VR will be bringing you from the comforts of that hand me down couch you got from grandma to the outer reaches of space. Becoming NASA astronauts isn’t all fun and games, though. There is enough danger, loneliness and vomit to go around and this VR games don’t leave out any of them.
NASA ASTRONAUTS BROUGHT TO YOU IN VR
Imagine floating amongst the stars as the chunks of a destroyed space station fly by, narrowly crushing your hopes, dreams, and body. The space suit you have on is the only thing saving you from the crippling death that is space. NASA can’t be contacted and all other astronauts are dead. A leak in your suit acts as a slow death clock, just counting down the seconds until suffocation. You’re doing all you can from vomiting up your dehydrated lunch from earlier in the day. If all of that sounds like a grand time to you, then you will love what the game Adrift is going for.
VIRTUAL REALITY WILL HELP YOU DIE IN SPACE
Nobody ever said that astronauts have it easy with NASA. For some reason, their profession has been glorified. The game Adrift for Oculus Rift will help drive home the concept that astronauts don’t exactly live a life of luxury. One of the very first concepts you will be introduced to in Adrift is Space Adaptation Syndrome. NASA calls this a type of motion sickness one gets when adjusting to a low gravity environment. Just how realistic the nausea effect will be with VR is not yet known, but it might help to keep a bucket next to you in case. Aside from vomit, Adrift is said to act as a realistic depiction of astronauts in zero-G.
GOING ON A SPACE WALKABOUT
While the scenario in Adrift is much more frightening than anything a real astronaut has to encounter, the game does a wonderful job of capturing the realism of floating through space. Just a tap to the left will keep you moving in that direction until, well, forever. For this reason, the pace of the game will be pretty slow, but that’s how a real astronaut would go about it. NASA spacesuits weigh around 300 pounds, and while you won’t be wearing one, you’ll surely walk around like you are. Besides walking, gamers will experience plenty of near death experiences in Adrift. If the average FPS just isn’t cutting it anymore, look forward to dying in space with this game.
