Multi-award winning Virtual Reality adventure game available now on Gear VR Headsets, with support for the Samsung Note 4 & Galaxy S6
SAN MATEO, CA – November 17, 2015 – Temple Gates Games is proud to announce the release of Bazaar, a fully immersive VR adventure, now available in the Oculus Store. In Bazaar, players will explore a mystical world and collect exotic trinkets and curios to wield against the various hazards and traps inhabiting the land. Using gaze controls, players navigate a flying carpet through the ever-changing labyrinthine aqueducts of a forgotten city – but beware! Lurking in the waters are venomous sea cobras and hungry crocodiles, and pouncing from above are mischievous monkeys that seek to snatch up the player’s precious cargo. Guarding the city is a mighty Lamassu whose relics have been stolen, plunging the land into chaos. It’s up to you to return the Lamassu’s relics and restore peace to the city!
Bazaar was originally created for the 2015 Oculus VR Jam, and has been extensively overhauled to bring this magical universe to the masses. Though the world may look similar, the game has come a long way since its first inception. The simple matching mechanic from the Jam game has been replaced with a robust world to navigate and perilous enemies and traps to overcome. Each level brings fresh challenges as well as new items and trinkets to counteract them. Inventory management plays a large role, as the player will often have to optimize their inventory to best prepare for the dangers of each city district. Players will also be able to collect a bounty of hidden coins throughout the game, which can be used to replenish critical survival tools or unlock the all-powerful golden trinkets.
“One of my favorite ways to play is to look for the black market in each level, and purchase the golden items as soon as they become available. The coin collection game is fun in its own right, but it’s rewarding to finally spend all that hard-earned treasure!” – Patrick Benjamin, Lead 3D Artist
The labyrinths of Bazaar are procedurally generated, meaning each and every playthrough will be different from the last. Players will have to stay on the edge of their carpet to navigate each new maze and find the optimal assortment of trinkets hidden around corners and behind stained glass.
One of Bazaar’s most distinctive and alluring features is its visuals. The team opted for a blackless color palette, using a broad spectrum of saturated colors to create a rich, surreal landscape. Cool colors in the foreground blend seamlessly into warm colors in the distance, giving the player an incredible sense of presence in the world; as the player moves forward, the architecture of the city comes into focus before their eyes.
Bazaar has also been extensively designed to cater to player comfort. Turning and navigating in VR using gaze controls is effortless and intuitive. A novel speed-up mechanic allows the player to accelerate when looking directly forward, without any discomfort. The team has also reduced the reliance on constellations as an inventory management device, and while they still add beauty to the night sky, the constellations above now serve as an ever-growing almanac of the player’s discoveries.
Regular playtests are a critical fixture in Temple Gates’ development practice. Between the steady stream of people roaming the studio in VR headsets, the giant Minecraft Trees from Craigslist, and the homemade flying carpet, Temple Gates Games stands out. “The other tenants in our office building are a car insurance adjuster and a credit union. They always look so confused!” remarks Theresa Duringer, Creative Director.
Going forward, the team plans to bring future updates to its players with additional content and even more reasons to explore this exotic world. “Do people even read press releases?” asks Tod, Programmer at Temple Gates Games. “You’d think coming up with quotes would be easier.”
For more information about Bazaar and the team that created it, visit templegatesgames.com. For questions and feedback feel free to reach out to the team at info@templegatesgames.com.
About Temple Gates Games
Temple Gates Games is an independent game development studio located in San Mateo, CA. We are long-time game industry veterans with a passion for playing and making games. The team includes Theresa Duringer of Cannon Brawl, Tod Semple who made Plants vs. Zombies, Jeff Gates of Spore, Patrick Benjamin from the Sim City team, and B Rosaschi, pixel wizard.