Edge of Nowhere is a VR third-person action-adventure from independent developer Insomniac Games.

Tuesday at E3 I was fortunate to be able to play Edge of Nowhere on the actual consumer version of the Rift. Insomniac Games appear to be dealing with the first-person nausea issue by going with a third-person perspective. Indeed, in the 20 minutes played Edge of Nowhere, I never once felt any nausea.



The game starts off with me standing in a frozen landscape. Using the left stick on the Xbox Controller I run towards the edge of the cliff, pressing the A key I jump over the gap to the other side.

I continue running, jumping over gaps and even climbing ladders. Fun stuff.

Then the game part takes effect, and the ground starts to fall away under my feet forcing me to run faster, jumping over gaps and running over collapsing wooden bridges. Finally, I end up in a cave and light my torch. The flame was shimmering on the frozen walls.

I slowly walk through the tunnels and discover the bodies of fallen explorers who have ventured here before me. Oh oh… something else is out there, I can see them, but cannot make out what they are.

I arrive at a dark hole with a rope dropping below. I jump on the rope and repel down while looking all around me. I think … “Isn’t VR excellent?”

Crap, I drop the torch, and it falls to the bottom revealing what I could not see before. Many dark spider-like creatures and they are coming towards me.

I see another tunnel and make a jump for it. I run down the tunnel with rocks falling from above and the creatures chasing me. I see a light at the end of the tunnel and dart towards it – what is that? What appears to be a 200-foot tall giant version of what has been chasing me is stomping past the exit.

I wait for it to pass and slowly venture out. An old wooden derelict boat lays on the ice ahead, and I make a run for it. Running through the old ship, I end up in a dark room where a voice overhead says “You should not be here.”

From behind me, tentacles appear and wrap around my body. The demo is over, and I am presumably something’s dinner.

Edge of nowhere provided me a whole new way to play a game. Third-person VR is fun, looks great and Nausea FREE on the Oculus Rift!

Will third-person replace first-person in VR? Developers don't have a good way to provide good fast paced first-person without inducing nausea in most people. Until that is solved, third person perspective will probably become more popular.



