ChatGPT isn’t perfect, but the popular AI chatbot’s access to large language models (LLM) means it can do a lot of things you might not expect, like give all of Tamriel’s NPC inhabitants the ability to hold natural conversations and answer questions about the iconic fantasy world. Uncanny, yes. But it’s a prescient look at how games might one day use AI to reach new heights in immersion.
YouTuber ‘Art from the Machine’ released a video showing off how they modded the much beloved VR version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
The mod, which isn’t available yet, ostensibly lets you hold conversations with NPCs via ChatGPT and xVASynth, an AI tool for generating voice acting lines using voices from video games.
Check out the results in the most recent update below:
The latest version of the project introduces Skyrim scripting for the first time, which the developer says allows for lip syncing of voices and NPC awareness of in-game events. While still a little rigid, it feels like a pretty big step towards climbing out of the uncanny valley.
Here’s how ‘Art from the Machine’ describes the project in a recent Reddit post showcasing their work:
A few weeks ago I posted a video demonstrating a Python script I am working on which lets you talk to NPCs in Skyrim via ChatGPT and xVASynth. Since then I have been working to integrate this Python script with Skyrim’s own modding tools and I have reached a few exciting milestones:
NPCs are now aware of their current location and time of day. This opens up lots of possibilities for ChatGPT to react to the game world dynamically instead of waiting to be given context by the player. As an example, I no longer have issues with shopkeepers trying to barter with me in the Bannered Mare after work hours. NPCs are also aware of the items picked up by the player during conversation. This means that if you loot a chest, harvest an animal pelt, or pick a flower, NPCs will be able to comment on these actions.
NPCs are now lip synced with xVASynth. This is obviously much more natural than the floaty proof-of-concept voices I had before. I have also made some quality of life improvements such as getting response times down to ~15 seconds and adding a spell to start conversations.
When everything is in place, it is an incredibly surreal experience to be able to sit down and talk to these characters in VR. Nothing takes me out of the experience more than hearing the same repeated voice lines, and with this no two responses are ever the same. There is still a lot of work to go, but even in its current state I couldn’t go back to playing without this.
You might notice the actual voice prompting the NPCs is also fairly robotic too, although ‘Art from the Machine’ says they’re using speech-to-text to talk to the ChatGPT 3.5-driven system. The voice heard in the video is generated from xVASynth, and then plugged in during video editing to replace what they call their “radio-unfriendly voice.”
And when can you download and play for yourself? Well, the developer says publishing their project is still a bit of a sticky issue.
“I haven’t really thought about how to publish this, so I think I’ll have to dig into other ChatGPT projects to see how others have tackled the API key issue. I am hoping that it’s possible to alternatively connect to a locally-run LLM model for anyone who isn’t keen on paying the API fees.”
Serving up more natural NPC responses is also an area that needs to be addressed, the developer says.
Squido Studio announced its first-person platformer No More Rainbows is coming to Quest 2 and SteamVR headsets soon, offering up a VR take on classic platforming action.
No More Rainbows has been available in open beta on Quest’s App Lab for a year now, and it’s almost time for it to graduate to the main Quest Store and Steam too. Exactly when, we don’t know, but Squido and its partner Robot Teddy say it’s coming “very soon.”
Here’s the studio’s description of the first-person VR platformer:
In No More Rainbows, you are The Beast, who must spring forth into a fantastical virtual reality world to reclaim your home from the beings of infinite happiness that have infested the Underworld! Bizou and their merry band of minions plan to take over your sanctuary of screams and turn it into a bountiful paradise where cries of pain and torment are replaced by kisses and rainbows… what a nightmare! Use arm-based locomotion mechanics to run, jump, claw, and climb using only your hands and arms to engage with tight platformer mechanics.
In the full release, the game is set to include four unique campaign worlds, environmental storytelling, multiplayer modes, beast personalization, leaderboards, and boss encounters. Squido says the full game has around five hours of gameplay.
The open beta on Quest will be removed from App Lab on May 2nd, which follows a Dev Day on May 1st where players can hang out with the game’s developers. In the meantime, you can also wishlist it on Steam here.
