Here is something Lovecraftian fans and horror enthusiasts might want to check out.
A brand-new, horror game just made its debut on PC. And it is one where chilling adventures are taken up a notch - thanks to augmented reality (AR) technology.
Waking Tides, a title from Dries Schaballie and AirshipFX, just launched on Steam on April 1. It is currently priced at $14.99.
In Waking Tides, players wake up in an abandoned oil rig. Told in first-person perspective, the game is set in the aftermath of a cataclysmic event. There, 'grotesque and otherworldly' creatures, inspired by the stories from H.P. Lovecraft, roam the world.
The AR-based horror game is created using Unreal Engine 5 technology. It also employs WebAR. This means players no longer have to download an extra application on their smartphone to experience its horrors.
Waking Tides is the brainchild of Dries Schaballie, a seasoned multimedia and XR developer with over 15 years of experience.
The project also marked the first of many games to come from AirshipFX.
According to Schaballie, there is a lot of 'exciting potential' in the world of entertainment technology. In a press release, he emphasized how it served as a challenge and opportunity to create 'innovative and engaging content.' These, in turn, led him to create Waking Tides.
"I believe storytelling will continue to evolve into an awe-inspiring symphony with modern technologies like AR and VR," said Schaballie.
Looking ahead, Schaballie also revealed working on several experimental games. These included plans for an Apple® Vision Pro application and an Unreal® Engine 5 short film with an accompanying multiplayer game. / ###