VR/MR Devices Analysis

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VR Technologies

I personally have not experienced many VR/MR devices firsthand, hence I will be taking a look at some of their specifications and making a comparison across some of the interesting technologies I found.

My personal choice would be the Occulus Quest 2 as it is one of the most affordable models out there starting at $299 for the 64GB Model. Apart from the reasonable pricing, there are several interesting specifications to take note of. Oculus improved the frame rate of the Quest 2 from 72Hz to 90Hz, which provides an even more immersive experience as games and content can take advantage of a higher refresh rate to deliver better quality. The battery live is rather significant at about 2 hours of gameplay (or 3 hours video), and the screen resolution reaches up to 1832 x 1920 per eye which is rather impressive for a VR headset. Furthermore, the Quest 2 rather light weighing about 503g, a great improvement from the original Oculus Quest weighing about 571g.

The design and user experience are also important, since a headset may not necessarily be the most comfortable experience for all. The Quest 2 uses fabric strips that are more comfortable and easier to adjust. Additionally, the Quest 2 does offer an extra battery pack that attaches to the Pro Strap, which doubles the battery life of the Quest 2 for longer and better experiences.

More practically, the lower starting price of the Quest 2 compared to other headsets seem to be the strongest attraction in onboarding newer users (like myself) into VR with a reasonably lower investment. Games that are more tech-savvy would definitely note the Facebook-centric platform of the Oculus environment. The Quest 2 is a great personal choice as it has a lower barrier to entry, along with the comfort and performance it provides to the everyday user.

MR Technologies

Although I haven’t tried this physically, the Microsoft Hololens seems to be the industry-leading and most popular choice for many B2B companies. Their expansion and development into their product are well thought and well-integrated amongst various use cases.

Let’s begin with some ergonomics analysis. Fit and comfort is key for the Hololens 2. Although the initial Hololens already came a long way from the early prototypes, it was clearly highlighted by many that comfort wasn’t the best for extended periods of use. One needs to make adjustments to ensure that the best field of view is obtained while maximizing comfort in wearing. In the Hololens 2, there is a more comfortable fit with a dial-in system specifically designed for extended use. The built is designed in a way that the main processor and battery are located modularly at the back of the headset, with the wires running towards the front, improving the weight distribution of the Hololens 2.

The Hololens 2 is capable of tracking up to 25 points of articulation with both hands in space, allowing natural touch and grasping to move holograms. Their impressive eye-tracking technology also finetunes the interaction with holograms. It can detect what you’re looking at and use that data to further improve the user interface which ultimately results in a better field of view. The Hololens 2 has a field of view to about 52 degrees diagonally, which Microsoft claims to have doubled the effective viewing area. There is also an increase in the vertical viewing area, making it taller when looking at tabletop holograms. This impressive improvement in the field of view is a large differentiator across many MR headsets, which puts the Hololens 2 as one of the pioneers in ensuring a better experience. Unfortunately, the Hololens 2 is priced very high, possibly because of the intricate and complex technologies that it incorporates and may not be ready for the everyday user today. A more expensive price point does limit the audience that is able to use it, hence more applications are centred around businesses currently.

Ultimately, the Hololens 2 is successful in maximizing both performance and comfort, while optimizing current technologies such as having more cameras and better sensors around the headset. This is particularly important for headset wearables as it hopefully seeps into the near future where everyday users can harness MR in their daily lives without the hassle of discomfort or performance-related issues.

VR/MR Devices

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I do not have much experience with VR/MR devices, and so I will be relying on reviews and the specs of the devices to determine which ones I feel are best. For VR, I have tried Google Cardboard and other similar VR headsets that use smartphones, but they have not been very good experiences. I have not tried any MR devices.

For VR, the Valve Index is my pick. It is pricey, but the features look the most impressive of all the recently released devices. For instance, it has a higher FOV than other headsets, as well as an above-average refresh rate, which I appreciate. It also has good specs in terms of resolution, audio, etc., though it is on the heavier side. However, for me the main selling point is the controllers, which can can track individual finger movement and grip strength. I think that such controllers are very interesting in both the technology used, as well as practically. For example, it would make gesturing much more natural, as well as allow for users to pick up objects by actually gripping the controller, instead of having to press a button, thus allowing for greater immersion. I hope that controllers with similar features will become standard in the future.

