VR is a natural fit for simulation games, but we haven’t seen anything like Manimal Sanctuary before.
Developed by Postopian Games, Manimal Sanctuary is described as a VR lurking simulator. You play as a strange creature that lingers around survivors in a post-apocalyptic Toronto and feeds off of their emotions as you eavesdrop on their conversations. Check out the trailer below.
Beyond that core foundation, there’s an intriguing premise to the game. You follow a set of survivors based on one side of the lake in Toronto. Demonic critters have been known to race across the frozen lake and attack the encampment, but sentries are thought to have managed to put a stop to this for several years. The reality, though, is that these sentries have been gunning down other survivors that might lead the critters to the base.
“This question of what kind of society do we want to have — how safe, and how just — is of obvious relevance to our current political discussion about immigration, refugees, and terrorism,” the developer writes in a blog post.
“We’re also interested in seeing what the player comfort is in relation to the creature they embody. Is manipulation of humans OK if it’s allowing them to survive? Is the farmer/livestock relationship — wherein humans are providing emotions, as cows provide milk — one we’re entirely comfortable with?”
Interestingly, this isn’t a game for high-end VR headsets or even high-end mobile headsets but instead Google Cardboard. It’s not often we see a game this interesting on the platform. If it sounds like the sort of thing you’d like to play then we have good news; you can! There’s a 30-minute demo available for free on Android and iOS now. We’re not sure when the full game’s going to release but we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this one.
