‘Way of Kings’ jumps from pages straight to virtual reality
Based on the ‘Stormlight Archive,’ VR experience puts players in the role of a protagonist named Kaladin
I almost broke a window while playing “The Way of Kings, Escape the Shattered Plains.” During the demo session for the virtual reality experience, I was punching enemies when I wandered a little too close to a window at the edges of the tracking zone for the HTC Vive and threw a jab. I struck the glass with controller in hand and cringed at the thud.
I waited to hear a sharp crack or panicked screaming. No sound. I continued on with the demonstration. That situation sums up how everyone still has much to learn when dealing with VR despite the growing popularity of the technology. It takes some foresight and experience to figure out how to handle a new medium.
That sentiment also appears to apply to “The Way of Kings, Escape the Shattered Plains.” Ewan Johnson, chief creative officer for Arcturus, says the VR offering isn’t really a game though it has gamelike elements. It’s more of an experience that places players in the role of Kaladin, a protagonist from “The Stormlight Archive,” a series of fantasy novels.
Written by Brandon Sanderson, the books have gained a following and DMG Entertainment decided to bring the franchise to life through VR. It’s an interesting jump. Usually, books end up optioned for TV or movies and then shift to video games. “The Way of Kings” went straight to one of the more challenging mediums of entertainment.
At the start of the experience, players see that Kaladin is chained during Highstorm. He was supposed to die from the weather phenomenon, but instead, he absorbs its power allowing him to use magic. Players wake up in the chasms of the Shattered Plains. From there, they go through a short tutorial where players figure out how to move and fight.
“The Way of Kings” uses a teleportation process for moving, in which players point to an area with a controller and they move there automatically. They can also press left and right buttons on the controller to turn, but it’s done in a stuttering way to reduce motion sickness. The one option the experience needs is a way to dash backward because turning around and pointing to a new area feels clumsy.
During the tutorial, players meet Sylphrena, a spiritlike entity who shows players that they have the power to lash onto objects and move them. She also shows players that they can punch by throwing their first forward. (Pro tip: Know your surroundings if you do this.) They can also grab rocks and other items on the ground. Although she seems like a character made for the tutorial, Syl plays an important role in the books as Kaladin’s companion.
The magic in the game shows up when players do a wall walk. As Kaladin, they can see entities and this marks locations where they can alter gravity. Walking up a cliff is a trippy experience, especially when players reach the top. I paused a bit as I tried to recalibrate my balance. The magic is that convincing and of the better tricks up the sleeve of the developer, Arcturus.
From there, I had to battle the Parshendi and this is where the experience shows off some of the compelling battle elements. Players can punch them or toss rocks to knock down the large humanoids. They can even grab and throw them in the distance. Some of them drop maces and Kaladin can pick them up or use their powers to grab and swing them.
The combat system is intuitive enough that VR veterans won’t have much trouble outmaneuvering and knocking out Parshendi. The trouble comes when a Chasmfiend joins the fray. It’s the closest thing to a boss fight in “The Way of Kings.” Players have to dodge the enormous monster and toss large rocks to stun it. They don’t necessarily have to kill the beast, but they’ll have to survive long enough for the creature to dislodge a gemstone containing Stormlight. Overall, the experience takes 20 to 25 minutes. It’s more of a tech demo at this point, but one that’s geared toward fans of Sanderson’s “Stormlight Archive” series. Johnson, the chief creative officer, says there are plans to expand and refine the VR title even after it’s released at $10.99 on Steam and Viveport in March. An Oculus version is also in the works with plans for PlayStation VR.