Crystal Rift from Psytec Games promises a return to the halcyon days where 3D, grid based gaming was at the cutting-edge albeit this time in VR. So what does a retro-inspired, virtual reality dungeon crawler feel like? As the game hit Steam Early Access yesterday as part of their Early Access program, we've gone hands on with Oculus Rift version to find out. As important as the 3D dungeon crawler is in gaming evolution, I must confess that the genre's golden age somewhat passed me by. I've been gaming for over 25 years man and boy, but the 16 bit computing era for me was all about arcade conversions and eye-candy. What can I say, I was a shallow teenager with the attention span of a gnat (some might say not much has changed). So as I came to preview the new early access version of Crystal Rift, a game developed specifically for virtual reality and heavily inspired by the likes of Dungeon Master (1987), Eye of the Beholder (1992) and (latterly) Legend of Grimrock (2012), I found my qualifications perhaps slightly lacking. As it turns out however, although Crystal Rift does indeed borrow heavily from dungeon crawling tropes of the past, it wraps them all up in a most accessible, modern and enjoyable package. Furthermore, playing the game on an Oculus Rift, I discovered a level of immediacy missing from those 16 bit classics meaning others just like me may be tempted to give the genre a spin. Crystal Rift on Steam Early Access Escape the Rift! One Square at a Time Entering the dungeon, one thing strikes you - space is really tight in here. "Well dur!" I hear you exclaim, but I mean REALLY tight. This is seemingly entirely by design, but the scaling in the game took some getting used to. Initially I thought my IPD was out of whack before realising that a combination of low ceiling and object sizing made my virtual presence feel mis-sized. But you soon come to realise, that packing you in tightly is key to Crystal Rift's tension and in some instances gameplay mechanics. Grey stone walls and floors make up your world, scantly lit by the occasional torch and light you yourself project, somewhat like a torch. It's an immediately oppressive environment, and virtual reality wraps you in the world with no escape to be found in your peripheral vision or indeed in looking away. Darkness is absolute, meaning you dread the lights going out. This is VR's power, to bring such minimalist environments to life and to terrify you with them - simply by dropping your senses directly into them. You move through the world in staccato steps (this is a grid based game after all) - pushing once on the 'walk' control (be that Joypad or keyboard) advances you a grid square in one of four directions, you can also rotate 90 degrees clockwise/counter-clockwise. As part of a gaming generation fed on FPS tropes used by countless games, re-training your brain to work with the purposely restrictive control scheme took me a little while - but it's ultimately key to the games charm and core gameplay mechanics. If you're struggling, movement style can be customised in the game's options to help you find the sweet spot you're comfortable with. As you explore the environment, you'll be be on the look out for vertiginous drops, pressure pads unleashing fireballs of death and spiky metal traps waiting to separate your brain from its cosy housing. Yes, we said it was retro, but these time-worn cliches take on a visceral quality when it really feels like it's your face about to be flayed off, mashed or plummeted. You really do find yourself thinking long and hard before stepping out into the path of that rolling boulder, this automatic investment in your avatar part of VR's power it seems. Progress further down into the dungeon is granted by collecting coloured crystals and keys to locked doors, which generally reside at the centre of a series of fiendish puzzles. Collect the crystal to unlock doors of a corresponding colour. As you go deeper into the dungeon, puzzles get harder and you begin to encounter other occupants who are, predictably, not particularly happy sharing the dungeon with you. What Was That?! Sound plays a key role in any adventure game and Crystal Rift is no exception. Sound is atmospheric and terrifying at times with whispers, distant scuttling, menacing groans, whirs and scrapes ratcheting the tension as you edge your way through the darkness. Your heartbeat pounds in your ears, heightening the claustrophobic atmosphere and the general levels of dread and doom. Use of music is excellent if somewhat inconsistent at times. Unlike the rumbling, brooding, music-free Dreadhalls, you're constantly accompanied by incidental music. With the background melody occasionally interrupted by bouts of panic-inducing crescendos as you enter particular zones, signifying danger and tweaking your nerves. It generally works well, although the 'you're OK now' melody seems ill at ease with the dark, oppressive surroundings and transitions. Interestingly, and something I've not come across before, Crystal Rift offers those lily-livered cowards an adjustable 'scare' factor. Choose in the options between 'None' all the way to 'Extreme'. When VR comfort comprises a players experience within the game an not just the technical aspects of headtracking, this is a considerate and thoughtful addition. Who am I? Narrative is minimal at present, but what's there is currently revealed via various notes littering the dungeon. They contain cryptic, sometimes useful and often amusing asides or clues as to what lies ahead. However, there's no real feel of a traditional story-line, at least not yet (this is early access of course lets not forget). As you play, you realise there's no real reason to connect emotionally with your avatar. Who am I? Why am I here? ... and other such tired metaphysical