Valve Index with accompanying Controllers and Base Stations

For MR, I would say that the Microsoft HoloLens 2 seems the most impressive. Reviews I’ve seen claim that it is comfortable and feel immersive and intuitive to use. In addition, while it does not have the largest FOV, it is among the top in devices designed purely for MR (i.e. not a VR headset that also has some support for MR). Finally, instead of needing to be tethered to a computer or phone, the HoloLens 2 has its own onboard computer, which allows a user to use it at any time without needing any setup. Finally, as Microsoft Mixed Reality is currently one of the most prominent mixed reality platforms, the HoloLens 2 can be expected to receive support for the foreseeable future.

HoloLens 2

VR/MR Devices

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My most preferred VR device is the the game-changing, high-tech device Google Cardboard. First of all, for all its features, the Google Cardboard is available at an unbelievable price of 14.90 SGD on Lazada. Secondly, it boasts a high quality frame made from highly recyclable material. Thirdly, there is almost no learning curve. In order to experience a high-quality virtual reality experience, all one needs is to slot a smart phone into the Google Cardboard and get started. This video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IZK1k1elBU), for example, provides a high degree of immersion and presence despite the Cardboard’s limitation of having only 3 degrees of freedom.

Figure 1 Google Cardboard

Unlike VR devices, I have never used an MR device and thus, my preference is solely based off the marketing efforts of the companies behind the devices that I have been exposed to. Microsoft released a video envisioning the future of MR devices (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MqGrF6JaOM) amazed me as I was completely unaware of the utility these devices could offer us. Therefore, my most preferred MR device is the Microsoft HoloLens 2 as it seems that the companies vision is to invent a device which aims to enhance human life as much as possible. In a demo by Microsoft, the HoloLens displayed impressive eye-tracking, voice recognition and six degrees of freedom which allowed the user’s surroundings to be completely populated by virtual objects.

Figure 2 Microsoft HoloLens

With an approximately 6000SGD price tag, I would probably prefer purchasing the ground-breaking, game-changing HoloKit instead.

Figure 3 HoloKit

VR and MR Technologies

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Some of the more well-known VR headsets available in the market would likely be: Oculus Quest 2, Oculus Rift S, HTC Vive (Pro) and Valve Index.

Oculus Quest 2

The Oculus Quest 2 appears to be the overall best VR headset available currently, based on its more affordable pricing, 6DOF functionality, having one of the best resolutions (1832×1920, up to 90Hz refresh rate), ease of use etc. The Oculus Quest 2 can be used as a standalone device without needing the hassle of wiring it up to a computer or messing with cables like what’s needed for the HTC Vive. If more processing power is required, the Oculus Quest 2 can be hooked up to a PC with a slightly pricy cable, which pretty much gets rid of the purpose of the Oculus Rift S with its higher processing power and mandatory connection to a computer/laptop.

 The Oculus Rift S will be discontinued in Spring 2021, as development will be focused on the Oculus Quest series and improving it as a standalone VR device. Apart from requiring a lot of setup for the HTC Vive, using only the standard 2 base stations can have rather inaccurate and glitchy tracking, depending on the size of the room and obstacles in the room. One downside of the Oculus Quest 2 is that the controllers require the use of (rechargeable) AA batteries. Otherwise, the Oculus Quest 2 is pretty good for meeting most of your VR needs, if it’s available on the platform.

For Mixed Reality, there are few smart glasses and the most recognized ones are the Microsoft HoloLens 2 and the Magic Leap One. Depending on the purpose and content of the Mixed Reality application, either one could possibly come up top. However, in terms of features and functionality, HoloLens 2 comes out top.

Microsoft HoloLens 2

It has the best resolution out of all smart glasses at 2048×1080 per eye vs the 2nd best 1280×960 per eye for the Magic Leap One. HoloLens 2 outstrips all its competitors in terms of performance with the availability of the Remote Rendering feature which essentially utilizes cloud computing to overcome hardware restrictions while keeping the smart glass light and portable. HoloLens 2 can fully track all 10 fingers, allowing for detailed controls on the level of being able to play a virtual piano, unlike the Magic Leap One which can only recognize a limited number of fixed gestures and utilizes a controller. HoloLens 2 has a more advanced eye-tracking technology and voice recognition, which greatly increases the range of control a user can have in a Mixed Reality environment.

Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality Technologies

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The latest commercial Virtual Reality Hardware release was Facebook-owned Oculus’s Oculus Quest 2 back in October 2020. Unlike other leading VR hardware out there, Quest 2 is a standalone VR headset powered by Android, meaning that it does not require a PC or a smartphone for one to operate it. The fact that such a standalone hardware can run VR is a feat of excellence, given that VR requires high fidelity graphics together with target framerates higher than that of PC and Console gaming’s (90 vs 60 FPS).

Taking away the inconvenience of setting up a VR environment with the classic tethered PC/Console VR such as the HTC VIVE, PSVR, and Valve Index, the Quest 2 still manages to provide smooth VR experiences with its powerful hardware. Hence, it is hard to not pick the Quest 2 as one of my favorites in the VR hardware sphere as it removes one of the major pain points of VR hardware. Another huge plus is that it is at a lower price point (SG$450) than PCs and Consoles, paired together with the fact that it is a standalone device makes it a highly accessible technology for one to pick up.
As for Mixed Reality, a relatively younger phenomena, the leading technology by far is the Microsoft HoloLens 2, released in 2019 at a hefty price point of SG$5,388, and is an improvement over its predecessor, the Microsoft HoloLens, which was released back in 2016. The HoloLens 2 features a much higher field of view of 52 degrees compared to the 30 degrees that the first version has. It also has an increased display resolution of 2048×1080 pixels, eye-tracking, and a much better processor. Development potential also increased dramatically with the addition of the tracking of both hands as well as additional gestures that the HoloLens 2 can pick up.


Its competitor, Magic Leap One, while costing two-thirds the price, underperforms the HoloLens 2 in almost every aspect. Unique to the HoloLens 2 for example, is Microsoft’s “Remote Rendering”, which is essentially using cloud computing to provide the hardware with extra computing power and hence performance, easily achieving better performance than Magic Leap One. The amount of content available to the user is also overwhelmingly in favor of the HoloLens 2, having backward compatibility with applications that were made for its predecessor. Tracking and Control is also way better on the HoloLens 2 with its new hand tracking system that picks up both hands. Therefore, Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 easily wins out its competitors in the Mixed Reality market.

Review for latest HW

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  1. VR Headset Review

As my experience with VR is limited, I have not experience much with the VR headset. Hence, to analyse what would be best for me would be these criteria: affordable, does not cause dizziness, portability, compatibility. The best way for me to see if a headset fits these criteria would be looking at the specifications. As each specification comes with pros and cons, I would judge my “favourite” headset based on whichever specs that best matches my preference. Currently, the 4 most competitive headsets are Oculus Quest, HTC Vive, Valve Index, PlayStation VR.

SpecsOculus QuestHTC ViveValve IndexPlayStation VR
Max Field of View100°110°130°110°
Max Resolution2560 x 14402160×1200 (1080×1200 per eye)2880 x 1600 (1440 x 1600)1920×1080
(960 × 1080 per eye)
Max Refresh Rate72Hz144Hz90Hz90Hz, 120Hz
ConnectionUSB Type-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi1x HDMI 1.4+
DisplayPort 1.2+
2x 3.0 (one usable for accessories)		Custom cableHDMI and USB
Cost
US$399 (64 GB)
US$499 (128 GB)		US$399$999 (headset, 2 tracking stations, 2 controllers)
$499 (headset)		US$299 (headset, camera, and a game)[16]
Move controllers sold separately for $99[

Favourite VR Headset: HTC Vive

Image result for HTC Vive people using

Looking from the perspective of a student who is rather new to VR and is looking for a device which is affordable and compatible with Macbook, I would think HTC Vive would be the best option for me. One of the biggest plus point with the HTC Vive would be its native macOS support, both in hardware and software. HTC Vive is also the only headset which requires a Intel core i5 or higher which most Macbook supports.

Furthermore, based on the table above, for its prices, I would think that it contains specifications that are relatively good compared to the rest. With the same price as the Oculus Quest, its Max Field of view is very close to our human field of view of 120 degrees and its refresh rate is double of that of Oculus Quest. Despite the max resolution being slightly lower that Oculus Quest, I think that the other points such as compatibility and other specifications makes up for it. As the refresh rate is high, I can imagine that experiencing VR on the HTC vive would be comfortable.

