A virtual reality game that puts players on a crumbling alien world in search of a lost sibling has been named VR game of the year.
Created by Qualicum BeachB次元官网网址檚 Cloudhead Games, The Gallery Ep. 2, Heart of the Emberstone is the second game in The Gallery series, and was released last October.
While both Ep. 1 and 2 piqued VR gamersB次元官网网址� and the industryB次元官网网址檚 interest, the VR Awards in the UK surprised Cloudhead CEO and co-founder Denny Unger with a major win on Oct. 16.
B次元官网网址淲e were very surprised by the win. We were up against some very heavy competition from triple-A studios,B次元官网网址� he said.
Those included massively popular games like Fallout 4 and Skyrim B次元官网网址� traditional games that later got a virtual reality version. There were also popular VR-first games as well. B次元官网网址淲e we were a bit shocked to take VR game of the year with such impactful titles that we were up against.B次元官网网址�
Unger said Heart of the Emberstone was different from its competitors because, unlike Fallout 4 and Skyrim, their game was built from the ground-up for VR, looking to develop a game that takes advantage of the new platform by building an immersive world that people can literally walk around in, and developing new gameplay mechanics specific to VR.
CloudheadB次元官网网址檚 game was also the second in a series, allowing them to iterate on an already much-loved experience, ultimately creating an Ep. 2 that improves upon the detail of the virtual world, is a longer game, and takes people from an Earthly setting in the first game, to an even more impressive and intriguing alien planet in the second.
B次元官网网址淎 big internal goal for us is to anchor the user in the story, and make them feel like theyB次元官网网址檝e been injected into a completely new reality and become invested in that world, so we do that through storytelling, but we also do that through really great interaction design,B次元官网网址� said Unger. B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 those combining forces that made it stand out.B次元官网网址�
But Cloudhead Games has even more radical plans for VR in store.
In a tweet acknowledging their VR Awards win, the company said, B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址e hope you join us for what weB次元官网网址檝e been quietly cooking for the future of #VR.B次元官网网址�
Asked what that cryptic note meant, Unger went only a tad further in explaining.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 not a lot I can say out in the open,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been working on something for the past few months, and I canB次元官网网址檛 give a release date, but itB次元官网网址檚 something really special with an industry giant that weB次元官网网址檙e working with, and itB次元官网网址檚 again, showing the world something they probably havenB次元官网网址檛 seen in VR before.B次元官网网址�
In a previous interview with The NEWS, Unger spoke about the future of VR not necessarily being in B次元官网网址済amesB次元官网网址� exactly, but it experiences that could perhaps occupy a space between movies and games. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no telling if Cloudhead Games is working on something along those lines, but he said those interested in what they are up to should keep their eye on the game studio next year.
As for the third episode of The Gallery, Unger said they are still planning but have not date yet for a release.
