The rather unique looking HOLOCEPTION, which offers a seamless mix of first and third-person VR gameplay, is set to launch in Early Access on October 24th.

We’ve looked on with piqued interest as Holoception developer Holonautic has posted intriguing GIFs here and there over the last few months showing a game which combines cartoonish physics-based action with seamless switching between first and third person VR perspectives. Now the title has an early access release date of October 24th on Oculus (Rift) and Steam (Index, Vive, Rift) for $25.

Aside from the physics-based gameplay, the game’s key concept is what the developer calls the ‘Incarnation System’, which allows you to embody the character even from third-person.

The player incarnates and controls a small character in front of him. Using state-of-the-art IK techniques, the head and hands positions are accurately reproducing the posture of the player but in 3rd person perspective. Since the real player is much bigger than the character he controls, he can fully run, jump and climb with a much lower likelihood to induce motions sickness compared to the first person view.

But if you want to dive from third person into first person, you can do that too, even in the midst of combat.

Fully control the camera in real-time to choose the best angle to enjoy every moment of the game! You can manually rotate, snap and zoom the camera. Liberty to choose a 1:1 scale or to see the game as a tiny puppet world from a god’s view.

The gameplay looks like it’ll be a combination of physics-based combat, puzzles, and some sandbox gameplay, with a bit of comedy thrown in for good measure.

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Image courtesy Holonaut

Holoception certainly looks like it’s got some fresh ideas and we’re looking forward to seeing what it brings to the table when it launches in Early Access next week.

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Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • brumbo björn

    Looks really cool and different. I have been following his Youtube channel and always found that content (which has led to this) interesting so this should be good.

  • Hugh

    This looks amazing. really clever and innovative. GOOD LUCK with this title.

  • Immersive Computing

    Excellent concept. Early access purchase, no doubt.

  • That trailer isn’t much to go on, this YouTube play is more enlightening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYfKxXSVOlk

    Seems like a cute idea, might be fun for an hour or two. There’s not a ton of meat on it’s bones, it’s just a nifty experiment in 3rd/1st person fusion. I’d consider spending $10 on it. Or more on Quest. Starved for Quest content.

  • He posted bazillions GIFs on Reddit. I’m curious to see if the game is as cool as those GIFs…