Another plus point would be that HTC Vive provides a far more game support through the steam than other headset. This is because gaming developers, specifically Steam was willing to support their games on MacOS. HTC Vive was developed to work specifically with SteamVR platforms. So this provides more use for the headset other than just doing a module on the Macbook. I can potentially use it for games and leisure.

I would not choose the Valve Index, mainly because because of the price. Although it provides the best specifications, I would not be willing to invest that amount for a new venture. Also, the Playstation VR’s specifications seem inferior to the rest despite its lower cost. Hence, I honestly think that I would choose either the HTC Vive or Oculus Quest. However, the main reason HTC Vive would be my selection would be because of its compatibility. Nonetheless, Oculus Quest would be a notable mention for my selection. One main plus point for Oculus Quest would be its portability, which can be convenient for me as I would trip over wires or I can move around more freely in the lab.

  1. MR Headset Review

Similar to the VR headset, my experience with MR headset is also limited. Again, I compiled a list of specifications for headsets which are competitive for the market at the moment. Similarly, I’m looking at specifications which best fulfil these criterias: affordability, does not cause dizziness, portability, immersion. I understand that not all criteria can be fulfilled, so I will weigh on the factors which are more important to me and the number of criteria it fulfils.

SpecsMicrosoft HoloLens 2Acer AH101Samsung Odyssey+Asus HC102
Max Field of View52°110º110º96°
Max Resolution2,560 x 1,4401440×14401440×16002880 x 1440 (1440 x 1440 per eye)
Max Refresh Rate120 Hz60Hz90 to 60Hz90Hz
ConnectionBluetooth LE 5.0, 802.11 2×2 WiFi1x USB 3.0
1x HDMI 2.0		1x USB 3.01X HDMI 2.0
Integrated Bluetooth 5.0 radio to communicate with controllers		1x HDMI 2.01x USB 3.0
Cost
$3500 USD, $125 USD per month Enterprise, $99 USD per month Developer		US$399.99 (controllers included)US$500US$399 (controllers included)

Favourite VR Headset: Microsoft HoloLens 2

Image result for Microsoft HoloLens 2 people using

Because I am looking from the perspective of which headset can best be integrated into reality, I’m foregoing the fact that Hololens cost a lot more than the rest. I prioritising factors such as comfort, portability and immersion which I believe Hololens fair way better than the rest.

Hololen is portable unlike the rest because it is a self contained computer. Based on holographic technology, it allows you to engage with digital content and interact with holograms in mixed reality environments. Which allows a complete immersion of mixed reality. Furthermore, its high resolution and refresh rates allows for the best comfort which can minimise dizziness. Although the field of view is rather limited, I think it being integrated into reality makes that forgivable as you do not need a complete field of vision since you are also viewing reality.

Moreover, Hololens’ optical system has advanced sensor for Holographic Processing Unit (HPU) which process a large amount of data at a high rate. The advanced sensors which recognise maps, places, spaces, and things around the user are impressive. This all contributes greatly to the immersion, and I can imagine it being like how it is portrayed in Iron Man.

I have limited information about the rest of the headsets, but based on Youtube video, I do not see people using the other headset for MR. Instead, most use it for VR games. So this give hololens a convincing win, since I have received more information on its ability to immerse users in Mixed Reality.

One thing cool about the Hololens is its ability to flip the glasses. Users can toggle between the MR and reality. Its design is also user friendly as it allows for people with glasses to wear it with comfort. Furthermore, it is light weight at 566g which is arguable light and easy to wear around.

All these feature of hololens makes it very suitable for both commercial and personal use. I believe it can bring value to many industries, especially the medical field as it can save cost on training. It may even help doctors operate better.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

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Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a role-playing game where you take control of a party of characters as they interact with the world through tactical combat, dialogue, and the players’ creativity. You build and customize the characters to excel in and out of combat, using a plethora of possible skill combinations. There are many ways to advance through the journey to become divine, each with their own methods and repercussions.

