Modern life can be stressful. Long hours at work, the fast-pace of life and ever-increasing bills can all lead to feelings of burn-out. You need a break; a time to chill and get away from the treadmill of normal life. But even that can be stressful.
Trying to find a time to suit the whole family then parting with the money can make the blood boil even more. Add the hassle of booking flights, searching for accommodation and spending large amounts of time with your family, you may need a holiday to get over your holiday.
Thankfully nDreams, a UK-based games studio with expertise in VR have made holiday relaxation a stress-free experience for all. Perfect is their latest release on PlayStation VR (US) and Oculus Rift and is coming soon to PlayStation VR (EU) and HTC Vive. You can check out the launch trailer here.
Plan your destination
There are three environments to choose from – Northern Lights, Tropical Beach, and Mountain Wilderness – with the option to customize the time of day and choose from different viewing areas in each. Motion controllers are supported so you can interact with objects in the landscapes. You can chill out to the excellent in-game music or stream your own music direct from Spotify. The ambient sound effects are also great and go a long way to enhancing your sense of immersion.
The first thing to note about Perfect is that if you are looking for a VR experience with bags of gameplay and goals, this is not it. You can’t move around the environment, and the number of items you can interact with is fairly limited. There are special events that occur in each location, such as hot-air balloons and gliders but these are few and far between and are visual effects only. The environments are very pretty, but I was hoping to be able to walk around and interact with them a little more.
More than a tech demo
But to think of this as a game is the wrong way to approach it. Some have described it as a tech demo, but I think that is unfair too. It is intended as a relaxing space where you can sit back, enjoy the environment and listen to music. There are no stress moments and no feeling of motion sickness for those who tend to suffer, so it is a great introduction to VR for people who have never experienced it before. I can see people picking this up as a fun way to show off their VR gear to their family as well.
If your idea of holiday fun is jumping off cliffs with bungee cords attached to your feet or buzzing canyons in a wingsuit, then this is probably not for you. If you like your breaks a little more tranquil and zen, then I can see Perfect being a worthwhile escape when you want to listen to music with no distractions from the outside world. It’s a cool way to get away from it all without having to deal with fighting kids, losing your luggage, or forgetting to send postcards.
About the author
Andy Trowers is a game design consultant, freelance ne’er do well and staff writer for http://www.canada.for-sale.com.
YouTube: Perfect Launch Trailer
Photo credit: nDreams
Editorial notice: This post has been sponsored.
