[TEST] Terragame: we tested the experience in hyper-virtual reality!

Summary

• Grab your gun and shoot anything that moves
• 30 minutes of experience fully developed by Terragame
• Soon new PvP experiences at the Terragame center

Terragame is the largest hyper-virtual reality center in the world. And even if there are many who claim this title, this is only true in the context of this park. Located in Corbeil-Essonne, about 1 hour south of Paris, Terragame offers 1000 m² of free-roaming space to dive into VR and participate in innovative immersive experiences.

The concept of hyper-virtual reality is somewhat similar to that of 4D in cinema. It is an additional layer in the interaction with the experience which stimulates one or more senses in addition. In the context of VR, this allows you to interact with the decor and feel the external elements. For Terragame, spaces of 600 to 1000 m² are available. Participants evolve and move in a real physical environment that corresponds exactly with the virtual. When a door is in our way, we have to physically open it to be able to pass through it. And this component brings a real plus compared to classic virtual reality.

Grab your gun and shoot anything that moves

For the moment, Terragame offers two different experiences, even if they confront similar themes. These are the “Route of the Damned” and the “Manor of the Damned”. It is the latter that we were able to test. The story is quite simple, we are in the shoes of a group of mercenaries sent to a mansion to discover the atrocities happening there and put an end to the reign of evil in these places. You would have understood it, this is about zombies, ghosts and other filthy creatures from who knows what witchcraft rites.

Equipped with a rifle, you have to shoot anything that moves and cooperate with partners to stay alive and shoot down the hordes of monsters that are rushing at us. But that's not all, we must also protect the last inhabitants of the manor, prisoners of the evil forces present. In addition, throughout the duration of the experience, we are required to move around the interior of the mansion, search it, and interact with elements of the decor. Thus, if you put your head through a window, you will feel the wind on your face. It is also possible to take cover behind a piece of furniture, without forgetting that it exists in real life. We found almost no technical bugs. The correspondence between the real and virtual worlds is carried out to the nearest centimeter.

30 minutes of experience fully developed by Terragame

The "Manoir des Damnés" is recommended for a group of 4 to 10 people. There were 4 of us during our session. If it's clear that 10 players fit in the environment without any problem, it might get a bit overloaded. It appears to us that teams of 4 to 6 players seem to be the most suitable. All the more so since it is possible to shoot at your allies (and therefore to injure them mortally). By the way, it is not possible to lose during the first 25 minutes of the experiment. If the zombies hurt us too much, our vision goes black and white, and for 10 seconds our weapons are unusable. After this time, if it happens to all players at the same time, the game ends. The duration is thus 30 minutes, or even more, if everyone manages to stay alive and beat the final boss.

From a technical point of view, each participant is equipped with an Oculus Rift S headset connected to a computer worn as a backpack. The set is not too heavy, including the rifle. The 30 minutes of the experience pass without the slightest worry or embarrassment. The shots are precise and hit the targets you aim, where you aim them. To note that Terragame has developed its own sensor technology to enable tracking of people in the virtual reality space. These sensors are found on the rifle and on the helmet. They are also in-house developers who have developed all the proposed experiments. Everything is done by and for Terragame.

Soon new PvP experiences at the Terragame center

Imagined by two Belgian brothers in 2017, they first opened a room in Spy near Namur in Belgium. A second room was then created in Tournai. Finally, they chose the Paris region to open their third center. The CEO of Terragame is today Jean Christophe. He was present on site to ensure the smooth running and good start of the opening of this park. He took the opportunity to talk about the company's future projects. Jean notably mentioned the addition of a third experiment early next year. Participants will take part in wizard clashes in a PvP adventure which will see two teams of 3 to 4 people compete.

Terragame is open every day from 10 a.m. to 21 p.m., with evenings until 23 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The session costs 40 euros for the “Manoir des Damnés” and includes 30 minutes of experience and 30 minutes of play on one of the many VR arcades in the center. This is aimed at both VR novices who will then get on the right foot in virtual reality, as well as insiders who will be able to discover 4D in VR. We recommend everyone to go to the center for an hour of immersion that shakes the senses and lets off steam. Be careful, however, the dark and gory universe will not correspond to all sensibilities. But if you want to have good scares, this place is for you!