Stormland (video game)

Last updated
Stormland
Stormland cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Insomniac Games
Publisher(s) Oculus Studios
Designer(s) Mike Daly
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
ReleaseNovember 14, 2019
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Stormland is a 2019 action-adventure game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Oculus Studios for the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset. The game put emphasis on both exploration and combat as the player character, an android gardener named Vesper, traverses an alien planet from a first-person perspective. The game received generally positive reviews from critics upon release.

Contents

Gameplay

The game is an action-adventure game played from a first-person perspective. In the game, the player controls Vesper, an android gardener who was taking care of an alien planet until it was shot by an alien faction named The Temptest. The player's main goal is to take revenge on the Tempest by constructing a new body and collect upgrades. The game features an open world that the player can freely explore. [1] Vesper is equipped with various gadgets that aid exploration and climbing, such as the Slipstream Thruster, which is a jetpack that allows players to rocket through the game's environments. [2] The android is equipped with a variety of futuristic weapons such as SMG and shotguns to defeat enemies. Once an enemy is defeated, they will drop scrap resources than can be used to craft weapon upgrades. [3] After the player finishes the game's story, the game entered a mode named Cycling World, in which the game's locations and missions are reset every week via procedural generation. [4] The game can also be played cooperatively with other players. [5]

Development

The exploration aspect of the game was inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild , while the combat component was inspired by Insomniac's own Ratchet & Clank series and Sunset Overdrive . [6] Insomniac had previously developed three VR games, including Edge of Nowhere , Feral Rites and The Unspoken, and the studio hoped to apply their experience working on these games into Stormland. [7] According to Chad Dezern, Insomniac's Chief Creative Officer, the game "[stays] in first-person from start to finish" to avoid taking agency away from players, while Mike Daly, the game's lead designer, stated that the Cycling World mode was designed to "[sustain] a player’s interest perpetually". [8]

Publisher Oculus Studios had high hope for the title as the game was significantly different from other major Oculus games, which were mainly arcade game or story-focused experiences. [6] Oculus announced the game on June 7, 2018 [9] and released the game on November 14, 2019 for its VR headset Oculus Rift. [10]

Reception

Stormland received generally positive reviews from critics upon release according to review aggregator Metacritic. [16] For IGN, Gabriel Moss wrote that the story was "decently told" though it was not the game's "main draw". However, he noted that he was impressed by the game's movement mechanics and world design. [17] Meanwhile, Samuel Horti from PC Gamer praised the game's combat system, though he disliked the quest structure for being too repetitive. [18]

Related Research Articles

Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Burbank, California and part of PlayStation Studios. It was founded in 1994 by Ted Price as Xtreme Software, and was renamed Insomniac Games a year later. The company is most known for developing several early PlayStation mascots, Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet and Clank, as well as the Resistance franchise, 2014's Sunset Overdrive and the Marvel's Spider-Man series with Marvel Games. In 2019, the studio was acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment, becoming a part of SIE Worldwide Studios.

<i>Ratchet & Clank</i> (2002 video game) 2002 video game

Ratchet & Clank is a platform video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 in 2002. It is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series.

<i>Ratchet & Clank</i> Series of platform video games

Ratchet & Clank is a series of action-adventure platform and third-person shooter video games created and developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation consoles, such as PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, with the exclusion of Size Matters and Secret Agent Clank, which were developed by High Impact Games for the PlayStation Portable. The series was exclusive to Sony platforms until Rift Apart received a Windows port in 2023. Despite this however, the intellectual property is still owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. An animated feature film adaptation was released on April 29, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanzaru Games</span> American video game development company

Sanzaru Games, Inc. is an American video game development company that was founded in Foster City, California in 2006. Sanzaru also has a satellite studio based in Ottawa, Ontario called Kitazaru, as well as an office in Dublin, California. The company name is based on the three wise monkeys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Rift</span> Virtual reality headsets by Oculus VR

Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a virtual reality company founded by Palmer Luckey that is widely credited with reviving the virtual reality industry. It was the first virtual reality headset to provide a realistic experience at an accessible price, utilizing novel technology to increase quality and reduce cost by orders of magnitude compared to earlier systems. The first headset in the line was the Oculus Rift DK1, released on March 28, 2013. The last was the Oculus Rift S, discontinued in April of 2021.

