VR simulation Paper Beast launches on PC July 24th
Crafty little critters are almost here
The surreal simulated world of papercraft creatures in Paper Beast is creeping onto PC before the end of the month. The equal parts cute and horrifying critters are part of a VR game led by Pixel Reef founder Eric Chahi who you may recognise from Another World and From Dust fame. Pixel Reef have published a new trailer to announce the July 24th release date and a developer video describing some of the tech behind the simulation.
"Somewhere in the abyssal depths of the internet, life has blossomed," say Pixel Reef. "You are the first human to set foot in this mysterious ecosystem. A strange force seems to weigh on its balance. Join forces with intriguing and endearing creatures to solve the puzzles of Paper Beast." Golly, so this is what's at the edge of the internet, huh?
The new trailer is much like the last one we saw announcing that Paper Beast was coming to PC. Lots of critters crawl about playing with one another and reacting to the ways that the player changes the environment around them. A rainbow critter gets pulled away from a white critter. A sandstorm surrounds some giant many-legged giraffe thing. Balloons carry creatures into the air in a way I can't help but associate with Totally Accurate Battle Simulator's balloon archers.
In a new developer video, Pixel Reef members talk about some of the tech underlying the simulation. They describe locomotion of the creatures and how they need to be able to right themselves at all times even when the player alters terrain. They also show off a heating object that melts ice on a lake when nearby but allows the water to freeze again when it's moved.
The PC version has some new features added since Paper Beast's original PlayStation VR release. PC players will be able to use continuous movement along with more precise shadows and improved rendering for water and sand, Pixel Reef say. In sandbox mode, players will have a larger area to play with, more possible entities on the field, and a new species of beast.
You can find Paper Beast on Steam, Viveport, and the Oculus store where it will launch for €10/$10 on July 24th. It is compatible with the Valve Index, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality.