Song in the smoke is the next game from developer 17-Bit, the studio behind titles like Galak-Z and Skulls of the Shogun. This is an important room for the indie developer, giving players the task of surviving in a wild, fantastic forest in virtual reality. It is also very stylized, with character artwork by illustrator Katsuya Terada, known for his work on Blood: the last vampire and early games in The Legend of Zelda series.
As seen in the first trailer of the game, Song in the smoke tasks for players with standard survival game tasks: crafting, hunting, cooking, and repelling threats. But the VR game leans towards the mystical, with otherworldly animals, mysterious artifacts, a three-headed crow and what looks like a very outraged spirit lion.
‘Song in the Smoke is nothing like what we did before, and it’s our most ambitious title to date, ” 17-Bit founder and creative director Jake Kazdal wrote on the Oculus blog. ‘The experience is so immersive and captivating, the forest lives right around you in the extra dimension that VR offers. We are delighted to be presenting an intense adventure that can be captured in no other way. ”
17-bit will be released Song in the smoke on Oculus Quest and Rift, as well as PlayStation VR, in 2021.