"Feral Rites" is the first virtual reality (VR) game by Insomniac Games for the Oculus Rift. The exploration brawler showcases elements from the Legend of Zelda franchise and other action games. Oculus Studios is the game publisher and the title will release exclusively for the Oculus Rift in fall 2016.
"Feral Rites" was inspired by classic fantasy and horror stories like "The Island of Doctor Moreau" by H.G. Wells, as well as the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The plot focuses on the child of a Stone Fang Island chieftain who was compelled to leave after his father was murdered.
After two decades, he returns to the island to seek revenge for his father's death. Creative director Marcus Smith said that aside from the emphasis on revenge, there will be twists that will plant doubt on the character about what he thinks he knows.
There will reportedly be major magic elements in the game, which will provide several answers as the character continues his journey. Players also have the ability to transform into animal-people.
Polygon wrote that in "Feral Rites," players will control a character who is out for revenge. The main focus will be exploration, which means that gamers will experience expansive worlds in VR.
Smith said that they also focused on fighting, so gamers can expect to engage with groups of enemies. Players do not have to join side quests or mini-games.
According to the game developers, they worked on traditional camera angles to prevent players from getting motion sickness in-game. Enemies will allegedly always stay in front of the player. There will be no weapons in the game, and combat will be classic hand-to-hand.
Smith continued hat players will be both human and animal while playing "Feral Rites." Players can transform into an animal. The open-world will be massive so there will be a map to guide players and avoid getting lost. Expect the game to be lengthy because of the game design and setting.
In another Polygon report, the "Feral Rites" demo was shown during E3 2016, beginning with the player arriving on the mysterious island and his mother sacrificing herself to save him. The main protagonist collects a talisman that unlocks the ability to transform into a beast. The demo showed other animals that may be helpful or turn out as threats.
Insomniac Games stated that the release date of "Feral Rites" has yet to be announced, although they expect it to launch in fall 2016. More updates and details are expected soon.
