Oculus Rift

After the Fall Delayed Again, Oculus Quest Version to 2022

July 23, 2021 From vrfocus.com

This summer is full of exciting virtual reality (VR) videogame releases but today sees one of the biggest, Vertigo Games’ After the Fall being pushed later into the year. The studio announced the delay will affect all versions with the original Oculus Quest edition hit the hardest, delayed until next year.

After the Fall has suffered a series of delays ever since it was revealed in 2019. During E3 2021 last month things looked promising with Vertigo Games’ trio of announcements still putting the multiplatform, co-op shooter on for a summer release. That’s definitely not happening now with the studio confirming via a statement on Twitter that the plan is still to launch in 2021 for most VR platforms, just not this summer.

“Unfortunately we have made the necessary decision to push the multi-platform release of After the Fall on PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest 2, and PC VR to later this year. In addition to this, we have decided to split off the launch on the original Oculus Quest to 2022,” the statement reads.

It doesn’t specifically state why this new delay has happened, just that: “With After the Fall we have set ourselves the ultimate goal of bringing you the best possible 4-player, co-op experience in VR. To ensure a smooth multi-platform launch with cross-platform support, we are giving our development team the time they need to finalise their work.”

Considering this is Vertigo Games biggest project to date it’s not surprising that the team wants to ensure After the Fall is as good as it can be, especially considering the cross-platform aspect which is a vital component of the gameplay. Much like Lone Echo II, After the Fall has become one of these major projects which have continually seen delays, greatly building anticipation and expectation for the videogame.

After the Fall will allow up to four players to fight their way through an icy, post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, filled with zombie-like monsters called Snowbreed. They’ll have to scavenge for weapons and resources, using them to craft new items and make upgrades as they try to survive.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of After the Fall, reporting back with all the latest updates.

Stride Developer Unveils Roguelite FPS Outlier for PC VR

July 23, 2021 From vrfocus.com

Virtual reality (VR) developer Joy Way is becoming one of those “one to watch” studios thanks to some exciting projects currently in the works. Parkour title Stride is already in Early Access and due for release later this year is the eye-catching rhythm action videogame Against. This week Joy Way has added a third experience to that list, a roguelite called Outlier.

Outlier is going to be a first-person shooter (FPS) with lots of mechanics tailored to making the VR gameplay as immersive as possible. The plot revolves around you being a captain on an ark, sent into space to find a new home for humanity. This journey sees your vessel sucked into a black hole, whisked to an unknown region of space where you just happen to find a habitable solar system that is under attack. Due to the physics bending properties of the black hole, you gain special abilities which can be used to secure the new home.

From the details released so far, Joy Way is covering all bases when it comes to offering you as much gameplay flexibility as possible. The trailer showcases a couple of guns, the ability to throw fireballs after finding a magical rock as well as telekinesis to hurl pieces of the environment at enemies. All very physical and interactive which bodes very well. The guns also look rather cool with a pistol which eventually overheats needing to be shaken to cool down. Another requires the projectiles to be ripped back out an enemy to reload.

Joy Way reveals that abilities can even be amalgamated: “Combine your spells together to get new ones: mix a fireball and a telekinetic push to acquire both an explosive fireball and a fire push.” Handy, because even in this early look, there were at least five enemy types including small flying drones and towering heavies which look to do some serious damage.

This being a roguelite Outlier is all about achieving that perfect run, continually pushing as far a possible before dying, upgrading and then trying again. You’ll be able to tailor your loadout and build before trying again, whilst also knowing it’s all procedurally generated making each run different.

Outlier won’t purely be about killing enemies every second. As you progress random events and new storyline pieces will appear and you’ll need to be on the lookout for secret rooms, hidden passages, and artefacts.

Joy Way plans on releasing Outlier via Steam Early Access later this year for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Valve Index. As further details are released, VRFocus will let you know.

VR Hero Shooter ‘Larcenauts’ Update Is All About Immersion

July 22, 2021 From vrscout.com

The first major update to Impulse Gears’ team-based PvP shooter introduces new interactions like manual reloading and immersive sprinting.

Last month, developer Impulse Gear released Larcenauts on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, and SteamVR headsets. Today, the company announced the arrival of the games first major update, Immersion Overload, which expands the core gameplay with new immersive interactions.

Available now for $29.99, Larcenauts is a multiplayer VR hero shooter has you taking on the role of one of eight class-based characters and duking it out against other players in a variety of 6v6 objective-based game modes set across four unique maps.

Each of the aforementioned heroes, whether it be the lightning-fast Calima or ultra-powerful VOD, features their own unique set of weapons and abilities which can be upgraded or replaced with more powerful equipment by playing the game and spending in-game currency.

Prior to launch, Impulse Gear shared a developer roadmap teasing future updates. Today, we received our first batch of improvements in the form of the Immersion Overload update.

