© Ink Stories
An unexpectedly timely interactive VR story.
I’ve never seen a warzone, but I got a small virtual taste of what it might be like at the Tribeca Film Festival. Hero is a multisensory interactive experience that drops you into a city in Syria right before an air raid. You’re a spectator (and subsequent participant) to the minutes before and after a bomb falls and destroys everything around you.
I can’t tell you too much about what happens without potentially ruining it for you, but suffice to say I became part of the community and through a simple act, briefly took on the titular role. It sounds self-aggrandizing, but that’s the whole point of the experience — to let the viewer know they have the ability to save lives and make a difference.
Before I even put the headset on, I was ushered into a small staging room and introduced to a docent, Thea. In hushed tones, she briefed me on what to expect and how to alert her if I was feeling disturbed. She then helped me strap on an HP VR Z vibrating backpack and a StarVR headset, then held my hands and led me to the actual site, since I was basically blindfolded by goggles that weren’t turned on. The whole time, I could hear ominous atmospheric music playing through the 32 Dolby DTS:X speakers set up in the space, as well as smell the smoky scent of oud in the air.
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Source: Engadget