Anyone from the 16-bit era, or who has an interest in retro gaming should be familiar with the game Another World (Out of This World in North America). It was an instant classic with stunning vistas and alien lifeforms, all from the design work of Éric Chahi. He returns with the new PSVR game, Paper Beast.
The art style is immediately recognisable; the same alien environments and character design, but the gameplay here is much different. First impressions give indications that it has been inspired by god games that Bullfrog was renowned for, and that would be right – there is a sandbox element, but there are two modes of play in Paper Beast.
Exploring these exotic landscapes and species would perhaps be beneficial before going into a sandbox as you would need to discover what you’re working with. Well, that’s the second mode: adventure – an explorative path. However, with both modes, all actions take place in real-time and the game was specifically designed for VR.
The key, it would seem, is the interaction with the creatures in the game, but you also have autonomy over the terrain, weather and even vegetation. Considering that Éric Chahi is involved gives this game even more weight. Many gamers will have fond memories of titles such as Heart of Darkness, but I recall a classic point and click adventure called Future Wars. Paper Beast is by his independent studio, Pixel Reef and partnered by ICO Partners.
Paper Beast seemingly came out of nowhere as the wait isn’t long: it’s out on PSVR from 24th March 2020.
