3D platformers seemed so foreign to me in virtual reality. When Oculus announced Lucky’s Tale as a pack-in game for those who purchase the Oculus Rift, it seemed a bit weird to not have a first-person game as the initial thing most early adopters play. However, Playful Corp has released a gameplay trailer for the game which demonstrates the usefulness of being in a virtual space when platforming in third-person.
What was obvious was that the camera would be controlled by the player moving their head. However, what wasn’t initially clear was the usefulness of that feature. As the trailer shows, there are actually many benefits. Seeing the player look below a surface that would typically be ignored to find more coins for Lucky to collect is just one of the ways the dynamic camera changes the way a platformer is structured. It essentially removes a bit of the “secret” sections of levels.
Ultimately though, the game looks quaint and perfect for a launch title. It shows the usefulness of VR, without actually being too aggressive about it. It doesn’t seem like a title where you’ll risk nausea, but it also doesn’t seem like something that requires a VR headset. That being said, it still toys with the notion of platformers, and that is exciting enough.
Lucky’s Tale will be released on March 28, 2016 for Oculus Rift.
Source: Playful YouTube