Last Dance
Last Dance, a full-fledged VR short animation that has been highly evaluated by many international film festivals and famous artists for its epic scale and unique VR presentation, is finally available worldwide!
Synopsis:
The human race has devoured itself in war, resulting in the destruction of our home, the Earth.
Only an AI created by human wisdom was able to survive.
The AI escaped into space and was given a single mission: the Regeneration of Mankind.
It kept recreating the Earth and humanity over and over, hundreds of times.
However, the cycle of human extinction did not stop – it only repeated itself every single time.
Just when it seemed history would only repeat forever, a woman danced alone right before the end of her life.
The AI, interested in this woman, could not help but to land on Earth to ask her the reason for her Last Dance.
The encounter between the AI and her would change the fate of the Earth.
Director’s Comment:
This story is a “myth” in the distant future, in which a god-like omnipotent AI falls in love with a human woman.
But what is so attractive about a human to an AI whose existence is beyond human knowledge?
Perhaps, for an AI that can live forever, the short life of a human is like a trotting horse lamp, with their inconvenient body bound by gravity.
Maybe under these limitations, their glittering dance may look peculiarly attractive.
I hope it can become the VR experience that allows us to rediscover the fleeting existence of human beings and the joy of love through the eyes of AI.
Toshiaki Hanzaki
Producer’s Comment:
This is my first time making a feature-length VR animation.
I worked together with Director Hanzaki to create the original story, with our staff gathering the creativity and techniques from all over the world.
Together, we have successfully created a wonderful work that made full use of the goodness of VR media.
I would like to thank everyone for their hard work.
For the time being, we will mainly be exhibiting the film at different festivals.
However, we are planning to broadcast it and release it through events next year.
Please look forward to it.
Kodansha VR Lab
Representative Director and President
Kenji Ishimaru
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A.D. 2047
Honestly I love this game. The environment is awesome and cyberpunk. The puzzles draw you in and make you really look around your environment but aren’t too hard. And the controls are simple and fit really well.
– Real player with 10.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Cinematic Quick-Time Events Games.
Honestly I love this game. The environment is awesome and cyberpunk. The puzzles draw you in and make you really look around your environment but aren’t too hard. And the controls are simple and fit really well.
– Real player with 4.8 hrs in game
Conscious Existence - A Journey Within
This is something that I honestly think everyone should see - pick a reason. But a few suggestions: 1. This thing is VERY system intensive. I have a 9900K system with 32gb RAM, a RTX2080Ti Founders ed., and m.2 nvme primary drives. I didn’t install this on a primary drive, I put it on a slower external as I do for new things. Well, the slow drive alone was enough to make this experience clip and stall on me, badly enough that I stopped it part of the way in as it ruins the experience utterly. (@dev, I sure hope there is some additional work that can be done on the buffering?) This means if you have an SSD, put it there or risk stutter and stalls, which ruin it frankly. 2. Put away the bitter sarcasms and stresses of the day before you experience this, and commit to just be open and present. The author is clearly trying to make a statement, but that statement may not be for everyone. Nor does it need to be. This is a beautiful experience in imagery, message, and sound (I am not sure what kind of headphones some reviewers are using, but my audio was extremely clear and full spectrum) I certainly would have a hard time thinking of a better way to practice being present, listening, and letting go of the cynical side for a few minutes than this. 3. I would suggest that you watch this while alone, and only so that you can react open and honestly to it and not react how others might expect of you. @Dev as others have suggested tweaks for replayability would be a nice add. I can think of several guided meditations that would fit beautifully and it should be relatively inexpensive to sound-engineer someone in to read. That is, If you are open to increasing your target objectives a bit (but I think, in doing so you would be promoting the spirit of the intent anyway)
– Real player with 2.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Cinematic Indie Games.
I’m rather PISSED OFF I did not experience this on the index. The audio alone would of tested the index spatial performance to the max.
Imagine dying and coming back to life and then appreciating your room. YOUR ROOM! A feeling enhanced by Infinity! That feeling! The production crew managed to pull that out of me. I appreciated life, looking at the sky, the sun, the ground, the trees. Even an ANT I observed under a magnifying glass. It’s like all your senses melted into one neural pulse. This is how I felt after I came back from death. And after the high, I am now feeling normalized and I validated my existence now and for ever more.
– Real player with 2.3 hrs in game
Synthesis Universe -Episode 00-
Definitely more than 15mn contrary to some reviews!
(More content was added after initial release)
Some users don’t pay attention and miss most of the experience.
This is not fast food, this is not a game or a thing you have to try to speed run.
Why not taking some slow time in there, relax and enjoy the show?
Many interactions are hidden, delicate and add replay value, there is even a secret ending.
This is not for everyone:
If you are a gamer in a hurry: don’t buy it.
If you are looking to be fully immersed surrounded by music and FXs, enjoy every polygons, music notes and pay attention to the cues and the cryptic story… then go for it.
– Real player with 2.7 hrs in game
A truly beautiful experience. The detail and the complexity of everything around you is so amazing, and the music makes it all come alive. Lots of genuine “wow” moments.
I can’t wait for what’s next in this universe.
Edit:
One tip for players is to look up in the “menu” area. I think you need to view the main story part first to unlock them, but there are three pentagonal flower shapes above you to the left and right that open up and take you to other scenes/modes. I had no idea until I read the store page that mentioned the added scenes. Anyway, I was very happy to discover this.
