Everdepths

Everdepths is an asymmetrical VR game where two players cooperate to retrieve a lost relic in the bottom of a labyrinth of underwater caves. One player acts as a diver, while the other player is their trusty drone, a proxy and guide through their journey. The two must work together to complete their mission. The Diver moves strategically and stealthily around dangerous fish while the Drone aids with recon and distractions. The treasured relic isn’t the only shiny thing that can be found in the depths. The Diver may also find the equipment of past endeavors to retrieve the ancient artifact, shedding light on what might be a much darker story as the players progress together. The Diver player plays in the Oculus Rift headset using the Touch controllers while the Drone character is controlled by the second player on desktop with a mouse and keyboard. Virtual Reality is an amazing technology, but unfortunately many with seeing disabilities or those who are sensitive to VR in its current state cannot enjoy it. Everdepths was created with this in mind! The Drone can be played by those who don't or can’t enjoy VR so that they can still partake in the fun of the game. Since Everdepths’ multiplayer is local, the Drone can see the Diver’s reactions in real life and talk to them naturally, giving an almost couch co-op experience to the game. Communicating with the Diver as the Drone, they get to explore alongside the Diver and see the same beautiful visuals they do. Though the Drone must be careful, for wandering too far from the Diver will cause them to lose their signal and start to fill their screen with static. Everdepths also keeps in mind that players sensitive or new to VR want a more relaxed experience. The environment, controls, and movement for the Diver work together to lessen motion sickness within the headset. The underwater environment and the feeling of being underwater is calming and a gentle experience. The Touch controllers provide the index and palm triggers, which the Diver uses to jet themselves forward and backward, respectively, in the direction the controllers are pointed. This movement is slow and smooth, not abrupt like teleportation, or tiring like the skiing or running in place locomotion that most games have today. This combination keeps players engaged and immersed, while still being mindful of motion sickness in VR.

Tori, Bryer, and Sasha use their strengths to create a well-balanced team as undergraduate students from SCAD Atlanta. Tori and Sasha both work on the art, while Bryer works on programming. Using her knowledge from her previous animation degree, Sasha models, rigs, animates, and occasionally textures. Tori models and textures, but most importantly, works on the shaders to make the game pop. He also makes any promotional material, like the poster. Bryer ties everything together in the engine and writes the code for AI, game mechanics, and everything in between, and works together with Tori to create the underwater feel of Everdepths. As undergraduate students, they experiment and learn as much as they can before they graduate together in June of this year.