As the name suggests, the Immersion Overload update introduces a handful of gameplay features designed to improve player immersion, such as manual reloading, immersive sprint, and support for bHaptics TactSuit vests just to name a few.

Image Credit: Impulse Gear

You can check out a full breakdown of the update here:

Immersive sprint: This new mode leaves you in direct control of your hands as you sprint. To begin running, simply point your weapon downwards.
Two-handed pivot aiming: A new aiming mode in which both hands are used to aim your weapons.
Manual reloads: You can now restock your weapon manually using your motion controllers and even combine your reload with automatic reloading for additional style points.
Native support for bHaptics TactSuit vests: Feel the impact of gunfire with the bHaptic TactSuit vest.
Free new skin for Calima: Those who login before the end of July 2021 will earn a new cosmetic skin for Calima
Cross-play lobbies: Cross-play lobbies are now live, allowing Steam VR and Oculus players to duke it out together in VR using a unique lobby code.
Spatialized VOIP in lobby: You will now hear your friends’ VOIP spatialized in the social lobby.
Localized text English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean: In-game text localization of the above-mentioned languages now included.

Larcenauts is available now for $29.99 on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, and SteamVR headsets.

For more information on today’s update visit here.

Feature Image Credit: Impulse Gear

Save the World Again When I Expect You To Die 2 Arrives in August

July 22, 2021 From vrfocus.com

This summer is going to have plenty of exciting virtual reality (VR) titles to suit all tastes with the latest launch date confirmation coming from Schell Games. The studio has revealed that its escape room puzzler, I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and The Liar is ready to immerse players back into the world of espionage in later August.

I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and The Liar carries on directly from where the original left off, putting you back in the shoes of a daring secret agent trying to stop Dr. Zor and the Zoraxis organisation from taking over the world. The adventure will take place over six missions, from theatrical venues to the classic private jet.

The gameplay will once again revolve around solving elaborate puzzles, using tools and uncovering secrets all within the near vicinity. Just like the original, there’s no locomotion to worry about as each level is its own little, self-contained puzzle to solve. All the while uncovering the twisting narrative a spy thriller should have.

Schell Games previously revealed the first mission is to protect the prime minister, who happens to be attending a theatre production by world-famous actor and celebrity John Juniper. Juniper is voiced by Wil Wheaton (Big Bang Theory, Star Trek: Next Generation) whilst world-renowned singer and songwriter Puddles Pity Party makes I Expect You To Die 2 feel like a Bond movie with his theme song.

I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and The Liar will see a multiplatform launch across Oculus Quest and Rift, PlayStation VR and SteamVR headsets on 24th August 2021 priced at £24.99 GBP. Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR owners can pre-order the spy caper today with a 10% discount.

Schell Games has released a new mixed reality (MR) trailer to accompany the announcement. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

‘Lone Echo II’ Release Date & Price Announced

July 20, 2021 From vrscout.com

Join Captain Olivia Rhodes and her robot sidekick Jack on yet another VR sci-fi adventure set in deep space.

After numerous delays, developer Ready at Dawn has announced a final release date for its highly-anticipated VR sci-fi adventure game, Lone Echo II. A direct follow-up to 2017’s Lone Echo, the long-awaited sequel continues the story of Captain Olivia ‘Liv’ Rhodes and Jack, an unlikely duo caught up in a series of catastrophic events.

In the original game, players take on the role of Jack as they assist Liv in unraveling a deep space mystery by overcoming a variety of unique challenges using an assortment of advanced tools.

Set aboard a state-of-the-art mining facility located within the rings of Saturn, players navigate futuristic environments using easy-to-learn zero-g locomotion mechanics and interact with the in-world using motion controls and interactive dialogue as they attempt to reunite with Liv after an unknown force obliterates their space vessel, leaving them stranded in deep space.

The upcoming sequel once again follows Liv and Jack as they embark on yet another futuristic adventure set 400 years after the events of the original game. While little is known about the story so far, a 2018 trailer shows Jack in disarray as Liv works to secretly repair her AI companion while aboard a mysterious new vessel. It appears as though many of the original games’ key features will be returning, including zero-g locomotion, professional voice acting, and a compelling narrative.

Image Credit: Ready at Dawn

Lone Echo II is scheduled to launch on Oculus Rift headsets on August 24th for $39.99. Those who purchase the game will also receive a free Jack-themed chassis, the VEGA X-3, for their Echo VR avatar.

If you haven’t played the first game yet, today’s your lucky day! Beginning now until August 24th, you can pick up the original Lone Echo on Oculus Rift headsets for just $9.99. That’s a solid price for roughly five to nine hours of captivating sci-fi content.

For more information check out the official Oculus blog post here.

