Through the power of virtual reality, you can now take on the Daleks or run from Weeping Angels, and all from a warehouse in Abercarn
Abercarn gaming arcade VR Experience Wales launched a new Doctor Who interactive adventure on the same day that the beloved sci-fi series was celebrated worldwide.
This VR adventure uses a PC-based virtual reality headset and the Doctor Who: The Edge of Time video game to transport players to the Doctor Who universe. It features three levels: a shoot-em-up against the might of the Daleks, a TARDIS tutorial, and a fight for survival against the lurking Weeping Angels.
The Doctor Who adventure is one of many games that customers can choose to play. Costing £3 for 10 minutes play time, VR Experience Wales allows you to give virtual reality gaming a try for a small fraction of buying your own headset.
A relatively new venture, VR Experience Wales opened in January 2019, and is located on the Prince of Wales Industrial Estate in Abercarn, between Caerphilly and Cwmbran.
You would be forgiven for thinking that putting on a VR headset would be an isolating experience. Mark Crooks, manager of the arcade, explained that his VR adventures are more social than you might think.
He said, “VR is still in its infancy at the moment but we try to make it a social thing. We get a lot of people who come in and play together using multiplayer VR games.”
But for Mark, the true beauty of VR gaming is its accessibility, and the unrivalled immersive escapism that it provides. One of Mark’s regulars loves escape rooms, but her disability hinders her from completing the challenges in real life. However, in a VR escape room, she is on an equal playing field.
“The beauty of it is that, when they bring out a new VR escape room, it’s fully accessible to her,” he said. “If somebody is in a wheelchair, the VR calibrates to your height. So, you’re sitting in your chair, but in the game you become standing height.
“She couldn’t climb a mountain outside, but she can climb a mountain in here.”