of imperfect inverse kinematics that you see in other games than downgrade my positionally-tracked hand controllers to that of a mere gamepad. Because of this I ended up not using the emotes, often times forgetting they were there and uselessly waving my controllers to no effect. The next time I play, I’ll probably use a gamepad, which is a damn shame.

Comfort

As a 100% static experience, you’ll either be sitting the whole time or standing very briefly to activate ‘Speech Mode’, so there’s no artificial locomotion to contend with. This makes Werewolves Within hands down one of the most comfortable VR games to play, which would be great for inexperienced users like curious moms and dads who just don’t quite see a point in VR just yet.

Although not specifically a point on comfort, getting out of your seat and walking around the environment proves to be a bit unsettling as your avatars head is stretched form its still seated body—so staying in your relative real-world position is a must.

exemplar-2We partnered with AVA Direct to create the Exemplar 2 Ultimate, our high-end VR hardware reference point against which we perform our tests and reviews. Exemplar 2 is designed to push virtual reality experiences above and beyond what’s possible with systems built to lesser recommended VR specifications.

The post ‘Werewolves Within’ Review appeared first on Road to VR.

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Ubisoft’s Werewolves Within Sees Simultaneous Launch on Rift, Vive and PSVR

There’s not many videogames that offer true cross-platform support for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR. The most well known is CCP Games’ EVE: Valkyrie, but today another title enters the fold, this time from Ubisoft in the form of Werewolves Within. 

Werewolves Within screenshot 1

For those that haven’t been following VRFocus’ coverage of Werewolves Within, the virtual reality (VR) videogame is being developed by Red Storm. It’s an online multiplayer party title for between five to eight people, that combines immersive technology with the classic competitiveness of playing with friends around a game table. Set in the small medieval town of Gallowston, players are randomly randomly assigned roles and abilities, with one of these being a werewolf. It’s up to the other players in the group to utilise the skills of their characters, along with a guidebook with hints, and the power of persuasion to assess each other. Each round is played quickly, assigning players new roles every time, mixing up gameplay.

Ubisoft has released a brand new trailer for the launch (seen below) which mixes gameplay footage with player engagement, showcasing what to expect from the title. Werewolves Within can be downloaded now from each of the head-mounted displays (HMDs) respective stores. And for further Ubisoft announcements, keep reading VRFocus.

 

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‘Werewolves Within’ Review: Lies and Deception in Social VR

‘Werewolves Within’ Review: Lies and Deception in Social VR

When a crackling campfire is in front of you inside a virtual reality headset, it’s easy to forget that you’re actually just wearing pajama pants and an old t-shirt in the middle of the afternoon at your apartment. On my left is a suspicious older man that keeps shifting back and forth in his seat and quickly glancing down, while on my right is a woman that won’t stop staring at me, studying my every move. The mood is tense.

As the Werewolf in the group, I know the guy across from me, on the other side of the campfire, is also a Werewolf, but no one else knows for sure. We have to keep it a secret and try to divert the attention away from ourselves. The timer is ticking down and I need to avoid further suspicion, so I proclaim that the person on my right is lying about who they are. They’re not a Villager like they said because I’m actually the Drifter and I know there is only one Villager in the group, and that’s the person across from me, the person I actually know to be the other Werewolf.

Arguments start. Someone stands up, silencing everyone else, to proclaim that they suspect this same person as well, and that we should all vote to eliminate him because he must be the Werewolf. Moments later, we cast our votes. 1 for me, probably from the guy I just threw under the bus, and every other vote for him. At the end, it’s revealed who the real Werewolves are, myself included, and everyone hangs their heads and laughs. I successfully fooled them all!

What I just described was far from my first time playing a round of Werewolves Within, it must have been my fifth or sixth game. The first time playing it makes very little sense due to how complex the rules and roles are. The second time you play a round, everything makes a whole lot more sense. During a game, you can open up a book that includes detailed information about each of the roles, a list of emotes you can set to hotkey buttons, and a bunch of other information.

Each role has a unique purpose and they’re randomly assigned at the start of each round. The role you choose will determine your objective. There is always at least one Werewolf, but there could be more as well. Their goal is to try and eliminate the Saint, or trick the other townsfolk into voting for the non-Werewolf players. Villagers can band together and nominate a ring leader to give them increased voting power. Drifters can identify two roles that are not present during that match. Trackers can lean in to whisper and identify which side of the campfire has a Werewolf. And so on. There are several different roles, each adding their own wrinkle to the experience, and casting their own forms of doubt and suspicion.

