Visual fidelity can go a long way in VR experiences. In a non-VR game, you lose a lot of the impact simply by virtue of the game taking place on a limited, flat, screen that’s disconnected from the world it’s displaying, but in VR, it surrounds you. You can really get up close and appreciate the details.
It’s a big reason why games like Obduction are so successful. The visuals, the audio, the setting; they all add up to a convincing sense of immersion.
Expanses, a new VR adventure title from Shuographics Studio, recently debuted on Kickstarter to raise $100,000 in order to help fund its development. We originally covered the game’s control method earlier this month.
The game is being described as a VR adventure narrative game that tasks you with saving environments and animals from extinction. Each of the various expanses in the game are on the verge of catastrophe and you must intervene through exploration and light interaction mechanics.
“By interacting with different locations and their inhabitants, the player gradually restores animal communities,” writes Expanses’ developer on the Kickstarter page. “There are six such elements: water, wind, fire, earth, wood and metal (three elements for the main environments, and three elements for the bonus environments). These elements allow the player to spawn life in a given world, and collecting all of them unlocks a new, secret location.”
Everything is controlled through your gaze and head movement which means no game pad is necessary and they’re targeting for this to run on all VR platforms, including Cardboard, Gear VR, Daydream, PS VR, Vive, and Rift. Only mobile VR is guaranteed, but the other three are planned for the future.
The first expanse is a world of canyons and mountains, with the second expanse populated by dense forests and snow-capped peaks. The final and third expanse is full of warm and tropical environments.
While it sounds relatively simple in concept, the execution is aiming to take thing to new heights. Every area promises a dizzying and captivating degree of detail with small nuances engaging all of your senses. The expanses are aiming to be both large in size and dense with animals.
You can watch the video above for more detail and check the extremely elaborate Kickstarter campaign page, visit the developer’s official website, or read our previous story about Expanses. The lowest pledge that grants you access to the game upon release is $10, which also includes the digital soundtrack and digital art book.
