| Wilson's Heart | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Twisted Pixel Games |
| Publisher(s) | Oculus |
| Director(s) | Josh Bear |
| Producer(s) | William Muehl |
| Designer(s) | Sean Conway |
| Artist(s) | David Leung |
| Writer(s) |
|
| Composer(s) | Christopher Young |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release | April 25, 2017 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Wilson's Heart is a virtual reality horror adventure video game by Twisted Pixel Games, released on April 25, 2017. The game is compatible with the Oculus Rift virtual reality platform. [1] [2]
Wilson's Heart is a virtual reality horror adventure played in the first person perspective and in black and white. [2] The player must use motion controllers to interact with objects in the game world and to teleport between certain, predetermined places in the world which are indicated by ghostly images of the player character. [3] The player can open doors and drawers, pick up and manipulate certain objects and combine certain objects. The game contains a rudimentary inventory system which allows the player to store certain objects. The game will then present the objects to the player automatically when they can be used. [3]
During the game, the player obtains several abilities which allow them to manipulate objects from a distance: they can turn on lamps, draw metallic objects to them using magnetism and use a throwing weapon which automatically returns to them after usage. [4]
Several times during the game the player is attacked by enemies and must fight them. Each fight consists of the player repeating a certain pattern of action to defend from the enemy's attack and then attacking themselves, e.g. blocking punches with their arms and then punching the enemy when he is exhausted. [4]
Robert Wilson (Peter Weller), a middle aged man, awakes in a seemingly abandoned, damaged hospital wearing nothing but a hospital gown. While stumbling through the hospital looking for help, he encounters a living murderous teddy bear and the body of a Dr. Harcourt, who seemed to be an important figure in the hospital. Then Wilson finds a book which seems to contain depictions of supernatural phenomena. He then encounters a group of survivors: Bela Blasco (Alfred Molina), who claims to be a surgeon in the hospital; Elsa Wolcott (Rosario Dawson), a young woman; Kurt Mosby (Michael B. Jordan), who claims to be a visitor in the hospital; and Lucy Holmes, a prepubescent 9 year old girl. Elsa explains that Dr. Harcourt was researching supernatural phenomena and the book contains the result of his research. Bela then notices that Wilson has in his chest, in place of his heart, a strange orb containing moving parts. The group then surmises that the orb must have something to do with the strange phenomena in the hospital and that the book could help fight those phenomena and return Wilson's heart to him. Unfortunately, several pages of the book are missing, having been torn recently.
Shortly after, Wilson loses contact to the others by Shadow Beings and is on his own again. But he notices that he can take the device out of his chest and perform tasks with it, like turning on failing light sources. He also finds more and more missing pages from the book and notices that the more pages he finds, the more tasks his orb is able to perform.
He meets the group again later but shortly after loses contact again. When he later meets Kurt again, Kurt admits that he was a patient in the hospital and is a werewolf, before fleeing again. When Wilson meets Elsa again, she is taken away by a large humanoid monster (That resembles that of Frankenstein's Monster). When Wilson meets Lucy again, he realizes, to his utter shock, that she is a vampire when she murders and drinks the blood of a hospital orderly. She wants the book to no longer look like a young girl, Wilson manages to chase her away.
After stumbling through the hospital and encountering and defeating several creatures like a tentacle monster, the teddy bear, a zombie soldier, a human-fly hybrid, Mutant Fishmen and animated wooden dummies, Wilson is knocked out by the humanoid monster which took away Elsa earlier and wakes up shackled in a large laboratory. There he encounters Elsa who explains that she was the wife and scientific partner of Dr. Harcourt, and that the humanoid monster is in fact her young son named Andy, whose original body had been irreparably damaged by an accident for which Dr. Harcourt was responsible. She had put Andy's brain in a monstrous body to preserve it and now needs Wilson's orb as a new power source for his body, and the book to perform a procedure which will install the orb in Andy's body.
While she is preparing the procedure, Kurt sneaks into the laboratory and tries to free Wilson, but he is prevented from doing so by the full moon, which appears in the window and transforms him into his werewolf form, and he is attacked by Andy. While the two are fighting, Bela sneaks in and tries to free Wilson, just when Lucy in vampire-form flies in. Andy defeats and incapacitates Kurt in werewolf-form and then fights with Lucy, who in turn defeats and incapacitates Andy, just as Bela manages to free Wilson. Wilson manages to stake and kill Lucy before she can bite him. He then manages to reach the book and burn it, just when Andy wakes up. In the chaos, Wilson manages to give Andy an electric shock which overloads his brain, leading him to throw Elsa out of the window. Wilson then manages to stun Andy and puts his orb inside his brain, where it electrocutes Andy.
Later Wilson wakes up in the restored hospital, his heart having been implanted back into his chest. He talks to Bela, who says that the orb and Kurt are missing and that Elsa and Andy's brain have died. Wilson explains that he had been in the hospital to donate his heart to his little brother, who has a family. He makes Bela promise that his brother will never know who had donated the heart.
The game ends with Wilson breathing in the narcotic for the heart transplant operation and falling unconscious.
