Fans of HBO’s hit show Westworld will be able to experience the world of the show for themselves—in virtual reality. Today, Westworld Awakening was revealed at Gamescom 2019 with a gritty trailer showcasing different shots from the game.
Westworld follows the story of a technologically advanced Western-themed amusement park called Westworld where human guests can interact with robotic host characters who appear no different from humans. Similar to a video game, guests can follow different hosts on quests and even alter their storylines by taking certain actions. However, as the plot of Westworld unfolds, it becomes clear that some of the hosts are gaining sentience and an overall self-awareness about their android existence.
The show is currently two seasons in with third season expected to release next year. Awakening will feature a new original story that takes place during the show’s second season, with major plot events from both seasons worked in.
In the game, players will take on the role of Kate Weston, a new host character who becomes self-aware like other major characters in the series. Initially, Kate is caught in the middle of a gruesome murder storyline in Westworld, which she investigates. Sometime later, however, she starts to “awaken” and learn the truth of her existence. Players will get to explore familiar set pieces from the show, including different areas of Westworld and the labs and offices of Delos.
Created by VR developer studio Survios in collaboration with HBO, game will take place across five acts and feature four to six hours of gameplay. To ensure the story stayed true to the source material, HBO and Survios worked together with Kilter Films, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s production company which makes the show, on the characters and story. Survios producer Michael Clark described the game as “a story about game development,” as he noted the similarities between the first chapter of Kate’s story and the real-life process of game development.
Westworld Awakening is set to release on Steam, Oculus, and HTC Viveport on August 20. It will also be available in over 400 VR arcades worldwide.