htc vive

Zombie Co-op SURV1V3 is Leaving Early Access This Weekend

June 17, 2021 by GenVR

Indie duo Candymakers have been working on their co-op zombie shooter SURV1V3 for over three years, with the title originally arriving as a Steam Early Access title in 2018. The videogame has gone through numerous iterations since then and soon it’ll take the next big step, officially leaving Early Access as a fully-fledged VR experience.

Originally launched when wave-shooters – especially the zombie kind – were still a big part of the VR landscape, SURV1V3 provided a much more ambitious experience, with big levels to explore and friends to accompany you. SURV1V3 is split between three game modes, an 18+ Story campaign, Survival where you have to level up, craft, feed and fight endlessly, and Trials with classic horde, defence, and escape modes. Most importantly, all three of these modes can be played solo or with up to four friends.

Maps are big and open, giving you freedom to explore their many nooks and crannies in search of useful items or a good place to defend. These include plenty of buildings to rummage through so new strategies can continually change as events unfold.

SURV1V3‘s gameplay is geared toward realism rather than arcade action, so there are fully simulated weapons to play with, from rifles and pistols to shotguns and machine guns. They all have real bullet physics, reload gestures, realistic recoil & bloom effects, and the ability to manually attach and remove weapons accessories. Melee weapons offer that classic silent, close combat approach and when in co-op players will have to watch out for friendly fire.

Just like other notable zombie titles like The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners or The Walking Dead Onslaught – neither of which have co-op – the zombies in SURV1V3 can be brutally dismembered when the chance arrives, careful though, their hearing and sight work just fine. You can also be sneaky and disguise yourself as a zombie.

SURV1V3 will officially leave Early Access on 20th June 2021 supporting Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. For further updates on the latest zombie survival videogames in VR, keep reading VRFocus.

Blobkin Blaster Swims Onto PC VR Headsets in August

June 16, 2021 by GenVR

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) may have ended for another year but that doesn’t mean the videogame announcements have to stop. Today, developer Brave Lunch has announced that its first original virtual reality (VR) title Blobkin Blaster will launch in August, with a demo available on Steam now.

A family-friendly wave shooter with tower defence elements, Blobkin Blaster takes you under the sea to fight polluted, mutated monsters lurking in the deep. By your side are the cute Blobkin, little critters who’ll help you clean up the oceans. They come in four variants, Blasty Blue, Explosive Red, Purple the lightning bolt, and Yellow, a ping-ponging homing missile.

The gameplay involves a mixture of using the Blobkin as ammo to shoot the various monsters and rubbish swimming around the reef as well as placing defences. You’ll be able to build traps and cannons to give yourself an advantage against the 12+ enemies and three major bosses Blobkin Blaster has in store. You have to be careful with the Blobkin as they’re not only your ammo but your health as well.

This might be Brave Lunch’s first original videogame but the team has an impressive back catalogue of work, having designed experiences for Walt Disney Imagineering, Chuck-E-Cheese, Sesame Street, and Amazon Studios’ The Man in the High Castle to name a few.

“Save the reef, blast the fish! Mixing our love of VR, wave shooters, and real time strategy, Blobkin Blaster is a wild cartoony take on the world beneath the waves,” said David Andrade of Brave Lunch in a statement. “Inspired by our own backyard of the Florida keys, we brought in creatures warped by pollution, invasive species, and other monstrous delights for you to blast in VR!”

With the start of Steam Next Fest today there are loads of free VR demos available including Blobkin Blaster. Brave Lunch will then officially launch the wave shooter for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality headsets on 11th August 2021, retailing for $14.99 USD/ £10.99 GBP/ €11.99 EUR. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

HTC Vive Pro 2 Review

June 15, 2021 by GenVR

HTC’s latest high-end PC VR headset features an incredible display, fantastic tracking, and a hefty price tag.

The HTC Vive Pro 2 is officially out in the wild, and wow is this one powerful VR headset. Despite featuring a near-identical design to its predecessor, the HTC Vive Pro, the Vive Pro 2 is loaded with new improvements aimed at delivering a next-gen PC VR experience that’s as beautiful as it is expensive.

HTC claims that the Vive Pro 2 features the best-in-class display of any PC VR headset, and after going hands-on with the hardware these past few weeks it’s hard to disagree. Games such as Half-Life: Alyx and Maskmaker look absolutely fantastic running on the device thanks in large part to the massive 120-degree FOV and 5K resolution.