Werewolves Within is clearly inspired most heavily by Mafia, the classic party game, as it is about equal parts subterfuge and persuasion. Come on too strong and people might suspect you trying to deflect. Stay too quiet and people may get suspicious. Accuse the wrong person and it could backfire. You can even lean to your left or right to have a private whisper conversation with someone that no one else can hear, but it could raise suspicion.

Several subtle game mechanics help elevate the experience even further, such as the long list of emotes you can do, from thumbs up expressions, to laughter, and more. The voice recognition moves your mouth and face to mimic your tone and inflection, plus it causes your avatar’s hands to animate as they’re talking. Werewolves Within is playable on the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive — all without motion controls — and is cross-platform across all headsets with an identical experience.

Due to the fact that each match not only requires at least five players to even start, but also active, vocal, and social participants to work well, the multiplayer population of VR users could be a very noticeable bottleneck. However, the cross-platform multiplayer should hopefully alleviate those issues.

The lack of motion controller support at least as an option was a bit of a letdown, but it makes sense to advocate parity across devices. There are only a handful of maps, but they all offer an identical experience. It’s difficult to have the same type of match twice since avatars, roles, and the people you play with can be different each time, but unless you have a good group of talkative individuals, it could quickly grow stale.

Final Score: 7.5/10 – Very Good

Werewolves Within is a creative and comical social VR experience that’s unlike anything else available in the medium, but it comes with a high learning curve and high barrier to entry. The various roles are complex and difficult to remember, even with your quick-reference book, and the mandatory group sizes could quell the fun if the player base isn’t large enough. The cross-platform multiplayer is a great addition, but there seems to be a relative lack of variety in gameplay, especially considering how dependent on the intelligence and personality of others that you are. But with the right friends and a fun group, you could easily play this for hours and never get tired of the deceptive persuasions.

Werewolves Within is available for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive. Read our Game Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score.

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Ubisoft’s VR Titles Are All Getting Online, Cross-Platform Multiplayer Support

Ubisoft’s VR Titles Are All Getting Online, Cross-Platform Multiplayer Support

In a blog post today, Ubisoft (Assassins Creed, Watch Dogs) announced that it will be bringing cross-platform multiplayer functionality to its growing list of virtual reality games.

Last week I wrote a story asking does VR gaming have a multiplayer problem? One of the examples I used in that story was Eagle Flight [Review: 7.5/10] from Ubisoft. Eagle Flight offers a multiplayer, 3-on-3 online gameplay mode. When playing on the Oculus Rift I have a very hard time finding enough other users to fill out a full game. However, Eagle Flight is also available on PlayStation VR, and Ubisoft’s sudden pivot towards cross platform gaming may be an attempt to combine user bases and create a more stable multiplayer experience for players. It’s a move that had wonderful results for EVE: Valkyrie [Review: 9/10], a multiplayer space dogfighting game available for Rift, PS VR, and Vive — all with cross-platform multiplayer.

“Making our VR titles cross-platform has been a goal of ours from the start and we’re happy to announce that Eagle Flight, Werewolves Within, and Star Trek: Bridge Crew will be playable cross-platform on PSVR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive,” David Votypka, senior creative director at Red Storm (the Ubisoft studio making Star Trek: Bridge Crew) said via today’s blog post. “Our games feature strong multiplayer experiences, so letting friends play together regardless of which headset they own will enhance the social nature of our games and let them be played the way we envisioned.”

There are three factors that could be driving this decision. 1) there aren’t enough players on any one headset to support multiplayer gameplay, 2) letting customers know they will be able to play Ubisoft games with all of their VR-capable friends could help drive sales for these games, and 3) cross-play is simply a more open, enjoyable experience for players.

In the end, a combination of these reasons is likely pushing Ubisoft to make their VR games cross-play.

Eagle Flight cross-play multiplayer will be available starting tomorrow, November 29. Werewolves Within and Star Trek: Bridge Crew will “support cross-platform play on their respective launch days.”

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VR Together: Ubisoft Bringing Cross-Platform Play Across VR Titles

Looking to play any of Ubisoft’s forthcoming virtual reality (VR) titles online? Your opponent, or partner might not be on the same head-mounted display (HMD). They might not even be on the same base system. Revealed today on the Ubisoft Blog, the games publisher has revealed that not only will Eagle Flight allow Oculus Rift and HTC Vive players to battle each other, but PlayStation VR users will also be able to join the fun. Taking the console VR vs PC VR argument to the battleground that is the skies above the ruins of Paris.

