Last week, I spent 30 minutes or so in the creepy world of Wilson's Heart, an Oculus Rift narrative horror game in the style of a 1940s haunted hospital murder.
Making use of the Rift's Touch controllers, I'm able to leaf through magazines, touch intercoms, make phone calls and open cupboards as I search for clues. Movement is teleportation based, with prefixed positions that allow me to search for clues.
It's pretty standard puzzle exploration stuff. Occasionally, I'll find a key or a tool or a message. But the use of the Touch means some of the puzzles are physical, such as the one you see at the start of this video (above).
My curiously realistic hands play a large part in the game. They aren't just floating gloves, but part and parcel of me and of the world I inhabit.
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Sometimes the search for clues leads me into unpleasant surprises. During my demo, I asked the developer for a heads-up whenever any jump scares were coming up. I'm a total coward when it comes to horror. But I suspect horror fans will take these moments in their stride.
The story evolves to include monsters, mysteries and special powers, as I earn abilities to best foes in set-piece action scenes. Otherwise, my character proves to be an agreeably grumpy fellow who just wants to know what the hell is going on.
Wilson’s Heart looks like a solid narrative adventure that merges puzzles with combat in a stylish world. It will be released for the Oculus Rift on April 25th priced at $39.99.