That being said, it’s not all roses for HTC’s latest professional-grade PC VR device. While the improved resolution and refresh rate offer truly incredible visuals, the bulky design and heating issues are tough to look past, especially when you factor in the hefty price. But enough beating around the bush, let’s dive into some specifics.

Here is our full review of the HTC Vive Pro 2.

THE DESIGN

As previously mentioned, the HTC Vive Pro 2 features very few physical differences from its predecessor. The Vive Pro 2 ditches the dark blue color of its front plate in favor of a black design similar to that of the original HTC Vive.

In terms of ergonomics, the headset feels very similar to that of the original Vive Pro. While I found wearing the headset comfortable overall, its somewhat bulky design and considerable weight were fairly noticeable throughout some of my playthroughs. That being said, this by no means a poorly designed headset. I was able to spend a considerable amount of time wearing the device with little to no discomfort. In addition to the manual IPD adjuster (57mm-72mm), the Vive Pro 2 lets you adjust the distance of the lenses from your eyes, allowing for maximum visual comfort. This is further enhanced by the rubber nose shields which—while intrusive at times— do a commendable job at preventing light leakage, further immersing you in your VR adventures.

Another interesting choice by the company was the decision to alter the shape of the lenses, opting for a more box-like design over the original rounded shape featured on the Vive Pro. While this may sound like a relatively minor adjustment, I am now able to see the edges of the lenses while in-headset, which did prove to be somewhat of a disturbance.

It’s also important to note that you will need a display port in order to connect the headset to a VR-ready PC or a mini display port if connecting to a laptop.

THE VISUALS

The HTC Vive Pro 2’s biggest selling point, however, is its impressive display. The Vive Pro 2 features 2448 × 2448 pixels per eye, resulting in a combined resolution of 4896 x 2448. This is a significant step up from the original Vive Pro’s 2880 x 1600. Combine that with an improved 120-degree FOV and a 120Hz refresh rate, and you have one of the most impressive displays currently featured on a consumer VR headset. The Vive Pro 2 is also the first headset to feature display stream compression, a form of visually lossless compression designed to reduce bandwidth demand. This allows the headset to automatically lower its resolution in order to run on lower-end PCs.

Combined, this technology does away with the dreaded screen door effect plaguing many VR headsets at the moment. The result is some of the most visually impressive PC VR experiences available at the moment. As previously mentioned, visually demanding games such as Half-Life: Alyx, Maskmaker, and Stormland look fantastic on the Vive Pro 2. That being said, the changes to the lenses and somewhat awkward shape of the headset made it difficult to find that ever-elusive “sweet spot.” Visuals can get somewhat blurry fairly easily unless the headset is worn in a very particular way; there’s very little room for error.

HTC also replaced the Dual AMOLED screen featured on Vive Pro with a dual-stack RGB low persistence LCD. While this switch does allow for a wider field-of-view and a significantly improved resolution, it also means less vibrant colors when compared to the Dual AMOLED screen. All this power comes at another cost as well—put simply, this headset can get fairly hot fairly quickly.

THE AUDIO

Like most VR headsets the Vive Pro 2 features a built-in microphone. While it’s tough to say for sure, this might be the same microphone used for the original Vive Pro, which would explain the somewhat “meh” sound. The mic featured on the Vive Pro 2 is slightly underwhelming in terms of quality, especially when compared to competing devices like the Oculus Quest 2. Placement right in front of your mouth also results in additional mic popping, so you’ll want to avoid any hard “p” words when at all possible.

Then there are the onboard headphones. Like the Vive Pro, the Vive Pro 2 features two adjustable on-ear earphones. While I usually prefer to use over-the-ear third-party headphones for maximum audio immersion, I was pleasantly surprised by these integrated high-fidelity earphones. While you have the option of removing the earphones and replacing them with a third-party solution, I’d actually recommend sticking with them. Thanks to 3D spatial audio technology, every sound—from dialogue to music to sound effects—comes in crystal clear. In fact, the only thing more impressive than the audio is the visuals.

