A frustrating attempt to play VR with friends spirals into a discussion of friends lists, rooms, lobbies, and social spaces in this bonus episode. We discuss the issues and possible solutions when you just want to play with your dang friends.

We rave about Until You Fall and investigate why its take on melee combat is so much more compelling than those in Blade and Sorcery and Boneworks. The physics-based simulationism of Boneworks seems super popular on Twitch, Twitter, and Reddit. Why are we championing a cartoony, abstract approach and saying it is more realistic and immersive? Listen to find out!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Topic Introduction

4:07 - Until You Fall overview

19:38 - GORN and Boneworks

23:41 - Pros and Cons to each approach

34:45 - Physics in Combat vs World Interaction

Game Link:
Until You Fall - https://untilyoufall.schellgames.com/

Things we mention:

“Flow” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29

Mike Tyson’s Punchout - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch-Out!!_(NES)

Blade and Sorcery - https://warpfrog.com/

Saints and Sinners - https://vrwalkingdead.com/

GORN - https://store.steampowered.com/app/578620/GORN/

Boneworks - https://store.steampowered.com/app/823500/BONEWORKS/

They Live fight scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-MVMbm6c0k

Half Life: Alyx - https://www.half-life.com/en/alyx

Why do players become immersed in games? And how do developers keep players grounded in completely fake, virtual worlds? We pick apart the mechanics, narrative, and level progression in Phantom: Covert Ops to shed light on how design choices and technical implementations impact player immersion. It’s time to get grounded!

Timestamps:

1:25 - Storytelling

5:45 - Locomotion and Spatial Presence

15:57 - Weapons and Equipment

30:30 - Levels and Progression

36:18 - World Interaction

43:20 - Oculus Quest and Market Analysis

Oculus Store Links:

Phantom: Covert Ops - https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2302118823192509

Other things we mention:

Journey to Elysium - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1036260/Journey_For_Elysium/

MGS V: The Phantom Pain - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_V:_The_Phantom_Pain

James Bond intro - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUVBRrBl-yc

Metroidvanias - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metroidvania

Ghosts n Goblins - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosts_%27n_Goblins

Castlevania - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castlevania

Assassin's Creed white paint - https://youtu.be/wf245fBGTB4?t=1309

Asgard’s Wrath - https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1180401875303371

We explain who we are and why you can trust our opinions on Virtual Reality. We also wax poetic about the future of VR and the joys of working in the field.

We discuss our experience using Oculus Hand Tracking in the titles Elixir and Waltz of the Wizard. How responsive is it? How well is it utilized in the two titles? How is it used outside of games? We answer these questions and more!

Timestamps:

01:10 - Oculus Quest Hand Tracking Beta Impressions

11:12 - Elixir

23:30 - Waltz of the Wizard

36:09 - Carlos learns to snap

46:40 - What is the future for Hand Tracking?

Oculus Store Links:

Elixir - https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/3793077684043441/

Waltz of the Wizard - https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2280285932034855/

Other things we mention:

Microsoft Kinect - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect

Leap Motion - https://www.ultraleap.com/product/leap-motion-controller/

Source for 80ms latency claim - https://www.virtualrealitypulse.com/2020/latency/unity/?open-article-id=11655749

Tracking Confidence Oculus VRC - https://developer.oculus.com/distribute/vrc-quest-input-6/

Pistol Whip - https://cloudheadgames.com/pistol-whip/

Sairento VR - http://www.sairentovr.com/

Beat Saber - https://beatsaber.com/

Oculus Hand Tracking Documentation - https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/native/android/mobile-hand-tracking/?locale=en_US