Vertigo 2 is arguably one of the best games of 2023, but it’s only available on PC VR headsets. Developer Zach Tsiakalis-Brown said earlier this year that he thought a PSVR 2 port would definitely be a good possibility, and now that Half-Life-style sci-fi shooter is in the wild, PSVR 2 support is apparently still in the cards for the solo dev.
Reacting to Twitter user Timo Schmidt, Tsiakalis-Brown confirmed that PSVR 2 support is still on the horizon, as he recalls an earlier tweet from January saying he “would love to port to psvr in the future. It’s definitely a possibility!”
As many have noted in the recent past, PlayStation 5’s rendering ability is pretty much on par with a mid-range PC, which has allowed for a big bump in graphics over legacy hardware, such as PS4/PS4 Pro.
That bump lets developers create even more immersive and graphically intense games than we’ve ever seen on PS platform, likeHorizon Call of the Mountain (2023),or the remastered version of Song in the Smoke, the latter of which rivals even the PC VR version of the game.
Still, developing for PSVR 2 isn’t so cut and dry. Outside of actually getting it to work on Sony’s latest VR headset, which is a much more precise target than creating a PC VR game in general, Tsiakalis-Brown admits he’s never gone through the certification process to publish a game on the PlayStation Store. Up until now, all of the developer’s games have been PC VR only.
Nathan Rowe, the solo dev behind VR art app SculptrVR (2016), had some sage advice to overcoming the process:
It is possible to do solo. It nearly killed me, though. My advice is to ask Sony for help early. File tickets! They get read and responded to!
And what good is Vertigo 2 without Vertigo Remastered (2020)? Tsiakalis-Brown says releasing both games for PSVR 2 would be a “great way to expose [the series to] a bigger audience!”
While the solo dev hasn’t published a post-launch release schedule, the order of operations is fairly clear. First the game’s upcoming sandbox DLC, which will allow users to create and share their own content based on Vertigo 2 assets and worlds, then … who knows!
Last month we got an eyeful of Cyan’s upcoming VR puzzle adventure Firmament in an extended preview trailer that showed off some of the game’s impressively looming set pieces. Now, prepping for the game’s May 18th release on PC VR, the studio released its first look at some of the game’s puzzle mechanics.
There are a few new things shown in the video that we haven’t seen before, notably what appears to be the final version of the most important tool to your puzzle-adventuring.
Called an ‘Adjunct’, the tool lets you interface with the various devices strewn about the Realm of Firmament, which Cyan says will help you on your quest to unlocking the secrets this place holds.
Image captured via video courtesy Cyan
We previously saw the Adjunct very briefly in Firmament’s initial Kickstarter video, although it wasn’t clear at the time what it was, or whether or not it would be a one-off object. Whatever the case, it’s clear now that the adjunct is a mainstay that ostensibly works like and extension of the player’s arm.
Also, it appears the ability to shoot the bit from the holder has let Cyan develop a wider range of far-flung puzzles, as you can manipulate locks and various receptacles you wouldn’t be able to physically reach otherwise.
Firmament is launching for PC VR headsets and traditional monitors via Steam on May 18th. In the new Steam page, the studio reveals a few more tidbits of info about the narrative and structure of the game:
You are not entirely alone in Firmament. In addition to The Adjunct, you are joined by a mysterious apparition, who has a story of her own to share with you. As you explore you will be introduced to 3 Realms – each with secrets and mysteries to reveal. What purpose do the Realms serve? Can the spirit who accompanies you be trusted?
Are the realms of Firmament abandoned? What are these giant, mysterious machines scattered throughout the world? What is their purpose? What part do you play in this grand mystery? Explore, Discover, Solve, and Reveal the mystery for yourself by playing Firmament!
In the game’s Kickstarter November update, Cyan said Firmament is also set to come to PSVR 2, PS4 and PS5 at some point “down the line.” There’s no word on whether Quest 2 will ever get a native version of the game, i.e. one that can be played without a PC and Link or Air Link.
Vertigo 2 (2023), the sci-fi VR shooter adventure from Zach Tsiakalis-Brown, readily invites comparisons to Valve’s indomitable Half-Life: Alyx, but now the developer is taking another note out of Valve’s playbook by offering a way to create your own Vertigo-based levels and modes in an upcoming sandbox DLC.
