E3 Hands On — Arca’s Path

While at E3, I was able to see Arca’s Path in a more intimate setting than just a trailer. Here is my take on Arca’s Path.

In the mix of all the hustle and bustle of E3 sometimes you yearn for a break and some other title out there to ground you back out and that was where Arca’s Path comes in here. I am going to go on a limb and say that a lot of you most likely have not heard of the game as of yet but it was on the list of VR titles that I wanted to check out during the show. It is a new title that Dream Reality Interactive has crafted for us and another “smaller” title that Rebellion has put themselves behind to bring to the PSVR, Oculus, and Vive sometime soon. Do not take that smaller title thing to much to heart though as Arca’s Path deceptively has a whole lot to bring right along to us all in terms of some amazing gameplay based on the demo I had a chance to try out at E3.

To get you all up to speed, Arca’s Path takes place in a future where the world has kind of gone to crap and we take on the role of a young girl who happens to find a mask in a trash heap. It transports her into a new and fantastical world that she then can traverse and thus turns the game into a platformer title. The big twist though is that the controls of Arca’s Path are all based on head motions and nothing in terms of physical controllers. I am not talking in the way of looking and teleporting either but the actual motion of your head to control the ball that she is inside. At least I believe she is inside the ball on the screen as that was my take on it.

Anyways, once you get past all of the lore there, Arca’s Path is more or less an amazing VR version of Marble Madness from so long ago. Your gaze telling the sphere on screen the direction and speed it should go all while trying to traverse the interesting puzzles and platforms that the team has already built here. I was only able to go through a few during my demo of Arca’s Path and they definitely have the set up to progressively get more difficult as the game progresses. Which, after learning that the physics in the game are spot on, can quickly add a challenge for those who want it and a bit of suspense for those going for a slower path. More or less, it starts out with “bumpers” around the courses and then slowly removes them as we progress in the game to make it a bit more difficult after getting a hang of the controls.

It was a nice a peaceful break from the insanity that other games out there are always bringing to us and set in an insanely serene environment. If I had to make any kind of complaint about Arca’s Path it would have to be the fact that it does not lend itself well to being able to actually look around and enjoy everything that Dream Reality Interactive has put together for the level. Unless you are okay with falling off ledges just so you can have a free look at the world. It is a dumb gripe indeed, but it was a bit of a letdown that I had to figure out how to force the ball into a corner just so I could have a look around at the world. At least to see the finer details as the general layout does lend itself to being able to look at most of the world as you are trying to traverse it all.

I do have to say that Arca’s Path was one of the best titles that I found out at E3. I am not saying that due to the fact that I needed a break from the floor, but because it was a hidden gem that most gamers out there may overlook at first. As long as the team keeps on the path that there are, I can see Arca’s Path being another great addition to your VR titles out there and to take a break from all of the other intense games out there. Now if only Rebellion would give us a release date other than Coming Soon so we could add it to the PSVR, Oculus, and/or Vive now. I am super excited for this title out of the many I did get to see out there.