Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife, the single-player horror-adventure set in the storied ‘World of Darkness’ universe, is finally set to launch on PSVR October 27th, delivering frights, intrigue, and plenty of opportunity for Alien: Isolation-style hide-and-seek.
Players on Oculus Quest and Rift have been able to play the ghoulish adventure since it launched back in April 2021, later coming to the full swath of SteamVR headsets in May.
Now its PSVR’s turn to serve up the hair-raising game of cat and mouse, which tasks you with unraveling the mystery of why you’ve been turned into a ghost, and what you have to do to finally exit the purgatory of the game’s haunted Hollywood mansion.
We gave Fast Travel Games’ Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife a solid [7.5/10] in our launch day review for serving up a fairly substantial slice of fear and intrigue.
The game’s narrative is a bit pulpy, and some bits of noticeably lower polish detracted a bit from immersion, but in the end the horror-adventure fundamentally delivered on its promise to get your heart racing—just in time for Halloween. Check out the game’s PSVR launch trailer below:
If you were looking forward to Fast Travel Games’ new horror title Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife arriving for PlayStation VR this Thursday, VRFocus has some bad news, it has been delayed. Thankfully not by much though, with the launch pushed back to the end of the month.
The studio didn’t give much of a reason why simply saying in a statement that: “The reason for the delay is that Fast Travel Games wants to ensure the game is delivered with the best possible experience on the platform.” Quite vague so maybe the team encountered a bug or some other critical issue?
In any case, you’re going to have to wait a few more weeks to play Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife, Fast Travel Games’ first virtual reality (VR) horror and one set in the World of Darkness shared story universe. An atmospheric title that aims to build the tension rather than throwing in loads of jump scares, you play as Ed Millar, a photographer who along with his girlfriend is invited to a seance at the sprawling Barclay Mansion.
Things go awry and you end up dead, stuck between the living world and the afterlife as a Wraith. in this new form you have to explore the mansion and discover the reason for your current predicament. As a Wraith you have supernatural abilities allowing you to move through walls, manipulate objects at a distance and track the movement of other spirits. Because you’re not alone in the mansion, Spectres, spirits of wrath and vengeance roam the corridors, each having their own connection to the house and its owner. These cannot be reasoned with or fought, hide and try not to get caught.
“For those that love slow and tense survival horror Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife certainly delivers. Coming in at around eight hours of nail-biting content, Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife does the World of Darkness proud,” said VRFocus in its Oculus Quest review.
The PlayStation VR release of Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife will now take place on 27th October 2021, retailing for $29.99 USD / £24.99 GBP / €24.99 Eur. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Fast Travel Games, reporting back with its latest announcements.
Looking for the new VR games October 2021 list? We’ve got you covered with our full rundown.
October is a frankly daunting month for VR releases with an enormous number of new games to talk about. From yet another new version of Resident Evil 4 to the launch of the final Oculus Rift exclusive, there’s sure to be something for you in this month’s selection. Let’s take a look.
As always you’ll find most of these titles on the Quest, Steam and PSVR stores.
New VR Games October 2021
Men in Black Arcade (October 1) – Dreamscape LA
Get down to Dreamscape in LA to be one of the first to experience a new Men in Black location-based VR experience. We don’t know what the experience involves but we’re guessing aliens, suits and hopefully some Noisy Crickets.
Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey (October 5)
Classic color matching gameplay comes to PSVR in a new version of Puzzle Bobble that reimagines the timeless series for 3D. Shoot bobbles with the Move controllers, take part in competitive multiplayer and, if you’re so inclined, join in on flatscreen too.
Song in the Smoke (October 7) – Quest, PSVR, Rift
17-Bit’s promising VR survival game will have you hunting for food, crafting resources and adapting to an advanced ecosystem with intelligent creature AI. We’re hoping that Song in the Smoke will offer a deep survival experience anyone can enjoy.
Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife (October 7) – PSVR
Having already launched on Quest and PC, Fast Travel Games’ spooky survival horror brings the World of Darkness universe to PSVR early in October. Become a Wraith, avoid horrifying Specters and try to solve the mystery behind your death.
Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrok (October 7) – Quest
A fantasy adventure game exclusive to Oculus Quest, Shadowgate is actually the first VR entry in a very long-running series that dates back to Macintosh PCs. You’ll wield magic, ride minecarts and explore ancient dwarven mines in what’s intended to be the first part of a new series.
Loco Dojo Unleashed (October 7) – Quest
Mario Party for VR, anyone? That’s pretty much Loco Dojo’s pitch, pitting up to four players head-to-head in frantic minigames. Unleashed is a revamped version specific to Quest, but it thankfully still features Brian Blessed and cross-buy with the Rift version.
Lone Echo II (October 12) – Rift
After numerous delays, the final Oculus Rift exclusive is nearly upon us. Lone Echo is a gorgeous, story-driven sci-fi series with a deep focus on exploration, platforming and puzzle solving. We can’t wait to catch up with Jack and Liv’s zero gravity adventures later this month.
Eye of the Temple (October 14) – PC VR
Eye of the Temple has been a long-time coming, but we’re still excited for this room-scale-based platformer. Navigate an ancient temple using moving tiles and crack your whip to avoid deadly traps. Just make sure you have the space to play before diving into this one.
Unplugged (October 21) – Quest (PC later)
Think of Unplugged as Guitar Hero… just without a guitar. This VR rhythm game uses finger-tracking for a unique air guitar experience. The tracklist includes the likes of The Clash, Rush, Weezer and Ozzy Osbourne. But will it actually work? We’ll find out later this month but don’t miss our Access coverage for more details.
Resident Evil 4 (October 21) – Quest 2
The immortal survival horror hit gets a brand new version designed exclusively for the Oculus Quest 2. Relive Leon’s journey through the horrors and try not to get your head cut off as you undertake a mission to save the President’s daughter. How will the game translate to VR? We’re eager to find out.
Do Not Open (Ocotber 31) – PSVR
PSVR fans have a real Halloween treat with Do Not Open on October 31st, a horror game announced last year where you’ll face plenty of scary puzzles as you try to escape the house. Heads up – puzzles, riddles and events are meant to change with each subsequent playthrough.
Iron Rebellion (Possibly October) – PC VR
This is a tentative date but the developers of promising VR mech game, Iron Rebellion, say that Early Access is just weeks away. We’ve had our eye on its immersive combat for some time, so fingers crossed this one delivers.
And that’s the list of New VR Games October 2021! What are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!
When it comes to virtual reality (VR) gaming October is not going to disappoint with a stunning array of titles set to be released. Next week kicks things off very nicely which is why The VR Drop has six videogames rather than five today, with PlayStation VR and Oculus Quest featuring prominently.
Survios teamed up with Taito to launch Puzzle Bobble VR: Vacation Odyssey for Oculus Quest, but for the PlayStation launch there’s been a slight name change to Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey. Why? Becuase the videogame will be playable in PlayStation 4, PS5 and PlayStation VR formats. Particularly useful considering there’s a PvP mode alongside the 100-level solo campaign. As this is Puzzle Bobble you should know what to expect, loads of colourful, ball popping puzzles to get your head around.
Supported platforms: PlayStation VR
Launch date: 5th October
Song in the Smoke – 17-BIT
The first VR title from Japan-based studio 17-BIT and it’s going to be quite the experience by the looks of things. Song in the Smoke is part survival adventure and part magical narrative, dropping players in a primordial wilderness where they’ll have to scavenge for resources and hunt to keep themselves fed and alive.
Supported platforms: PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift
Launch date: 7th October
Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrok – Zojoi LLC
Coming from indie team Zojoi and Azure Drop Studios, Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrok is an Oculus Quest exclusive. The first VR edition of the long-running Shadowgate franchise, players will be heading deep into dangerous dungeons filled with chambers of enemies and trap-laden corridors. Along the way they’ll have to defend themselves with elemental magic, solve devious puzzles and unlock ancient secrets.
Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife – Fast Travel Games
It’s finally time for Fast Travel Games’ VR horror Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife to make its way to PlayStation VR. Step into Barclay Mansion and explore this creepy Hollywood home, as a Wraith, stuck between the living world and the afterlife. Discover why you’re in this inbetween realm and beware the Spectres, horrible, twisted beings that’ll come running at the faintest sound. Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you’re safe.
Supported platforms: PlayStation VR
Launch date: 7th October
Loco Dojo Unleashed – Make Real
On a lighter note there’s mini-game mashup Loco Dojo Unleashed. Originally released in 2017 for PC VR headsets, this is the Oculus Quest edition with new tweaks and improvements to make the multiplayer mayhem even better. Offering solo and upto four-player multiplayer, Loco Dojo Unleashed is all about trying to win the Grand Sensei’s (voiced by Brian Blessed) coveted black headband. Work your way around the gameboard and through the four themed areas, Countryside, RockyDesert, Seaside and Foggy Swamp, with 16 games to try and master.
Previously on App Lab, multiplayer shooter Gun Raiders is making the leap to the official Oculus Quest Store next week! Featuring multiple gameplay modes including Assault, Team Deathmatch, Free For All and Control, players are able to engage in frantic shootouts in tightly designed arenas using a mixture of melee and ranged weaponry. And best for all, Gun Raider is free-to-play!
Having released virtual reality (VR) videogames like Apex Constructand Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife, Swedish studio Fast Travel Games is getting into third-party publishing. It announced a new publishing arm today, focused on utilising the team’s experience within the industry to provide services to other VR game developers.
The new publishing arm will help VR developers with funding, access to first-party platforms, marketing and PR, certification processes, quality assurance, storefront optimization, localization, age ratings, music licensing, and all the other variables required for a successful launch.
This new side of the business will be helmed by industry veteran and former Head of Games at Mojang Studios Patrick Liu, bringing more than 15 years of experience to the role.
“We’ve been fully committed to VR since founding the studio in 2016, and in that time we’ve collected experiences, expertise, and connections that are of huge value to smaller VR devs trying to find success in this market,” said Fast Travel Games CEO Oskar Burman in a statement. “VR is still a developing medium, and we want to use what we’ve learned and accomplished to contribute to its expansion and help bring more great games to market.”
“Right now we’re experiencing a turning point for VR, with consumer interest growing and technology becoming more accessible than ever before, due in no small part to the success of Oculus Quest and Quest 2,” Burman continued. “While we will continue to develop and publish games on all major platforms, Quest has changed the game. For our most recent launch, Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife, Quest has accounted for 90% of sales since launch. VR gaming will only continue to grow and expand, and we look forward to working with other developers to bring their visions to life on Quest and all VR platforms.”
While this is the official formation of the publishing arm, previously Fast Travel Games has worked with fellow Swedish studio Neat Corp to help launch its stealthy sequel Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency.
“I was thrilled to hear that Fast Travel Games is expanding to offer publishing! It’s a great way to extend the support and connections they have developed over the years to smaller development teams,” said Jenny Nordenborg, CEO of Neat Corporation. “From our experience collaborating with Fast Travel Games on Budget Cuts 2, we can confidently say this is an amazing opportunity for newer studios, and expect to see a few VR hits come out of their publishing arm!”
Any VR developers interested in pitching their project can find a new publishing section on Fast Travel Games’ website. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.
Fast Travel Games’ Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife lands on PSVR nearly six months on from launch on other platforms.
Update: Wraith’s PSVR launch has been pushed back a few weeks to October 27. Close to Halloween, at least! Original story is below.