<i>Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault</i> 2012 action video game

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault is a 2012 platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. Part of the Ratchet & Clank series, it was produced in commemoration of the original game's 10th anniversary. Like the previous downloadable game in the series, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, it was released on Blu-ray Disc as well as the PlayStation Store. The release of the PlayStation Vita version was delayed to May 21, 2013, when it became available for free with the PlayStation 3 version.

<i>Ratchet & Clank</i> (film) 2016 film by Kevin Munroe

Ratchet & Clank is a 2016 computer-animated science fiction comedy film produced by Rainmaker Entertainment and distributed by Gramercy Pictures. Based on Insomniac Games' video game series of the same name, the film was directed by Kevin Munroe, co-directed by Jericca Cleland, and stars the voices of Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson, Vincent Tong, Andrew Cownden and Sylvester Stallone. James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye reprise their roles as the titular characters alongside Jim Ward and Armin Shimerman as their respective characters.

Obduction is an adventure video game developed by Cyan Worlds. Obduction is considered a spiritual successor to Cyan's previous adventure games, Myst and Riven. In the game, the player finds their character transported to strange alien worlds but with human elements within the settings. The player must explore and solve puzzles to figure out how to return home.

<i>Edge of Nowhere</i> 2016 video game

Edge of Nowhere is an action-adventure virtual reality video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Oculus Studios. The player controls adventurer Victor Howard as he ventures into Antarctica in order to find his fiancée's lost expedition while encountering unworldly beasts. Edge of Nowhere is based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness. The game released on June 6, 2016, exclusively for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset on Microsoft Windows.

<i>Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality</i> 2017 video game

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a virtual reality game compatible with HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift developed by Owlchemy Labs and published by Adult Swim Games for Microsoft Windows on April 20, 2017. It is based on the American animated series Rick and Morty, whose series co-creator Justin Roiland aided in the development. A port for the PlayStation 4 was released on April 10, 2018.

<i>Lone Echo</i> Virtual reality adventure game

Lone Echo is a 2017 virtual reality adventure game developed by Ready At Dawn, and published by Oculus Studios. Set aboard a space station orbiting Saturn, it allows players to move in zero-gravity by grabbing and pushing off of the environment. In addition to the narrative single-player game, the title includes a team-based multiplayer sports mode called Echo Arena, which was also released as a stand-alone game. A sequel, Lone Echo II, was announced in 2018 and released on October 12, 2021.

<i>VRChat</i> Virtual reality social platform

VRChat is an online virtual world platform created by Graham Gaylor and Jesse Joudrey and operated by VRChat, Inc. The platform allows users to interact with others with user-created 3D avatars and worlds. VRChat is designed primarily for use with virtual reality headsets, such as the Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest series, SteamVR headsets, and Windows Mixed Reality, but is also usable without VR in a "desktop" mode designed for either a mouse and keyboard or gamepad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oculus Quest</span> Virtual reality headset

The first-generation Oculus Quest is a discontinued virtual reality headset developed by Oculus, a brand of Meta Platforms, and released on May 21, 2019. Similar to its predecessor, Oculus Go, it is a standalone device, that can run games and software wirelessly under an Android-based operating system. It supports positional tracking with six degrees of freedom, using internal sensors and an array of cameras in the front of the headset rather than external sensors. The cameras are also used as part of the safety feature "Passthrough", which shows a view from the cameras when the user exits their designated boundary area. A later software update added "Oculus Link", a feature that allows the Quest to be connected to a computer via USB, enabling use with Oculus Rift-compatible software and games.

