Posted in: Anime, Games, Video Games | Tagged: Project Hikari, Square Enix, The Tale of the Wedding Rings

Is The Future Of Comics In VR? Square Enix And Project Hikari Think It Should Be

Project Hikari is Square Enix's working title for a VR adaptation of the manga Tales of the Wedding Rings. And the entire premise of the experience is just to watch a manga or comic play out for you while relaxing with your VR headset on. Which is something I'd be skeptical of if I didn't get the chance to watch the first episode of the VR comic. With the whole thing taking place literally before your eyes, with a combination of still art, animations, and shifting 3D perspectives, the manga literally comes alive around you.

I've been a reader of comics and manga for years now, I've lost track of how long, but I've held fast to the idea of having physical copies of the books. The feel of turning pages and seeing the art laid out on a proper page has kept me from getting too deeply invested in digital format, but the immediacy of having no borders between you and the story is definitely powerful. And because you don't need to worry about any gaming mechanics, you can just relax, lean your head back, and watch.

Having an audio soundtrack (albeit in Japanese) was also something I would not have expected to affect me as much as it did, but the experience of Project Hikari is not something to be discounted.

Given that Square Enix, among all their gaming and collectible endeavors, also publish a ton of manga and anime every year, this might actually be something of a perfect storm. If Hikari does well, they've got countless other properties they can give a VR treatment. Giving you access to a massive content library right in front of your eyes.

While I doubt it will become a massive worldwide phenomenon – neither Marvel nor DC seem likely to jump into VR – it definitely does offer an incredibly unique perspective. Because you can essentially live in the world of your favorite manga. And that is pretty damn cool.

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