Wolfgang Tschauko – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

July 14, 2020

VR Giants Seeks a Helping Hand as Kickstarter Begins

Crowd-funding can be a vital avenue for indie developers hoping to realize their creative vision, whether they’re aiming for the big bucks or a goal which is a little more modest. When it comes to new Kickstarter campaign VR Giants the latter is in effect.

Solo developer Wolfgang Tschauko is looking to raise €10,000 EUR to help polish the project he’s been working on for the past three years. VR Giants is a local co-op experience where a VR player becomes the giant and a non-VR player controls the pint-sized David via a PC monitor.

Gameplay involves soling puzzles together, the goal being to collect coins scattered around the level to open the next stage. David is able to wander around the environment freely with only a very basic jump mechanic, whilst the giant is tethered to points yet able to easily pick up useful items such as wooden planks to facilitate David’s traversal across more difficult terrain.

The core mechanics of VR Giants are already in place so Tschauko wants to use the funding to help improve the overall experience, enhancing the graphics and sound by creating a team to work on the project. He notes on the campaign page that the low funding target is because the Austrian government will double whatever he manages to raise.

The campaign is already off to a good start having raised a quarter of its goal on the first day. A limited super early bird tier has already sold out so the cheapest way to get a copy is via the €19 (£18 GBP) tier. As is the Kickstarter way, send more money and you’ll get more goodies.

Supporting PC VR headsets like Oculus Rift, Valve Index, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality, there’s a free demo so you can try VR Giants before dropping any cash. Or take a look at VRFocus’ preview for more info.

As the campaign continues, VRFocus will update you on its progress.

July 13, 2020

Preview: VR Giants – Challenges Both Big and Small

This week will see solo developer Wolfgang Tschauko take the next step required to see the project he has been working on for the last three years, co-op adventure VR Giants, come to life; a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign. The title has appeared at events in various forms over the years and now Tschauko wants to expand the team, make VR Giants prettier for an official launch on Steam. The Kickstarter will feature a single level to demo, giving backers a better idea of the gameplay but VRFocus has been given access to a few more to sample the co-op mechanics further.

Co-op titles have always been great ways for friends to team up and that essence has been used to unique effect across a range of VR experiences, not just headset to headset but also between VR and non-VR players. Early examples of this were seen in PlayStation VR’s The Playroom VR while a recent one would be Carly and the Reaperman. Unlike the latter, VR Giants is purely co-op, directly playing upon the need for both players to work together or else progression is impossible.

VR Giants plays upon the classic David and Goliath dynamic where the giant seems to be the most powerful yet in actuality isn’t. The non-VR players controls the tiny David, running around collecting coins to unlock a castle which blocks the next area. Naturally, these coins are located in areas either too high or barred by some immovable object which is where the big guy comes in. The VR giant doesn’t have free run of the level however, tethered to certain points in the area. Movement between these can only be activated by David using a nearby switch.

But the VR player does have full roomscale movement to wander around their limited area, grab useful items or pick David up when required. Which makes for plenty of effort on the VR players part. From that lofty height you get a great view of the overall scene, helping convey where your buddy should go next and what they need to look out for. Because the giant is impervious, able to grab volcanic balls of rock to smash items apart whilst spikes, lava and other dangers can kill David instantly.

So the giant can use wooden planks, boxes and its hands to transport David wherever needed. It’s a mechanic which truly unites both players in the adventure, David’s life is literally in the giant’s hands. With VR Giants still needing development it does look graphically very basic – hence the Kickstarter to employ an artist – yet the puzzles offered a nice variety of both mental a physical challenges. As the giant, you’re having to constantly bend down to help the smaller player or throwing/moving objects. As David, it’s all about precision jumping and correctly placing yourself to aid the giant’s efforts.

The only thing that makes some of the gameplay awkward at this stage is the low gravity feeling all the objects have. Moving or placing a wooden plank has a soft, floaty sensation, so everything has a slight bounce to it; not always good if David is on said plank! So a simple puzzle can become slightly more long-winded if the process is rushed.

From what VRFocus has seen so far VR Giants is shaping up very well from both perspectives. Playing as the giant is the most rewarding as there’s generally more to do. Plus, with no locomotion to worry about means that it should be a comfortable experience for any player. VR Giants presents a passion project that neatly blurs the lines between VR and non-VR gaming, and while there’s still a way to go it’ll be interesting to see how Tschauko further explores his idea.

July 7, 2020

Co-op Puzzle-Platformer VR Giants to Launch Kickstarter Next Week

Everyone loves a co-op videogame, especially when it’s local with a mate or two. Titles like The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure and Carly and the Reaperman – Escape from the Underworld are great examples of this. Soon this genre will see another enter the fold, VR Giants, as the indie developer behind the project will be launching a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign to help finish the videogame.

VR Giants is the work of solo developer Wolfgang Tschauko who has been working on the title for three years. Having already taken it to several festivals over the years and winning awards (won “Best Concept” ReVersed Festival, Vienna, 2017 & “Innovation in Games” LUDICIOUS Zurich Game Festival, Zurich 2019) Tschauko now wants to complete VR Giants by building a team.

Played locally on one PC, in VR Giants the VR player controls the Goliath who can build bridges with its hands or grab environmental objects to help David (the PC player) navigate the levels, protecting him where necessary.

As a dwarf, David is highly vulnerable to dangers like fire and spikes but only he can collect the coins and keys required to complete each level. Goliath, on the other hand, has no such worries. However, the giant can only be summoned by David to a new area with movement limited to that specific location.

Currently, in an Alpha state, the Kickstarter is: “mostly to fund an artist to help with the current work-in-progress visuals of the title,” said Tschauko in an email to VRFocus. As three years of work have already gone into VR Giants the gameplay already looks well developed but don’t take VRFocus’ word for it. When the campaign launches you’ll be able to play a free demo featuring a single level.

The VR Giants Kickstarter will officially launch on 14th July 2020 with the current plan to release the videogame via Steam in 2021. As further details regarding the Kickstarter campaign are made available, VRFocus will let you know.