Feature Image Credit: Ready at Dawn

Oculus Rift Exclusive Lone Echo II Finally Lands in August

July 20, 2021 From vrfocus.com

The day has finally arrived for eager Oculus owners with the long-awaited confirmation of a launch date for Lone Echo II. Originally unveiled back in 2018, Ready at Dawn teased earlier in the year that Lone Echo II would be arriving this summer as an Oculus Quest exclusive, with an August date putting the launch just over a month away.

Lone Echo II is a direct continuation of the first title where you take the role of Jack, an android tasked with aiding Captain Olivia Rhodes’ survival. One of the first VR videogames really classed as a AAA title, the sequel will continue the epic narrative and zero-g controls whilst expanding upon the gameplay dynamics which made the first such a hit.

As Jack, you’ll be able to explore environments either by launching yourself from a stationary object or using your wrist-mounted thrusters for true weightless freedom. Jack also comes supplied with a range of useful tools to complete puzzles and discover new secrets. This sequel will also develop Rhodes and Jack’s bond as they fight to survive the harsh realities of deep space.

Ready at Dawn may still term Lone Echo II an Oculus Rift exclusive but the headset has now been officially discontinued. Of course, thanks to Oculus Link or Air Link Lone Echo II is fully compatible with Facebook’s Oculus Quest platform as long as you’ve got a VR-capable PC.

Lone Echo II will officially launch on the Oculus Store for Oculus Rift on 24th August 2021 priced at £29.99 GBP/$39.99 USD. If you do buy the videogame then you’ll also receive a free VEGA X-3 chassis for your Echo VR avatar, the same as Jack’s from Lone Echo II. If you’ve not yet played the original Lone Echo from 2017 then now’s a good a time as any. From today until 24th August Lone Echo is discounted to £7.99 ($9.99).

Reviewing the original all those years ago, VRFocus said of the sci-fi epic: “Lone Echo has been one of those massively talked about titles that you wonder if it could ever live up to the hype. Well in this instance it does. Ready at Dawn has created an experience that every Oculus Touch owner needs in their library.” Hopefully, that trend continues next month.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Lone Echo II as the launch date nears, reporting back with further updates.

Playtest Fruit Ninja VR 2 Ahead of Late 2021 Launch

July 20, 2021 From vrfocus.com

Earlier this month Halfbrick Studios revealed development of Fruit Ninja VR 2 a follow-up to its popular 2016 virtual reality (VR) title. Taking fruit destruction to new heights, the videogame is due to launch at the end of the year for PC VR headsets with public playtesting currently underway.

The original Fruit Ninja VR was a great introduction for VR newcomers, slicing up fruit with a sword for maximum score combos. Fruit Ninja VR 2 aims to improve upon this gameplay by introducing an explorable world as well as a VR staple, the bow and arrow. So you’ll be able to wander the Fruit Ninja Temple grounds, honing those skills across a range of challenges.

In combination with the classic katana, the new bow will allow for new scoring opportunities like being able to shoot rows of fruit. Very important considering the main objective is to score as many points as possible, achieving a high score and that all-important A ranking. Or if you want to take a break then see what else the temple has in store, enjoying the sights and sounds whilst finding some of the interactive objects on the grounds.

Fruit Ninja VR 2 will have 25 levels of challenging fruit carnage to play through, some of which you can see in the latest playtest trailer below. You can also get in on the action ahead of launch. Over on Steam, you can request access to the Fruit Ninja VR 2 playtest with Halfbrick Studios notifying you by email if your request was successful.

“We are eager to see and hear what our community has to say about our new VR experience and have a quiver filled with features coming soon,” the studio says in a statement.

Fruit Ninja VR 2 is currently slated for a later 2021 launch for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. As further updates are released, VRFocus will let you know.

How Astronauts Are Using VR & AR Aboard The ISS

July 16, 2021 From vrscout.com

From maintenance work to physics experiments, XR technology is playing a major role in the operations of the Expedition 65 crew.

Thanks to jaw-dropping VR films like Space Explorers: An ISS Experience and educational games such as Mission: ISS, anyone with a VR headset has the ability to experience life aboard the International Space Station. But how exactly is VR & AR technology being used by the astronauts operating within the multinational low orbit space station?

When they’re not assisting production companies in shooting breath-taking 360-degree films, crew members aboard the International Space Station have begun utilizing immersive technology in everything from ship maintenance to scientific research. According to the official NASA blog, just yesterday two members of the Expedition 65 crew employed VR and AR technology as part of their respective duties.

Working inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory module’s Cold Atom Lab (CAL), NASA Flight Engineer Megan McArthur used AR technology to assist her in replacing key lab components on a device used to research “fundamental and quantum physics at extremely low temperatures.”

McArthur used a device referred to by NASA as the Sidekick (Investigating Immersive Visualization Capabilities), a modified version of the Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality smartglasses designed to provide wearers with critical information in the form of holographic projections. The organization states that the device can be used to improve tasks including maintenance, science experiments, and various other station operations.

