Solo developer Conrad Barski, along with assistance from Dave Pickett of Brick 101, has announced a unique new take on a VR RPG called Walking Dream. The game uses various walking systems to create a “room-scale” VR experience.
The developer has previously worked on classic games and is also providing all of the illustrations. So far, the developer has released several images from the upcoming game, such as an angel holding a sword but wearing a VR headset.
The official website for Walking Dream states the plot so far. Derek X has fallen into a vat of chemicals and stayed alive, but in stasis, for the past 500 years. When he awakens, he finds himself in an unusual post-apocalyptic America. This new world is home to not only humans, but also fantasy creatures like two-headed horses, gnomes, and wizards.
Derek X has to obtain a toaster if he wants to go back to his real-time. This toaster enables Derek to fight in battle, but he’ll need to find more cybernetic toast if he wants to rid future America of these unusual enemies.
Big Announcement: I've been working hard on a VR RPG game. Hoping it will be pretty epic in scale and fun!https://t.co/Z4RDDxT6rd
(Most of the core engine developed in Clojure, naturally) pic.twitter.com/t1rerVbbwW
— Conrad Barski (@lisperati) July 6, 2020
Walking Dream is only planned to launch on the Oculus Quest in the future. This is due to the custom graphics engine that targets the Quest mobile chipset. It’s unknown if the game will launch on other VR platforms in the future.
According to the developer, Walking Dream is completely different from other titles on the Quest so far. Included in the title is a first-person turned based mechanic, weapons creating system with over four million unique combinations, a huge map with eight realms, 35 cities, and 600 unique NPCs, custom cartoon-style 3D artwork, and a redirected walking engine for movement.
The characters in the game use a custom, low poly cartoon-style modeling system. The game contains a large number of unique custom artwork that doesn’t use prebuild 3D models.
The weapons crafting system differs from other RPGs. Many games allow the player to make unique weapons to fight enemies, while the enemies use the same old items. In Walking Dream, enemies will also get to craft weapons to fight Derek X. This poses a unique experience for the player, as they have to learn how to strategize in battles where enemies may be using brand-new weapons with unknown attributes.
Players who want to learn more about Walking Dream can check out the official website, sign up for the email newsletter, or follow Conrad on social media.
Walking Dream is planned for release as an Oculus Quest exclusive in 2021.