Remember those cheesy movie scenes in which a mighty blacksmith uses fires hotter than the sun and hammers bigger than their heads to forge awesome weaponry? In Craft Keep VR, you can be that guy.
This new HTC Vive game from developer Arvydas Žemaitis and publisher Excalibur Games was announced this week. It’s a spin-off of the developer’s hugely popular Shoppe Keep, in which you run an adventurer’s shop. This time, however, you’ll be actually making the weapons and brewing the potions that RPG characters will flock to purchase so that they can finally fell that level 50 dragon.
“Craft Keep VR was birthed from the enormous amount of requests we received to make Shoppe Keep with VR support,” Žemaitis told UploadVR. “But because of the complexity of the game and amount of menus, panels, and button prompts on screen, it didn’t make much sense. We took the idea of Shoppe Keep – its world, and its visual identity, and built upon it. Craft Keep VR has been an opportunity to expand upon the lore and introduce a story line about an artist crafter traveling through various zones of the Keep world.”
In the game, you take on the role of an alchemist-blacksmith. Adventurers will approach with requests for specific types of swords and potions, and you’ll prepare them by making everything from hilts to healing remedies. For potions, you’ll mix herbs together and dip bottles in cauldrons like a mad scientist. Weapons, meanwhile, can be altered with enchantment stones that bestow properties like fire and ice upon blades. You’ll also have to repair some battle-worn swords.
You can see an exclusive clip of the first direct gameplay footage below. It’s got a dragon in it, which can only be a good thing.
Žemaitis is also experimenting with a multiplayer mode for the game, in which one player isn’t using VR but a mouse and keyboard instead. The developer is asking fans for ideas on how this mode might work. The game won’t feature any kind of connectivity with Shoppe Keep, though the developer is going to add Craft Keep VR-inspired items to the original release.
Craft Keep VR will be launching in Early Access on November 10th with a small slice of its story. Žemaitis will then add to the campaign during that pre-release phase before a full launch sometime in 2017. As for Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR support, all Žemaitis would say is that the developer is looking into other headsets.
You can find more information about Craft Keep VR on the game’s Steam page.