The narrative-driven horror game hits the platform on October 7 and will cost $29.99/£24.99. Wraith already released on Oculus Quest and PC VR headsets towards the start of the year, but Fast Travel confirmed the PSVR version would launch later ahead of that release.
Wraith: The Oblivion PSVR Version Inbound
Wraith is the first VR game set in the World of Darkness tabletop universe, which has also spawned games like Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. The game casts you as the titular entity, with your character Ed searching for the reason behind his recent demise. As you explore a Hollywood mansion, you’ll encounter ghoulish specters to sneak past and use a variety of powers to unlock new paths. It’s a slower, atmospheric brand of horror that hopes to build a sense of dread more than deliver outright terror.
We thought Wraith was a worthy addition to the World of Darkness universe thanks to a strong story that stays true to the franchise. In our 4/5 review, we said that “it doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares, creating a disturbing atmosphere which plays to VR’s strengths well. Sadly, Afterlife’s slower paced gameplay won’t suit everyone but for survival horror fans, we’d recommend taking a look.”
We’re still waiting for some other PSVR ports to hit this year, including the excellent puzzle adventure, Floor Plan 2.
There haven’t been as many virtual reality (VR) horror titles appearing in 2021 as in previous years with one of the most notable exceptions being Fast Travel Games’ Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife. Originally released for Oculus before coming to Steam, soon it’ll be the turn of PlayStation VR players to wander the haunted hallways of Barclay Mansion.
Rather than wall-to-wall scares, this haunted mansion experience provides a much slower, atmospheric adventure, all set within the World of Darkness universe. You play as Ed Miller, a photographer who dies during a seance at the luxurious home of one Howard Barclay, a Hollywood movie producer. As you might have guessed, your death doesn’t see you move happily along into the afterlife, instead, you’re stuck between there and the living world.
So you need to figure out what went wrong and what happened to your girlfriend who joined you at the gathering. But you’re not alone on this little escapade as you’ll be joined by Shadow, a manifestation of Miller’s dark subconscious. While this being can be helpful at times it isn’t exactly on your side, relishing in your struggle, and occasionally complicating things as well.
However, Shadow isn’t a real threat but the Spectres are. These are damned creatures that wander sections of the mansion, actively hunting you. They’ll come running if you make a sound or you happen to get in their line of sight and there’s no fighting them off; there are no weapons in Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife. So you have to be sneaky and utilise hiding spots to avoid them or create distractions.
Reviewing the Oculus Quest version of Wraith: The Oblivion – AfterlifeVRFocus found that: “For those that love slow and tense survival horror Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife certainly delivers. Coming in at around eight hours of nail-biting content, Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife does the World of Darkness proud.”
Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife is scheduled to arrive on 7th October 2021 for PlayStation VR, with a recommended retail price of $29.99 USD/£24.99 GBP/€24.99 EUR. Check out the new trailer below and for further updates from Fast Travel Games, keep reading VRFocus.
Swedish virtual reality (VR) developer Fast Travel Games has seen continued success from its slate of videogames, starting strong with Apex Construct and most recently with horror title Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife. Today, the studio has announced the completion of a new investment round, securing the company $4 million to continue its work.
Fast Travel Games and Brightly. Image credit: FTG
The round was led by Nordic early-stage technology investment firm Brightly Ventures with participation from existing investors Industrifonden, Creades and Inbox Capital. With the new funds, Fast Travel Games will be able to accelerate current undisclosed projects as well as continuing support for those already released.
“We’ve seen amazing growth in the VR market lately with lots of gamers now realising just how much the VR space has matured, in terms of hardware, pricing and access to content,” said Oskar Burman, CEO and co-founder of Fast Travel Games in a statement. “With four games on the market, and several new in development, we saw our revenues double to 2.4m USD last year, and are well on track to double that again for this year. With this new investment we’re in a stronger position than ever to capitalize on this new gaming frontier.”