Elemental Tetrad:

Mechanics

Taking inspiration from classic party-based RPGs, Divinity uses a tactical turn-based combat, where characters use their attacks, skills, items and movement to try to reduce the enemies’ health to 0. To maximize party synergy, there are many possible roles a character can take. In Divinity, the player can use a classic party composition or go nuts and play as four fireball-casting wizards. The game rewards the player who takes advantage of the mechanics, while still allowing flexibility for players to play the game however they want.

Outside of combat, the characters can interact with the world through dialogue and moving objects. They can talk their way out of some combat encounters, teleport enemies to a less advantageous position, or sneak past enemies entirely. The exploration and combat takes place in the same world, allowing seamless interactions between the two.

sneaking past enemies as barrels outside of combat


Story

In Divinity Original Sin 2, the player starts as a prisoner who was captured for being ‘Sourcerers’ – individuals with great powers that are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The story follows them through their journey to escape and embark on a path to become divine.

In the beginning of the game, the player can select the background story of their character or define one of their own to make the character truly unique. Each of them will have their own quests and combat scenarios.

Aesthetics

Divinity takes place in Rivellon, a well-established fantastical world of elves, dwarves and lizards. The adjustable top-down isometric view gives enough space to admire the varied environments, from the otherworldly Hall of Echoes to the ruins of the Hollow Marshes. The detailed 3d character models and animations makes everyone unique, complete with full voice acting. In addition, each player character gets a unique instrument that plays in every major occasion in the story. All in all, the game is a very immersive experience, allowing the user to role-play effectively along with the story.

Technology

This game makes use of its own engine, the Divinity Engine 2. It has a lot of similarities to the more modern party-based RPGs, but polished to a very high standard. Big areas are loaded at once, enabling seamless travel to immerse the player with the story and environments. The elements and world objects interact with each other; wood objects burn, oil slows down characters, being in the rain makes electric damage more deadly. All of these can also be utilized by the intelligent AI, making them a worthy challenge to the player’s party.

Lens 8. Problem Solving

For any situation in Divinity, there are different methods to get through them. The most common is to defeat some enemies in combat, and it is definitely the one aspect Divinity has done best. Before any combat even starts, you need to allocate your characters’ attributes like strength, intelligence, constitution, etc. to make sure the character fits a role in the party. Maybe the enemy focuses on fire damage, so you should learn fire resistance skills before the fight.

During combat, you have access to all your skills and items you’ve collected. Having good preparations is important, but the player will need to adapt their strategies on-the-go with the ever-changing battlefield. No fight in this game is trivial (unless you are over-leveled), as each fight brings something unique to adapt your tactics against. The result is a very rewarding experience after every fight.

good positioning is essential to winning fights

Lens 32. Goals

At first, the characters’ goal is to escape their unjust imprisonment. As the game progresses, their goals shift to a much grander scheme that impacts the whole world.

As for the player, their ultimate goal is to advance the story to completion using whatever means possible. The advancement will be guided by the quest system, which records past events so players won’t get lost after forgetting what happened. Alongside the main story are several side-quests, each with their own rewards in the form of items, gold and XP, which enables the characters to do even better in other quests. Many of the quests are interconnected and resolves the same story arc, giving a satisfying conclusion when everything is done.

Lens 54. Accessibility

Unfortunately, the phletra of options in the game makes playing for the first time really intimidating. It was so inaccessible that a tutorial had to be added through an update after the initial release.

Unlike traditional RPGs, the characters aren’t limited to a “class” or “job” system. Instead, the player has to manually choose every progression attributes, skills, and talents, all of which are available from the beginning of the game. Multiply that for up to 4 characters in your party, and figuring out an optimal build is almost impossible without outside resources.

24 out of hundreds learnable skills, each with their unique effects

Lens 85. The Avatar

As a traditional role-playing game, players get to create their own character(s) or pick a preset character with an origin story. Each character also gets “tags”, which determines their background and therefore their dialogue options when facing certain situations. Someone with the ‘scholar’ tag will be able to decipher forgotten languages, while someone with the ‘outlaw’ tag will have certain underground connections with other outlaws.

In addition, many of the dialogue options are chosen by the player, some of which have major implications. This way, the player can project their actions to their character and see the results of their actions.

character creation screen, with customizable appearance and skills


SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising Review

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Game Summary

SYNTHETIK: Legion Rising is a rogue-like shooter game where the player controls a droid in a future dominated by robots. Goal is to defeat enemies and obtain upgrades along the way to the final boss and win the battle.