<i>Asgards Wrath</i> 2019 action role-playing video game

Asgard's Wrath is a 2019 action role-playing game developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Oculus Studios for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. In the game, the player assumes control of a Norse god who must guide several mortal heroes to fulfill their destinies. The game received generally positive reviews upon release. A sequel, Asgard's Wrath 2, is scheduled for release on the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 on December 15, 2023.

<i>Chronos</i> (2016 video game) 2016 video game

Chronos is a 2016 action role-playing game developed and published by Gunfire Games for the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset. The game received generally positive reviews upon release. An overhauled version of the game, titled Chronos: Before the Ashes was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Stadia on December 1, 2020.

<i>Lone Echo II</i> Virtual reality adventure game

Lone Echo II is a 2021 virtual reality adventure game which serves as the sequel to 2017's Lone Echo, both developed by Ready at Dawn and published by Oculus Studios.

<i>Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife</i> 2021 video game

Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife is a virtual reality survival horror video game developed and published by Swedish studio Fast Travel Games, released in 2021. It is based on White Wolf Publishing's 1994 tabletop role-playing game Wraith: The Oblivion, and is part of the larger World of Darkness series. The game was released for Oculus Quest & Rift, Steam VR, PICO 4 and PlayStation VR, with support for the VR headsets HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, and Valve Index.

<i>Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart</i> 2021 video game

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a 2021 third-person shooter platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5. It is the ninth main installment in the Ratchet & Clank series and a sequel to Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus. Rift Apart was announced in June 2020 and was released on June 11, 2021. A Windows port by Nixxes Software was released on July 26, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quest 2</span> Virtual reality headset

The Quest 2 is a virtual reality (VR) headset developed by Reality Labs, a division of Meta Platforms. It was unveiled on September 16, 2020, and released on October 13 as the Oculus Quest 2. It was then rebranded as the Meta Quest 2 in 2022, as part of a company-wide phase-out of the Oculus brand after the rebranding of Facebook, Inc. as Meta.

References

  1. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (March 27, 2019). "Insomniac's Stormland is looking better as an open-world VR game". VentureBeat . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  2. ↑ Higton, Ian (November 13, 2019). "Stormland is an Oculus exclusive that pushes the boundaries of VR". Eurogamer . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  3. ↑ Fenlon, Wes (September 27, 2018). "Stormland is a robust FPS adventure made better by VR". PC Gamer . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  4. ↑ Fenlon, Wes (April 2, 2019). "Insomniac's Stormland is shaping up to be the best VR game of 2019". PC Gamer . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  5. ↑ Chandler, Sam (October 8, 2019). "Stormland offers an evolving co-op world for players to explore". Shacknews . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Slatt, Nick (June 7, 2018). "Stormland is a new open world Oculus Rift game that will let you explore freely in VR". The Verge . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  7. ↑ Kuchera, Ben (June 7, 2018). "Stormland wants to change how you think about, and move in, VR". Polygon . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  8. ↑ Crecente, Brain (June 7, 2018). "This Is 'Stormland,' an Open-World Action VR Game From the Creators of 'Ratchet & Clank'". Variety . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  9. ↑ Hilliard, Kyle (June 7, 2018). "Insomniac's Next VR Game Makes You A Robot On A Mysterious Planet". Game Informer . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  10. ↑ Minotti, Mike (September 25, 2019). "Oculus reveals release dates for Stormland and Asgard's Wrath during games showcase". VentureBeat . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Stormland for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Stormland Review". IGN . 14 November 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Test Stormland : L'ambitieux shooter d'Insomniac vise juste". Jeuxvideo.com . 22 November 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Stormland review". PC Gamer . 13 November 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  15. ↑ "'Stormland' Review – The New Bar for VR Open-world Adventure". Road to VR . 13 November 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Stormland for PC review". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  17. ↑ Moss, Gabriel (November 20, 2019). "Stormland Review". IGN . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  18. ↑ Horti, Samuel (November 13, 2019). "Stormland review". PC Gamer . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.