emotes. I'm looking forward to this aspect being fleshed out in the full version as it was always such a crucial aspect of the old 16 bit dungeon crawlers - especially back then, when realistic visuals and the wow factor of VR were absent. Continued on Page 2 .. Of Fireballs, Pressure Pads and Insta-death Some of the perils which lurk deep in the dungeon are deliberately designed to enforce an error on your part. Throwing fireballs from different directions inducing panicked button mashing and inevitable death, often by falling off the nearest ledge. Because the grid based system allows only staccato movement, over-pressing in one direction or another under pressure can be fatal. However, if you negotiate a particularly tense situation or tricky area, it's exhilarating once you make it out alive. There's some neat and clever level design at work in Crystal Rift and I have to admit there were one or two surprises that had me cursing the developers. I suspect you'll do likewise once find out what cunning sods they are. Pick up red vials to replenish one of your 5 'heart' containers, denoting a life, with potion bottles filling them all. When you die in the Rift, you lose a heart but restart where you were, once depleted however you'll be back to your last save point. Those save points are marked by a slightly disturbing looking stone faces in walls throughout the dungeon and are surprisingly infrequent. Once you descend to the later levels, you'll be glad when you stumble upon those staring eyes, especially when running short of hearts. Secrets litter the world - and sometimes secrets within secrets. Keep an eye out for raised surfaces and inconsistent textures for clues as This is where VR's strengths are played to - you're constantly darting your head to and fro looking for unusually raised surfaces in tunnel walls that open secret doors or passages elsewhere. Health vials can be picked up as well as larger, heart rejuvenating potion bottles. Initially I feared these might be too plentiful, but once you progress they become ever more a necessity - especially if you're as clumsy as I. Other than crafty traps and pitfalls, there are others who share the depths of the dungeon with you. And one recurring, shadowy figure in particular will likely be your main source of jump scares throughout the game. Introduced early on, his presence is then hinted at continually and gives reason to your fear of the many dark corners. The Piece of Resistance - Creating Your Own Hell in VR Block by Block! One advantage in building Crystal Rift around the grid-based system is that the levels are by definition modular and based on blocks. These sorts of systems lend themselves very well to simple map editors of course. Well, the guys at Psytec clearly had this in mind from the start because they've build a level editor that is quite possibly Crystal Rift's crown jewel. [gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" size="medium" ids="25679,25678,25677,25676"] Selected from the main menu, you're dropped into a basic room with floating menus in 3D space. The top bar displays building blocks you can select to build your level with (walls, doors etc) and the bottom layer is a map of the level you're building. You can control the entire editing process from within VR with your joypad and the entire experience is wonderfully intuitive. You select blocks groups from the menu bar with the left and right D-pad and then select sub blocks within that group with up and down. One you've selected a piece, using the map layer below to position, press another button and that block will appear in front of you. You move about your level with the same movement and rotation controls as you world as you do in game. As a result, the creation process itself becomes an immersive, engrossing experience in and of itself. What's more, because you're inhabiting the environment you're building, knowing if your changes are 'right' is instinctive and intuitive. You're able to save levels you've designed to try out yourself and with later versions of Crystal Rift export them to share with others. I can see this becoming a crucial part of Crystal Rift's potential success, building a community around building is something of course the likes of Minecraft thrive on. Kudos to the developers here, it's a brilliant feat of design and engineering and I can't wait to see how it evolves and how people use it. Final Thoughts It's the sparse appearance of this and other characters that illustrate one of my niggles with Crystal Rift. It's a little empty and devoid of life right now and is perhaps a little short on personality. The two-man team have worked wonders in the short time they've had since the title was successfully kickstarted back in December last year. The game looks polished and plays extremely well, not forgetting that ingenious level design, but variety in gameplay and environments as you progress is lacking currently. That said, the set pieces are simple yet effective (and extremely tense in virtual reality) and the VR experience extremely immersive and eminently comfortable. Sound is excellent and music is evocative. But it's the level editor that breaks new ground and shines in this early access release version. That one component could be the key to Crystal Rift's success and it's longevity and as a result, the game is more than worth your pennies - especially if you're a fan of the genre and own an Oculus Rift headset. Crystal Rift can be had on Steam via the Early Access program right now for £18.99, but if you move quickly it's on offer for launch at £16.14. The team do have plans to support other headsets as they appear, in particular a Gear VR version which is planned for release later in the year, although this will lack the editor due to limitations of the device.