Stop-motion icons Wallace and Gromit are set to star in a new video game adventure that lets you experience the Yorkshire duo's wild gadgets in virtual reality.
The Grand Getaway is described by creative studio Aardman Animations as a "single-player, story-driven, interactive VR experience" in which you'll join Wallace and Gromit on an adventure gone horribly wrong.
After going on a seaside vacation, the pair discover that their latest contraption, the Auto-Caddy, has gone haywire. Now all you have to do is walk around the immersive world and interact with his various inventions to fix things.
This is the first time Wallace and Gromit has come to VR, though they previously starred in the augmented reality mobile game Big Fix Up, released in 2020. The upcoming title will launch on Meta Quest 2, formerly known as Oculus Quest. 2 - current 2023.
Aardman Animations has partnered with AR and VR production company Atlas V to create The Grand Getaway and says series creator Nick Park has also thrown his support behind the project. He will also be voiced by Ben Whitehead, who took over as the official voice of Wallace after the character's original voice actor, Peter Sallis, stepped down from the role in 2010.
“For loyal Wallace & Gromit fans, this is going to be true wish-fulfillment territory,” Aardman CEO Sean Clarke said of the game.
"After decades of seeing the characters on screen, you will now have the chance to step into their world and play an active role in this new story as it unfolds.
"For those new to the characters, it's the best way to get to know the humor and twists that made them so popular."
Another Aardman game is coming
Aardman Animations also has at least one more game in development. A series of job postings posted a few months ago revealed that the creative studio was currently working on a "crazy and open-ended" game based on an original IP.
Though it won't star Wallace and Gromit, job listings suggested it would share the whimsical style and humor that the studio's stop-motion films have become so well known for. The 3D action-adventure game also looks very ambitious, with the team hoping to create a compelling roster of characters set in an exciting story-driven world.
It's unclear when this game will hit the public, but The Grand Getaway might satisfy your desire for humor and Aardman craftsmanship until then.
Meanwhile, Oculus Quest 2 continues its slow march to death, as Meta puts all its might behind rebranding the VR headset and its peripheral features, bearing the Meta name and logo.