The studio released Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife earlier this year for PC VR headsets with a PlayStation VR version slated for later this year. It’s the first time the team has produced a VR horror title, collaborating with the World of Darkness series. After a seance goes awry you find yourself trapped in the Barclay Mansion as a wraith, unable to leave until you discover what went wrong. However, you’re not the only spirit wandering the hallways and those you encounter are less than friendly.
“VR is one of the fastest growing digital entertainment segments and we believe that the pace of development within this space will be very high in the coming years. Fast Travel Games is one of the key players in Europe and the team has an impressive track record in developing high-quality games in a wide range of different genres. At Brightly Ventures, we are truly excited to be a part of the group of investors backing the team on this journey,” John Elvesjö, Managing Partner at Brightly Ventures adds.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Fast Travel Games, reporting back with further updates when available.
Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife and Apex Construct developer Fast Travel Games raised over $4 million in another round of investment.
Brightly Ventures lead the latest round for the Stockholm-based studio, which was started by former members of studios like DICE and Rovio. Brightly joins previous investors Creades and Inbox Capital.
As part of the news, Fast Travel Games CEO Oskar Burman announced that the company generated $2.4 million in revenue last year. In that window, the team continued to see strong sales of both Apex Construct and its second game, The Curious Tale Of The Stolen Pets, on the Oculus Quest.
Burman also noted that the studio was also “on track to double” that amount this year. A few months ago the team launched its next major project, a VR horror game based on the Wraith side of the World of Darkness tabletop universe. Again, it came to Quest as well as PC VR headsets, with a PSVR version coming later this year too. The CEO also reconfirmed the team is currently working on multiple new projects that are exclusive to VR.
We sat down with Burman earlier this year to talk about the studio’s past, present and future. “We’re not going to be a horror studio from now on, we are going to move between genres, definitely,” the CEO said about what’s next. “Because I think we have the capability to do that and we have a great team that spans over different genres and games. So it’s going to be a variety. There’s a lot of stuff in the works. I really can’t say much more than that.”
Fast Travel Games launched atmospheric horror Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife for Oculus Quest and Rift in April, providing a tense, narrative-driven experience. Now SteamVR users get to step into the expansive Barclay Mansion to test their wits and their nerves. Plus, there’s a free content update for all owners adding some extra goodies.
With the launch of Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife on Steam Fast Travel Games is rolling out a content patch for all platforms, addressing bugs whilst adding 10 new collectables to the mansion. Just like the other objects found throughout the campaign these new ones give additional context to some of the characters and the story.
As for the general improvements made to the gameplay, quite a few have been implemented – full changelog here. Some notable ones make the experience even scarier such as the “Spectres now win over Players when having a tug-of-war for door handles, which was always the intention.” Another makes a Spectre encounter less frustrating: “Fixed issue where the Sad Cinematographer would sometimes unlock doors she wasn’t supposed to.”
“We launched Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife on Oculus headsets last month and have been blown away by the overwhelmingly positive response by our players. This is currently one of the highest-rated VR horror games out right now and we couldn’t be more proud,” Erik Odeldahl, co-founder and creative director at Fast Travel Games, said in a statement. “When we started working on Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife, we wanted to tell a story in one of our favourite horror worlds. To see so many people enjoying Wraith, and wanting to spend more time in our world, is why we make games.”
Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife tells the story of Ed Miller, a photographer who dies during a seance at the luxurious mansion of Howard Barclay. Now stuck between the living world and the afterlife, you have to explore Barclay’s home learning about who else attended and what actually happened. As a wraith, you now have abilities enabling you to walk through walls and pick items up at a distance. You will also encounter Spectres, the real horrors of the title. These are spirits of wrath and vengeance who can’t be killed, only avoided at all costs.
VRFocus enjoyed its adventure into the World of Darkness universe, saying in the review that: “For those that love slow and tense survival horror Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife certainly delivers.”
Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife is out now on Steam for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Valve Index, with a 10% launch discount available until 31st May. A PlayStation VR version is on the way, scheduled for later this year. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.
