Virtual reality is starting to take off, and we’re starting to see some interesting projects revolving around it. A lot of the more popular VR experiences aren’t so much games as they are trips; and now, Shinkyo Oishi hopes to let you take a trip through time and experience feudal Japan with Edo VR, now on Kickstarter.

Edo VR is a recreation of feudal Japan—specifically, the Edo period, in case the name didn’t clue you in—in minute detail. The idea is to let players fully experience what ancient Japanese culture was really like. The team hopes to build four key areas: Nihombashi, the Daimyo Residences, Asakusa and Edo Castle. The latter is an iconic figure of the era, and you gotta admit, it would be cool to explore:

edo vr

[http://sengoku-period.wikia.com/wiki/Battle_of_Edo_Castle_(1615)]

That said, at minimum funding the team only plans to create Nihombashi, a merchant district in feudal Japan. They’ll build the extra areas as stretch goals are met, ending at a whopping $500,000 for Edo Castle.

The team will utilize contemporary pictorial records, actual blueprints and existing photographs to recreate Edo, Japan with historical accuracy. Indeed, the 3DCG artist is a historian specializing in the Edo period of Japan.

Now you might be thinking that this is cool, but what kind of gameplay will there be? Well, probably not much. This is meant to be a fun, historical experience more than anything else. However, the team hasn’t fully ruled out a proper game. If the campaign manages to hit $1,000,000, they’ll build a ninja FPS open world stealth game within the VR world. Hopefully it’s not quite as hard as Ninja Gaiden.

edo vr

All in all, this seems like a large project for such a small team to pursue. But Kickstarter is all about cool, oftentimes crazy ideas. If you’re a history nerd (or just really like ninjas) (you don’t have to lie you’re among friends here) then check out the Kickstarter page for more information and some bonus history lessons.

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About the Author

David Lins

David Lins is a freelance writer from Pennsylvania that has loved video games since he was old enough to hold a controller. He enjoys all sorts of games, but prefers difficult or terrifying ones. Currently, he plays too many roguelikes. When not writing about his favorite hobby, he loves to drink beer, write fiction, play tabletop RPGs or board games, and hang out with his friends and family. He also has a passion for technology and loves tinkering with his phone, computer, and other devices. Follow David on Twitter for “hilarious” or “insightful” tweets about nothing in particular.

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