Meanwhile, Commander Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency utilized VR technology to conduct a series of tests as part of a physics study regarding the development of advanced materials using nanoparticles. According to NASA, Hoshide used a VR headset to study how astronauts visually translate motion in microgravity.

Image Credit: NASA

You can learn more about the use of immersive technology aboard the International Space Station by visiting here.

If you want an even better look at life on the ISS, I highly recommend checking out Space Explorers: An ISS Experience. The ongoing VR documentary series currently has two episodes available, both of which feature some of the most impressive stereoscopic 360-degree visuals I’ve ever seen. What’s more, the astronauts themselves served as both the cast and camera crew, resulting in a uniquely intimate look at life in space.

Feature Image Credit: NASA

Tetris Effect: Connected Multiplayer Update & Steam Launch Pushed to August

July 16, 2021 From vrfocus.com

A month ago Enhance Games announced that Tetris Effect: Connected would be bringing its multiplayer gameplay to all currently supported devices, as well as a Steam edition this month. Having conducted beta tests over the past few weeks, it seems that the July launch was a bit ambitious with the release for all editions pushed back to August.

It’s going to be quite the epic launch by the looks of it. First, you’ve got the Steam edition’s arrival which will include support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive (no mention of Valve Index or WMR). The Steam debut will come with a 25% discount and a bunch of extra goodies including a seven-track soundtrack sampler by Hydelic, eleven Tetris Effect-themed 4k PC desktop wallpapers and seven Tetris Effect profile avatars; only in the first couple of weeks.

And then there’s the free multiplayer update – the “Connected” part if you hadn’t guessed – for Oculus Quest, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, and the Epic Games Store. This will facilitate full cross-platform gameplay between all the versions so VR and non-VR players can go head to head. The update isn’t just about connecting players either. Remote Play will be unlocked for Playstation 4, bonus features will include a new Spectator Mode, as well as PAL and “Slow” speed modes; plus Oculus Quest 2 owners will get improved performance to boost the graphical fidelity.

And that’s just the bonus stuff. Originally rolled out last year for Xbox and PC via the Microsoft Store, Tetris Effect: Connected adds a multitude of different competitive modes for fans of the iconic puzzle title. These include ‘Connected’ a co-op mode where three players team up and connect their Matrix playfields in an effort to beat AI-controlled bosses. You also have ‘Zone Battle’, a PvP match using standard Tetris rules. The twist being a time-stopping Zone mechanic to easily build up lines to attack your opponent.

All of this should make the original Tetris Effect even better, quite a leap considering VRFocus gave the PC VR edition of a full five-star review, saying: “Tetris Effect has lost none of the prime gameplay quality that the series is known for, it’s still as addictive and difficult to stop playing as ever. Quite frankly, Tetris Effect is the best version of Tetris. Just as important, the title suits experienced and new VR players alike.”

Enhance Games will be launching all of this on 18th August 2021, so be prepared for some puzzle mayhem this summer. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

Kayak VR Looks Stunning in Early Gameplay Footage

July 14, 2021 From vrfocus.com

It’s surprising to say that there need to be more kayaking videogames in virtual reality (VR). Phantom: Covert Ops by nDreams really showcased how immersive paddling through the water can be and now you’ve got Kayak VR: Mirage to look forward to next year.

Currently in early development by indie team Better Than Life, Kayak VR: Mirage instantly impresses thanks to its detailed, eye-catching scenery. All about the kayaking experience, the team will offer players the chance to compete in a Time Attack style mode, racing down rivers and through checkpoints as fast as possible. There will also be a free-ride mode for those who want a more leisurely experience.

Kayak VR: Mirage is being built as an authentic kayaking experience allowing players to accurately control their craft – the gameplay video below even showcases one of the team attaching their controllers to a stick for added realism. Only one location has been shown so far, a rather gorgeous ravine that looks inspired by the Grand Canyon. It won’t all be picturesque environments, Better Than Life is planning to include some surreal locations.

“Our current vision for the full game is a polished and kayaking experience that serves both casual players and racers who want to compete for high scores with a healthy amount of levels that offer plenty of replay value. Synchronous competitive multiplayer support and tandem-kayaking is being discussed internally but our initial focus is on making the game content complete first,” the studio notes on Steam.

This first look really is early on in production as the team expects to launch Kayak VR: Mirage into Early Access in March 2022. At the moment Better Than Life is looking to the community for beta testers. If you’re interested head on over to the Kayak VR: Mirage Discord to apply.

Kayak VR: Mirage will be Better Than Life’s third VR project to date, the previous two being Mediation VR which launched last year and a more unusual piece called A Bigger Splash, reimagining David Hockney’s iconic painting in VR. As further details on Kayak VR: Mirage are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.