Chiaro and the Elixir of Life (2018), a first-person VR adventure from Montreal-based Martov Co., launched today on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows VR headsets. The result of a successful Kickstarter campaign, which saw a complete funding total of $10,088 CAD (~$7,730 USD), Chiaro is the new indie studio’s first game.
Stepping into the shoes of a young engineer named Chiaro, you’re accompanied by your little steam-powered robot pal named Boka, who you bring along with you as you open portals to traverse a world marred by a conflict that’s left ‘Neverain’ nearly uninhabited. Together they seek out the ‘Fountain of Elixir’ in effort to revive the lost race of alive machines, using alchemical powers and solving puzzles along the way.
Some bits worth noting: the game’s primary locomotion scheme is based on standard teleportation, although a mysterious artifact gives you the power to open up portals, which you prompt by tossing an orb to your intended spot. This essentially lets you travel to far away platforms that you couldn’t reach using teleportation. The game also is heavy on object interaction and room-scale movement.
After having popped in for about an hour, the scenery and characters really remind me of steampunk-inspired anime like Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Studio Ghibli’s Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986). We’ll have our full review out upon completion of the game, so check back soon.
Chiaro and the Elixir of Life is now live on Steam (Vive, Rift, Windows VR) and the Oculus Store (Rift), priced at $30.