I wore a ‘metaverse suit’ into a terrifying Zombie VR world – I’m still haunted

ACCESS to VR has never been so good – and the quality is seriously stepping up.

But for too long its been marred by wires connected to the ceiling and very limited space.

3

3

• Sandbox VR, London, from £30 – buy now

Not Sandbox VR, an American immersive gaming giant which has just opened its first spot in the UK, near London’s Covent Garden.

With all this talk of the metaverse bringing VR to the masses, we went along to try out one of the six worlds currently available.

We jumped into one called Deadwood Valley, which is described as an “adrenaline-pumping zombie thrill-ride through a town overrun by zombies”.

You can have up to six people participating per game.

And it lasts about 30 minutes.

First things first, let’s get suited up.

There’s a lot to wear for this experience – the headset being the most important of course.

There are sensors which attach to your wrists and ankles, then there’s a huge vest pack – it’s not too heavy despite looking bulky.

And we get a weapon each too.

As we walk down to our experience zone, we hear the screams of other players.

Surely they’re being a bit over the top? Well, not at all.

Graphics hit the right spot

Some VR out there is still a bit ‘meh’, with shoddy graphics and buggy kit.

That’s not the case with Sandbox VR.

The graphics are still far from real-life, but this is a zombie adventure after all.

All-in-all, I think the visuals do pretty well in a gaming context like this and it certainly did the job in delivering a few jumpy thrills.

We have a pretty large space to roam around physically together.

And due to the detection tech, we can see each other’s virtual selves moving around in real time, which is seriously cool.

Movement of friends and family’s avatars with you can be a little clunky but it’s not detrimental to the overall experience.

Deadwood Valley’s plot doesn’t break new ground – much of the world’s population has turned into zombies and you have to rescue a scientist with a cure, while staying alive yourself.

But that’s not an issue either, you know what you’re getting when zombies are involved.

And very quickly, hoards are running towards us.

Suddenly, the screams we heard from others made sense, as we became overrun by blood thirsty beasts.

As I’m attacked, the vest cleverly vibrates, so I can feel what’s going on as well as see it.

I get a nasty fright when one manages to jump on my back and puts its ugly face right in front of my eyes.

In real life, I’d probably hide behind a car, but in the VR world, there are still limits. We’re stuck within a spacious boxed zone which turns red if you get too near the real walls.

You can still move around quite a bit, so be sure not to run into your teammates.

Fortunately, we’re not stuck to one location, there are clever ways to move us along.

The best bit is in the middle when we’re getting away in an open truck, shooting zombies as they try and jump aboard.

In our real surroundings, fans start to blow, giving us the added sensation of moving from a fast vehicle.

The whole VR element actually only lasts 30 minutes but the adrenaline made it feel more like 10.

While this might seem short, it also felt like enough – shooting the undead with very few breaks is hard work.

But the fun doesn’t stop there, as after you get to watch a bespoke video of your team’s highlights, which is a really nice touch.

Better still, you’re sent it via email to keep.

And if you fancy sticking around, there’s also a robot bar which can make all sorts of funky cocktails.

Verdict

Sandbox VR is a shinning example of where virtual experiences need to go.

Being able to move so freely has improved massively and the bonus of seeing your pals in the same game and room as you is immense.

Fending off zombies is breathtaking fun, but I’d like to see more imaginative VR tales in future that don’t necessarily rely on guns – we’re told that a new fantasy adventure is in the works next, which is welcome news.

Things like fans to generate a wind effect take immersion to the next level. I’d love to see more of this – what about heat from a burning vehicle? Or being able to feel the crunch of debris beneath your feet?

• Sandbox VR, London, from £30 – buy now

Price may also be a sticking point for some, with the cost per person varying between £30 and £45 depending on how many are in your group and the time/day you visit, which might be a push considering the actual VR experience only lasts 30 minutes.

But this is as good as VR gets right now and you won’t find anything else nearly as slick.

3

Best Phone and Gadget tips and hacks

Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find those secret features within social media apps? We have you covered…

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]