Into the Black is a VR survival game with echoes of Firewatch

Into the Black is a VR game being developed by the UK's National Film and Television School that sets players off as a spirit guide sent to help a red fox and a grizzly bear escape the wildfires of Yellowstone National Park. It will be narrated by actor Nigel Barber, whose film credits include Spectre and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, and will debut in a demo that will be be playable at the EGX 2016 show, which runs from September 22-26 in Birmingham, England.

Foxes and bears aren't typically the best of woodland pals, but their only hope of survival here is to work together. “The fire has put Yellowstone out of balance and forced a mass migration into the hunting grounds of the Druid Wolf pack,” the announcement says. “As these fearsome predators descend upon their fleeing prey, another lurks in the darkness. Man has come, full of cruelty and bad intention, seeking to turn this disaster into opportunity. If you and your companions are to survive you will need to rely on each other and leave everything behind as you journey into the black.”

I like the sound of that, mainly because it sounds like it could be something genuinely interesting and different from the usual videogame fare, and I dig the vaguely Firewatch-flavored style of these screens, too. Into the Black is being developed for the Oculus Rift and will be released episodically, with the first part coming (hopefully) when the devs graduate in 2017. The Into the Black Facebook page has more information, and if you're going to be in Birmingham at the proper time you can see it for yourself live at EGX.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.