Final Fantasy creator Square Enix released its first role-playing game last week in Million Arthur VR. Sadly, it didn’t make for a very interesting experience. The company’s work with VR comics, however, sounds a bit more promising.
As reported by Engadget, Square Enix’s Advanced Technology Division is working on Project Hikari, a VR app to revolutionize the Japanese manga books it publishes. That includes series like Soul Eater, Black Butler and Fullmetal Alchemist. Instead of just lifting the pages of books and putting them into VR, however, Project Hikari aims to expand upon their storytelling.
Its first adaptation, for example, is based on Tales of Wedding Rings. Virtual panels will float in front of you, allowing you to read text, but there’s also voice acting, sound effects and music added to the experience. Panels are integrating animation by converting the original drawings into 3D computer generated images which allow you to explore them to the full extent that VR affords. Imagine being able to revisit your favorite scenes from a past series and jump inside them to explore like never before.
Project Hikari is due for release on major VR headsets next year. It was shown off at New York Comic Con this year, so we’re hopeful for a full release in the west.
