Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
VR is absolutely made for storytelling, stunning universes, and emotional plots. One of our favorite game studios to do that is “The Chinese Room”. All their games are masterpieces, and definitely a must play on REXR, whether you’ve have finished them before or not, as the VR experience of them is on a whole new level.
Today we discover “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture”, a first person adventure game taking place in a village where all the inhabitants have mysteriously disappeared, leaving light orbs behind that recalls their memory. You advance through the beautifully rendered fictional village of Yaughton in Shropshire, England, discovering clues from those light orbs, phone calls recordings and radio broadcasts, as each one of them adds a new paragraph/chapter to the tale of the Rapture.
A beautiful emotional tale made for VR
“Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture” is not just a game, it’s an interactive tale. “The Chinese Room” never disappoint to deliver when it comes to emotions, and VR takes the experience to the a whole new level.
From the very beginning where the painting turns into the actual game, I was already sold. I just stood on the edge looking at the beautiful scenery, and I was excited thinking how the game will outdo this magnificent first sight, and boy was I in for a treat!
The first time I unlocked a memory through a light orb, I was in awe, literally. The effects and sounds combined perfectly into something magical, I have chills just thinking about it right now! I had that innocent baby smile when experiencing something exciting for the first time, and I haven’t felt that in years.
Reaching the village is another incredible sight. The level of details is absolutely phenomenal. I found myself multiple time forgetting that there’s a story to follow, strolling through gardens and back yards instead.
Every single piece of the story is extremely well put, from discovering deep meanings to random conversations between inhabitants moments before the rapture, the universe is full of life even though, ironically, you are the only one who’s actually alive within this universe.
I don’t want to spoil much of the story or the surprises that await you, I will just say that the universe and story are true artistic masterpieces. Experiencing them in VR made me connect to them to an almost spiritual level, and coming back to the real world made me think “oh yeah I forgot that I’m in my room” every single time.
A smooth REXR experience
An artistic universe, emotional story telling and easy to grasp gameplay are 3 key ingredients to a great VR Game. From the get go, I knew exactly what to do and didn’t have to spend time learning the different controls. The game developer know it pretty well, that’s why they didn’t have a tutorial. I was also relaxing on my chair or couch every time I played, as I don’t really like to play while standing and turning all the time. REXR being completely wireless gave me the freedom to play in whatever position I wanted.
The sound work in the game is also spot on. It not only creates a great atmosphere, but also fully uses spacial audio to guide the player towards the objectives. I could almost close my eyes and know where to go every time there was a something to pay attention to. VR is nothing without great sound, and once again “The Chinese Room” delivered a top notch performance, even without them planning it to be playable in VR through REXR.
By combining these elements, one has to wonder if they didn’t plan it to be played in VR at some point, even though I highly doubt it. I would lean more towards the thought that they have a very skilled artistic team, and a great communication between them and the game developers. Games are supposed to make the user forget they are in a game, and the Studio, knowing the game will be played on a screen, pushed the limits of “screen immersion” as far as possible. When it was possible to play it in the ultimate immersion mode, VR, through REXR the whole thing just felt right!
Why you should try it yourself
First, because all of the above. Seriously, if you are into storytelling and adventure/puzzle games, or just want to be a protagonist in an artistic show, “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture” is made for you. It’s one of the few games that will make you think: this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for from VR for the past 10 years!
Also, a major plus: The game is 3 years old, and if you have a semi-decent graphics card, you’ll be able to push the graphics pretty high and enjoy the artistic universe in its full glory.
Trying a traditional VR game after going through the game made me realize how much we’ve been missing out on, and how big of a potential does VR Gaming have. Sure there’s no hand/walk/fingers tracking or what not, but who cares? The game is about the story and universe, and VR takes it to a whole new level. It makes the immersion far greater than any other gimmicky gameplay out there. It’s simple and makes everything flow without having to think what your next move is going to be. In my book, that’s what good gameplay should be: a tool, not a purpose.
If all of this hasn’t convinced you yet, maybe knowing that they won all these awards will convince you: ‘Best Emotional Artistic Game Achievement” , “Best Emotional Music” , “ Best Writing in a Video Game”, “Creative UK Gameplay Award”, “Best Dialogue”, and many more! For only $19.99 on Steam, it’s an absolute steal as even the most expensive VR games out there with very high budgets don’t come anywhere close to it.
Finally, if you have already played it before, definitely give it a replay on REXR as the VR experience makes it into a completely different game. Think “Black&White →Color” evolution, but even bigger of a leap! It doesn’t cost anything to try, as you either already have REXR and can play it for free, or you don’t and can try it using the free trial available to first time users.
All in all, “The Chinese Room” proved once again how capable their team is, by making a game so great and immersive that it was just begging to be played in VR, and we are very proud to finally enable it through REXR, and highly encourage you to give it a try.
You can find the REXR app and follow our journey to disrupt the VR Gaming industry at: www.rexr.io .
P.S: We are not sponsored by “The Chinese Room”, nor do we sell or provide “Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture” game on our platform. Please buy the game from the official distributors and support the studio, they really deserve it!