THE TRACKING AND CONTROLLERS

Like the Vive Pro, the Vive Pro 2 utilizes outside-in tracking powered by SteamVR Base Station 2.0. While this tethered solution is less convenient than the inside-out tracking featured on standalone devices such as the Oculus Quest, it does mean significantly better tracking as well as compatibility with other SteamVR devices, such as the HTC Vive Tracker. The SteamVR ecosystem is one of the most robust in all of VR, so trust me, taking the time to properly set up those 2.0 Base Stations is entirely worth it.

You can even pair the headset with the Valve Index controllers, which is good considering the controllers that come with the Vive Pro 2 are the exact same ones designed for the original Vive Pro. That’s not to say these are bad controllers. The Vive Wands feature an excellent ergonomic design and remain one of my favorite controllers to this day. But anyone who’s handled the Valve Index’s knuckle controllers will tell you how much of a step up they are in terms of interacting with the virtual world.

Similar to the Oculus Quest, the Vive Pro 2 also features a passthrough mode allowing you to view your real-world surroundings while in the headset. However, whereas the Oculus Quest features black-and-white visuals, the two RGB cameras mounted to the front of the Vive Pro 2 are capable of delivering stereoscopic color imagery. Unfortunately, due to the quality of these two cameras, visuals can appear blurry at times; not enough to ruin the feature entirely, but noticeable nonetheless.

THE VERDICT

At $1,400 for the full kit (headset, v2 Wand controllers, 2.0 base stations), the HTC Vive Pro is one of the most expensive VR products currently on the market, and for good reason. HTC packed a ton of improvements into this next-gen headset. That being said, does the price tag match the product?

While the HTC Vive Pro 2 offers some truly jaw-dropping visuals thanks to its impressive 5k resolution and ultra-wide 120-degree field of view, its bulky design and complex setup process feel somewhat dated compared to other PC VR headsets. All in all, this feels more like a Vive Pro 1.5 than a full-fledged sequel. That being said, if you’re in the market for a high-end PC VR headset, you can’t go wrong with the Vive Pro 2. This is especially true if you already own the controllers and base stations. In addition to the $1,400 kit, you can pick up the headset itself for $800. For reference, the Valve Index costs $500 for the headset and $1,000 for the full kit, while the HP Reverb G2 costs $600 for the full kit.

Put simply, the HTC Vive Pro 2 is a great option for those looking for the absolute best in terms of VR visuals. If you do plan on picking one up, I’d recommend purchasing the headset and base stations individually and pairing the system with the Valve Index Knuckle controllers for maximum enjoyment.

For more information on recommended specs, visit here.

Feature Image Credit: VRScout

*Review unit provide by HTC*

‘After The Fall’ Looks Like The VR Zombie Game We’ve All Been Waiting For

June 14, 2021 by GenVR

A new trailer takes us deeper into this cross-platform multiplayer VR game from developer Vertigo Games.

This weekend we received a new behind-the-scenes trailer for Vertigo Games’ (Traffic Jams, Arizona Sunshine, A Fisherman’s Tale) latest title, After the Fall, a cooperative multiplayer VR zombie shooter set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.

In this ’80s inspired action/horror game, four players team up to find an endless onslaught of undead nightmares throughout a frozen wasteland in search of valuable supplies for the last remains of humanity. Similar to classic cooperative games, such as Left 4 Dead, teamwork is crucial to survival as you shoot your way through a variety of haunting locales using an eclectic arsenal of powerful weaponry.

The latest trailer, released this past Saturday as part of the Upload VR Showcase, offers us new information regarding the game’s replayability. After the Fall features a unique game director system that throws new enemies at you every time you play, which means no two sessions are ever the same.

“In After the Fall, we have a game director system, which basically means that every session that you play is different every time you play it,” says studio director Richard Stitselaar in the video. “Every session you do is basically different.”

We also learned more about the game’s cross-play functionality. According to Vertigo, players on Oculus Quest, PC VR, and PlayStation VR headsets will have the ability to play alongside one another in real-time. Not only that, but each version will be nearly identical in terms of the available features and enemy count.

“For After the Fall, we really focused on cross-platform so you can play on PC, Quest, or PS4 all together and still experience the same gameplay,” says senior technical artist Dennis Jongsman.

“Our largest challenge is getting those very high-end PC players able to play with those lower-end mobile VR players. Visually, they’re obviously not going to be the same,” adds technical director Trevor Blom. “What needs to be the same as the gameplay. The enemies are in the same locations, the walls are in the same locations, where Player A is looks the same as where he’d be for Player B, and shooting as well; this should all be identical.”

