AFA Arcade: Wallace and Gromit VR, Sonic Origins and More
Today, animated film and TV is more popular than ever, but the biggest and most successful part of the animation industry is actually video games. Animation is a big component of almost every game (rare exceptions being text adventures and visual novels) and many games feature excellent storytelling. We cover games every now and again on AFA but we're planning on levelling up our games coverage with our new feature AFA Arcade. This regular column will bring you news from where the gaming and animation worlds meet as well as the gaming industry as a whole. Don't expect updates on the latest hardware or the newest Call of Duty or Madden- we aim to highlight the standout work being done in the games industry, whether it's a triple-A game or something from the smallest indie developer.
Do you work in the animation side of the games industry, or are you an indie game developer? We would love to hear from you!
Aardman Animation is coming to Virtual Reality- and they're bringing Wallace and Gromit with them! It's been announced that the beloved duo will be starring in a single-player interactive, narrative-led experience headed to the Meta Quest 2 VR Headset. Aardman are teaming up with Atlas V, the award-winning creators of “Spheres” and “Gloomy Eyes” in association with No Ghost in London and Albyon, based in Lyon. The project is funded by Meta Quest.
In The Grand Getaway, users will be able to walk around in Wallace's world for the first time. The story involves the crafty inventor and his canine companion headed off on holiday. But Wallace has his dates mixed up-and now they have to get across the country in half an hour. Only one thing for it- they'll have to take the rocket.
The project is being directed by Finbar Hawkins and Bram Ttwheam at Aardman, with support from original creator Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, creative director of Wallace and Gromit. Ben Whitehead will be again voicing Wallace- as he has done since stepping into the shoes of the late great Peter Sallis.
The Grand Getaway will come to the Meta Quest 2 in 2023.
Crunchyroll Games, the interactive arm of the world's biggest anime streaming site, has announced a new crossover event for the popular game Princess Connect! Re: Dive. From May 2, the game will be having a crossover event with hit anime Re: ZERO: Starting Life In Another World. The event will include Focus Gachas, special story events and more, all taking place throughout the month of May.
First off - say hello to Rem, the first of our special crossover Focus Gachas! Who’s Rem, you ask? She's one of the twin maids working at the Roswaal Mansion, and has found her way over to the world of Astraea. She’s brought along her trademark ball and chain, which she’ll use to protect the ones she cares about from those who would harm them, with a toolkit that can dish out damage, freeze enemies in their place, and heal any damaged allies. A maid has to be prepared for anything on the job!
Like other Focus Gachas, Rem will enjoy boosted rates during her Focus Gacha, and will be available for redemption via character points if necessary. However, as she is a limited character, Rem will not be added into the regular Premium Gacha rotation after her Focus Gacha ends - these special events don’t last forever, so you’ll want to make sure to obtain her while you can, to have something to remember her by!
The Rem Focus Gacha - Re:ZERO Crossover runs for 13 days, from 5/2, 23:00 UTC to 5/15, 22:59 UTC. If you’re a Ram fan, don’t worry - she also makes an appearance, too.
