What is this? What is the formula, a secret ingredient for VR to bring players pure excitement and adrenaline? How can we make them smile and “wow” after removing the headphone set? For us, developers in something random working on Harpagun, it all boils down to a few elementary elements. Let’s take it in advance.
What counts is traffic: speed, control and immersion
Action games relate to movement. The problem is mainly solved in flat -screen games, but still problematic in VR. Some forms of transport allow precision, but they are quite leisurely and not reacting. Others allow you to enlarge your locations, but they may be uncomfortable. Those who are, limit or take you from the illusion of “being there”.
In Harpagun we needed a system with a clear set of goals: comfort, simplicity, reaction, speed and immersion. In appropriate arcade games, players must be able to react in the blink of an eye, immediately focus on what is most significant, change their position to avoid danger or get a better arrow in the enemy.
We managed to achieve this thanks to our “Pylon and Kotwica” system. Players move between sets of points with eyes anchored in captivating points, such as the path to the front or the center of the fight. The movement is sleek, but brisk enough to be comfortable, while allowing complete control over the battlefield.
Grab, disappoint, throw: magnetic ray power
The first thing that everyone wants to do in VR is to catch something and quit. Unfortunately, this requires the player to approach the object and sometimes it can be very fussy and actually ruin the illusion of presence due to medium restrictions (mass of objects, pressure on his hands, etc.). But you have to do it. You need this interaction with the world and enemies, that’s what VR serves. So how can we have a cake and eat a cake? Of course, operate a magnetic radius. (Not for cookies for interaction).
At this point, grabbing the distance is a well -known concept in VR, so the challenge was to make it so juicy and necessary in the game as possible. You can operate it on enemies, and everyone will react differently. Some may be crushed to the ground, others reveal their faint point or part with parts of their bodies. The radius can also grab the bullets, move around the elements of the environment from such petite cans to as enormous as refrigerators and tractors. Of course, all of them can then be used to break more enemies.
Juice it up: impact, chaos and soundtrack that flap
It would not be fun if you were now enlarging and crushing gray boxes in gray locations, right? You need “juice”, a lot. Animations that show personality and intentions. The reactions of the hit give a sense of influence and power of weapons. Splaces and explosions say that the enemy turned into a pile of marmalade under a falling tower. Add sound and music to this. The right squeak of aliens jumping on the face, and then the fungus of the TV, which hits him and the spat when, well, he flies everywhere. As for the music for Harpagun, we settled with a mix of army, jazz, Balkans and a bit of Slavic people. Hey, stop, don’t close this page – I assure you, everything works – the soundtrack hits.
A strange universe for solving
Two significant elements of this experience – “What?” and “where?” If you want players to still play outside the first minutes, you must give them a reason. Places to discover, people to meet, strive to complete. Too “Over The Board”, however, would not serve the action. Who wants to read long fragments of knowledge when there are enemies to be unwavering? It may want it to be a bit simpler, something like – a set of space garbage wanting to dismantle the abandoned planet from natural resources, loses contact with a member of the expedition and sends a hand on the planet to check it. It seems basic enough.
Now let’s add to this foreign chicken in the field of mushrooms, Slavic retro-Futuristics, murky humor, incompetent crew “helps” the hero, some elated attitude Voila. A world full of bizarre characters and colorful locations is ready and is waiting to be discovered. “Smizny”.
Mix and serve heated! Smagny!
Quite elementary, right? Just take these few steps for three years – working strenuous, putting the effort and love for what you do. I hope that you will end up with the action game that VR enthusiasts enjoy and nurture as you do.
By the way, we just did something like that – it’s called Harpagun and you’ll be able to play it on April 10 on PlayStation VR2. Go and tell us if any of our theories is really real. See you Space Junker!
