Watch: Epic’s Robo Recall is Coming, New Developer Diary Charts its Evolution

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This latest video developer diary from Epic gives a very brief, but insightful overview of how Oculus Touch and Rift tech demo Bullet Train became fully fledged release Robo Recall, and what the developers learned along the way.

Epic‘s Robo Recall is heading to Oculus Rift in Q1 of this year for free, but how did the title evolve from tech demo, Bullet Train, designed to show off Oculus’ long awaited Touch motion controllers to the wonderfully frantic arcade shooter we’ll play soon (Q1 2017 in fact)?

This new developer diary walks you through key lessons learned by the team. The evolution of the teleportation mechanic for example, which began life as a restrictive form of locomotion in Bullet Train but in Robo Recall allows a free choice of destination and orientation all with the minimum of input effort on behalf of the player. They also share an interesting tidbit about the rendering choices made for Robo Recall, specifically aiming for the sharpest, cleanest visuals possible by using a “simplified forward renderer” to apply MSAA (Multisample Anti-Aliasing).

Here’s a snippet from what Ben Lang had to say about his time with Robo Recall after he went hands on with it at last year’s Oculus Connect conference:

With Touch, guns are a natural gameplay mechanic, and Robo Recall is full of them. With Epic’s characteristically impressive design, the weapons you’ll wield in the game are satisfying from their look to their sound, right down to the way they blow enemies to pieces. Waves of killer robots will be on the receiving end of your firepower, but this isn’t the gritty serious action of Call of Duty, it’s an arcade slugfest where a high score underlines the action.

SEE ALSO
Watch: 12 Minutes of 'Robo Recall' Gameplay with Oculus Touch

We shouldn’t have long to wait until Robo Recall is finally with us, but to keep you sated until then, you can check out 12 minutes of gameplay from the title recorded Oculus Connect last year.

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Based in the UK, Paul has been immersed in interactive entertainment for the best part of 27 years and has followed advances in gaming with a passionate fervour. His obsession with graphical fidelity over the years has had him branded a ‘graphics whore’ (which he views as the highest compliment) more than once and he holds a particular candle for the dream of the ultimate immersive gaming experience. Having followed and been disappointed by the original VR explosion of the 90s, he then founded RiftVR.com to follow the new and exciting prospect of the rebirth of VR in products like the Oculus Rift. Paul joined forces with Ben to help build the new Road to VR in preparation for what he sees as VR’s coming of age over the next few years.
  • Sebastien Mathieu

    wish this come to the VIVE… but I know it won’t, maybe it’s time to start to play with ReVIVE…:-)

  • Damien Wilson

    I wish Epic Games would take extra time to develop an alternative movement option that enables smooth joystick movement vice teleportation, especially since other games are doing this such as Arizona Sunshine.

  • burzum

    I guess its going to be 50-60€ and an Oculus exclusive, only available in their walled garden? Well, I probably wait for a similar game on Steam then. :(

    I’m surprised that there are not more well done VR games already. Arizona Sunshine is a great game, not long but nice to play but it doesn’t look that awesome. With TKVR there is a really nice SDK for Unity that allows you to get pretty quick basic interaction in VR. I really hope that there will be a good shooter any time soon. Meanwhile I keep playing Doom 3 BFG in VR. :) I wish Valve would make a proper HL2 VR version as well, I would even pay for it. Bulletstorm in VR would be also just awesome.

    • Adrian Meredith

      It’s free but it is oculus “exclusive” seems epic have no problem taking Facebook’s money

      • KUKWES

        as would anyone else

  • Jona Adams

    Ditch the teleport mechanic. Just do the same sort of locomotion that we are used to in pretty much all action games please.

    • George Vieira IV

      I wouldn’t’ say to “ditch” it, but giving the option, for those who don’t get sick, to move via a joystick should be available in all games.

      • Jona Adams

        If it’s going to be competitive PvP, ditch it

        • George Vieira IV

          Does it plan to have PvP?

          Even if it does, it could have options in the match maker to let you pick if you want teleport or free walking as an option for opponents.

          Personally walking around makes me a bit “vr sick”, particularly jumping, or going up stairs.
          Aside from that, the ability to teleport to distant areas seems to be worked into the gameplay at this point.

          • Jona Adams

            I think if people learn to bend there knees just a little bit, and try to think of themselves as skateboarding, the motion sickness with go away, or gets lessened a great deal. I’m just talking PvP in general. Not specifically this game.

          • George Vieira IV

            Ah. I will have to try the “skateboard method”, though I think the system where you run in place has some good potential, if a bit more of a workout. http://www.roadtovr.com/freedom-locomotion-system-comprehensive-package-vr-movement/

  • Ned Hoon

    This game is going to be free on Oculus so Im not going to whine about no alternative movement option Im just going to be grateful for the gift.

    • Richard Wetherall

      second that :)

    • X Lord B

      na.. will still whine if it doesnt have smooth movement. Fed up with the “VR ruleset” that caters only for those with motion sickness weakness.. It can be overcome fast for most players. Other not so much due to some people being very susceptible to it even in real life. so imo every shooting game or at least action adventure including RPGS should have smooth movement.. even driving games have a style of smooth movement that are equally simple to overcome in vr. To not cater for smooth movement by default is probably what is killing the take up from a lot of gamers to buy the games.

  • Manuel Riger

    i like teleport more than joystick, i tryed it in arizona sunshine and it killed everything for me don t like it at all. But for ppl who like it more than teleport would be good to have both.

  • Richard Wetherall

    Dose anyone know if Is it going to be standing only or Room Scale so can move little ?