Tsiakalis-Brown announced the level editor today in a tweet:
Tsiakalis-Brown says it will be a free update, and have Steam Workshop support, which means you’ll be able to share your creations much in the same way we’ve seen Half-Life: Alyx mods in the past.
The editor is said to be an in-VR affair, inviting comparisons to the Sandbox DLC released for Vertigo Remastered (2020 ), which includes what Tsiakalis-Brown called at the time “a vast expansion that brings new game modes, new weapons, and a level editor and workshop.”
“Let your creativity run wild and share custom levels with the world, or re-experience the campaign with remixed combat and a brand new arsenal,” the Vertigo Remastered DLC’s description reads.
You can follow along as Tsiakalis-Brown builds the sandbox DLC on Twitch here for more. He says he won’t stream the entirety of the sandbox’s development, although notes it’s “already looking better than the Vertigo Remastered sandbox.”
Red Matter 2, the sci-fi VR puzzle adventure for Quest 2 and PC VR, is bringing its best-in-class graphics and interactions to PSVR 2.
Vertical Robot says the sequel is slated to arrive on PSVR 2 “very soon,” noting in a tweet it will feature a smooth 120fps with no reprojection, foveated Rendering, 4K re-mastered textures, and enhanced lighting.
And while some may rightly bemoan it as another Quest 2 port, it’s really much more than that.
Launched in mid-2022 on Quest 2 and PC VR, Red Matter 2 features some of the most impressive graphics and immersive gameplay to date—of any VR platform—easily drawing comparisons to some of VR’s most visually intense games, such as Lone Echo and Half-Life: Alyx. It’s really that good.
Here’s the setup: in Red Matter 2, you take on the role of Sasha, an agent awakened in a lunar base by an undercover operative and tasked with uncovering the secrets of ‘Red Matter’, a mysterious substance introduced in Red Matter (2018).
The sequel introduces combat for the first time, which although not a high point, definitely makes for an interesting break from the game’s wide variety of puzzles. Enough said. Check out our spoiler-free review to find out why we gave it [8/10].
There’s no word on when we can expect the original Red Matter on PSVR 2. We’ll also be keeping our eyes peeled for a more precise launch date for the sequel, so check back soon.
There’s a million things you could do to enhance your life if you had the power to seamlessly augment the world around you with digital and interactive information. And while we’re far from the “seamless” part of that reality, we’re getting early glimpses of how the world could be better with this power.
Take, for example, this project which uses augmented reality to turn a regular electronic drum set into a fully functional rhythm ‘game’ that provides real practice for drum players.
This isn’t a concept—it’s a live demo running on a Quest Pro headset, powered by the VR drumming app Paradiddle. While the app already allows players to play a fully virtual drum set of their dreams, or align virtual drums with their real ones, in the future this AR mode will be added to the app to give drummers a view of their real drums while retaining all the benefits of the digital overlay.
And what benefits are those? Well practicing existing techniques is obvious, but imagine learning entirely new songs in this interactive way, complete with gamified metrics for how well you’re doing and how quickly you’re improving. And how about turning down a song’s speed until you get the fundamentals, and then slowly cranking it up until you’re hitting every note?
While we might think of drum lessons as a fairly niche use-case for AR, it’s easy to imagine how similar systems could apply to almost any instrument. And what do you know—there’s already a similar project for piano players! Somebody give me one for the sax because I’ve been saying I’d pick it up for years!
There’s still a lot of work to be done to make experiences like these easy enough that anyone can use them, but there’s a real possibility that the future of ‘rhythm games’ could actually teach players how to play real instruments at a high level.
VR Skater, the skateboarding sim for PC VR headsets, is making its way to PSVR 2 this summer.
First launched on Steam Early Access in 2021, VR Skater offers up a unique way of sidestepping the fact that most people don’t have tracked feet (or skateboard perioherals) in VR yet.
In it, you move your motion controllers in the same way you might move your feet. It’s a pretty unique locomotion concept that sidesteps the need for some sort of skateboard peripheral, like the old skateboard controller for Tony Hawk: Ride (2009).
