"The Amusement": German VR adventure with free movement played
The VR adventure "The Amusement", released by the cultural broadcaster Arte, sends players on a journey back in time to 1920s Germany.
In "The Amusement", nostalgia and coping with grief are closely linked.
(Image: Arte France)
Arte has been active as a producer and publisher of video games for over ten years. Most recently, the cultural broadcaster supported the development of the European co-production “Gloomy Eyes” and integrated the French metal festival “Hellfest” into Fortnite with “Riff Mountain.” The latest production, “The Amusement,” takes place entirely in virtual reality. We tried out the mix of historical drama, crime thriller, and climbing adventure.
Historical drama with a crime note
“The Amusement” transports players back to 1920s Germany. 19-year-old Samantha spent a large part of her childhood in the amusement park of her deceased father. After his death, her mother, who is from England, wants to sell the park in Halligrooge, Germany, as quickly as possible. To check the condition of the rides and estimate the value of the park, she sends her daughter to Germany.
As Samantha inspects the sometimes dilapidated rides she experienced so often with her parents as a child, she notices that each attraction also holds a valuable memory of a happier time. But the further she progresses, the more she realizes that the park's history also includes dark chapters.
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More than just a walking simulator
At first, “The Amusement” is reminiscent of emotionally told “walking simulators” like “What Remains of Edith Finch” or “Everybody's Gone to the Rapture,” but it offers significantly more interactive elements and puzzles. Players move through visually and stylistically beautifully realized attractions inspired by the historical Luna Parks of the 1920s. They occasionally come across old newspapers or hear radio broadcasts that recall the difficult political, social, and economic situation of the time. The actual story is mainly told through fragments of memories, staged as small shadow plays and fully voiced.
To be able to explore the sometimes dilapidated ruins, Samantha expands her toolbox over the course of the game with, among other things, a yo-yo that activates distant switches or a grappling hook gun with which she overcomes obstacles. In addition, there are climbing passages and classic switch and environmental puzzles, such as finding the right arrangement of cable cars or finding keys and fuses. The puzzles are usually simple enough that the game's progress does not get stuck. However, old adventure game veterans may quickly feel underchallenged.
Free movement as a core principle
“The Amusement” relies on free-roam control. This means that players can move freely in the virtual world. Artificial locomotion via joystick or button press is therefore omitted. This is primarily intended to eliminate the risk of motion sickness, which occurs particularly in VR when movement in the game does not match real body movements. However, those who prefer to play seated can switch to artificial locomotion or a teleport function at any time.
For free-roam to be possible in the living room at home, the level architecture must be tailored to movements in the tightest space. Developer Curvature Games states that a play area of 2 x 2 meters is sufficient, and we can confirm this after our test. The development team not only uses rooms that roughly correspond to the play area but also guides players through narrow, winding corridors and chambers.
Chapter 1, for example, consists of a narrow hedge maze that, through its clever design, suggests a much larger area than it actually covers. Anyone who overlooks the labyrinth from the final vantage point will wonder how this route could have been covered in their own living room.
Minor immersion breaks
Free-roam can also enhance immersion due to the synchronized movements in physical and digital space. Walking and simple actions in the immediate vicinity of one's own body work excellently. However, a break occurs when falling occurs during climbing passages, which are already difficult to portray credibly in VR. “The Amusement” does not have such a fall. Instead, the player briefly freezes in mid-air, the surroundings turn gray, and they are immediately prompted to return to the play area.
While this is not particularly elegant, it is a necessary compromise when the design principle prioritizes comfort above all else. However, there is a lack of consistency. When swinging with the grappling hook gun, for example, artificial locomotion does occur. However, there are no switchable vignettes – these are dynamic black borders that reduce the field of vision and are intended to make artificial movement more pleasant. Overall, however, “The Amusement” is a successful example that convincing free-roam games are possible outside of large VR arcades with clever level design.
Interim conclusion
“The Amusement” is a narratively and atmospherically strong VR adventure, whose minor control quirks or not always optimally mixed voices can be easily forgiven. The largely successful free-roam technology makes it ideal for beginners as well as for people who have problems with artificial locomotion in VR. The German development studio Curvature Games also shows that it doesn't always take gigantic worlds to create a convincing and immersive VR experience.
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“The Amusement” will be available from April 16, 2026, on Meta Quest and PC-VR via Steam. The price is 22 euros, and the USK rating is 12 years. The English voice output can be subtitled. German is available as a text language.
(joe)