EagleFlight_E32016 (5)

This itself is only a first step however, with cross-platform gameplay coming to Ubisoft’s other VR titles. Star Trek: Bridge Crew and Werewolves Within “from launch”.

Speaking on the Ubisoft Blog, David Votypka, the Senior Creative Director at Red Storm Entertainment (developers of Star Trek: Bridge Crew explained how it all came about.

“Making our VR titles cross-platform has been a goal of ours from the start and we’re happy to announce that Eagle Flight, Werewolves Within, and Star Trek: Bridge Crew will be playable cross-platform on PSVR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive. Our games feature a strong multiplayer experiences, so letting friends play together regardless of which headset they own will enhance the social nature of our games and let them be played the way we envisioned.”

VRFocus will bring you more information about Ubisoft’s VR line-up as the additional platforms and titles are released.

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Amazon’s Cyber Monday Deals Include PlayStation VR Software Discounts

The Black Friday deals are now over but that doesn’t mean to say there’s not more discounts available. For today we have Cyber Monday, where online retailers provide even further discounts to tempt eager shoppers. Online retail giant Amazon is well known for its offers at this time of year and today its now providing discounts on several PlayStation VR titles.

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) head-mounted display (HMD) has only been on sale for just over a month, and these Amazon deals look to be the first available for owners of the device.

RIGS New Screenshot

Currently on offer (but only for US customers) are:

Batman: Arkham VR – $16.99 USD ($19.99) – 15% off

DriveClub VR – $33.99 ($39.99) – 15% off

Eagle Flight – $33.99 ($39.99) – 15% off

RIGS: Mechanized Combat League – $42.49 ($49.99) – 15% off

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood – $16.99 ($19.99) – 15% off

Loading Human – $29.99 ($39.99) – 25% off

Star Trek: Bridge Crew – $50.99 ($59.99) – 15% off (Pre-order)

Werewolves Within – £25.49 ($29.99) – 15% off (Pre-order)

 

It’s likely that most PlayStation VR owners will have picked up titles such as Batman: Arkham VR and RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, as this selection does include some of the most widely promoted videogames for the platform.

But with Christmas only a few weeks away expect even more virtual reality (VR) experiences to arrive for the headset, such as the recently announced Pinball FX2 VR by Zen Studios.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of PlayStation VR reporting back with all the latest announcements.

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Ubisoft Highlight’s All of its VR Titles in New Trailer

Some of the big videogame publishers have been fairly hesitant in supporting virtual reality (VR), unsure of how popular the technology will actually be. Ubisoft on the other hand has four titles that are either out or coming out for the major head-mounted displays (HMD), and today the company has released a brand new trailer showcasing them all.

The four videogames are Trackmania Turbo, Eagle Flight, Werewolves Within and Star Trek: Bridge Crew, all of which will support the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR headsets.

EagleFlight_E32016 (3)

Trackmania Turbo was the earliest title to be confirmed for VR but has yet to receive a release date for the HMDs, even though it launched on Steam earlier this year. It’s an extreme, gravity defying racer featuring 200 tracks split over five difficulty levels, across 4 different environments: Rollercoaster Lagoon, International Stadium, Canyon Grand Drift and Valley Down & Dirty.

Eagle Flight is a single and multiplayer experience in which players control eagles flying through the streets and skies of a deserted Paris. The videogame has already launched on Oculus Rift, with the PlayStation VR version arriving on 8th November and the HTC Vive version on 20th, December 2016.

Werewolves Within has been the quietest of the bunch, a multiplayer title for 5 to eight people, in which players have to deduce which of the group is actually a werewolf. The videogames release date is currently listed on Ubisoft’s website as 6th, December 2016 for all three HMDs.

The last VR title on the list is probably the biggest, Star Trek: Bridge Crew. This was announced just prior to E3 2016, with a trailer featuring Star Trek characters old and new playing the title using Oculus Touch. Another multiplayer, players have to work as a team to fly the U.S.S. Aegis into uncharted space. Star Trek: Bridge Crew recently had a launch delay, it’ll be arriving for Oculus Touch, PlayStation VR and HTC Vive on 14th, March 2016.

For all the latest VR updates from Ubisoft, keep reading VRFocus.