Official Game Site: https://www.synthetikgame.com/

Gameplay in terms of #9 The Lenses of Elemental Tetrad

Aesthetics of the game are based on 2D sprites, with added effects to present a 3D-like appearance. with flashy effects for explosions as well as damage alerts. Screen darkens are you lose shield, and screen turns red if you take a hit to your health pool.

Story is not elaborately introduced in the game itself, but rather depend on the official site and the synopsis on Steam store to set the story for the game.

Technology used in the game did not seem outstanding to me, as 2D sprite rendering has been in use for quite a while.

In contrast, the Mechanics the game presents are quite thrilling with the randomness factor either trivializing encounters the game throw at you for next few levels, or slow the game down to a grind if you are privy to losing your progress. Permanent loss of a character upon death, with very limited resources carried over to the next game adds to the difficulty of the game.

The Lenses

#4 The Lens of Surprise

The game has many areas where randomness can play a major part, from the loot you get from clearing each level, to the boss you encounter at the end of each zone before the final boss. Sometimes the game can offer you a very strong weapon near the start of the game, or force you into a fight with a boss that is much harder for less well-built characters early in the campaign. Both of these add to the element of surprise in the game (or shock sometimes).

#19 The Lens of The Player

On both Steam and the official website, the game is advertised as ‘unforgiving’, as such players who are interested in the game would expect a challenge worthy of such a word being used in the marketing. I personally find the game really tough, and after two days of trying, I have yet to encounter the final boss in the game. It has definitely been a tough nut to crack. In fact, many of the reviews on Steam would agree that the game is definitely deserving of being called an ‘unforgiving’ game, and most would agree that the difficulty fit their expectations and help complete their experience in the game.

#21 The Lens of Flow

The randomness in the game may cause major fluctuations to the difficulty in the game encounter that the player experience. A poor campaign run with little upgrades found can mean either a short and swift defeat or a long and dragged out attrition. Although randomness is meant to add to enhance the surprise experienced by the players when they chance upon fast upgrades early in the game, the opposite can be daunting to newer players and more experienced players alike.

#32 The Lens of Goals

The game features a linear progression where there are a series of levels and boss fights the player has to go through. In each level there is only one entrance and exit, and in all of my playthroughs, the levels do not seem to shuffle around at all. There is a clear goal signaled to the player on each level, either where the exit is after the players comes within a certain distance to it, or the remaining health of the current boss.

Gameplay Demo

Lastly, here is a short demo video of a boss fight. I had only succeeded in beating this boss once and this player has made it seem easier than it actually is.

Guardian of the Gears

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Synopsis

Guardian of the Gears is one of the best student games of IGF 2018. It is a 3D puzzle adventure game where you control a cute little clockwork guardian who is on its way to save the world of gears from an evil entity that is destroying it. In the game, you will make your way through the clockwork world and solve puzzles to progress through the game.

Website: http://games.digipen.edu/games/guardian-of-the-gears

Gameplay: https://youtu.be/sJKH57GBZDk

Elemental Tetrad

Mechanics

Gameplay is very simple. Players control the clockwork guardian through the world and solve puzzles to progress through the levels. There are only 3 types of objects that players can interact with, gear, artifact and port. Interacting with these objects will change the map layout and open up new areas so that players can progress to the next level. Players have to figure out how to interact with these objects to uncover their way to the end and defeat the enemy.

In the game, players can die if they fall off the world map or get hit by the enemy’s attack. There are save points along the way to aid the players so that they wont have to restart again from the beginning.

Story

The game is set in a floating clockwork island which has been invaded by a disruptor which is threatening to destroy the world and it is up to the clockwork guardian to stop it.

The story is told using text bubbles which appears along the way as players solve puzzles and clear each level. There are also collectibles along the world that give players more snippets of information about the world.

Aesthetics

The clockwork island is a beautifully crafted open world that triggers players’ adventurer instinct to explore every hook and cranny of the each level map to find hidden mechanics or objects.

Technology

The game is created using unreal engine and is available on PC

Lenses

Lens of problem solving

Being a puzzle game, it makes players think of what moves they should take in order to progress through the map. The puzzles overlap at times too such that an interactable object from a previous level may an essential piece to clearing the puzzle in future ones.

