Toast Interactive, the Australian studio behind Richie's Plank Experience, is revealing its second VR game later this month at Gamescom.
Based on the Gold Coast (also known as the hometown of Australia's pride and joy, Miss Stereotypical Barbie herself, Margot Robbie), Toast Interactive is staying coy on any details surrounding its new VR title, which will be unveiled on the first day of Gamescom in Cologne, Germany later this month. The studio previously noted that it was working on a "much more ambitious and much bigger budget" title for release in late 2023.
"We have been working on our new VR game for a number of years now, and we are very excited to be showcasing our second title this year at Gamescom," said Toast Co-owner Richard Easte in a prepared statement this week. And yes, that isn't just any Richard – it is the Richard of Plank Experience fame.
Richie's Plank Experience first launched in 2017 and has since made its way over to almost every imaginable VR platform. The concept is simple: walk across a virtual plank in VR that hangs precariously off skyscrapers, threatening a terrifying fall below.
The full game features other mechanics (including flying), but it's the simple core concept that gave Richie's Plank Experience staying power. Not only does it toy with the fairly common fear of heights, but it does so in a way that demonstrates the immediate immersive pull of virtual reality.
The countless viral videos of Richie's Plank players being too scared to move, diving into thin air or crashing into TVs cemented the experience as one of VR's most memorable.
That's a big act to follow up for the Toast Interactive team, but we can't wait to see what they've got in store. UploadVR will be at Gamescom and plans to go hands (or feet) on with whatever new experience the team is showcasing.
Stay tuned for more details later this month.
