Grappling with a VR Franchise: ‘Windlands 2’ Continues the Exploration Adventure from Psytec Games on Rift

Recently named by UploadVR as one of its “100 VR Games That You Should Absolutely Be Playing,” Windlands is a Rift launch title that quickly established itself as a fan favorite thanks to its grappling hook action and exploration. Today, we’re excited to share that Windlands 2 is now available on Rift!

You can grab the highly-anticipated sequel for $29.99 USD or bundle both high-flying adventures together for $39.99 USD—a combined savings of 20%.

We sat down with Psytec Games Director and Windlands 2 Story Director Nick Pittom to learn more about this soaring development story.

Nick Pittom: When it came to developing the new game, we looked deep into what feedback we had from the first game and also did a bit of research, trying to work out exactly what was popular and also what people wanted to see going forward.

The swinging mechanic is core to the game—it’s the foundation upon which the entire thing rests, so it was important that we didn’t water that down. Exploration of the world at the player’s own pace was also something we knew was important to fans of the first game, so we wanted to ensure that was also preserved. We’ve gone out of our way to improve it, and the player controls have been overhauled to make the swinging not only better, but more comfortable.

NP: The engagement with the first game was actually quite social, with people speed-running the game to complete in the fastest time and streaming it for fellow fans. One of the things we heard often was how good it would be to swing around the world together, so it became a natural choice to bring multiplayer to the game. We’re really looking forward to seeing how people take to it when they can play in groups. We developed it with co-op in mind from the start to ensure it would scale well from single-player all the way to four. For speed runners, we now have races, so they can get in there together and compete for the best pace in real time.

NP: The story of the first game was very much kept in the background. We didn’t have NPCs or quests or anything like that, so it became a framing device for the world, rather than something active. People seemed to really want to know more and were hungry for more adventure. For Windlands 2, we decided to go for something more ambitious, with voiced NPCs, quests, and a storyline. There are some cinematic moments in the world as titans crash overhead or story beats play out, and hopefully it’s something that people are really gonna like. But the world remains open, and you can still explore at your own pace, seeking out collectibles and secrets.

NP: The world was once populated by tribes of lizard folk who worshiped the Sacred Mountains and the life-giving crystals within them. However, a Demon opened a portal to their world, bringing with it great war machines and human slaves to conquer the world and steal the crystals, which it would use as a power source. One of the human slaves was born with golden eyes—and the ability to control the Demon’s machines. A great war was fought, which shattered the land and cast the Demon back through the portal.

Now, many, many years later, the humans and lizard folk work together to rebuild the land. Yet old war machines still remain, often reactivating and becoming a danger once more. The player enters this world as a Hunter (or Guardian)—one of the chosen who is born with golden eyes and the power to take down the rogue machines.

Yet it becomes clear very quickly that there’s something strange going on. The titans are more numerous and dangerous than elsewhere and the player must stop the war machines and solve the mystery at the heart of the island.

NP: The response has been overwhelming and we’re so happy with how positive everyone has been. People really seem to be loving the new bow especially, and the new visual style seems to have connected with people. We’ve been showing it at events and in private now for over a year, getting all the notes we can, improving and expanding the game to make the best experience possible.

We were particularly keen to ensure there were as many options as possible, from controller configurations and comfort options to visual settings. We recently added color blind options specifically based on feedback from a color blind player.

NP: Along with the other feedback, lots of players wanted some bigger challenges to tackle, specifically great big titan ones. Bringing fights into the game was not an easy decision, as we were very aware that a large core of the audience enjoyed the pressure-free exploration aspects of the original game, so it was important that we preserved that. Bringing big enemies to fight into the game really does add a very exciting new aspect to the game, and the new bow mechanic is something we’re especially pleased with. Just as there’s something viscerally exciting about swinging around the world, there’s something extremely satisfying with launching yourself off of a height, turning in the air with your bow, and pretending you’re a legendary archer as you nail an enemy.

NP: Our very own Simo Sainio, who was one of the first collaborators on the earliest versions of Windlands, is our source for all musical composition and sound design. He’s a one-man band and recording studio. Windlands has always had a definite style of music and audioscape, and Simo was on hand to ensure Windlands 2 kept the same character. It’s great to enter an area and hear a new music track for the first time as a player would, almost like experiencing the game through new eyes.

NP: It’s important to ensure the world feels like a real place, so having a strong sense of location is vital. Visually, there are a number of design touchstones, from South American cultures like the Aztecs and Mayans to Northern European cultures.

NP: We’d really love to hear your feedback on the game, so please let us know your thoughts. Also, there are a number of races and challenges in the game with world ranking leader boards, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for the best and fastest players!

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Nick. It’s great to know that Psytec Games is all-in on VR.

Get your grappling hook and prepare for adventure in Windlands 2 on Rift, or grab the Windlands bundle to save a combined 20% off the full purchase price of the original and sequel.

— The Oculus Team