After the Fall launches on Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, and PC VR headsets later this year. No word yet on an official price tag.

For more information on the many announcements from last week’s E3 VR Showcase, check out this list breaking down our five favorite reveals.

Feature Image Credit: Vertigo Games

Our Favorite VR Game Announcements From E3 2021

June 13, 2021 by GenVR

The Upload VR Showcase returns with new information on 18 killer VR games.

Yesterday, Upload hosted its third annual E3 VR Showcase as part of IGN’s Summer of Gaming event, revealing a generous amount of new information for 18 VR games on Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, and SteamVR headsets. This includes everything from new gameplay trailers for highly-anticipated titles such as Larcenauts and Green Hell VR to long-awaited updates for popular experiences like Demeo and Blaston.

For those who missed out on yesterday’s event, we’ve put together a small recap of our favorite announcements for your viewing pleasure. For a full list of yesterday’s reveals, check out Upload’s full recap here.

Green Hell VR – PCVR Gameplay Trailer

We were over the moon when we heard that developer Incuvo Games was developing a VR port of Creep Jar’s brutally realistic survival crafting game Green Hell for PCVR headsets.

For those unfamiliar with Green Hell, this psychological survival-horror experience drops you in the center of the Amazon rainforest where you’re tasked with surviving everything from tropical diseases to deadly wildlife using only your wits and whatever tools you can craft using the natural environment.

This latest trailer showcases even more of Incuovo’s upcoming VR jungle simulator, including the ability to craft temporary shelter using various resources scattered throughout the environment as well as the games crafting and backpack storage systems.

Green Hell VR is scheduled to launch later this year on Oculus Quest and PCVR headsets. According to the developer, the Quest version of the game will differ from the PCVR release due to technical limitations, though details are sparse at the moment.

Blaston & Demeo – New Updates

In addition to new details regarding unreleased games, the Upload VR Showcase also shined a light on several exciting updates coming to existing VR titles, including Resolution Games’ Blaston and Demeo.

Originally released on Oculus Quest and PCVR headsets this past October, Blaston will be receiving a new update on June 21st that will introduce a slew of new content to the multiplayer slow-motion bullet hell game. This includes a brand new single-player mode, token system, and arena just to name a few. The update, referred to as “Crackdown,” will also expand the Blaston universe with the introduction of Scrapper Street, a new location complete with robots, flying cars, and other lore-expanding elements.

We also received fresh updates on “Realm of the Rat King,” a brand new campaign heading to Resolution’s smash-hit VR dungeon crawler, Demeo. While we still know very little about the highly-anticipated expansion, this latest trailer confirmed an official release date of June 28th.

Rhythm Of The Universe: Ionia – Release Date Trailer

Brought to us by ROTU Entertainment, Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia is an upcoming VR puzzle game with an environmental twist.

According to the developers, Ionia will be the first of seven upcoming chapters designed to immerse players in a captivating experience that combines environmental conservation with musical theory. We still know very little about this mysterious game at the moment, other than the fact that part of its proceeds will go directly to Wildlife Warriors, a non-profit conservation organization founded by the late great Steve Irwin.

It looks like we’ll have to wait until the games launch in Q3 2021 to find out more.

Township Tale – Oculus Quest Announcement Trailer

Available now on PCVR headsets via the Alta game launcher, Township Tale is an ambitious RPG experience built from the ground up for VR headsets.

In this uniquely crafted VR role-playing adventure, players are tasked with revitalizing an abandoned village by swapping between various jobs, each of which featuring their own unique interactions designed to immerse you in said role. As a blacksmith, for example, you’ll mine valuable resources and craft powerful weaponry. As a warrior, you’ll defend the village from various threats. Other professions include archer, cook, woodcutter, etc. As you progress, you’ll unlock the ability to customize your character, collect new inventory, and craft unique equipment; all of which can be taken with you between servers.

The latest trailer offers new information on the long-awaited Oculus Quest release. Township Tale will arrive on standalone VR headsets on July 15th for $9.99 with optional in-game purchases.

Larcenauts – VOD Gameplay & Roadmap Trailer

Revealed this past May, Larcenauts is an upcoming team-based PvP game coming soon to the Oculus Quest. Similar to class-based multiplayer titles such as Overwatch and Apex Legends, this fast-paced VR shooter lets you select from a roster of diverse characters, each with their own unique pros and cons, as you battle a team of six other players throughout a series of objective-based game modes using customizable weapons and powerful abilities.

