3R Games’ recently released Cave Crave emulates that sense of unnerving claustrophobia that caving can create. Albeit without the inherent dangers the hobby has. And those real-life dangers are very real, with some of the most dangerous caving systems having claimed lives. One of the more recent tragedies involved the Nutty Putty Cave, which has since been blocked off. Soon, you’ll be able to explore Nutty Putty by way of Cave Crave.
Nutty Putty Cave History
Nutty Putty Cave is an underground system located in Utah, US. In 2009, a tragic accident occurred where 26-year-old John Edward Jones died. Exploring the cave with a group of people, he split off and became trapped upside down in a fissure just 10 by 18 inches wide. After 27 hours of rescue attempts, the team were unable to save him, leading to Nutty Putty Cave being permanently sealed off. Serving as both a memorial and a safety measure.
Staying Respectful
So what the team at 3R Games has done is to recreate Nutty Putty Cave in Cave Crave. They’ve achieved this by way of public documentation and an official cave map provided by rescuer Brandon Kowallis. Thus, allowing players to digitally visit the cave system, as it is no longer accessible.
Obviously, this is a sensitive subject due to the harrowing nature of what happened. To ensure the VR experience remains respectful, the team avoided any gamification. Removing features like collectables and environmental hazards, players will be able to explore the cave and nothing else.
“Our goal is to give VR explorers access to a place that can no longer be visited in reality—nothing more, nothing less,” said Piotr Surmacz, CEO of 3R Games and director of the title, in a statement.
Nutty Putty Cave Trailer
Update Availability
The Nutty Putty Cave update for Cave Crave will be made available during September. Cave Crave supports both PSVR 2 and Meta Quest headsets.
Have you been exploring Cave Crave since launch? What do you reckon to the news of this particular update? Let us know in the comments.
