Great news.
The first Early Access build is live... NOW!
Please see the Early Access description for information about what is currently available in this release. We feel that those who get into the game early on should be rewarded for helping test the game mechanics. Details for that are on the main store page.
While there are rewards for being an early adopter, please also remember that the game is in its early stages. There is a list of features that are coming, and they will for sure once we get the core gameplay in a solid state. We're trying some new things with VR to immerse players. Things like free-range motion, climbing and jumping over things, and semi-simulation of gun mechanics (like reloading and sniping). And of course eventually multiplayer mode. It will take time to get all of this near perfect, and the game is a work in progress.
So with that in mind, those of you who decide to adopt this baby early, please take the time to report glitches, bugs, likes, dislikes, etc., here in the forums. It's best to do it here in case others have the same issues and makes things easier to keep track of. We also want to make the progress as transparent as we can and keep everything open to discussion.
We've seen a question pop up a few times now in the forums and want to take some time to address it here at the first launch. The question is along the lines of "So, what is the main game like?"
I'm about to tell you a story, so for those who aren't interested, you can check out this video here instead: https://youtu.be/kkQhgLRfgg4
For those who want the background info:
Initially the project started out with me, Will, trying VR for the first time and being absolutely blown away by it, like everyone else. Videos and demo footage cannot do the VR experience justice. Putting the headset on and being able to move around in a virtual space completely transforms your perception. Nothing can show you what that's like until you try it. After that, I thought, "Man, imagine playing some of the classic survival horror, tactical shooter or adventure games in this space." So many possibilities. But my favorites have always been the survival horror classics. The rookie cop on the job, day 1, as an outbreak occurs, and surviving while working through a creepy story. "I have to do this," I thought to myself.
So I dropped all the other game ideas in my head and the various states they were in to start this. Flash forward to present day and here we are. As development began, I ran into a lot of learning curves and a lot of creative programming to get VR results. Not everything works the same in VR as it would in traditional games. I quickly realized that the task was a lot larger than initially expected. I like a challenge, so this was fine. =)
The goal was to create solid foundations that can be used to create any of the game modes mentioned above. First, open areas with weapons, upgrades and surviving waves of zombies and bosses that get more challenging over time is a tried and tested game mode. So that is the main game mode here. Single-player survival. While building and testing, it was apparent that I would need more help testing to make sure I could cover as many anomalies as possible in the foundation. The best way to do this was to get more people playing it. To really get people using the controls, I decided to add some mini games that are fun but also help in developing VR skills. I was lucky to have some awesome beta testers jump on board and help with designing and fleshing out the game in the state we currently have now. Big thanks to all those who helped!
Everyone has their preferences: some love wave survival modes, some exclusively play multiplayer death matches, while others only play single-player story-driven campaigns. So where does ZombVR sit in all that?
Right now it's a single-player wave survival game. No story to be had, just an immersive survival experience. There are variations of this mode as well in smaller areas and different play styles. For the reasons mentioned earlier, it's good to get as many people involved as possible to build a solid foundation so we can focus on the next priority: multiplayer, with both co-op in the main survival modes and a versus option.
This is where ZombVR is going at present.
What's next after all that?
This is up to you. If there is demand for more story-driven campaigns, open world or level based, we will listen. How those additional modes are released is up in the air right now, as it depends on whether there is demand at all, how large and awesome it is, etc. What we can guarantee is that anything we put out as DLC or as additional features will always be the best we can make it and fairly priced, and we'll always listen to suggestions from those who play it.
Thanks a lot for reading! Hope you enjoy ZombVR.
Now let's get to work and help make this game awesome!
One last quick note: we're releasing the game today, but I am also traveling at the moment. I can do some edits to the game on my mobile rig, but anything that needs proper testing will need to wait until I'm back at base early next week. I know it's only a couple days, but I just want to keep you all up to date. I will be present here in community though during this time.
-Will