Developer Crytek has a reputation for creating some of the most breathtaking visuals ever seen in a video game. So, what happens when you combine Crytek's gorgeous CryEngine, virtual reality and dinosaurs?
Back to Dinosaur Island, that's what. The series of tech demos in which you play as a baby dinosaur debuted at GDC in March of this year, and now, Crytek is releasing it for free on Valve's digital game distribution platform Steam so more players can experience it for themselves.
The demo isn't much, but it looks gorgeous and does allow players to get up close and personal with the mighty T-Rex.
There is, of course, a downside. The demo requires an Oculus Rift DK 2 to run and some powerful hardware behind it, so the number of people who will actually get to experience this demo first-hand won't be too many.
"Back to Dinosaur Island has been built from the ground up to take advantage of the Oculus Rift HMD, and requires an Oculus Rift DK 2 device to run," the demo's Steam page reads. "Please check the System Requirements below — Virtual Reality games require a high frame rate to guarantee a comfortable experience for the user. Running Back to Dinosaur Island on weaker hardware can cause lower frame rates, which can lead to users having a less than ideal experience."
Many of the ideas seen in Back to Dinosaur Island will be appearing in Crytek's full-fledged VR game coming to PlayStation VR. Titled Robinson: The Journey, the game will have players take on the role of a young boy that crashes on an alien planet filled with prehistoric beasts.
Even if the number of people who can take the demo for a spin is small, it's nice to see developers sharing their work so the public can get a better idea of how VR will change the gaming landscape forever. Epic Games did something similar earlier this year when it released its Showdown demo to the public. VR is undoubtedly the future, and if Back to Dinosaur Island is any indication, the future is looking bright.
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