Rhythm games might be one of the more common genres that we see pop up in the VR fitness space, but as the years have gone by, more takes on the format have continued to come about. Recently, we’ve received an all-new look at what one future VR-rhythm game could become, but the only problem is that the game itself might never see the light of day.
Joy Way, the developer of the highly-popular title Stride, recently revealed that it’s working on a new prototype for a VR rhythm game. Rather than just having players match their actions to music or things that are happening in the game, however, the studio is looking to incorporate a number of elements that you would typically see in an action title.
The game, which currently doesn’t have a name, allows players to utilize guns, swords, and a bit of parkour to dispatch a multitude of enemies that are coming their way. The gameplay is all matched to music, which is what you’d typically expect from an experience like this. That being said, the vibe that Joy Way seems to be going for here is much different compared to other games we often see within the genre. Some recent teasers for this title have shown it to take place in a very gritty and dark world.
You can get an early look at what some of the gameplay from this potential game could look like in the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjmdZAmMNb8&w=560&h=315]
At this point in time, Joy Way is only calling this new game a prototype, but it very much sounds like the studio is committing to making it a fully fleshed-out experience that fans can one day play for themselves. According to Joy Way, a completely different team within the studio is currently working on this project. As such, the continued development of Stride isn’t something that will be impacted here. So if you’re someone who is more focused on what Joy Way is doing with Stride, that project will continue on as planned.
Joy Way has also revealed that it’s currently in the phase of running beta tests for this new project. A handful of volunteers are actually giving the game a-go this week across on Oculus Rift and Quest devices. The fact that the studio is giving some folks to try the game out for themselves seems to really show that they’re looking to one day bring this prototype to market, if everything works out.
And when it comes to this game’s fitness prospects? Well, they seem pretty obvious. Rhythm games are some of the best VR games to play in the pursuit of staying active and fit. Based on what we have seen of this mystery game so far, that seems to ring true here as well.
Usually, we’d tell you when this game might come out and what platforms it would be available on, but again, there’s no guarantee that Joy Way will ever release this project to the public just yet. With that in mind, all we can do at the moment is cross our fingers and hope that one day this prototype evolves into a full experience that we can play on our own headsets. If we do end up learning more from Joy Way in the future though, we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop here on VRFI.