IronWolfVR shows claustrophobia is the best form of locomotion

As much as roomscale tracking in virtual reality has opened up many doors in terms of the types of games we can play, the difficulty presented by restrictions in real world space is very much apparent in many contemporary releases. IronWolf VR looks to fix that with some unique locomotion tricks to keep you within the bounds of the minimum HTC Vive tracking space.

The first step Ionized Studios took in creating its new locomotion system, was to set the game in an enclosed space – in this case, a submarine. That allows it to work with limited spaces to help present a feasibly small area to players, even if they only have a small roomscale space to explore.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj24AnB9ImM']

The second step however is the smart part, that keeps everyone within their bounds while letting them enjoy a wider world. Every time you go through a door, your view is immediately rotated 180 degrees through a fade to black. So you go through a door, you turn around and you're facing into the new room, in-game and in the real world, giving you more room to manoeuvre in.

The idea with this system is that even if you only have the minimum 2m x 1.5m play space, you never find yourself stuck against a wall and having to teleport in an immersion breaking manner.

A gif of the Periscope in IronWolf VR #VR #VirtualReality #gamedev pic.twitter.com/BM3cSlfehL

— ionized studios (@ionzedStudios) November 11, 2016

Gameplay in IronWolfVR will see players working together to man the various parts of the submarine, staying in touch all the while and coordinating their efforts in their own confined spaces beneath the waves. You'll be able to use a periscope, fiddle with knobs and levers and even go topside when the coast is clear. Graphically the game already looks pretty good and the premise has a lot of potential.

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KitGuru Says: I used to love playing Silent Hunter back in the day. A faithful recreation of that tense moment when you line up the sights for that torpedo launch in virtual reality, would be fantastic. The way you get about in it is pretty great too.

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