Acan’s Call: Act 1

Acan’s Call: Act 1 is a VR-exclusive action game set in a fantasy world where players wield a sword and shield to battle through intense combat scenarios. Serving as a proof of concept for its fighting system, this first-person hack-and-slash experience challenges players to survive a 10-15 minute adventure, with developer Cyberith GmbH seeking community feedback to shape future episodes. Designed for VR platforms like SteamVR, the game emphasizes immersive motion controls and direct combat, offering a brief but intense glimpse into a larger narrative.

Acan’s Call: Act 1: A Pioneering VR Experiment That Never Fulfilled Its Promise

Introduction

Acan’s Call: Act 1 is a fascinating artifact of VR gaming’s early days—a free, 15-minute proof-of-concept that teased a bold vision for virtual reality melee combat but ultimately vanished into obscurity. Released in August 2016 by Cyberith GmbH, this first-person hack-and-slash adventure was designed exclusively for VR, offering players a sword-and-shield combat system that, while flawed, hinted at the potential of immersive fantasy action. Yet, despite its “Very Positive” Steam reception (82% positive from 370 reviews), the game remains a footnote in VR history—a tantalizing demo that never evolved into the full-fledged Diablo-like experience its creators envisioned.

This review explores Acan’s Call: Act 1 in exhaustive detail, examining its development context, gameplay innovations, community reception, and the tragic circumstances that prevented it from becoming something greater.

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Development History & Context

The Studio Behind the Sword

Cyberith GmbH, an Austrian company, was primarily known for its ambitious (and ultimately failed) Virtualizer Kickstarter—a VR treadmill that promised full-body locomotion. When the Virtualizer collapsed under delivery issues, the studio pivoted to software, with Acan’s Call serving as both a technical demo and a potential lifeline. Led by Pierre Mercy, the game was built in Unity and positioned as a “proof of concept” for a larger project.

The VR Landscape in 2016

At the time of release, VR was in its infancy. The HTC Vive and Oculus Rift had just launched, and developers were scrambling to define what worked in virtual reality. Acan’s Call arrived alongside other early VR experiments like Vanishing Realms and The Lab, but it distinguished itself with a focus on physical combat—blocking, parrying, and swinging a sword with motion controls. The game’s Steam description explicitly states its purpose: to gather feedback for “upcoming episodes” that would expand into a full RPG.

A Game Built on Feedback

The development was deeply iterative, with Mercy actively engaging with the Steam community to refine mechanics. The game’s short runtime (10-15 minutes) and free-to-play model were deliberate choices to maximize player input. However, the studio’s small size (Mercy described himself as “more or less the only developer”) and the lingering shadow of the Virtualizer’s failure likely contributed to the project’s eventual abandonment.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

A Minimalist Story

Acan’s Call: Act 1 offers little in the way of traditional storytelling. Players awaken in a dungeon, armed with a rusted sword and shield, and must fight their way through skeletal enemies to escape. There are no cutscenes, no dialogue, and no lore—just a series of combat encounters punctuated by environmental hazards (spikes, traps) and hidden treasures (gems that function as currency).

Themes of Isolation and Survival

The game’s atmosphere is its strongest narrative element. The dungeon is dark, claustrophobic, and filled with the eerie sounds of rattling bones and distant groans. The skeletal enemies, which respawn after death, create a sense of relentless pursuit, reinforcing the theme of survival against overwhelming odds. The lack of a traditional UI (health is indicated by screen-darkening effects) further immerses players in the desperation of the protagonist.

Missed Opportunities

While the minimalist approach works for a demo, the absence of any world-building or character motivation leaves the experience feeling hollow. The Steam community frequently requested deeper narrative elements, with one player noting: “I would love to play a full-length version of Diablo or Skyrim or something like this!” The game’s potential as a VR dungeon crawler was clear, but its skeletal story (pun intended) never had the chance to grow.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Combat: The Core Innovation

The game’s defining feature is its motion-controlled sword-and-shield combat. Players wield a weapon in one hand and a shield in the other, blocking attacks and countering with slashes. The physics-based system allows for:
– Parrying: Timing blocks to stagger enemies.
– Environmental Interaction: Using the sword to push objects (like hanging corpses) or the shield to brace against walls.
– Weapon Collision: The sword and shield have physical presence, clipping against walls and enemies.