Customizing at the shop | Image courtesy Deficit Games, Perp Games
In VR Skater, you push your board forward by moving your hand in a skiing motion, and use precise controller motions to execute a wide variety of flip tricks, grabs, grinds, slides and manuals.
Developer Deficit Games and publisher Perp Games say the urban skating sim offers up seven environments as well as the Mega Ramp, which will test your mettle by launching you across a giant chasm.
In addition to an online leaderboard, it also lets you earn XP, medals, trophies and even a VR Skater shop, where you can exchange XP for grip tape, trucks, wheels and board artwork.
The studios haven’t mentioned a precise launch date beyond “summer 2023,” although in the meanwhile you can wishlist VR Skater on PSVR 2 here.
Joy Way, the studio behind STRIDE and AGAINST, revealed a new VR game which seems to combine the web-slinging action of Spider-Man with the demon-slaying melee carnage of DOOM.
Called Dead Hook, the studio calls the upcoming Quest title an “explosive mix of roguelike and shooter genre with brutal combat and captivating storytelling.”
Prior to Dead Hook, Joy Way released a game called Outlier on Steam Early Access for PC VR, which was then cancelled shortly thereafter. At the time, the studio cited “overestimated demand” as a reason for pulling the plug on the alien-centric roguelike. Joy Way says it has since reworked the mechanics, storyline, and overall gameplay of Outlier to create Dead Hook.
In Dead Hook, you take on the role of Adam Stone, a mercenary, smuggler, and thief. In it, you explore the elder planet Resaract, collect legendary weapons and customize your character with what the studio says is “100 buffs and permanent upgrades to make each run unique.”
Enemies include regular and elite elders, which try to stop you in the air and on the ground as they defend their tombs, the studio says. Joy Way also says there’s bosses too which have “multiple phases, making each encounter feel tense and exciting.”
The roguelike shooter is also set to have a story. In it, you’ll “uncover the secrets of Resaract and AI duality, facing tough choices and unexpected twists along the way,” the studio says.
Halfbrick Studios announced that Fruit Ninja VR 2 is finally set to leave early access on SteamVR headsets, as the full version will be available starting today on Quest and PC VR headsets.
Released in Early Access on PC VR headsets in late 2021, the game (now in 1.9.2) offers up multiple ways to get into the fruit-slicing grove: you can attack classic, zen and arcade modes, along with a rhythm mode, letting you slice away to the beat.
In addition to a social hub, a multiplayer mode is also available which lets you interact with the environment and challenge other ninjas around the globe. This thankfully includes cross-play.
And while lesser fruit ninjas may have only studied the blade, you’ll also be able to master the bow too across multiple modes. Check out the trailer below to see some of the action:
Fruit Ninja VR 2 is available starting today on the Quest Store for Quest, Quest 2 and Quest Pro. It’s not live yet, although we expect it in the next few hours.
This comes along with a price increase from $20 to $25 for the PC version, which Halfbrick says in a Steam update will bring it in line with Quest Store pricing.
A version is also said to launch on the Pico Store, however we haven’t seen a listing for that yet, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, you can see all of the 1.9.2 patch notes here, which details a number of bug fixes and performance optimizations the studio has made in preparation for the Quest launch today.
Following last month’s release of the Half-Life 2: Episode 1 VR mod, the Source VR Mod team is set to release Episode 2 on April 6th. A launch trailer shows how the episode has been fully adapted to be played in VR.
After years of starts and stops on various attempts to turn Half-Life 2 into a fully playable VR game, the Source VR Mod Team released the Half-Life 2 VR Mod to major acclaim last year. Since then the team has followed up with an equally well received VR mod for Episode 1.
Less than a month later, the team is set to release the Half-Life 2: Episode 2 VR Mod on April 6th, including a full set of VR features like hands-on weapons, comfort options, real ladder climbing, and—of course—a crow bar you can actually swing.
The Source VR Mod Team released a launch trailer for the game ahead of release, showing the classic Episode 2 action that players can now relive in VR.
