The horror genre is certainly establishing a solid footing for itself in virtual reality (VR), which is no surprise since the immersion offered by VR headset technologies complements the intense atmospheres of horror videogames to scare players in entirely new ways. Now Virtuix, the company behind the eponymous omni-directional treadmill is attempting to bring a whole new level of immersion and intensity to VR horror videogames and it’s released a video of its efforts.
Calling it “the scariest experience yet in VR” Virtuix has released a demo of horror title Dreadhalls being played with Oculus Rift CV1 and its own Virtuix Omni. This is the company’s first demo showcasing the CV1 and thanks to the Omni’s built-in controls and keyboard emulation the videogame was able to be played without any tweaks or changes.
Dreadhalls is a horror game that plays on player paranoia, using atmospheric dimly lit corridors, frightening sounds, and the vulnerability of having no weapons to instill fear. The demo from Virtuix shows the player wandering around the dark dungeon of Dreadhalls, each step taken on the treadmill matching a step in the game to truly make the player feel like they’re in the game. When watching the demo you can see that the player is immersed as there are several moments where they hesitate to move forward and even occasions where they stumble back from a monster.
Sergio Hidalgo, founder of White Door Games and developer of Dreadhalls said that “One of the key design goals of Dreadhalls is to make you believe you are really trapped inside a dark dungeon. The Omni’s natural locomotion adds a new layer to the horror experience. With the Omni you explore and react in a much more instinctual way, making for an even scarier and more immersive experience.”
This demo is a good example of what peripherals like Virtuix Omni can bring to VR gaming. The Omni is currently available to pre-order for $699 and you can read our review of Dreadhalls for Oculus Rift here.
For more news on the Virtuix Omni and other VR horror titles keep reading VRFocus.
