Justin Roiland’s ‘Dr. Splorchy’ to Release on Daydream Next Week, Launch Trailer Here

By
Scott Hayden
-
15

Dr. Splorchy Presents: SPACE HEROES is an upcoming Google Daydream title from Squanch Games, a studio founded by Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland. Squanch today announced that the patently Roiland-esque game is launching July 23rd.

I went hands-on with Dr. Splorchy at this year’s GDC in March, and while I walked out not quite understanding if the game was primarily a shooter or action-adventure title, whatever it is I knew Dr. Splorchy was set to offer the same ad lib madness of Squanch’s other off-the-wall VR games such as Accounting+ (2018) and the upcoming PSVR platformer Trover Saves the Universe.

Image courtesy Squanch Games

Here’s Squanch’s description of the game (apparently the titular Dr. Splorchy types in all caps):

YOU AND YOUR BROTHER ARE IMPORTANT SPACE HEROES. WITH THE HELP OF ME, DR. SPLORCHY, YOU’VE MADE YOUR WAY INTO THE HEART OF THE EVIL SPACE LORD SHIP WHERE YOU MUST DEACTIVATE HIS WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

Demos of Dr. Splorchy Presents: SPACE HEROES are currently available at the San Diego Comic-Con doing an informal ‘pop-up playtest’ outside of the venue this weekend. Squanch employees walking around with Lenovo Mirage Solo headsets will be tossing unwitting con-goers into what we suppose is a special demo build of the game.

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. See here for more information.


Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • JJ

    Man I was such a big Rick and Morty fan. Waited soooooo long for season three, but i’m not excited anymore for their games and other stuff. They just don’t go any deeper than improved randomness, which is pretty funny. But when thats the context for the entire game, it kinda gets old fast. And when thats the premise for all of their products it doesn’t make me excited for new content. I’d rather just stick to the rick n morty universe. I know a billion little kids are probably going to oppose me but RnM’s biggest fan base now is kids under 15.

    • Get Schwifty!

      Not being contrarian, but how do you see just ‘randomness’ in R&M season 3 or all their IP? It builds on everything before it and sets up several story arcs…. I will agree its not as funny as seasons 1 & 2, but that’s mainly due to the addition of a couple writers who’s gender I think is precluding some of the humor now. You do know that it was signed for 7 more seasons on Cartoon Network?

      • JJ

        oh no I dont see the show as random, but all the other stuff as pretty shallow in context and engagement. The show has some good depth and cross seasonal development. Its mostly everything aside from the show just doesn’t hold up and seems to be more gimmicky money grabs tbh.

        Also RnM has all these key show components and even additional aspects and writing styles that raise it above the rest… but its pretty spoon fed to the audience. Rick and Morty both call out key writing methods to make sure the audience didnt miss them. Like literally says them out loud verbally in the show, and this is to make younger kids feel smart and educated about show writing. Others have also noted its probably just as well for justin to overly express his understanding of writing to other writers.
        These things make the show more interesting while also ruins some of the magic of show writing at the same time. These are things that once you notice its hard to not see, or once taught to look out for in school is impossible to unsee. Rick n Morty is like a super duper well written show thats dumned down so that everyone sees how good the writing is.
        It explains why it was able to grasp an older crowd from the start but also for a younger crowd to take over after haha.
        I’m a large fan, but yeah a heavy criticizer. I couldn’t write any thing near as good so always hats off to justin and Dan

        • Get Schwifty!

          I think the difference is how much exposure you have to the concepts being presented… with R&M we have character development and a long running exposure to judge it on. I think you are taking a high level English writing focus on what is effectively pop entertainment.. it will never measure up as most popular fiction will not. I know of some of the literary critical methods, almost no popular fiction holds up to those. OTOH, the other potential IP’s being experimented with don’t have enough time to develop, so immediately the will appear more shallow. Compared to most of the cookie cutter drivel out there, Roiland’s work (and its his write who really makes it work), it’s a nice change imnsho.

          • JJ

            I can agree to that. And it makes sense the older audience and I are being overwhelmed by a younger crowd because we eventually lose interest if it pop entertainment. Pop culture and entertainment thrive s a lot more in younger crowds.

      • alboradasa

        “its not as funny as seasons 1 & 2, but that’s mainly due to the
        addition of a couple writers who’s gender I think is precluding some of
        the humor now.”

        Ah yes, the baseless and toxic theory that female writers have ‘ruined’ Rick and Morty. Good to see the fan-base is as moronic as ever.

        • Get Schwifty!

          Good to see you can’t acknowledge the impact of their perspective. I’m sorry if the facts don’t fit your social narrative. If you really knew me you would know I don’t normally hold that view, but in this case i do believe the particular writers and their presence is affecting the humor orientation of the show.

      • I’m certain they signed for 7 more seasons, much like they signed for 7 more seasons of the Boondocks. I wonder who will get to their next season first? :/

        • Get Schwifty!

          What is your point? It’s well known Cartoon Network signed for exclusive rights as R&M is the most successful series ever by far (way beyond Boondocks for instance) and rights as I understand it to all other spin-offs.

          • Let me spell it out for you, mooooorty: They’re SLOW! REALLY slow. Absurdly slow. It’ll take them a decade, if not two, to make 7 more seasons. They are as slow as the Boondocks. On an unrelated note, like the Boondocks, first season was better.

      • Stark Reality

        “but that’s mainly due to the addition of a couple writers who’s gender I think is precluding some of the humor now. ” Get out of here with that bullshit

        • Get Schwifty!

          Prove me wrong instead of an emotional outburst…

          • Stark Reality

            according to your last post your >subjective opinion< on how funny the show is in season 3 VS 1 and 2 is do to what you think there "pressing" into the show (never mind the fact in that video your referring to Roiland explains that's not really how it works) you also seem to think that there shift to a more narrative driven story has something to do with the addition of these 2 people when the reality is it most likely has more to do with the over all popularity of the show and the fact that they know they will have time to tell longer form story's with character development (just like Venture Bros) you said yourself they have 7 more seasons. (if everything stays the same how long tell the jokes get stale)

            top that off. What REALLY makes your comment bullshit. (besides the fact that its nothing more then your own ill informed largely baseless subjective opinion)

            JJ's comment was largely all about his disappointment in the Other works (such as this game) by the RnM craters and how the all use "improved randomness" as there stick (that's vary much Rolands thing) with out the depth of the show (depth largely added by the type of writers your bagging on) and he expressed excitement for more of the RaM show.

            some how you turned that into some tangent about how some "other gendered" people hurt the show……. (but I am the one doing the emotional outburst. -__- )

          • JJ

            thanks for actually reading my post before commenting :) unlike others

  • LowRezSkyline

    Looks pretty squanchy.