This latest trailer shows off one of the more unique characters featured in the game, VOD, a brawler-class specialist armed with two incredibly powerful fists capable of dealing massive amounts of close-quarters damage. In addition to its elastic arms, VOD also features several ranged attacks, making it one of the more deadly specialists in the game; when used correctly that is.

Yesterday’s trailer also teased a series of exciting updates scheduled as part of the developers’ official roadmap, including two-handed aiming, manual reload, private lobbies, new maps and game modes, and immersive playlists just to name a few.

Larcenauts is scheduled to launch on Oculus Quest and PCVR headsets later this summer.

As stated previously, the announcements listed above are just a small handful of the total number of reveals made during Upload’s VR Showcase event. For more information on all of yesterday’s announcements, visit here.

Feature Image Credit: Impulse Gear

Waltz of the Wizard’s Natural Magic Update Confirmed for July

June 13, 2021 by GenVR

Virtual reality (VR) developer Aldin has been teasing its next big update for Waltz of the Wizard since 2020. Called “Natural Magic” its set to feature new locations as well a reworked spell casting system to make it feel, well…more natural. Today, as part of a slew of VR announcements to kick off the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2021 this week the studio has confirmed the update will arrive next month.

Previous updates like the “Telepath” movement system added incremental improvements, whereas Natural Magic will be Aldin’s largest expansion to date. Starting off in a peaceful courtyard sandbox where players can practice and play with the new magic system, they’ll find intuitive controls to pick up distant objects or unleash devastating attacks. This is useful as the other area is the Fortress, a sprawling location home to the Observers, interdimensional beings that harness magic to control time and space.

These “Observers” are the bad guys, of course, and to get to them players will encounter a variety of enemies to wield their magic against. The Fortress also houses hidden artefacts which might be useful. It’s also the first location the developer has built that is procedurally generated, so each run-through will be slightly different.

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic will have plenty of other interesting features for hours of entertainment, including mic input which turns a players voice into magical soundwaves to attack foes, enemies with detachable bodyparts and believable defensive reactions, and user health shown by their fingers turning skeletal.

Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic is set to launch on 6th July 2021 as a free update for existing owners of the videogame. There is a slight caveat in the fact that the update will be for SteamVR and Oculus headsets but not for PlayStation VR. Aldin’s CEO Hrafn Thorisson previously said in November 2020 that future updates for the headset were on hold due to the lack of info regarding a PlayStation VR 2 (at the time).

For further updates on Waltz of the Wizard: Natural Magic, keep reading VRFocus.

I Expect You to Die 2 Features Wil Wheaton, Launches This Summer

June 12, 2021 by GenVR

It’s E3 2021 week so there are plenty of videogame announcements fly around including a few virtual reality (VR) ones. Today, Schell Games has announced that its escape room sequel I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar will be launching this summer and its got some star talent on board.

The studio has revealed that I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar will feature six globe-trotting missions to foil Zoraxis’ plans for world domination. These new missions will still feature ingenious puzzles and cunning villains just like before, the first revealed being to protect the prime minister, who happens to be attending a theatre production by world-famous actor and celebrity John Juniper.

Schell Games managed to get Wil Wheaton (Big Bang Theory, Star Trek: Next Generation) to voice Juniper while the theme song is performed by world-renowned singer and songwriter Puddles Pity Party.

“I Expect You To Die 2 builds upon everything our community loved about the first game, and we’re excited to take players on another adventure filled with espionage,” said Jesse Schell, CEO of Schell Games in a statement. “Wil and Puddles have been amazing to work with, and their enthusiasm has helped us expand the I Expect You To Die universe in compelling new ways. With Wil Wheaton bringing life to John Juniper, and Puddles’s dynamic performance of the new theme song, we’re confident players will feel immersed in this rich, story-driven evolution of the original game.”

If you enjoyed the first title and you have a PC VR headset then check out the Steam Next Fest this week because there will be a free demo of I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar from 16th June.

I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar is now slated to launch this summer on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, SteamVR and PlayStation VR headsets. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

Tribeca Immersive Kicks Off Today With A Fresh Line-Up Of Groundbreaking XR

June 9, 2021 by GenVR

The legendary film festival makes a triumphant return to NYC with in-person and at-home entertainment.

