Originally posted on my Patreon
Update: The game is live. Here's the world links for the PC/PC VR version, and for the Quest version.
This video above could be gameplay footage from an upcoming PS4 game by a professional studio, but it's actually only available in VRChat. Bullet Time Agent is a one person labor of love by a longtime VRC community creator known only as "Lakuza", who I've been following since at least early 2020.
Yes, he's been developing this game in his spare time for almost 4 years, mostly working on his own.
Available to play in VRChat today at 4pm PT, you'll be able to find it in the Quest store and in-world search under "Bullet Time Agent 1-1", "Bullet Time Agent 1-2", and "Bullet Time Agent 1-3".
"I'd easily be putting in at least 6 hours per day, and then on weekends, most of the day would be spent on the project," Lakuza tells me.
As the game name suggests, it turns Matrix-style bullet time into a major gameplay mechanic, in a story where you're a reformed thief with a world to save. Somewhat surprisingly, the game will be completely free-to-play, Lakuza's only reward being peer recognition by the VRChat community. Then again, you know a metaverse platform is successful when people create amazing things for their community as an end in itself.
"I've learnt a lot over the past 4 years with this project," he tells me. "Especially since its the first project I've had to really sit down with sdk3 and learn basic programming concepts. So there's a lot from the logic side that I've had to learn, but I've also improved a lot of my art skillset too from having modelled and textured everything in this particular world, to learning the process of hiring professional voice actors, writing the scripts etc."
Yes, he even hired voice actors for this game, which takes up to ten hours to complete. This despite VRChat the company not helping him out with development until very recently. ("I even used a 3rd party/community-made creation tool called CyanTrigger for all the logic in the game, instead of using Udon Graph or Udon Sharp which are the two official creation tools/methods for worlds.)
The company is now helping promote the game, and (if I read between the lines), may soon become more of an active participant in it going forward.
"I'm looking forward to seeing peoples reactions to certain moments in the game," he tells me. "Like with any [VRC] world I make, I hope it makes people question if this is still VRChat, as I enjoy making things that don't feel like it's a VRChat world, if that makes any sense. And community-wise, I hope it inspires people to create more worlds too. Or inspire new potential designers to start making things."
But no, that doesn't mean Bullet Time Agent is a resume sample for becoming an actual full-time employee at VRChat.
"VRChat? No," Lakuza tells me laughing when I ask if he wants to work for the company. "I have a full-time job already."
Follow Lakuza online for updates:
Please support posts like these by buying Making a Metaverse That Matters and joining my Patreon!
"I've learnt a lot over the past 4 years with this project," he tells me. "Especially since its the first project I've had to really sit down with sdk3 and learn basic programming concepts. So there's a lot from the logic side that I've had to learn, but I've also improved a lot of my art skillset too from having modelled and textured everything in this particular world, to learning the process of hiring professional voice actors, writing the scripts etc."
Yes, he even hired voice actors for this game, which takes up to ten hours to complete. This despite VRChat the company not helping him out with development until very recently. ("I even used a 3rd party/community-made creation tool called CyanTrigger for all the logic in the game, instead of using Udon Graph or Udon Sharp which are the two official creation tools/methods for worlds.)
The company is now helping promote the game, and (if I read between the lines), may soon become more of an active participant in it going forward.
"I'm looking forward to seeing peoples reactions to certain moments in the game," he tells me. "Like with any [VRC] world I make, I hope it makes people question if this is still VRChat, as I enjoy making things that don't feel like it's a VRChat world, if that makes any sense. And community-wise, I hope it inspires people to create more worlds too. Or inspire new potential designers to start making things."
But no, that doesn't mean Bullet Time Agent is a resume sample for becoming an actual full-time employee at VRChat.
"VRChat? No," Lakuza tells me laughing when I ask if he wants to work for the company. "I have a full-time job already."
Follow Lakuza online for updates:
Please support posts like these by buying Making a Metaverse That Matters and joining my Patreon!
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