The Good, the Bad, and the Laggy

Strengths:
– Immersive Feedback: Successful blocks trigger haptic feedback (on supported controllers), and the weight of swings feels satisfying.
– Enemy AI: Skeletons react dynamically, retreating after blocks and flanking the player.
– Hidden Depth: Advanced players could use the environment tactically, like luring enemies into spikes.

Flaws:
– Tracking Issues: Many players reported that weapons felt “floating” or disconnected from their hands.
– Input Lag: The sword’s movement suffered from noticeable delay, breaking immersion.
– UI Problems: The health orb, attached to the player’s head, was frequently criticized for being blurry and uncomfortable to view.

Progression and Exploration

The game features a rudimentary progression system:
– Gems as Currency: Scattered throughout the dungeon, these can be spent at a merchant (though the demo’s brevity limits their use).
– Weapon Upgrades: Players can purchase a better sword midway through.
– Hidden Treasures: Some gems are tucked away in chests or behind breakable objects, encouraging exploration.

However, the lack of a proper inventory system (players must poke items with their sword to collect them) feels clunky and unnatural.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

A Dungeon of Mood Over Detail

The game’s visual design is functional but unremarkable. The dungeon is a mix of stone corridors, wooden barriers, and flickering torches—standard fantasy fare. However, the atmosphere is where Acan’s Call shines:
– Lighting: Dynamic shadows and torchlight create a sense of depth.
– Sound Design: The clatter of bones, the scrape of metal, and the distant echoes of unseen threats build tension.
– VR Presence: The game’s scale feels correct for VR, with enemies towering appropriately and environmental interactions (like pushing a corpse) adding to immersion.

The Limits of a Demo

The art style is simplistic, likely due to the small team and the game’s role as a proof-of-concept. Textures are low-resolution, and animations (particularly enemy deaths) are stiff. Yet, the game’s mood carries it—players often praised the “modern Arx Fatalis vibe” in community discussions.

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Reception & Legacy

Critical and Community Response

Despite its rough edges, Acan’s Call: Act 1 was warmly received:
– Steam Reviews: 82% positive, with players praising its combat potential and atmosphere.
– Community Feedback: Players flooded the Steam forums with suggestions, from UI improvements to locomotion overhauls. Many compared it favorably to Vanishing Realms, noting its superior enemy AI and environmental interaction.

The Tragedy of Abandonment

The game’s biggest flaw wasn’t its mechanics—it was its disappearance. After a flurry of updates in late 2016, development stalled. By 2017, players were asking, “Is this game dead?” The studio’s silence, combined with the lingering stigma of the Virtualizer Kickstarter, left fans disillusioned. One Steam user lamented: “It would suck if this demo is all we got.”

Influence on VR Combat

While Acan’s Call never evolved, its ideas lived on in later VR titles:
– Blade & Sorcery (2018): Adopted and refined the physics-based melee combat.
– Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice VR (2019): Used similar environmental interaction and immersive UI techniques.
– The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (2020): Expanded on the “weighty” weapon mechanics.

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Conclusion: A Glimpse of What Could Have Been

Acan’s Call: Act 1 is a bittersweet relic—a game that dared to imagine VR combat as something more than a tech demo, only to fade away before realizing its potential. Its strengths (immersive combat, atmospheric design, and community-driven iteration) are overshadowed by its abandonment, leaving players to wonder what might have been.

Final Verdict: 7/10 – A Flawed but Visionary Experiment
For VR historians, Acan’s Call is a must-play—a snapshot of a medium in its infancy. For casual players, it’s a curiosity, a 15-minute taste of a game that never was. Its legacy isn’t in what it achieved, but in what it inspired—a reminder that even failed experiments can push an industry forward.

Where to Play: Free on Steam (VR required).

Final Thought: If Cyberith had fulfilled its vision, Acan’s Call might have been the Dark Souls of VR. Instead, it remains a ghost—a skeletal reminder of roads not taken.