HUNTED: a multiplayer horror game for Virtual Reality

The year is 2155, and scientists have recently made some startling discoveries.The first is that we, as humans, exist on what they call the human plane.
The second, is that we are not alone.

Expanding off our plane are several hundred - if not thousands - of ghost realms. Unable to interact directly with anything on the human realm, they observe and watch, and have done since the dawn of time.

That's not to say they can't harm us - researchers call it a 'take over' - an act where a ghost can temporarily take over the body of a living being on the human plane; enough time to cause damage.

Despite knowing this, there was not a lot that those on the human realm could do; objects and technologies developed on the human plane could not affect those existing in a ghost realm, and few humans could resist a take over.

AGA, the Anti-Ghost Agency, developed the solution.
First, the development of the AGA suit allowed Hunters to see beings on other realms. Then, eliminator technology was carefully developed to counteract the problem of the ghost realms. This is where the Hunters come in.

Concept Painting for "Bully" enemy

" WHO ARE YOU? "

Chosen by AGA for their ruthlessness, leadership and ability to withstand the forced realm opening, the Hunters work to rid civilisation of the most dangerous ghosts, in the most haunted areas.

Hunters tend to be lone figures; although they lead a team, they often keep to themselves - perhaps it is due to the things they have to endure on a daily basis. Hunters also possess an above-average Take Over threshold, and are often able to withstand Take Overs, making them the ideal candidates for this job.

However, the eliminator comes with a condition - for the barrier to be successfully placed, the target must be completely immobilised. The solution finally came after an unsuccessful hunt in which some of the founding members of AGA lost their lives - returned to the Earth as disgruntled ghosts, they worked with the surviving Hunters to immobilise enemy ghosts, preparing them for elimination. They were deemed Immobilisers

The Hunter and the Immobiliser

Years on, the Hunter-Immobiliser elimination method appears to be the only successful way of eliminating ghosts - but tensions run high, as Immobilisers, often ghosts who have entered a contract to prevent being eliminated, can come to resent the Hunters.

And finally...the Immobilisers have found a way to make a take over permanent...

And Immobilisers aren't the only ghosts around. Ghosts who are not contracted as Immobilisers are viewed as enemies and must all be eliminated.

Ghosts are able to perform, and will attempt to perform, take overs on the Hunter. If this happens, the Hunter is considered as good as dead, as the Ghosts will be able to purge the Hunter, leaving the body empty and useless.

Concept Paintings for enemies: Bruiser, King, Pest, Predator

There are many types of enemy ghosts. The type of enemy ghost depends on many factors: what sort of a human they were before they died, how much power they managed to acquire in the afterlife; and there are rumours of a "king," a powerful ghost that managed to absorb several other ghosts, and keeps on getting stronger and stronger.

Stronger ghosts will take longer to immobilise and will be harder to capture. Once immobilised, however, they are still unable to stop the barrier and will be force-sent through onto the ghost realm.

Stronger ghost's Take Overs, meanwhile, are also stronger.

" WHAT MAKES HUNTED SPECIAL? "

COMPETITION

Different win conditions means competition between players.

COLLABORATION

Despite the competition, players will have to collaborate, sharing the same goals throughout the game.

PUZZLES

Puzzles break up the scares - or distract the player from scares - and force opposing players to work as a team, despite circumstances.

FEAR

Realistic graphics and the use of PlaystationVR lead to an immersive experience, set in a haunted house.

“ HOW DO YOU PLAY HUNTED? ”

Hunted is best played in a group.
As in within the story, the Hunter will lead the Immobilisers on their mission.

HUNTER

The Hunter will operate the Playstation VR Headset, as they require AGA technology that allows them to see beings on other realms.
They will move and interact with the environment using Playstation MOVE controllers.

IMMOBILISERS

The Immobilisers use Dualshock Controllers to assist the Hunter. They will be able to perform take overs and fend off ghosts, protecting the Hunter.

TAKE OVER
Immobilisers must perform a take over on an enemy ghost, immobilising them and preparing them for the elimination.

ELIMINATION

Instead of directly affecting the ghost, the eliminator creates a barrier around the ghost. Once the barrier has been set, the eliminator can force a temporary opening of the realms and expel the contents of the barrier out of the human plane.

Sample Gameplay video: kindly use your imagination to envision the headset.

" THE HUNTED GAME EXPERIENCE "

HUNTED is a horror game created with the intention of scaring its players. Therefore, HUNTED uses a realistic art style to fully allow all players - even those without the PlaystationVR headset - to be immersed and engaged in the game.

We recommend playing Hunted with the lights off and sound up.

Below is a sample look & feel video for HUNTED.

*Scary and realistic content is why HUNTED is rated a PEGI 16.

HUNTED makes use of the Playstation Move controllers for Player 1 to allow them to fully immerse themselves in the world. Player 1 will have to navigate the house with their headset, pick up objects, unlocking doors, and drawing barriers with Playstation Move.

" FURTHER READING "