SuperHyperCube from Kokoromi is a curious title from a developer formed by the founder of Fez studio Polytron. But what exactly is it and why should you care? A new video incliding both answer and fresh gameplay has just been released to halp you answer that question.
SuperHyperCube is cutting an original path in a fledgling medium. It’s a fusion of music and puzzles cut from a similar cloth to Rez, the classic trance-like rhythm action title which debuted on the Sega Dreamcast, all presented in VR.
Developed by Kokoromi, a studio setup by the founder of Polytron Phil Fish, the people who brought you the delightful Fez, SuperHyperCube is difficult to pigeon-hole as a game. Built exclusively for Sony’s forthcoming PlayStation VR platform, it’s labelled “a system of transcendence” by the creators but more fundamentally a “spatial reasoning puzzle.” It shares commonalities with classic puzzlers such as Tetris, in that you’re guiding geometric shapes through a space – in the case of SuperHyperCube though, your job is to pilot said shapes through gaps in neon walls, as you permanently freefall into a transcendental abyss.
The title has roots in an experimental project for which the developers integrated a hacked-up pair of stereoscopic glasses with rudimentary Wii-mote inspired head tracking. The developers realised that, although the 3D effect increased immersion, what really drew people into the title was head tracking, which allowed the player to view the 3D obstructions from different angles in order to figure out how to pass through.
You start the game with a simple cube, but with the successful passing of every virtual barrier, your cube grows in complexity, in three dimensions, posing ever more difficult challenges for the player as they continue their trance-like journey. As you dodge and weave to get the best view of the obstacles ahead, using a controller to rotate your shape to fit, dynamic music accompanies you – its tempo matching events onscreen.
Kokoromi describe SuperHyperCube as “like a baby’s toy”, which is potentially a great compliment, as most of the best puzzle games from history were born from a seemingly simplistic premise. It also means that mental load on a player, whose senses are already immersed in a new world, is hopefully reduced – an important factor we’re hearing more and more about from VR game makers.
As for the look and feel of the title, the inspiration is born from an amusing conceit: “What would VR look like if it had been a viable technology in the 70s,” which goes some way to explaining the kaleidoscopic, acid-fueled visuals. Inspiration for art direction also comes from light and space artists like James Turrell, although to my uncultured mind, that original comparison with Rez is probably overriding.
SuperHyperCube has become one of our most anticipated titles for PSVR, and it’ll be available to buy as a launch title when the headset arrives for PS4 on October 13th. We look forward to tripping ourselves out on it then.