Welcome to our feature series, Inside XR Design, where we delve into the world of immersive design. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on the innovative design elements found in Stormland, focusing on its weapon mechanics, multi-modal locomotion, and expansive open-world environment.
Editor’s Note: Celebrating the sixth anniversary of Stormland’s release today, we’re revisiting this episode of Inside XR Design to showcase the game’s unique approach to gameplay mechanics and world design. Despite its age, Stormland continues to offer valuable insights into thoughtful game design.
You can watch the full video below or keep reading for a detailed text version.
Stormland, developed by Insomniac Games, is an action-adventure title set in an open-world environment with co-op capabilities. Originally available on Oculus PC (also playable on SteamVR headsets via Revive), the game has received acclaim for its immersive gameplay experience.
With three previous VR titles under their belt, the developers at Insomniac Games brought their expertise to Stormland, resulting in a game filled with cleverly crafted systems and interactions.
In this article, we’ll explore Stormland’s unique weapon mechanics, multi-modal locomotion options, and its innovative open-world design. Let’s begin with the weapons.
Weapons
Weapons play a central role in Stormland’s gameplay, offering players a dynamic interaction experience. When a weapon runs out of ammo, instead of the conventional reloading mechanic seen in many VR games, Stormland introduces a novel concept—ripping the guns apart.
This action not only replenishes ammo for the specific weapon but also provides valuable crafting materials for upgrading abilities. This dual-purpose mechanic of ‘ripping’ adds a strategic element to combat, offering a seamless and engaging experience for players.
By deviating from traditional magazine-based reloading systems, Stormland enhances gameplay fluidity, ensuring that players can stay immersed in the fast-paced action without interruptions.
The decision to implement this unique weapon interaction was initially met with skepticism but ultimately proved to be a successful addition, extending even to non-weapon items within the game.
Furthermore, Stormland’s design includes intuitive features like floating weapons to prevent accidental drops and simplify inventory management, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
Multi-modal Locomotion
As an open-world title, Stormland presents a diverse range of locomotion options to facilitate exploration and movement across vast landscapes. The game seamlessly integrates thumbstick movement, climbing mechanics, and gliding abilities to offer players a dynamic traversal experience.
Climbing in Stormland is designed for efficiency, allowing players to scale structures with ease and minimal precision requirements. The game’s gliding mechanic enables rapid map traversal without inducing discomfort, thanks to careful attention to visual cues and player control.
By combining these varied locomotion modes, Stormland empowers players to navigate the world freely and fluidly, enhancing the sense of exploration and freedom within the game.
VR-centric Open World Design
Creating a compelling open-world VR experience is a complex challenge that Stormland tackles with ingenuity. The game introduces the concept of ‘island’ points-of-interest, strategically placed across the map to encourage exploration while maintaining a fast-paced gameplay pace.
Through upgrades and traversal enhancements, Stormland offers players a thrilling exploration journey, elevating the open-world experience to new heights. The game’s cloud gliding mechanic, though initially surprising, proves to be comfortable and engaging, thanks to clever design choices.
By minimizing visual vection and incorporating physical arm movements for control, Stormland ensures a smooth and enjoyable high-speed gliding experience, setting a benchmark for open-world VR design.
Did you enjoy this deep dive into Stormland’s design? Explore more insights in our Inside XR Design series and Insights & Artwork features.
If you have any suggestions for future games or apps to cover, feel free to leave a comment below!
