The 7th Guest VRis an interesting VR remake of a classic title from 1993, which seeks to retain the original feel while still pushing the envelope of modern gaming technology and design. Indeed, many fans have wanted somethingnew to come fromThe7th GuestIPfor some time, and the new VR remake is set to hit PC (via Steam) and Quest 2 in 2023, as well as Quest 3 eventually.
The horror-mystery title comes from Vertigo Games, a prominent VR developer and publisher known for titles likeArizona Sunshine, After the Fall, andA Fisherman’s Tale. Though it is a veteran studio, remaking a classic and definitive game was a new challenge it was excited to take on. Game Rant recently spoke with the lead designer ofThe 7th Guest VR, Paul van der Meer, to discuss its development and said challenges.
RELATED:11 Best Puzzle Games on the Quest 2
Walking the Line Between Old and New
In the interview, van der Meer spoke on the process of ‘translating’ a 30-year-old CD-ROM game to modernVR. The remake includes a fully-redesigned 3D environment, as well as technological touches that hearken back to the original game.
“As a hardcore fan of the original, development is a balancing act for sure. There is this impulse to remake it exactly like it used to be, but I think that’s also a pitfall. Especially when you’re translating it to VR, there are certain things that you need to reassess for the platform…So we’ve tried to design it in a way that wasn’t possible before, but we think is in line with what the original would have been.”
He also outlined some of the specific challenges and considerations for the remake. He gave the example ofpuzzle design- Vertigo Games is working with far fewer technological constraints than Trilobyte, the game’s original creators, did in the 90s, allowing the studio’s developers to be more creative and ambitious. The mansion is also being re-imagined in a 3D environment, and the team is taking great care to preserve the parts that made the haunted house iconic while bringing everything else up to speed.
Vertigo Games is Learning from the Old Masters
Vertigo isn’t relying solely on its own reference and research for the remake’s development, too. In an effort to remain maximally authentic to the original experience, the team is working with Rob Landeros, the original designer of the game.
“It was an honor for me to talk to him because, like I said, I’m a hardcore fan of the game. I grew up with it, and it was just a lot of fun to meet one of the guys responsible for the original. He’s been very on board with the project, and he gave us a lot of freedom to approach it in the way that we thought it should be. He’s very excited to see how it all is coming to fruition, which is really encouraging for all of us on the team.”
While many of the changes are transformative and innovative, the team is taking special care to ensure that the tone, atmosphere, aesthetic, and design of the game hearkens back to the original and preserves the experience that made people fall in love with thegame in the 90s. Fans can rest assured it will be a “homecoming experience for the fans and a brand new experience for people who have never even heard of the original. For those people, they need no prior knowledge, they can just jump in and enjoy.”
The 7th Guest VRis in development for PC (Steam), Quest 2, and Quest 3.