The Half-Life 2: Episode 2 VR Mod is free, but requires that players own the original Episode 2 game in order to play. The mod supports all SteamVR headsets like Index, Vive, and Quest via Oculus Link.
Image courtesy Source VR Mod Teamsou
All three of these Half-Life 2 VR mods are built by volunteers who make up the Source VR Mod Team. If you want to support their current and future work, they accept contributions on their Ko-fi page.
The long-awaited sequel to Vertigo is here, bringing with it another dose of its distinctly Half-Life-esque flair and patently strange yet captivating universe. Does Vertigo 2 outdo the original? No need to leave you in suspense since you already read the headline. Quick answer: Yes. For the long answer, read on.
Vertigo 2 Details:
Available On: SteamVR Release Date: March 31st, 2023 Price: $30 Developer: Zach Tsiakalis-Brown Publisher: Zulubo Productions Reviewed On: Quest 2 via PC Link
Gameplay
Like the first in the series, you’re again tasked with linearly fighting your way home through a robot and alien-infested science facility, however the sequel puts a host of new worlds and lifeforms between you and your version of Earth. You really don’t need to play the original Vertigo though to get lost in the weird and expansive narrative of Vertigo 2, although I would suggest it—if only for natural access to the narrative and about four more hours of blasting.
Even if you played Vertigo Remastered in 2020 like me though, you may still have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on in the sequel. The franchise’s brand of absurdist sci-fi kitch gets a new layer of narrative density this time around, one that may be too thick and convoluted for most. Whether you choose to engage with it or not really doesn’t change the fact that the underlying game is undoubtedly a triumph over the original, and many other such VR shooters to boot.
I wouldn’t hesitate to call it PC VR’s best game of 2023 so far, which is doubly impressive since it was basically made by a single person, Zach Tsiakalis-Brown. Seriously, for the magnitude of the experience, Vertigo 2’s credit screen is the shortest I’ve ever seen.
Courtesy Zulubo Productions
Granted, we don’t factor in a team’s size or budget—only the end product—but it bears mentioning just the same that this game, which is so solid and clever, was built by a very (very) small team without the sort of AAA budget we’ve seen squandered on experiences half this good.
While paying tribute to some of gaming’s greats, Vertigo 2 is a VR native through and through. Its 14 collectible weapons feature unique reload mechanics, all of which were designed with VR users in mind. The user-friendly emphasis on weapons means you won’t be faffing with doing real world actions like racking gun slides or manipulating charge handles, which are better suited for realistic combat sims with a much slower pace of gameplay. It’s not long until you find out a room of weirdos will magically zap into existence, hell-bent on setting you back to the last save point; realism simply isn’t a concern here.
Reloading typically requires you to eject a spent magazine (or pod of some sort) with a controller button press, grab a fresh magazine from your left hip holster, and insert the magazine into the mag well. Usually, you’ll only have three such magazines immediately at your disposal, as automatically regenerating ammo takes time. There’s a little counter where a magazine should be.
This means that although you’ll find yourself sticking to a number of more effective weapons along your adventure, both large-scale fights and boss battles will have you relying on weaker guns like your starter pistol as you wait for your favorites to become operational. Additionally, auto-recharging ammo means you won’t need to constantly hoover up loot around the level, save the odd health syringe or bomb you’ll find stashed around periodically.
Developing the muscle memory to rapidly reload, shoot, and change to a new weapon takes time, which can definitely add in a measure of unforeseen difficulty in a fire fight. Still, the wheel-style gun inventory system is accessible enough to eventually let you build that skill and put it to good use as the mixture and number of baddies increases.
Thankfully, you can upgrade a number of guns in your arsenal, which somewhat like Half-Life: Alyx is only accessible in one-off synthesizer points that you encounter on your one-way trip through the game’s 18 chapters.
It’s a tried-and-true method of forcing you to explore levels completely, because modding stations might be underwater, in a cave passageway that leads to nowhere, or hidden behind a bunch of filing cabinets. It’s not a terribly deep upgrade system, but it’s enough to keep those starter guns relevant as you progress through the arsenal of bigger and badder weapons.
