Behind the Scenes of ‘Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife'
Oculus-Blog
Erik Odeldahl, Creative Director, Fast Travel Games
30. October 2020
Barclay Mansion Is Not Your Typical Haunted Horror House... and Ed Miller Is Not Your Classical Hero Character
Hi, I’m Erik Odeldahl, Creative Director at
Fast Travel Games. Since it’s Halloween season, I thought I would unwrap some new details and concept art from our upcoming VR horror title called
Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife, which is set in the World of Darkness universe—specifically, around the main character named
Ed Miller, and the setting where your horrifying gameplay experience will primarily take place: in the massive building called
Barclay Mansion.
Ed Is Dead
The most important thing first: The main character you’ll be playing is already dead once the game starts. Why did he die, and how? That’s up to you to find out. You do this by entering the Afterlife
as Ed Miller, now in the form of a Wraith—a spirit of the dead—which means you’ll have
ghost-like powers at your disposal. Squeezing through solid walls, hearing faint whispers from other spirits, or lifting objects in the distance are some of the unique things you’ll do as a Wraith while searching for the truth about your own death. Now, being dead doesn’t mean that you’re safe... on the contrary, in spite of your new powers there are far more sinister beings called
Spectres that will be trailing your footsteps as you explore. Just like you, these Spectres are stuck in the Afterlife for some reason, tied to the bigger mystery that you have to uncover.
Together with his wife Rachel, Ed came to the Barclay Mansion on behalf of the mansion owner, Howard Barclay. Being a photographer, Ed was tasked to document a mysterious seance arranged by Barclay. However, once it started something went terribly wrong and without giving any details away, what happened affected Ed in ways he could not have imagined.
The Seance Room. Something went terribly wrong here.
Even as a Wraith stuck in the Afterlife, Ed’s camera plays an important role in the game. As a way to gradually reveal more about what actually happened inside the mansion, you can unlock memories of past occurrences by photographing certain objects. You can also use it as a tool to find secrets hidden inside the mansion.
A Mansion of Hollywood Decadence and Occult Research
The game takes place in the home of Howard Barclay, an old and sick man, retired from his past career as a movie producer. Far from the stereotypical haunted house or gothic castle, the
Barclay Mansion is a
modern, grandiose building filled with Hollywood decadence and trophies that bring witness to Howard’s glorious past in the movie business. The remnants of a premiere party can still be seen inside the mansion, and broken glass covers the floor in the cinema room where the projector is still on. Barclay Mansion will let you explore every nook and cranny of its many interconnected floors and rooms—but also to leave it occasionally, as you search for a way out. The garden area is as pompous as the interiors, amplified by the haunting sky above and the glowing city skyline in the distance.
The Gazebo. Usually a place to rest and take shelter from the rain.
We have so much more we want to tell you about the experience we’re creating—the gameplay mechanics, the clever inventory system, the different threats you’ll be facing, and the deep background story... and we aim to do so soon.
In the meantime, get ready to be very, very scared in early 2021 and
wishlist Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife on the Oculus Quest and Rift Platforms today!