Here’s a spooky surprise in time for Halloween; Bit Golem’s free videogame adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, Dagon, now has VR support.
The short experience was just updated on Steam, adding in support for practically all SteamVR-compatible headsets. It’s completely free to download, though Bit Golem (which is otherwise known for the VR-supported Ultimate Fishing Simulator) does throw in an ebook version of the story and other extras in an add-on DLC, and there’s future DLC on the way too.
The game adaptation of Dagon is, in the developer’s words, a “100% faithful adaptation of the original story” in which the player follows the protagonist’s descent into madness. It’s designed to last 30 minutes and recreates many of the unforgettable pictures the author painted with his words. It also offers the chance to learn about Lovecraft and the impact the author’s work has made over the years.
Over the course of the experience, you’ll hear from the text itself as you experience horrors through the eyes of the protagonist. There are also hidden items that fill you in on more of the story and context of the times. I tried out the experience and Bit Golem has done a great job bringing the visceral images into VR in memorable ways. It does have motion controller support etc but this is really more of a static experience intended as a new way to appreciate the story, not a highly interactive game.
Looking for more Lovecraft-inspired VR? Insomniac Games’ 2016 Rift-exclusive, Edge of Nowhere, is definitely worth a look as it draws heavily from At the Mountains of Madness.
