Our first year with the PSVR2 has convinced us that the headset is still waiting on its killer app. Few would argue that its best titles are either existing PS5 games given a VR makeover – like Gran Turismo 7 or Resident Evil Village – or games borrowed from older VR hardware, such as The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners and the widely loved (if undeniably ageing) Beat Saber, a game I first played at EGLX Toronto nearly seven years ago.
And as I noted in my original PSVR2 review, the system’s purported showpiece, Horizon: Call of the Mountain, suffers from inaccessibility, with demanding gameplay and a misguided adherence to traditional game design which alienates the non-gamers in your life.
But there’s one game that I keep returning to, the one that I can quite literally sit anyone down in front of, and within minutes they’re joyfully floating off into a virtual space. That game is, of course, Kayak VR: Mirage.
Kayak VR is not a PSVR2 exclusive; you can also download it on Steam for various PC-tethered headsets, which also means that by definition it can’t be PSVR2’s killer app.
That said, if you’re going to own a PSVR2 – and you should, at least if you already have a PS5 – then Kayak VR should be your day one purchase, and it should be the game you trot out any time a VR skeptic (or VR curious) drops by your home.
Unsurprisingly, Kayak VR is no more and no less than an authentic, graphically impressive, kayaking simulator. It’s not quite a game (there’s a time trial mode, but it’s rather superfluous), since your only real objective is to explore the game’s varied environments at leisure. That said, the game does offer “rewards”, in the sense of hidden coves, semi-scripted events, and a plethora of animal species to encounter, for those committed to exploring its every digital nook and cranny.
Of the game’s four base environments – Norway, Costa Rica, Australia, Antarctica – our favourite is probably the dreamy, sunny Costa Rica. Whether it’s easing down a narrow river through a dense jungle, or bursting out into wide open waters where schools of clownfish are at play, Costa Rica looks incredible at either day or night, using the game’s togglable environmental options.
Norway, which sees you floating along the fjords, is a close second because sharks (in fact, Kayak VR awards an Achievement to those brave enough to get up close and personal with them). Elsewhere, Antarctica has penguins, Australia has gorgeous red rocks. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of the environments.
More recently, Kayak VR has introduced the (real-life) Soča/Isonzo River, now available as a CAD $8.00 downloadable add-on. The “Soča Valley” environment, inspired by the river which flows along the Italy/Slovenia border, is a nice addition to the experience, with its gorgeous green water, extraordinary mountain vistas, and impeccably rendered forests.
Perhaps most importantly, Soča Valley introduces a splash of whitewater rafting, for those seeking a bit more of a thrill-ride. The whitewater sections are a fun gimmick, though to be honest we still get the most thrills when we discover new areas or wildlife. We certainly know we haven’t seen everything Soča Valley has to offer, but we know we’ll keep revisiting it – and keep showing it off to our friends and family.
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Visit the website for Kayak VR: Mirage here.