Lens of Curiosity

The game is develop as an open world with beautiful graphics, and there are many pockets of extra areas and spaces littered around. It made me curious and excited to explore around and look around to see if there are any hidden mechanics or collectibles available.

Lens of Secret

The game gave very little information to players at the beginning. The ‘how to play’ section only tell players of the 3 types of interactable objects in the game. Players learn about the ‘wasd’ movement control of the player and jump use ‘space’ when they start the game. The story is also only told in snippets as players slowly clear the puzzles and advance through the levels.

This ‘learn as you progress’ model that the game adopt syncs very well with the game’s open world map as it makes players think that there may more hidden mechanics hiding in some corners of the map and make them interested in exploring around the world.

Lens of Challenge

The puzzle levels in the game is quite balanced as it starts from easy puzzle at the start to get players familiar with the mechanics in the game and slowly progress in difficulty along the way. At the last level when fighting the boss, time challenges are included to give players a bit of challenge. It was quite satisfying to solve those puzzles and complete the game

A great horror game that you cannot play anymore

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Devotion release poster

Devotion is a first-person Taiwanese psychological horror game that draws inspiration from many familiar aspect of the Taiwanese daily life in the 1980s. The theme focuses on traditional Taiwanese practices as well as many folk religions. The game follows the main character in his journey to discover what happened in his home, and the event that leads to the downfall of his family.

Elememental Tetrad:

Aesthetics: The game has succeeded in faithfully recreating an atmosphere that is very familiar to the Taiwanese, while at the same time introduce many of the cultural aspect of Taiwanese culture to the international player base. The many cultural references and folk religions told through the design of the environment and through collectibles helps to further support the experience of the player. It allows the player to be fully immersed in the story that the game is trying to tell

The apartment which serves as the main setting of the game
Traditional talismans are seen on the walls

Story: The story is one of the strong aspect of the game. The game tries to tell a familiar story about a family of famous screenwriter, Feng Yu. Throughout the game, the fate of Feng Yu and his family is slowly revealed, and the purposefully vague memos that the player find during the experience further reinforce the message that the game is trying to convey about the occult and religious practices in 1980s Taiwan.

Mechanics: The game is rather simple in term of mechanic. It is mostly a puzzle solver/ walking simulator with jump scares here and there. It serves rather as a platform to allow the player to explore the beautifully designed environment and to immerse themselves in the experience. The only enemy in the game can one-shot the player, but since there is no life total and the checkpoint system available make this rather trivial, but not to its detriment as it highlights the ‘limbo’ aspect of the game, where the main character is doomed to go through the same environment over and over, until he has atoned for his sin.

The main enemy that the player face throughout the game

Technology: The game was not originally made to be a 3D first person exploration, but in order to deliver the vision of the studio director, the team ended up using Unity to create the very pleasing environment that the player can explore.

The lenses:

The lens of Curiosity: The game is purposefully vague at the beginning, dropping the player in an average apartment in Taiwan in the 1980s. The way that the story is told through memos and imaginary sequences with spirits and ghostly figures further pushes the players on to discover the real truth of the main character. The game never really explains what is happening, instead allowing the player to piece together the nuggets of information to form a complete story, which intrigues the player to go through all the horrors at await.

The lens of Atmosphere: Just like every other psychological horror, Devotion tries to create an atmosphere in which the player can emerge themselves. The familiar aesthetic of a typical Taiwanese apartment which serves as the main setting of the game creates an unique atmosphere where the player feels constantly unease. The game takes something that is familiar to the player, and turns it into a place of horror and danger, thus subverting the player’s expectation in order to more effectively deliver the story as the player can relate more with it.

The lens of Inherent Interest: The game boasts a unique aesthetics of Taiwan in the 1980s. This particular part of history is portrayed through the story of the main character, and it touches on the theme of the occult as well as draws inspiration from many elements of the traditional Taiwanese culture. This would create a distinctive environment for players to experience, which is not commonly seen in contemporary horror games currently on the market.

The lens of Secrets: The game is purposefully designed to let the player experience the main character’s descent into ruin, which is told through bits of information made available to the player gradually. By keeping the story vague at first, the player is encouraged to explore and uncover the secret that plaques the apartment that the player find themselves in.