Virtuis

Virtuis (/ˈvɜrtʃuɪs/; stylized as ViRTUiS) is a 2016    developed and published by OmegaWorks. It was released for on June 5, 2016 and for the  and  consoles on August 13, 2016.

In the game, players can play three game modes: Ones, which uses an "every man for himself" format; Twos, where players are split into teams of two; Threes, where players are split into teams a three; and Fours, where each player can have three teammates. In each mode, only 12 players are allowed per server.

The game has received positive reception for its multiplayer gameplay, graphics, music, and overall design; criticism was primarily aimed at the game's. As of June 15, 2020 has ReviewGame score of 97%. It won two OGN Awards in 2017, and was nominated for three more. Due to its popularity, Virtuis has also been adopted as an esport, with professional players participating through and  along with OmegaWorks' own Virtuis World Series.

Gameplay
In the game, players can play three game modes: Ones, which uses an "every man for himself" format; Twos, where players are split into teams of two; Threes, where players are split into teams a three; and Fours, where each player can have three teammates. In each mode, only two teams (players for One) are allowed per server.

Players can have a wide range of weapons, from katanas to guns. They can also customize their avatars' features, including suits, tops, bottoms, headwear, footwear, faces, height, weight, and accessories; these can be purchased with an in-game currency called Coins, which you can get from you or your team winning Wars, in-game fights. Coins can also be purchased with real money.

Conception
Dominic Dominguez first conceptualized the game in the late 2000s while working on Gun Fu. Dominguez frequently describes the game as "an immersive open world first-person shooter" and "the ultimate online first-person shooter". He pitched the idea to OmegaWorks, whose then-CEO, Alan Neckland, said, "The game could make the perfect first-person shooter with enough time and effort put in. [...] This could be the best game we ever made."

Game
Full development official began sometime in midyear 2013. According to Dominguez, the game cost an estimated $3.8 million to develop. The game's direction and design were led by Dominguez, with Daniel and Gabriel Barciero serving as producers. Creating an open world environment and having a futuristic soundtrack were key requirements for OmegaWorks, which partially resulted in the game's delayed release.

Music
The original soundtrack for the game, Virtuis: Official Soundtrack (Vol. 1), was digitally released on June 6, 2015. It consists of -based music digitally composed by Jess Norton. A second album, Virtuis: Official Soundtrack (Vol. 2), was released on June 27, 2016, which was the game's first soundtrack to feature music by independent artists.

Norton collaborated with Canadian electronic musician NerdyBirdie to release a special album for the game's fifth anniversary. The album, titled Virtuis x NerdyBerdie: 5th Anniversary Soundtrack, which was released on June 4, 2021.


 * Virtuis: Official Soundtrack (Vol. 1) (2015)
 * Virtuis: Official Soundtrack (Vol. 2) (2016)
 * Virtuis: Official Soundtrack (Vol. 3) (2017)
 * Virtuis: Official Soundtrack (Vol. 4) (2018)
 * Virtuis: Official Soundtrack (Vol. 5) (2020)
 * Virtuis x NerdyBirdie: 5th Anniversary Special (2021)
 * Virtuis: Official Soundtrack (Vol. 6) (2022)

Release
Virtuis was officially announced by Dominic Dominguez in September 2014. In March 2015, became available for the game. It was scheduled to be released in August 2015, but was delayed to fix technical issues, implement better player matchmaking, and raise the frame rate from 30 to 60 frames per second.

An official trailer for Virtuis was showcased during GameCon 2015, and was uploaded to later that day. The trailer quickly went viral, reaching over fifty million views during its first week on YouTube.

Critical reception
Virtuis has been praised by players and critics for its multiplayer gameplay, graphics, music, and overall design. As of April 2022, Virtuis has a 92% approval rating on ScoreDot and a 97% rating on YouLook. Criticism was primarily aimed at the game's, which critics described as "oversimplified". though a consensus on the topic has mostly been unclear, as some critics praised its simplicity.