It's always a good sign when you've gone somewhere new and in your head you are working out who you should bring back with you next time. When Al and I visited the new V R experience on London Road we were both so impressed by it that we both started thinking about who else we wanted to bring to it.
Virtual reality experiences are 100% here to stay and as we discovered are lots of fun even for two Generation X women who still associate computer games with Pac Man and Tetris. When we were invited to experience a new V R Cafe in Brighton we had no idea what to expect. What we discovered was amazing. You may look like a fool, flailing your arms around, but with the headset on, all you can see is the crazy 360° world that you are now in.
Brighton Virtual Reality Cafe
For us, that world was the madcap Loco Dojo game, represented for the evening by the Director of emerging tech at Make Real Ltd, Sam @vr_sam. In our virtual reality world we stood in front of a large roulette wheel that we had to spin, using real physical effort. For a novice, it’s crazy. You can see your hands moving in front of you in the virtual world, which exists 360 degrees around you. We had to compete in games to win points and go up the karate belts eventually making it to black belt. Woo hoo. From throwing pizzas at giant teeth, to javelins at food on a giant cactus and trying to walk a pig along a crooked bridge over water, it all felt rather bonkers in a good way.
It was a world that I felt sure my eight year old nephew, who incidentally is learning karate, would love so much he might never take the headset back off. I also imagined my partner finding the experience truly fabulous and he’s not one for superlatives.
Brighton Virtual Reality Cinema
In a completely different way our second V R experience was also remarkable. Named The Burrow, this petite cinema features V R films, experiences and documentaries to showcase immersive storytelling. We stepped into a small room, apparently the only permanent VR cinema in the UK, which had been given a steam punk vibe with two comfy high backed chairs in it. In moments we had secured on our headsets and were transported under water to experience virtual reality in close proximity to a whale. To be so close to a whale, even in a virtual sense was extraordinary.
I'm not long back from Orlando where I discovered 4D cinema for the first time and digitally enhanced rides that were so impressive, I didn't think they could be matched. GOVR's V R experiences may not be on the scale of the Orlando Universal and Disney parks or have the same budget, but they are still offering fantastic, mind-expanding experiences and at incredibly affordable prices.
Whoever you decide to take, my friend and I are confident that all ages will find this a unique and brilliant experience. There are two offerings; a V R Cinema for two that provides a relaxing, experiential 360° show, while next door is a V R Cafe that accommodates up to four playing at the same time. This is ground breaking entertainment in a way that can be enjoyed together in reality.
Thanks to the GOVR team for inviting us to check out their fun activities. This is not a sponsored post. I have not been paid to write this.
To find out more about GOVR
Visit www.govrbrighton.com