After a long and grueling wait, we’re finally returning to a state of semi-normalcy here in the United States. This includes the return of live in-person events, such as the infamous Tribeca Film Festival. After switching to a virtual format for its 2020 celebration, this year’s festival features both virtual screenings as well as in-person activations conducted at several locations throughout NYC.

Beginning today, attendees can check out a wide range of genre-defying XR projects from a diverse collection of groundbreaking creators from across the globe. But how exactly does one go about accessing these incredible VR & AR projects? Those looking to check out Tribeca Immersive’s Virtual Arcade will need a VR headset as well as a VR-ready PC in order to access PCVR content. A majority of these VR projects will be accessible through The Museum of Other Realities, a dedicated VR platform that’s served as home to numerous VR-related events in the past.

Tribeca recommends the following specifications for those attending virtually:

OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-4590/AMD FX 8350 equivalent or better
Memory: 8+ GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060, AMD Radeon R9 290 equivalent or better
Network: High-speed internet connection
Storage: 60+ GB available space

If you’re lucky enough to be attending in-person, Tribeca 2021 is hosting a variety of one-of-a-kind installations throughout the five boroughs. Tribeca Immersive features nearly 30 projects in total available as part of its Storyscapes, Outdoor & Interactive, Virtual Arcade exhibits:

**“We Are At Home” / Image Credit: Tribeca Film Festival**

Storyscapes (located at Spring Studios):

Virtual Arcade (located at Spring Studios as well as virtually via The Museum of Other Realities):

**“Kinfolk” / Image Credit: Tribeca Film Festival**

Outdoor & Interactive (located throughout the five boroughs):

Feeling overwhelmed by the number of projects available as part of this year’s celebration? That’s totally understandable; after all, this is a lot of content to explore. Luckily, we took the liberty of highlighting just a few standouts you may be interested in checking out.

Kusunda

Narrated by 86-year-old Kusunda shaman Lil Bahadur and his 15-year-old granddaughter Hima, Kusunda is an educational voice-driven VR experience centered around the Kusundra, an indigenous community located in Nepal. With only 150 people who identify as Kusunda left in Nepal, the language finds itself on the edge of extinction, and it’s up to the next generation to help keep the one-of-a-kind dialect and culture alive.

“When my parents died I had no one left to speak my mother tongue with,” said Lil Bahadur. “Slowly the language started fading away. I started speaking another Nepali language with people in the village. That’s how it happened.”

“I haven’t lived in the forests and I don’t want to!,” added Hima. “I’m studying hard to become a teacher. But I am proud of my heritage and culture. I’ll do whatever I can to preserve it and I’m confident of being successful.”

Kusunda can be accessed in-person at Spring Studios in NYC as well as virtually via The Museum of Other Realities.

“**The Passengers: Episode 3″ / Image Credit: Tribeca Film Festival**

The Passengers: The Kid

We had the pleasure of experiencing both Episodes 1 & 2 of director Ziad Touma’s thought-provoking VR series The Passengers earlier this year and were thoroughly impressed by the emotional storytelling and unique art style. Thanks to a unique combination of motion capture technology and gaze-based interactions, The Passengers is able to deliver an intimate narrative experience that changes drastically depending on where you focus your attention.

Whereas Episodes 1 & 2 put you in the shoes of a shy young male and introspective woman respectively, Episode 3 has you playing the role of a small child struggling to understand the complex emotions and strenuous relationships that come with adulthood. Much like the previous episodes, focusing your attention on specific characters unlocks different dialogue options, which means no two viewing are ever the same. I especially like how the art style changes dramatically depending on who’s perspective you take. Combine this with the use of live-action stereoscopic imagery, and you have one of the more emotionally engaging projects in recent memory.

The Passengers: The Kid can be experienced in-person at Spring Studios in NYC as well as virtually via The Museum of Other Realities.

The Changing Same: Episode 1

And last, but certainly not least, we have The Changing Same: Episode 1. Developed using Depthkit volumetric capture technology, this multi-part series shines a spotlight on United States history and its impact on current social and cultural issues. Traveling backward in time, users experience various examples of racial injustice represented in the form of “deconstructed sets” featuring real people captured in stunning visual clarity as detailed holographic images.

