Augmented Empire revives the Oculus Go narrative strategy game next month with mixed reality support on Quest, and we went hands-on.
Developed by Coatsink, Augmented Empire is a 2017 turn-based strategy game initially developed for Oculus Go and Gear VR. Augmented Empire is set in the cyberpunk New Savannah, where citizens are graded according to their criminality. You will be leading a group of misfits. This remastered version promises to have dynamic lighting, PBR and 4K textures for Quest 3 and 2K texture for Quest 2 as well as improved visuals. New mixed reality support lets you resize the board within your playspace, hand tracking and controller support are both available, while other changes include “improved combat minigames” and achievements.
Before today’s announcement, Coatsink sent me an Oculus Go headset with the original Augmented Empire installed since the original game has long been delisted. Technical issues prevented me from transferring any recorded gameplay footage off the headset, so Coatsink provided the following gameplay video for comparison.
Augmented Empire gameplay footage on Oculus Go. Coatsink provided the B-roll.
For someone who has missed the smartphone VR and 3DoF headset era (my primary introduction to VR came with the Oculus Rift S, and PlayStation VR), the Go version is a real eye-opener. The
team lauded it at the time as “a rare treat” in mobile VR, with “a lot of content, an engaging narrative and cleverly-designed encounters.” After an hour of playing the Go version I agree with Coatsink and think they did a good job working around hardware limitations. Augmented Empire has been greatly improved since it is no longer bound by 3DoF. It’s especially noticeable with controls. You’re not restricted to using your gamepad or angling the headset to aim. Augmented Empire’s maps are a virtual version of your mission fields that you can view in your office. Being able to place that display onto your desk is an excellent idea for mixed reality. The map can be resized at any size by simply gripping both sides. On Quest 3 the characters and environment still look great at large sizes. The goal is to find a recruit who will help us in our fight. We end up fighting several members of a Detritum group. Kate Mulgrew, Doug Cockle and Jennifer English from Baldur’s Gate 3 provide some great voice work. The hand tracking is a good fit, and using tiles to select or move the character works. Each character can use a special ability, like more shots, with reduced accuracy, if they have AP. Maps provide plenty of locations for potential cover and the strategic combat is satisfying, albeit a touch too easy in places.our reviewNotably, Remastered’s biggest gameplay change so far involves removing the timed bar originally used in combat. You had to be precise with your timing when you attacked to get a critical strike. This also applied when you were attacked by enemies and had to reduce damage or dodge. It was easier to control your character when using the old method. You felt more in charge, and you could even guarantee critical hits with a little practice. Coatsink’s narrative strategy game feels like it would be a great fit for mixed reality. While it is hard to say definitively after a short demo, the early signs are promising. Coatsink’s narrative strategy game feels like a great fit for mixed reality, and while it’s hard to speak definitively after a short demo, the early signs are promising.
Augmented Empire arrives on the Horizon Store on November 21.
Coatsink informed UploadVR after publication that the timed combat bar will be an optional feature in the full release, confirming this feature isn’t present in the demo build. After publication, Coatsink informed UploadVR that the timed combat bar will be an optional feature in the full release. This confirms this feature isn’t present in demo build.