Respawn Entertainment, Pixar Lead List Of Upcoming Titles For Oculus Rift
As always, games are a major focal point in the latest round of VR announcements, and Oculus used its keynote at Oculus Connect 4 to show off some new titles coming to the platform. Virtual reality is an opportunity for small, independent developers to stand out, but it could also be another way for major studios to garner a larger audience.
Coming Later This Year
Some of the titles featured at the event are coming later this year. Downpour Interactive’s military simulator shooter Onward is currently available on Early Access, but its development is nearly over. Oculus announced that a release date is scheduled for sometime in November. There’s also Turtle Rock Studios’ Face Your Fears, which challenges you to confront your phobias in virtual reality. Next month, you can use the game to experience a new piece of content, which will allow you to explore the interesting, yet terrifying world of Stranger Things. Considering that the show’s second season arrives at the end of October, the VR tie-in is designed as a compelling way for fans to engage with the fictional world.
Disney, specifically Pixar Animation Studios, is also throwing its hat in the ring with Coco VR. The experience will serve as a companion to the movie Coco, which hits theaters in November. You’ll get to explore the colorful Land of the Dead, play instruments, and take pictures with some of the film’s characters.
Insomniac Games, which created the spell-casting VR title The Unspoken, also revealed an upcoming, single-player expansion called “Acolytes.” You’ll wander through the streets and rooftops of Chicago as you discover the city’s magical past. However, your main objective is to investigate the murder of an acolyte. Five different classes and thirty spells are at your disposal, and you’ll need them to take down terrifying Demons and Wraiths. The expansion arrives later this year as a free update.
Games For 2018 And Beyond
Oculus also has a few titles slated for release sometime in 2018. Ready At Dawn has two VR titles under its belt with Lone Echo and Echo Arena, and the studio is already working on an first-person shooter expansion on the latter game called “Echo Combat”. The short trailer didn’t reveal much about the new content save for a mysterious figure and a note that it's coming next year. Fans will also see the next step in the story of Jack and Olivia at some point in the future, although the studio was mum on additional details.
After you watch the recently released Blade Runner 2049, you can further immerse yourself in the science fiction world with Magnopus’ Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab experience. You’ll explore the memories of other people, but it seems that you’ll encounter a strange recollection that could put you in danger.
If you want to be a superhero, you can try out the upcoming Marvel Powers United VR, which is a collaboration between Oculus Studios and Sanzaru Games. In it, you’ll take on the role of a franchise character — in this particular trailer, it was Thor, but the Hulk featured prominently as well — and fight the many enemies that stand in your way. Depending on the hero you choose, you can use your Touch controllers to wield different powers and weapons.
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
As a final treat, the company featured a brief video from Respawn Entertainment, the studio that created the popular Titanfall series. It seems that it’s working on a virtual reality title as well, although the developers didn’t reveal any details, and the brief gameplay footage shown onscreen was blurred out. Unlike the other titles above, we’ll have to wait until 2019 to try out Respawn’s first step into VR.
More For Your Library
The continued stream of content, especially games, for Oculus is a sign that virtual reality is still a popular platform. From basic standing experiences to fully interactive titles, there’s a wide gamut of VR titles available for everyone.
Respawn’s entry into the VR space is also noteworthy because it’s one of the first AAA developers to make the jump from traditional platforms to VR. If its maiden game is deemed a success, it could lure even more customers to try, and eventually purchase, an Oculus Rift.
Rexly Peñaflorida is a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware covering topics such as computer hardware, video games, and general technology news.
-
WildCard999 Marvel Powers United VR looks amazing and Onward was a lot of fun but I really hope Skyrim VR comes out for PC soon. Also we need a Mechwarrior VR game!Reply -
Realist9 I have *got* to be missing something.Reply
All I see in the articles from the Oculus briefs is:
1. 'Strap a phone to your face' unit that allows you to play crappy phone games with cartoon graphics. I get some folks are into that, so, ok.
2. No announced successor to the rift. Next chance at an announcement would be Oculus 5 next fall, yes? Meaning no actual hardware until 2019.
3. Three, that's right, three, games announced, or 'highlighted', or however you want to say it, which somehow amounts to a "...continued stream of content, especially games...". Nothing else for them to note? Is it that bad?
So to sum up, nothing to replace the rift until 2019, at the earliest, and still only scant games for it (unless your into simplistic cartoony goofy "games", but nothing considered 'mainstream' or 'AAA' type games).
Please tell me what I am missing. Or is this all just code for "buy a rift now because nothing better is coming until 2020"? -
cryoburner Reply
Another possibility is that they are simply keeping quiet about a Rift successor until the new year, to keep people buying their headsets through the holiday shopping season, after which they will announce...20264131 said:No announced successor to the rift. Next chance at an announcement would be Oculus 5 next fall, yes? Meaning no actual hardware until 2019.
"Oh, hay guys! There's a new Rift coming later this year! The one you just got is obsolete, so pre-order now!" : D
If the upcoming Windows 10 VR headsets prove to be reasonable competition to the Rift and Vive, it's seems likely that those companies will have new devices within a year or so. -
poochiepiano ReplyRespawn Entertainment, the studio that created the popular Titanfall series.
Popular is an overstatement. Titanfall SHOULD be popular, but the 1400 concurrent players I see every evening in the Eastern Time Zone says otherwise. It's so sad to see BF and COD pull in larger player bases with lower-quality games.
But back to the point. Sad they didn't release any details about their forthcoming game, but this is the first time I've been interested in VR. Hope it lives up to their reputation. -
Sakkura Reply20264131 said:3. Three, that's right, three, games announced, or 'highlighted', or however you want to say it, which somehow amounts to a "...continued stream of content, especially games...". Nothing else for them to note? Is it that bad?
Those games are in addition to all the things that have already been announced. Brass Tactics, From Other Suns and so on.