Kayak VR: Mirage shows what's inside the Playstation VR 2
With the new DLC "Yucatán", the kayak simulation Kayak VR: Mirage exploits the technical potential of the PSVR 2. We have swung the paddle.
Kayak VR: Mirage lets us explore a fascinatingly real water and cave landscape.
(Image: Better Than Life)
The paid DLC “Yucatán” for the kayak simulation Kayak VR takes you to a fictitious natural paradise in Central America, inspired by the karst caves of the Yucatán peninsula. The journey begins on calm waters in the middle of such a cave. Hanging lianas, ferns, and other tropical plants entwine themselves along the rugged layers of rock. Sunlight enters through a large opening in the ceiling, bathing the scenery in a dramatic interplay of light and shadow. Thanks to the PlayStation VR2's bright OLED displays, the light and dark creates a special effect that is rarely experienced with other VR headsets.
An impressive water simulation
We then enter a cave entrance with a ceiling so low that we have to lean far back in the kayak. The following fifteen minutes remain claustrophobic: in the light of a flashlight attached to our chest, we glide through a stalactite cave full of glowworms and on into a flooded mine. There, tremors cause the ceiling to collapse in several places. The mixture of rumbling noises and the vibration feedback of the PlayStation VR2 makes the tremors seem amazingly real.
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The VR experience culminates in a breakneck white water ride through narrow caves and tunnels. The dynamic water system is the most impressive aspect of the Yucatán DLC and left us breathless in several places. However, the sometimes steep gradients and abrupt changes in flow are not for people with a fear of heights or a sensitivity to intense VR movement. We also felt queasy in our stomachs. However, the game offers many settings to prevent motion sickness.
Stuck and frustrated
The narrow environments turned out to be an unexpectedly large obstacle in our test. As inexperienced kayakers, we regularly got stuck on rocks, support beams and other objects. The hectic paddling in all directions unintentionally made us break out in a sweat.
The tour mode shows just how problematic the Yucatán excursion can be. Here, the game takes over the controls and lets us drift through the surroundings in a relaxed manner. At least in theory. In our run-through, the kayak got stuck at one point and could not be freed. So we had no choice but to paddle through the caves ourselves again. However, experienced fans of the VR game should have no problems with any of this, and welcome the new racetracks and leaderboards in the Yucatán DLC.
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The multiplayer mode introduced last September for joint paddling trips is also supported and brings some variety to the rather straightforward overall package of the basic game in terms of gameplay and content. Graphically and technically, however, “Kayak VR: Mirage” remains a flagship title for PlayStation VR2 and even goes one better with the Yucatán DLC.
Kayak VR: Mirage is available both in the PlayStation Store for PS VR2 and on Steam for all common PC VR glasses. However, if you want to use PlayStation VR2 on a PC via an adapter, you will have to do without features such as HDR and the headset's vibration feedback. These are both aspects that provide more immersion in the PS5 version.
The Yucatan DLC can be purchased separately for 8 euros or as part of the new Complete Edition, which also includes the first DLC, “Soča Valley”, released a year ago.
(mki)
