Taking a trip to Mount Everest is not something most people would have on their to-do list right now. When said experience comes with a VR headset near you, things become very different. Everest VR for the PlayStation VR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift is a beautiful experience, but the price is pretty steep and the “game” doesn’t provide as much value as we would had expected. For the value of $24.99, this particular offering is overpriced, in our opinion.
Everest VR is a Disappointing Experience
Granted, it can’t have been easy to create a VR experience in which users effectively climb Mount Everest. This inhospitable place has boggled the mind of mankind for some time now. Every year, hundreds of individuals try to reach the peak, yet only a few of them effectively to succeed. Turning such a venture into a hands-off VR experience was a big gamble on the part of Solfar Studios, especially when considering it only lasts for 25 minutes.
As one would expect, Everest VR begins at base camp where you can pick up food supplies and use it as you see fit. Afterward, there will be flashes of different “parts” of the climb itself, which takes a lot of time to reach in real life. In this VR experience, however, it almost feels like climbing the entire mountain in a few minutes, which is not exactly what we had hoped for by any means. All of the clips shown are intermixed with some history as to why that part of the trek is dangerous.
Thankfully, there is something to do for the VR user other than just sitting back and watching things unfold. Every “area’ lets you do something, although none of these experiences are even remotely memorable. There is no sense of achievement or fun, to be brutally honest. While you get to climb a ladder at one point, it is the only part of this experience that is even remotely thrilling. While we commend people for climbing this massive mountain in real life, virtual reality isn’t doing it justice right now by any means.
One thing Everest VR does is provide users with stunning visual material. Sadly, some parts are still rough around the edges, and visual glitches have been part of this VR experience from day one. The gameplay elements – if we can call them that – serve no real purpose whatsoever. For the price of $24.99, Everest VR is not worth the money. If you are curious to see how such a trek is performed in VR, wait until its price drops to $7.5 or even lower. Otherwise, you will regret the purchase within minutes.
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