VR Game Diary #Rick and Morty Virtual Rick-ality
In this series, I will try out VR apps and share these experiences with you. I will evaluate the products in terms of UX because I am a UX Designer :D Of course, I will evaluate it as a user.
What I wrote here, it will be my personal views and my experience with the UX, so it can be wrong for you :) I would love to discuss and talk.
General Info
Release Date: 20 April 2017
Developers: Owlchemy Labs
Publisher: Adult Swim Games
Platforms: Htc Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality
Purpose of the Game
This game is all about Rick and Morty’s adventures.
In the game, the player is a Morty clone and helps them by following Rick’s instructions.
Tasks are related to each other. For example, we need to use the computer to order an object. But the computer is broken. So we have to fix it first. We just have to change the parts to repair. One of the pieces is in the monster. To get that piece, we have to give him a metal apple and a hammer carrot. We need to use the combinator machine to make the metal apple and the hammer carrot.
They put a lot of objects from the series into the game. The tasks given to us are related to the episodes in the series. We use the objects and fight creatures from the series.
Also in the VR game, the player can create different textured plumbus with using the combinator machine.
In Season 2 episode “Mortynight Run”, Rick and Morty play a game named “Roy: A Life Well Lived” in an arcade saloon. In the game form the series, player lives the entire life of the man named Roy. In the VR game, there is a mini-game named “Troy: A Life Lived” and they are similar to the series.
The Beginning
The game starts in the living room. The player can not teleport anywhere. This is a little disappointing for me because I wanted to walk around in the home. As a Rick and Morty fan, it was a very exciting experience for me :D
The player chooses a cd from near the television and put it into the cd player. It is a very good design for picking a level and they designed it in 3D, not a 2D menu.
It’s very wise to put options to the bottom of the television table. The player can find it very intuitively.
The menu button is used for exiting the game. When the player presses the menu button, a burrito appears. The player leaves the game after eating the burrito. But after taking one bite, the game asks “Really?”. This is very well designed. In general, players accidentally press buttons. Mistakes were prevented by this method. I also liked that they designed it in 3D. They didn’t use a 2D screen for it.
Tutorials and Tutorial Like Things
The tasks are written on a self-writing whiteboard designed by Rick. When the player completes the task, the board erases itself and lists the new tasks. Also, if you didn’t listen to Rick while he told the task or if you didn’t understand him, just look at this whiteboard. Your task is written on the board.
The tasks on the board are very clear. More images, icons are used instead of text.
This is a very good decision because people do not want to read long texts. Images and icons are easier to understand. And it’s hard to read a text in VR.
Rick wants us to wear a watch before he leaves. That way he can communicate with us, using the watch
The blueprints on the board tell you how to use Youseeks and the gun, what they do, how to use them. Such blueprints are also successful in describing the use of the object.
Also, they use warning symbols.
The handprints on the object tell the user what to do. They don’t need to use text.
Navigation System
They divide the game area into 3 parts. The player can teleport between only these 3 parts. This is a very good solution for developers because that way they can keep the players in where they want.
Although this solution is not easy for the players. In these 3 areas, objects are spread over the area. So when the player wants to grab something in this area, the player could hit a wall in the real world. This is a VR problem but VR games solved this problem with the teleport system. In this game, the players can’t teleport in the game wherever they want so they can’t grab the object.
Players can’t grab the object remotely but developers solved this problem with Youseeks. Youseeks are another version of the Meeseeks. In the show, Meeseeks will do whatever you want. Youseeks do what you do. They’re mirroring your actions. Thus, players can use the Youseeks in the areas where they can’t teleport and throw themselves the objects they need.
In some games, players can turn right and left when pressing the touchpads or use the thumbstick. Thanks to this solution players can easily turn right without do any movement in the real world. This solution is very good for Oculus because Oculus’s sensors can’t detect the controllers if you bend or turn away from the sensors. Unfortunately, this game doesn’t use the controllers that way.
When the players want to teleport somewhere, they press to the touchpad and select the area to teleport. When pressing the button, players can see their avatar hologram in the selected area. This way players can see where they will be standing when they teleport to the selected area.
Interaction System
The controllers are modeled in the form of Morty’s hands. That supports the story.
You can’t get an object if you’re not close enough. When I lean down with the Oculus, the sensors can’t detect the controllers. Therefore you can’t take the objects that have fallen to the ground. This breaks the experience. In fact, it makes you quit the game.
The interactions where you needed to use both your hands simultaneously were pretty good. For example, you hold the bleach with one hand and open the lid with the other hand.
When you hold the objects, your hand model disappears.
It was very good to show the places where the objects would be held with blue highlights. So the player can easily understand where the objects they can grab.
The buttons of the objects are much larger than normal. Thus, the player can easily press the buttons with the controller.
Players can grab everything they see inside.
Visual effects are good especially the vomit effect.
The haptic system is good too, especially the battery charger station’s pulling switch’s haptic.
Others / Extras
I love the combinator machine. It was a really fun mix of a different materials. The funniest one combines to ruler and soda can because when you combine the ruler with something, something will shrink.
I love the battery charger station. It was really fun to push and pull all the buttons and switches. The goal of this station is to charge the battery by pushing and pulling the right buttons & switches at the right time. Note: play a few times to get used to the motions and don’t play while seated.
In Season 1 episode “Rixty Minutes”, Rick and Morty watched a commercial about “Real Fake Door”. In the VR game, there is a door and when the player grabs the doorknob, the knob breaks and there is writing on it “Real Fake Door”. With this joke, the player will be prevented from getting out of the playing area cleverly.
Feedback, please…
I’d appreciate any feedback, comment, recommend or share. Thank you…
