Blog Post 2: Initial Ideas and VR Inspirations
Following our initial research, we shifted into several intense brainstorming sessions. We explored wide-ranging ideas, from interactive museums to portals connecting different eras. Although creatively rich, these concepts struggled to deliver the dynamic, deeply immersive gameplay we envisioned.
To sharpen our thinking, we revisited some of VR’s benchmark games like "Skyrim VR" and "Half-Life: Alyx." What stood out was the emotional impact of well-designed environments, how players felt dwarfed by towering mountains or found themselves nervously creeping through dystopian corridors. This reaffirmed that environmental scale, atmosphere, and interaction would be central to our project’s success.
Skyrim VR particularly influenced me; its ability to transport players into vast fantasy worlds through clever use of space and environmental cues was inspiring. It showed that VR environments need to feel not just "seen" but "inhabited."
Despite all these learnings, a gap remained: while we had numerous ideas, none fully captured a simple, achievable gameplay loop, something manageable within our timeframe yet engaging enough for players.
Realizing this, we concluded that our project needed a much clearer gameplay foundation. Our next step would be to critically assess our early concepts and blockouts.
References: Bethesda Game Studios. (2018). The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR [VR game]. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/611670/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim_VR/ (Accessed: 17 February 2025).