As is often the case in virtual reality, the best game I experienced at Gamescom 2023 wasn't in a large corporate booth or conference room, but a small indie game called Outta Hand that I tried out in a hallway.
Corridor trials have become a must for VR enthusiasts and developers. While this isn't my first time trying it out in the hallways, it's one of my recent favorites, despite me waving my arms like crazy at Gamescom for all the visitors to see.
Outta Hand, a VR action platformer we recently showed off at Upload VR’s Summer Showcase, will be coming to Quest later this month (exact date has yet to be announced). It is a combination of Gorilla Tag and Crash Bandicoot, absorbing the basis of the former's popular movement system and further adding some new mechanics.
VR platform games are at the forefront recently. As I talked about in my hands-on experience with Max Mustard, there are two variants of this genre, and Max Mustard is an Astro Bot-style first/third-person hybrid game where you overlook a character and control it from above. Gorilla Tag is a popular new first-person take on the genre, where you're fully immersed in the first-person perspective and use your arms to propel yourself around the environment by jumping and leaping.
However, Gorilla Tag isn't a platformer first and foremost, but more of a multiplayer tag game that uses those platforming movement mechanics in VR. No More Rainbows changes that, developing a true platforming experience with a similar arm-based movement system. With Outta Hand, developers Capricia Productions once again improve upon the genre. From what I've tried so far, this new evolution is just as enjoyable, if not more engaging, and has its own unique characteristics.
In Outta Hand, you play as a round creature that looks a bit like a blue Mike Wasovsky, with only two eyes and no legs, but very long arms. You begin your journey at a facility owned by a Doctor Neo Cortox-like Overlord named Dr Vendelboom. You're locked in a terrarium similar to the other Vasovskys and moved along a conveyor belt until you reach a scanner that deems your brain function to be "exceeding permissible parameters," marking you for termination. You quickly escape the container, avoid the end, and embark on a platforming adventure to escape the facility.
Both Gorilla Tag and No More Rainbows have fundamentally rigid movement systems - the latter is decidedly more flexible, but jumping in both games feels very specific, tight and a well-defined arc of movement. This gives it a sense of accuracy and finesse, allowing you to gradually feel the movement and improve as you use it.
Outta Hand doesn't completely abandon this - it's certainly still precise, and you'll get a feel for it and improve as you play - but it also makes the jumping action feel more "bouncy". It's freer, allowing you to jump longer distances while still maintaining the parameters needed to replicate specific, precise movements. You'll soon find yourself jumping between platforms, over gaps, between crumbling walls, and around deadly spinning gears.
Even in the early parts of the game, the obstacles in Outta Hand are very diverse and never quite the same. This is one of the other key differences between Outta Hand and other similar platformers - Capricia Productions has taken a Mario-like approach, gradually presenting you with new challenges and teaching additional mechanics over time, gradually adding to the game's complexity. depth.
One of them is the ability to flap your arms like wings, giving you a bit of a mid-air jumping boost. You can use this in a number of different ways, such as correcting if you jump too far or if your jump target is slightly off. You can fan multiple times in a row, but a dwindling meter will prevent you from abusing the mechanic.
There are also variations of the jump - pushing your hands directly into the ground causes you to bounce more upward rather than forward, which can be combined with fanning to create a new kind of short jump.
Then there's boxing. This is where Outta Hand really shows itself and embodies its name. You can press the controller's grip button to enlarge your fists like Ms. Marvel, which can be used for both combat and platforming action.
While in the air, hitting your landing point downwards (or even an airborne enemy) will quickly boost you upward. There are also fan-like devices that float in mid-air and can be punched through, launching you in a predetermined direction.
During (or sometimes within) platforming operations, you'll also encounter Dr Vendelboom's staff, such as security droids, who are not happy with your escape plan. It's during these sections that the game changes pace again, offering refreshing combat sequences.
Your fists have fairly forgiving auto-aiming, with targets automatically appearing on enemies when you point them at them. However, even though your arms comically extend from your body when you punch, your attack range is relatively short compared to the area you'll be punching through. This means you have to use your platforming skills while leaping towards enemies while punching and dodging attacks. Some enemies engage in melee combat or explode when approached, while others fire bullets from afar.
When you land the final blow on the last enemy, a slow-motion effect is also triggered with style and humor. It's a great example of the game's visual and narrative charm. The platforming action and combat are solid, but the game's world is also a confusing
source:uploadvr
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