,
, and
. The game supports both controllers and hand tracking, and can be switched between at any time. Most importantly, for developers, all the source files from the Unity-made experience can be found on GitHub under the MIT License. Only the original voiceovers are not available on GitHub, as the repo has text-to-speech options. Application SpaceWarp Because it is not my expertise, nor the purpose of an open-source demo, I will not critique North Star’s gameplay. But I will critique the graphics and tech, as ‘a cutting-edge showcase’ with “stunning Visuals that enhance the Quests graphical capability” is a major claim. North Star does not feature “cutting edge” graphics despite the use of AppSW. AppSW makes titles like Batman Arkham Shadow and Assassin’s Creed Nexus look better. There are also indie titles which match them. North Star may seem to be held to a higher standard than you think. Meta is the one that claimed it had “stunning Visuals that elevate Quest’s Graphical Capabilities”, and not me. North Star also has a few puzzling technical choices and oversights. Meta XR Interaction SDK When holding an object, you will see heavy double-imaging. AppSW is to blame, but this only occurs in certain circumstances. Pick up the spyglass and for the first time you will see the Unity judder that is associated with forgetting a shader. It’s the same as when you fire off the first shot of too many shooter game. Meta XR Audio SDK In addition, you will notice your avatar’s full body feet are bolted into the ground. If you attempt to walk on the wooden platform that you’re standing on, you’ll find that the body will awkwardly tilt in the opposite direction. In some scenes, your feet move while in other scenes they are also fixed in place. Did developers only test it seated in a chair?
If you are using a Quest 3 on the ship you will notice that the shadows and other effects do not render to the edge of your view. I guess that the developers have hardcoded the field-of-view of the Quest 3S & Quest2 lenses to eliminate shadows. It’s not the best sign for a show.
North Star’s captions appear above the character’s head by default, which is an interesting way to caption VR. The flaw becomes apparent when characters are hidden behind walls. This causes a conflict in depth (which can cause eye strain for many). It would be best to place the captions just slightly in front the nearest wall. North Star’s technology is quite sophisticated, so it is not all bad. The
has a fully dynamic lighting system, which includes high-quality shadows and reflections. It is also impressive in standalone VR. The
renders anything from calm waters to rough storms. This is not a good choice for standalone VR today, as baked lighting produces much better results.
Furthermore, North Stars interactions are excellent in general, with the most realistic
that I have ever seen in standalone VR. This isn’t your standard “pull down the rope” system. Instead, you have to intricately tie the cable around the cleats. All interactions with levers, cranks, and the Captain’s Wheel are well polished. As with North Star, the harpoon’s button is lacking feedback, while its crank works fine. You may have different results with hand tracking since I used controllers. The open-source demo is of this scale, scope and complexity, with its many interactions and subsystems. Many VR developers will find it valuable despite a few notable flaws. North Star is free to Quest owners,
and most of the source code files are also available for developers.
Am i being too harsh with North Star? Or do you think it doesn’t live up to its advertising? Try it on your Quest, and tell us what you think in the comments section below. times of day