Episode 1, “The Dilemma,” introduces users to the main protagonist of their journey as well as the time-traveling mechanic in order to shine a spotlight on mass incarceration. The experience begins with a simple police altercation before transporting users to prison where they learn more about the many systematic issues currently plaguing the American legal system. Throughout the episode, users are teleported back and forth between a modern-day correctional facility and a slave warehouse during the Jim Crow era, highlighting the “cyclical nature of history” in the process.

The Changing Same: Episode 1 can be accessed in-person at Spring Studios in NYC as well as virtually via The Museum of Other Realities.

This year’s festivities take place June 9th to the 20th. For more information regarding Tribeca Immersive, visit tribecafilm.com/festival/immersive.

Feature Image Credit: Tribeca Film Festival

Hardcore Dungeon Crawling Awaits in EVERSLAUGHT

June 9, 2021 by GenVR

Love the wall to wall carnage of videogames like Doom? That’s exactly the type of gameplay MobX is going for with its upcoming virtual reality (VR) EVERSLAUGHT. Unashamedly geared towards the hardcore VR audience, this action role-playing game (RPG) is coming to PC VR headsets at the end of June.

EVERSLAUGHT will be an Early Access title, to begin with, promising a fantasy world where you traverse an ancient city filled with randomly generating dungeons, monsters galore and an upgradable skill and weapon set to play with. As mentioned, EVERSLAUGHT isn’t going to be a light, introductory experience to VR. In fact, from the looks of the gameplay footage released so far, it is going to be very fast and unrelenting, where you can mix up the combat between melee and ranged weaponry using a rather cool arm gadget.

While one hand is free to swing blades to slice and dice enemies the other features a grappling hook/gun combo to help you get right into the action or keep your distance. With this being an RPG, you’ll want to keep an eye out for new weapons and rare loot to upgrade both your kit and character to take on those lower dungeons.

The initial Early Access version will have the main campaign to explore alongside features just mention like the randomly generated dungeons, random loot drops, VR-optimized gameplay mechanics and all the core components to get players started. As for what’s to come the studio says: “We want to expand on EVERSLAUGHT’s RPG elements, Lore and world building. While we do that, we will also focus on polishing the game mechanics more and more throughout the Early Access period.”

This process is expected to take a while with MobX looking towards the end of 2022 at the earliest for the official launch. “That’s definitely not set in stone though, since we already have a huge backlog of ideas that will allow us to further iterate on the project beyond that date,” the team notes.

MobX hasn’t given a specific date for EVERSLAUGHT’s Steam Early Access launch this month, just that’ll land towards the latter half. When it does Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality headsets will all be supported. Currently, there are two trailers to feast your eyes on – definitely check out the gameplay video – and as more info is released, VRFocus will keep you updated.

Sci-fi RTS Eternal Starlight Strategically Lands on Oculus Quest & PC VR Next Week

June 8, 2021 by GenVR

Looking for a new real-time strategy (RTS) title to sink your teeth into? Then keep an eye out for White Noise Games’ upcoming project Eternal Starlight which is set to launch next week for Oculus Quest and PC VR headsets.

Eternal Starlight puts you in command of a fleet of starships, waging a war against a hostile alien race called the Kraya. From a third-person perspective, you have to deploy and position a selection of craft, each with their own specialities which can turn the tide of battle.

Consisting of a 28 mission campaign as well as a skirmish mode where you can access all ships, missions revolve around helping various alien races and in doing so gaining access to their resources and technology so you can upgrade your flagship and purchase smaller vessels. In total there will be 6 unlockable starting loadouts for 2 different flagships.

In development since 2016, Eternal Starlight has been designed as a comfortable experience for all players, enabling them to scale the play space however they wish. From a wider world view to right up close and in the midst of battle, the title can be played room-scale, standing or seated. And for Oculus Quest owners, Eternal Starlight also features full hand tracking support.

“I took inspiration for Eternal Starlight from games like FTL, Mass Effect and Homeworld,” said indie developer David Wallin of White Noise Games in a statement. “Adapting RTS to VR was challenging, but we’ve created a novel experience for space strategy fans. We came up with a locomotion system that allows you to move around comfortably while being a core part of the gameplay.”

Eternal Starlight is set to launch next Thursday, 17th June for Oculus Quest and Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Oculus Quest owners can pre-order the videogame now for £14.99 GBP that also gains them an exclusive Fusion Blast starting loadout for their flagship. For further updates on Eternal Starlight, keep reading VRFocus.