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InXile Entertainment's The Mage's Tale Hits Oculus Rift VR on June 20

Pre-ordering the game, which bridges The Bard's Tale 3 and 4, gets you 10 percent off the $40 asking price.

David Craddock

June 1, 2017 1:00 PM

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The Mage's Tale, a VR action-RPG by InXile Entertainment set between the events of The Bard's Tale 3 and the upcoming Bard's Tale 4, will launch on Oculus Rift on June 20. InXile has opened pre-orders for the game; plunking down money early gets you a 10 percent discount on the game's asking price of $39.99.

InXile founder and CEO Brian Fargo is aware of the reputation surrounding many VR "games," which amount to glorified tech demos. In designing The Mage's Tale, the developers actively sought to craft a meatier experience. By the sounds of it, they did: InXile estimates that players will need to set aside at least 10 hours to complete their first journey.

"Our goal was to use the old school tried and true methods of game design and integrate that with everything that Virtual Reality offers. We wanted to get away from the VR 'experience' and create the kind of meaty and full-scale game that gamers appreciate," said Fargo in a press release sent to Shacknews.

Over the course of The Mage's Tale, players will inhabit the world of The Bard's Tale and get to partake in actions only available in the canonical RPG series thus far. Specifically, players will get to fight creatures, cast spells, and explore dungeons—all within an immersive VR environment.

The Mage's Tale released for Oculus Rift VR on June 20.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.