While we were checking out the brand new space over at the IMAC VR Centre newly installed at the AMC Theatre in Kip Bay New York City, we got the chance to check out the brand new title for Starbreeze’s StarVR headset; The Mummy Prodigium Strike. Obviously, its release coincides with the movie release of The Mummy starring Tom Cruise, but in this experience we checked out, we were put to task in fending off the hordes of mummies and undead through the eyes of an agent protecting a convoy.
Compared to the other VR experiences set up at the IMAX VR Centre over there, The Mummy Prodigium Strike meshes both your standard VR first-person shooter gameplay with an interactive element that kind of mimics a VR ride. That’s because at the start of the game, we’re asked to sit on this platform that makes it feel like we’re riding on the side of a helicopter. Adding to the impressiveness, this platform articulates and shakes to mimic the feeling of actually being on a flying helicopter.
After a decent 5 minutes up in the air shooting at the mummies that are trying to attack an ambulance convoy that we’re tasked at protecting, the game shifts to the ground – wherein we proceed to dismount the helicopter and stand on our feet. At this point, we’re just surveying the crash site of the ambulance and continue protecting it using our weapons. Naturally, the action is non-stop, as the horde eventually overwhelms our group, and eventually we meet the leader face-to-face.
Lasting close to 10 minutes, the experience is definitely a showcase in how virtual reality can deliver a convincing experience to the user. The headset itself, which is unique in the space for its wider-than-normal field of view, allows us to see more of the scenery. And peripheral vision is key here, seeing that multiple enemies can jump out of nowhere.
Even though the experience is available in only a couple of places, like the IMAX VR areas at the Los Angeles center and the AMC Kips Bay theatre in New York City, it’s definitely an experience we’d recommend if you intend on watching the film.
