This thrilling, immersive adventure fitness game, set in breathtaking landscape based on Scottish environments is now available on Steam. Players can test their stamina, accuracy, wit and reflexes as they navigate treacherous terrain to solve puzzles and clear obstacles.
The core gameplay of Venture Gauntlet VR is supported by BearHammer’s unique “TrueMotion VR” movement mechanics, allowing for accurate tracking of player movement speed to differentiate between a walk and a run to offer more varied challenges. Players can also work with more than just their hands, for example picking up tools such as a bow and arrows, to navigate particularly tricky sections. Venture’s Gauntlet VR also offers a unique Dynamic Calibration tool which adjusts the size of obstacles throughout the game to match the size of each individual player – a feature that has huge implications for improving accessibility within the VR market.
The company was at a critical stage in its development when the Resident Entrepreneur project began. They had attracted considerable attention from various funders and games bodies and had been awarded R&D funding from Scottish Enterprise and Creative Scotland, alongside support from Edinburgh College. Their Resident Entrepreneur allowed them to focus on key developments to help them understand and improve player retention, with the analytics collected throughout the project employed to adjust the game to achieve optimal fitness and workout rates.
In 2023, Bearhammer also successfully applied to the Creative Informatics A.I. Music and Audio Pilot programme through which they will identify ways to automate the development process required for musical elements within their games in order to cut development times and costs. These new machine learning features could also offer unique avenues for personalisation within the gameplay, allowing players access to their own music libraries whilst they navigate the game.
