Dimensional Double Shift is going to Hell. Or, more specifically, Hexas: a world filled with demons in ten-gallon hats, blood-basted brisket, and literal monster trucks. I went hands-on with the multiplayer VR phenomenon’s first Dimension Pack (launching today) alongside Owlchemy Labs’ CEOwl, Andrew Eiche, to get a taste of what kind of trouble players can get into in the Lone (Morning) Star dimension.
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If you’re one of the 500,000+ who have already played Dimensional Double Shift, you’ll find that Hexas is very different from the game’s original Pacific Northwestern dimension, Treeattle. “We wanted our first dimension to be something grounded and plain,” Eiche explains. “Starting in Seattle and going to Hell is like throwing a curveball that Owlchemy could do in a completely unique way. We don’t want our players to know what’s coming next.” Since half of Owlchemy Labs 80-person studio resides in Texas, where the studio is based, the setting felt like a perfect fit.
Turning Hell Into Texas, And Vice Versa
In designing Hexas, the team identified three specific archetypes it wanted to represent and blend together to create the dimension’s unique setting: classic Hell imagery, Hispanic heritage, and that good ‘ol Yee-Haw Energy Texas is known for.
The second you load into the new dimension, the vibe is unmistakable. The dusty red and arid locale is filled with strange sights, like a demon skull affixed to a desert butte, belching out a river of blood. There’s a road sign marked ‘Highway 666’ next to what can only be described as The Underworld’s Biggest Pink Cowboy Boot (because of course Hell has roadside attractions). There’s spooky cacti, adobe houses for the skeletal citizens, and of course, a big unmissable ‘Don’t Mess With Hexas’ sign.
The titular double shifts are familiar, but with some new hellish mechanics. At the Gas ‘N Grill groups of up to four players can take shifts in the diner serving ribs and cornbread to the Hexan demons, or do some monster truck tune-up in the garage (trucks are the only vehicles legal in Hexas).
The new tools, toys, and puzzles are suitably bizarre. In the garage, the corner puzzles that require two players to work together involve milking udders and slapping a big jiggly butt – don’t ask why. Another one, called the Hit List, tasks one player with describing pictures of demons to another player, who has to accurately pick the correct demons out of a lineup and mark them, presumably, for death. To power up the flame thrower (for welding and general burninating) you have to feed chunks of coal to a flame elemental called Mr. Beezle Bub. It’s Hell, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun with it.
Hand Tracking And A Social Focus Are Still The Special Sauce
Dimensional Double Shift continues to exclusively use hand tracking controls, which feels better than ever in Hexas. Whether you’re lighting the ritual candles on the diner’s grill or hand feeding meat and vegetables into a grinder (demons love processed food, too), the tactility and specificity of hand tracking is a big part of what makes the game so much fun.
Eiche says hand tracking is essential to the experience the studio wanted to create, not just for the sake of handling tiny items or performing secondary actions like squeezing objects or pulling triggers, but for the non-verbal communication opportunities, too. Players point, gesture, and share hand signals naturally to enhance communication, just like in real life. “Controls would be crude instruments in comparison to what we’re asking players to do with their hands,” he says.
Dimenionsonal Double Shift is in early access on Meta Quest platforms, which is a first for Owlchemy Labs. With a multiplayer game, the studio decided early access would be a better fit because it would allow players to get their hands on it early and offer their feedback. Eiche sees the beta as a way to form a partnership with the community and work alongside them, which has helped the team better understand players’ needs and how to better shape the game to meet them.
Note: To help players meet each other in game, there is a weekend-only queue where players can matchmake into a specific shift with specific modifiers like low gravity or flaming hands. Eiche says it’s been a good way to get the whole community to rally around a single event.
“VR Of The Near”
What’s most appealing about Hexas is the same thing that’s always been great about Dimensional Double Shift, as well as Owlchemy’s other big hit, Job Simulator: it’s a space that gives you permission to play. Eiche compares the game to the kinds of little city playsets made for kids. Dimensional Double Shift offers that kind of creative play experience for everyone. “Our game frees you from restrictions,” he says. “No one is watching and you’re supposed to be doing these things, so you really get to enjoy that.”
Eiche says Dimensional Double Shift represents the studio’s gamble on what the future of VR gaming will look like; something he calls ‘VR of the near’.
“This industry is in a period of a lot of change,” he says. “What we’re going to find out really quickly is the stuff that the medium is really strong at. Our theory is that it’s embodied so that you’re the main focus of the action. You’re doing it, you’re not playing another character, you are yourself.” That, along with a focus on social experiences, is where he thinks VR is headed.
“I think the store shows that; I think the success of our game shows that. We’re excited to see if we can exist in this VR-of-the-near style play with this extremely accessible wrapping around it.”
Meta Quest 3S
- Brand
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Meta
- Storage
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128GB or 256GB
- VR Support
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Yes
- Resolution
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1832×1920 (Per Eye)
- Original Release Date
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October 15, 2024
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$299.99