Like the first in the series, Vertigo 2 is all about big and wild boss fights, of which there are 10 new encounters. I won’t spoil any of them for you, although they’re mostly what you’d expect, i.e. bespoke battles in medium-size arenas that require you to use the environment and your most powerful weapons to your advantage. Although pretty standard fare, bosses were both distinct and varied enough to keep your interest, and have attack patterns that you’ll have to decrypt, likely after a death or two.
Courtesy Zulubo Productions
Vertigo however goes a step further by tossing in a very wide assortment of baddies that mix and match as you traverse the multiverse. What’s more, you’ll need to intimately acquant yourself with all of their weak points as you head for the game’s end, as you’ll encounter a miasma of all of the multiverse’s baddies all at once.
One thing Vertigo 2 lacks is a wide set of puzzles. The quality of the ones there is good, although I really wish there were more. Still, it’s more about shooting, bosses, enemy vairety, and a weird story, and that’s fine by me.
The game’s lengthy and frankly astoundingly varied campaign took me around 10 hours to complete on the normal difficulty, although you could spend longer exploring every nook and cranny for weapon upgrades and easter eggs, or with a higher difficulty so enemies are more difficult to defeat.
Immersion
The game’s infectious cartoon style is back on display, this time offering up much more fine-tuned environments that are massive in size and variability. While humanoid character models are a little stiff (and maybe overly avatar-y), enemy models and animations are all really well done, which accounts for 99 percent of your encounters anyway.
Courtesy Zulubo Productions
Outside of its excellent, sweeping musical score, one of my favorite bits about Vertigo 2 is the constant change in player expectations.
Once you think you know what the deal is with Vertigo 2, you’ll find an alien trying to rent you a boat, or a war between robots where you have to choose sides, and an interdimensional space opera that gets thicc. Level design slowly becomes equally unpredictable, as you’ll be whisked away at any moment to a new world, a new mission, and ultimately a new revelation about why you’re stuck in such an odd universe. It’s all stupid wacky, and I love it.
You may find yourself challenged with having to ostensibly sweep out a five-floor facility looking for a single puzzle piece, but have the mission completely changed halfway through. In another instance, you scurry up to what must be another boss battle, only to find the thing eaten by something much larger and terrifying. And it does it all without ever breaking the fourth wall. Your mission might be straight forward, or it might be completely derailed at any moment.
Meanwhile, Vertigo 2 unabashedly pays tribute to the Half-Life series, and many others in the process. You’ll find VR-ified health regen stations throughout most of the science-y levels mixed in with mobile versions of the wall-mounted syringes—definitely Half-Life inspired. Stick it in your arm, juice up, and keep going. You’ll immediately attune yourself to its audible beep too.
That said, character voiceovers range from professional to mediocre, which means you’ll probably need the subtitles on at all times so you don’t miss a word. Unfortunately, I found this out after the first cutscene which definitely required subtitles to be anywhere near understandable, since it’s between an alien with a thick Spanish accent and another one with its own Yoda-esque idiolect.
As a side note, the game also includes a number of recording options for when you want to capture in-game video, including a third-person view and smoothed first-person view for a more polished and stabile capture. Basically, all VR games should have those options considering how useful they are to recording in-game footage and screenshots. There’s even a smartphone that is basically just hotkeyed to Steam’s F12 screengrab function, making in-game shots in VR so much easier. Here’s my Insta-friendly selfie, starter pistol in hand.
Image captured by Road to VR
Comfort
Vertigo 2 is a big and varied place, and it includes a number of things you should look out for if you’re sensitive to VR-induced motion sickness. Seasoned VR users and people not adversely affected by artificial locomotion shouldn’t have a problem playing through some of the most challenging bits from a comfort standpoint, as there are periodic bits of forced movement that may or may not jibe with your comfort level.
You’ll be forced to spring through the air on jumping pads, go on fast-moving vehicles that aren’t controlled by the player character, and strafe around at a near constant whilst shooting, which introduces lateral movement that some might feel uncomfortable with.
The game does however make full use of a hybrid locomotion system, which includes smooth locomotion and teleportation presented as viable movement options during gameplay. Provided you don’t want to use teleportation, users can also toggle a jump button in the menu settings, although this is not advisable if you’re at all sensitive.
