Audio Arena: Players vs. Music — Feel the Rhythm in VR
So, Virtual Reality is on the rise: experiences, games and simulations are hotter than ever and all around the world, 360° videos pop up, showcasing the community’s willingness to adapt to the technology.
These applications all take in a number of media elements and stitch them together to simulate a believable and intriguing virtual reality. Most of the games and experiences we have been covering so far have been very sight-based and visually oriented. Today’s feature is quite different.
Earlier today, Audio Arena — a bold new game wherein audio is the main element, surfaced on Steam. Built by Holland-based developers at Skydome Studio, Audio Arena shifts the focus away from the gorgeous visuals that we have been accustomed to (although they’re definetely there), and goes all in on the sound-side of VR to merge music with gameplay in a playful manner. This is not to say that past experiences don’t have gorgeous audio, they do — but pulling it off like this, is a new perspective, and that deserves a salute from our team.
[video width=”854" height=”480" webm=”http://vrtodaymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/movie480.webm"][/video]
With stunning visuals and intriguing gameplay, you are drawn into a psychadellic universe where the gameplay is generated by the beats of the music you hear. The arena stretches itself as a full 360° canvas around you, and enemies are spawned to the beats of the music.
“Dodge your enemies using Gaze or Motion controls. Powerups are placed in the arena to kill your foes. Picking them up on the beat of the music increases your sync bonus for higher scores.”
Masters of Sound and Scares
Skydome Studio also happens to be the team behind the infamous “Don’t Let Go” simulation. In case you haven’t heard or tried that one out yet, let’s talk about it too.
Don’t Let go is quite simple. The objective of the game is put your hands on the table in front of you while wearing your headset, and then don’t — let — go. The challenge has been undertaken by popular YouTubers from across the board. Here’s Markiplier’s take on how to survive the simulation:
Minimum Requirements
- OS: Windows 7
- Storage: 700mb of Available Storage
- Processor: Intel i5–4590 equivalent or greater
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 equivalent or greater
What’s Next for Audio Arena?
If you would like to learn more about Audio Arena and Skydome Studios, you can check out their website, their Google+ Page or their Twitter Profile. Skydome’s games can be purchased on Steam.