A post-credits scene shows Kurt meeting a mysterious figure who seems to be part of a group who fights supernatural beings. Kurt hands over the orb to the figure, and requests as a price that the person help him lose his lycanthropy.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 79/100 [5] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 9/10 [3] |
| Game Informer | 6.75/10 [4] |
| Polygon | 8.5/10 [6] |
| PC World |   [7] |
| Road to VR | 7/10 [8] |
The game received generally favorable reviews. Reviewers commended the black-and-white graphics, [6] [3] campy horror atmosphere [4] and voice acting, [7] but they criticized the trivial puzzles, [2] limited and arbitrary interactivity, [8] illogical story [2] and repetitive and frustrating fight sequences. [9]
The game was nominated for "Best VR Game" in Destructoid 's Game of the Year Awards 2017. [10]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Game Critics Awards | Best VR Game | Nominated | [11] |
| Gamescom 2016 | Best Virtual Reality Game | Won | [12] | |
| 2017 | Golden Joystick Awards | Best VR Game | Nominated | [13] |
| 2018 | New York Game Awards 2018 | Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best Virtual Reality Game | Nominated | [14] |
| 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Immersive Reality Game of the Year | Nominated | [15] | |
| Immersive Reality Technical Achievement | Nominated |
Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American science fiction horror film, and the first sequel to Universal Pictures' 1931 film Frankenstein. As with the first film, Bride of Frankenstein was directed by James Whale starring Boris Karloff as the Monster and Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein. The sequel features Elsa Lanchester in the dual role of Mary Shelley and the bride. Colin Clive reprises his role as Henry Frankenstein, and Ernest Thesiger plays the role of Doctor Septimus Pretorius. Oliver Peters Heggie plays the role of the old blind hermit.
Son of Frankenstein is a 1939 American horror film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The film is the third in Universal Pictures' Frankenstein series and is the follow-up to the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. Son of Frankenstein stars Rathbone as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein who, with his wife Elsa and son Peter, returns to his late father's estate. Near the castle lives Ygor, a crazed blacksmith whose neck was broken in an unsuccessful hanging attempt. Among the castle's remains, Frankenstein discovers the remains of the Monster and decides to try to save his family name by resurrecting the creature to prove his father was correct. He finds, however, the Monster only responds to Ygor's commands.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a 1943 American horror film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. The script, written by Curt Siodmak, follows The Ghost of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man, though with a number of retcons. Most significantly, Talbot only transforms into werewolf form during a full moon, which became a standard part of werewolf lore. The film involves Larry Talbot, who is resurrected when his tomb is disturbed. His search for a way to end his seeming immortality leads to his befriending Frankenstein's monster.
Silent Hill: The Arcade is an arcade game spin-off of the survival horror video game series Silent Hill developed and published by Konami. The Arcade was first revealed at the 2007 Japan Arcade Operator's Union trade show by Konami.
The Munchables, known in Japan as Tabemon (たべモン), is an action-platform game developed by Now Production and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Wii video game console. The player controls the titular Munchables, creatures of insatiable appetite, who use their gurgitating prowess to consume enemies, which are known as "Tabemon Monsters", space pirates who have invaded the Munchables' home planet, known as Star Ving, and bear an uncanny resemblance to various foods.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a 2010 survival horror adventure game developed and published by Frictional Games. It was released in 2010 for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux operating systems, in 2016 for the PlayStation 4 platform and in 2018 for the Xbox One. The game features a protagonist named Daniel exploring a dark and foreboding castle called Brennenburg, while trying to maintain his sanity by avoiding monsters and unsettling events. The game was critically well-received, earning two awards from the Independent Games Festival, being cited as one of the most "influential games of the decade" by The Washington Post, and numerous other positive reviews.
Palmer Freeman Luckey is an American entrepreneur best known as the founder of Oculus VR and designer of the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality head-mounted display that is widely credited with reviving the virtual reality industry. In 2017, Luckey left Oculus and founded defense contractor Anduril Industries, a defense technology company focused on autonomous drones and sensors for military applications. Luckey ranked number 22 on Forbes' 2016 List of America's Richest Entrepreneurs Under 40.
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.
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is a virtual reality adventure game developed and published by Double Fine Productions. It was released for the PlayStation 4 through PlayStation VR in February 2017 and on Microsoft Windows in April 2018. The game's story bridges the events between Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2.
Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives, commonly referred to as simply Job Simulator, is a virtual reality simulation video game developed and published by Owlchemy Labs for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Apple Vision Pro, Oculus Quest, Oculus Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3, in which players participate in comical approximations of real-world jobs. A sequel, Vacation Simulator, was released in 2019 and has a completely different premise.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a 2017 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom. The player controls Ethan Winters as he searches for his long-missing wife in a derelict plantation occupied by an infected family, solving puzzles and fighting enemies. Resident Evil 7 diverges from the more action-oriented Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6, returning to the franchise's survival horror roots, emphasizing exploration. It is the first main Resident Evil game to use a first-person view.
Batman: Arkham VR is a virtual reality adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4 and Windows. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is part of the Batman: Arkham series and the first installment to use virtual reality headsets, allowing players to experience the game world from Batman's perspective. Arkham VR was released worldwide on October 11, 2016, for PlayStation 4 and on April 25, 2017, for Windows for VR headsets.
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.
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is a rail shooter developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, released on 13 October 2016 worldwide for PlayStation VR headset on PlayStation 4. It is a direct spin-off from Until Dawn and features the player riding a horror-themed roller coaster while shooting at inanimate objects and live enemies.
A virtual reality game or VR game is a video game played on virtual reality (VR) hardware. Most VR games are based on player immersion, typically through a head-mounted display unit or headset with stereoscopic displays and one or more controllers.
Creeping Terror is a 2D survival horror video game developed by Nikkatsu Corporation and Mebius for the Nintendo 3DS eShop and Steam. It was released in Japan on January 8, 2017, and it was published in western regions by Aksys Games where it was released on October 31, 2017. Inspired by traditional horror, the story follows a group of teenage friends who journey into an abandoned mansion with the intent of recording their experiences for an online video, and soon find themselves on the run from a terrifying figure. Players control Arisa, a Japanese exchange student, who must use only her wits and what's around her to find her friends and escape with her life.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle is a beat 'em up video game based on the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers television series, developed by Peruvian studio Bamtang Games. It was first announced in October 2016. It was released on January 17, 2017. The game never received a physical release and is only available via digital download.
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.
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.
