It does not happen all that often we come across a VR experience worth reviewing. Even though there are plenty of VR experiences on the market today, few of them cna captivate an audience. Mars Odyssey proves to be a very different creature in this regard. This project, developed by Steel Wool Studios, is available for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift at a price of $7.99. It is well worth the money if you have any interest in the planet Mars or the Curiosity rover.
Mars Odyssey is Interesting and Informing
As one would expect from a VR experience which goes by the name of Mars Odyssey, this is not your traditional game whatsoever. Anyone who is even remotely interested in the planet Mars or the recent NASA mission which showed us footage of the red planet may want to check this out. Although it is only a thirty-minute journey, Mars Odyssey brings a lot of interesting content to the table. First of all, you will see how big planet the planet really is, which is very different from what most people expect right now.
Additionally, the user can mime fixing different landers and rovers, which leads to some degree of customization along the way. There is even a segment during which you get to drive a small rover, but it controls rather awkwardly. Then again, these machines are designed to be somewhat awkward in every sense of the word, thus it seems normal this is not as easy as pushing a joystick in a specific direction. It is something that will irk some VR users, though, but it’s not something to overly concerned about when looking at the bigger picture.
As one would expect from an informative experience, there is a fair bit of reading to you. People with a genuine interest in the matter won’t mind this in the slightest. You can learn more about the landers, Mars itself, and so forth. From an educational perspective, Mars Odyssey certainly checks a lot of the right boxes. Visually, some parts are beautiful, whereas others are mediocre at best. It’s evident this planet, while unknown to most of us, is not as “interesting” as some people may expect. Again, it’s important to go into this experience with the right mindset and expectations.
One big downside is how this experience has no “replay value” whatsoever, as you will learn nothing new. That is, assuming you checked out everything there is to learn, which is a fair amount. Since there is no real interaction on your behalf, it is evident Mars Odyssey is not for everyone. With the price of $7.99, we can easily get our entertainment value from this VR experience, but your individual mileage may vary
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