“Metamorphosis VR” Brings Kafka-Inspired Video Game to Virtual Reality

Video games aren’t exactly synonymous with classic literature. Players will find references to works like “Romeo and Juliet,” but developers don’t often tackle novels like “As I Lay Dying” or “Don Coyote.” The two biggest recent projects have been “Dante’s Inferno,” a “God of War”-like project from Electronic Arts, and “Spec Ops: The Line,” a brilliant game loosely based on a Joseph Conrad novel.

These efforts were good and showed that classic literature still has more ideas to exploit. One of them is Franz Kafka’s short story “The Metamorphosis”. Ovid Works created an adventure platformer inspired by this short work in 2020, and now, Black Sun Productions is bringing this game to Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmsbiyx070k “Metamorphosis VR” puts players in the role of a traveling salesman named Gregor who one day finds himself transformed into a cockroach. Set in 1900s Vienna, he must save his best friend and regain his humanity. Originally, the 2020 game was a first-person shooter that had players explore imaginary worlds filled with insect philosophers, insect gang leaders, and comedic arthropods. The VR project promises a reimagining of the game with high-fidelity graphics, multiple endings, and a cast of over 100 insect characters.

“We chose Metamorphosis as the first title for Black Sun because its surreal, Kafkaesque world – some of the richest and most immersive environments ever imagined – offers a perfect opportunity to bring this extraordinary experience to virtual reality,” said Corbin Chase, CEO of Black Sun Productions in a press release.

He said the game’s change in scale would work well on the medium. Players will be able to experience it when “Metamorphosis VR” releases on October 10. It will retail for $19.99.