Because virtual reality is such a new field, developers are still experimenting with the medium. While many studios go with immersive shooters, Polyarc is working on a platformer with an unusual twist.
Players take control of Quill, a female mouse, who is looking for a family member. They can move her around with the DualShock 4s analog stick. They use the X button to jump and square to slash with her sword.
But Moss gets interesting when players realize they also control a second character The Reader. When they look down at themselves in a pond, players see that theyre spirit of some sort that only Quill can see. Staring down at their in-game reflection, The Reader look like No-Face from Spirited Away. Because the world is built to the scale of Quill, players is the size of a giant and they can interact with the environment.
As the spirit-like Reader, players can move statues and manipulate enemies. During Quills fight, players can use the L2 and R2 buttons to hold an enemy in place so that they can maneuver the mouse and stab them without getting her hurt. If she does take damage, players can heal Quill by holding her. Its supposed to build a symbiotic relationship between the player and mouse.
This is a clever project where the gameplay and story both support each other. You start as strangers and end as best friends, design director Danny Bulla said. We want to develop that relationship.
A core element to that is the puzzle solving. As Quill and The Reader explore the world through static set-piece scenes, they come across obstacles that both have to figure out. It starts off with a simple problem. Quill falls into a pit with crablike enemies attacking her. After beating them, players have to figure out how to get the mouse out. By touching the environment, they discover they can lift out a spiral staircase and players can move Quill around it and jump across.
The second puzzle is more complicated. It involves players grabbing an enemy and using it as a block to activate a pressure plate. That opens doors on a wedding cake-looking structure. It took me a while to figure out that I could shift the wedding cake around. After moving the enemy from one pressure plate to another, I could activate different doors and reach a platform on the far side of the room. Being able to lean over and see parts of the room in VR helped with the solving the puzzle as well.
The whole process reminded me of The Last Guardian. Two characters are inventively helping each other to overcome obstacles. If players are lost and cant figure out the puzzle, Quill acts as a hint system gesturing to different areas of the puzzle to help players along.
Despite the combat, Bulla describes the game more as a puzzle title. The battles and platforming are just ways to break up the exploration and other elements of the campaign.
The character design, animation and the presence players feel in VR all serve to make Quill come alive. The immersion amplifies the feeling that the mouse is real. The younger set will find Quill adorable, and yes, even older folks will fall in love with her as well.
I see a lot of my dog in Quill, said art director Chris Alderson. Theres something about connecting to the character and seeing it in the eyes and feeling like its there. It transport you into the world of Moss.'
The developers at Polyarc say Quill wont have a voice, but there will most likely be a narrator talking players through the adventure. Bulla also said Quill and The Reader will also meet other characters.
Moss has a charm that few VR games have. Players can expect to play it on PlayStation VR this holiday season.
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'Moss' uses virtual reality to bring a mouse to life on PS4 - The Mercury News