Moss: Book II, Polyarc tells us more about this new PSVR game

Game news Moss: Book II, Polyarc tells us more about this new PSVR game

The silent power

In this sequel to Moss, an app first released in 2018, little feather must explore the castle of the arcane. After rescuing the brave mouse’s uncle, the player must help the rodent face a new threat that invades this enchanting universe. According to initial information from the development team This new episode shouldn’t mess up the formula introduced by Polyarc : We will find a lot of platforms, puzzles and battles. All in a virtual reality environment where the player can interact with different elements.

We’ll pick up where the player left off. The idea was to develop the myth around the world of the game (…) The player will discover new great environments. Obviously, the relationship between Quill and the user is a pillar of the experience. We wanted the player to be able to reconnect with her emotionally and physically. During the epic you have to master different challenges with fights, puzzles and platforms together. (…) I think Moss combined all of that well and we want to respect that. Not all people are experts at fighting or puzzle solving. We really want to make the game accessible to everyone. It is in our best interests, but we are also expected to try to balance everything with one part in front of the other. (…) The first Moss had a solid foundation, we didn’t want to change the formula too much, but we added things. Josh Stiksma

Like Max and The Curse of Brotherhood, the user will be able to build bridges between different platforms to help the rodent move forward. We are also promised more interactions with the universe. Quill has more than one string in the bow to end the arcane reign. The mouse can rely on a hammer to solve certain puzzles and eliminate opponents. For the studio, the goal is simple: to do better than what the first episode did by improving anything that can be improved.

We carefully read the reviews of the first game and wondered what we could improve on. We looked at what we can do best without compromising on Moss. We have a lot of fans who loved the game and we didn’t want to change too much the recipe that made it all work. And of course we have a new story to tell. The lifespan can vary depending on the level of the player and his skills in combat or puzzles. But what I can say is that Book II will be longer than the first game, we have new environments, new enemies, new challenges, and new interactions between Quill and the player for the duo to complete the challenge. Josh Stiksma

Small team, big wishes

Once the star genre of game consoles, today the 3D platformer struggles to shine as soon as we get out of Mario’s adventures. Nonetheless, virtual reality headsets have received good surprises, including Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Moss. Is this technology necessary for the renewal of the genre?

We were very pleased to receive Moss. The game sold very well, beyond our expectations. We believe that regardless of the genre, you have a chance to succeed if you do something that connects the players with a great story that understands how to use the hardware. (…) Virtual Reality offers new ways of interacting with a virtual universe. You experience this new sense of immersion because you are in the world and have access to physical interactions. But I don’t think that’s the only way for platformer to develop. I continue to play platform games on 2D screens, which in my opinion will never be replaced by VR headsets. Virtual reality simply opens other doors to other experiences. Josh Stiksma

The first Moss had successful artistic direction as well as excellent music composed by Jason Grave. Good news, the composer will be signing the new songs for Book II. In terms of organization, Polyarc has a little more developers for this second part than for the first part. But the studio remains on a human scale. “When we released Moss, we were 15 developers including HR, PR and Finance because they helped develop it themselves! Because yes, our HRD was also a screenwriter. It’s an interesting part of the studioJosh Stiksma loves. “So we put all our hearts into making Book II a worthy sequel to Quill’s Journey, and we hope fans around the world will follow her in the next chapter of her story.Whether Moss will ultimately become a trilogy remains open to Polyarc.

When we first released Moss, we thought we were making a story. But as a studio we really want to tell more and more stories that take place in this world, and I know that our universe allows it. We would be honored if people would allow us to continue doing this. Josh Stiksma

Even if the studio does not close any doors for the future, it seems to be closely linked to virtual reality and augmented reality. While the PlayStation VR 2 is still overdue, we used our interview with Polyarc to find out how the company envisions the future of virtual reality headsets.

I am interested in several things about the future of virtual reality. Soon helmets will be more comfortable, easier to put on and easier to take off. We want these helmets to be so comfortable that players forget they’re wearing them. But I’m trying not to say too much compared to what I already know on the subject. I would say every new iteration of a VR headset is better than the last. With better definition, better field of view, better controllers. Josh Stiksma

Moss: Book 2 is released on PSVR on an undisclosed date.