– Real player with 1.0 hrs in game
BUS SIMULATOR
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⠄⠄⠄⣴⣿⣿⣫⣭⣭⣭⣭⣥⢹⣟⣛⣛⣛⣃⣀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄Play it
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⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢟⣛⠿⢿⣷⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡄⠄⢰⠇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⣧
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡹⣭⣛⠳⠶⠬⠭⢭⣝⣛⣛⣛⣫⣭⡥⠄⠸⡄⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⢇⡟
⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⣭⣛⣛⡛⠳⠶⠶⠶⣶⣶⣶⠶⠄⠄⠄⠙⠮⣽⣛⣫⡵⠊⠁
⣍⡲⠮⣍⣙⣛⣛⡻⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠖⠂⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣸⠄⠄⠄⠄
⣿⣿⣿⣶⣦⣬⣭⣭⣭⣝⣭⣭⣭⣴⣷⣦⡀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠠⠤⠿⠦⠤⠄⠄
– Real player with 8.4 hrs in game
I love this stuff. This is a strange cosmic trippy VR experience that makes you feel weird and I like it. A masterpiece of the art form. Thanks for the free experience.
! The big purple baby head knows all. https://youtu.be/4RZ0ZxR5GrI
– Real player with 0.9 hrs in game
Life Hutch VR
if you like beating your head against the wall then this game is for you. Personally I would prefer smoother game play without having to follow a course so exacting that you have to do it over and over and over. i would actually rather beat my head against the wall. this is so frustrating and maddening you will probably reach the same conclusion. it looks good sounds good but don’t - I wish i hadn’t bought it.
– Real player with 2.4 hrs in game
It’s like being in a movie
This is a pretty unique and fun VR title. It is more like you are the main character in a movie than a game. You get to fly a spaceship, walk around on a lava planet, etc. Very immersive and really makes you feel like you are in a story. Definitely some fun puzzles and challenges. Nice graphics and music.
Much better with the Enhanced VR quality setting if your GPU can handle it.
– Real player with 2.2 hrs in game
Private Agent
Fire as many bullets!
Private Agent" is a VR gun shooting game compatible with Oculus Rift (Oculus Quest + Oculus Link).
You can switch between various weapons and aim to conquer stage bosses.
The player is asked to destroy the criminal organization Echidna and confront the organization.
When you run out of ammunition, you can discard the entire weapon and take out a new one with the AR armory system, so there is no need to reload or perform other difficult operations.
Some weapons can be held in both hands, so you can use two pistols for a barrage or a handgun and knife for a CQC style fight.
Experience the flashy gun action with simple controls!
The Great C
This short adventure cinematic is well-made, though it has some of that “indie” charm to remind that it has been made by a small team of enthusiasts, rather than a heavy-hitter like ILMxLab. Most of the characters' animations are motion-captured performances, though there are plenty of character movements that are stilted and robotic, which were obviously manually-animated. The characters are cartoony, but expressive. And don’t let the character designs fool you… this story is not for young children.
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
Not quite long enough to be called a movie and not quite short enough as the Google spotlight shorts. At 38 minutes long it’s almost as long as an episode of most series.
The story is good and the actors are quite believable. Graphically it looks a lot like Telltale (rip) games. Which kinda makes me sad that I’ll never see that studio dive into VR.
VR cinematic experiences are quite new and there is a lot of experimentation involved. Some of it really works, like the building case scene, where trying to follow both characters creates tension, or the final confrontation, where the scale of C really can be appreciated. Some of it doesn’t, like suddenly you feel like an ant watching giants and the next moment a giant watching ants. But that cam be expected in such a new medium.
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
Awake: Episode One
OMG! This experience is a MUST SEE! I read about AWAKE: Episode One on Upload VR and thought it looked interesting, but I was totally unprepared for how much of an emotional impact it would have on me!
It’s short (takes me about 25 minutes cos I want to study every detail), but I’ve never had a VR experience quite like it - being able to get right up in front of these real characters and just want to go back in there again and again. Still working through the deeper levels of what the bigger story means. What a head trip, brilliant performances and cannot wait for more episodes!!!! Where is it all going???
– Real player with 4.4 hrs in game
Awake makes you feel like your in that in-between state when your neither fully awake or fully asleep. The ability to light the characters faces makes you feel like you can hold their chins in the palm of your hands — that moment when you become Harry or Rose positions the story centrally in your psyche. When the light shone out of me, I am sure I burst. Look you give me an experience where it tells me to dream I will dream but, even the greatest cynic has to appreciate when a story envelopes you whole. I would love to dive into the teacup.
– Real player with 2.1 hrs in game
BATTLESCAR: Punk Was Invented By Girls
Got it for 56 cents as a part of a bundle. Still got disappointed.
To be fair, it is well executed in terms of visual storytelling and cinematography. Some really creative sets there!
Unfortunately, these can’t do much if the narrative and the main characters are bland and uninteresting. The abrupt and undercooked ending made the already underwhelming story - a complete waste of time for me.
Also, it is an oculus exclusive, has a good amount of gender politics at its core, and if your chapter gets interrupted, like USB disconnection (thanks AMD) you need to suffer through the whole chapter without the option to skip forward.
– Real player with 0.9 hrs in game
As a VR artist, I really enjoyed this experience. It is quite daring in terms of the format of narrative and also mixing a kind of “book” feel into the VR aesthetic. I would recommend it for any VR artists as a source of inspiration.
The story is not the best however, a bit tacky and shallow but still enjoyable.
Disappointed that it took much longer to get on Steam than on Oculus Store and also that they only support Oculus headsets, especially since there are almost no interactions (any?), so it’s not like supporting controllers of other headsets would’ve been difficult.
– Real player with 0.9 hrs in game