Age-Old Cities VR

About

Created for the Arab World Institute (Paris, France) exhibition “Age-Old Cities: A virtual journey from Palmyra to Mossul”, this immersive VR experience brings six iconic monuments back to life. Put on your headset, and wander around a lifesize reproduction of Palmyra’s Temple of Baalshamin and Aleppo’s souk in Syria; Leptis Magna’s basilica in Libya; the Al-Nuri Mosque, the Nabi Yunus tunnel…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The graphics are beautifully rendered, showcasing ancient ruins and locations with impressive detail.
It's a free experience that offers a glimpse into historically significant sites that many may never see in person.
The concept of using photogrammetry to capture and present these locations is commendable and has potential for future development.

The experience is very short, lasting only about 5 minutes, and lacks interactivity, reducing it to a passive viewing experience.
Many users reported technical issues, including glitches and poor performance on various VR systems.
The choice of locations and the overall execution were criticized for being uninteresting and not engaging enough to hold the player's attention.

graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
13%
38%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the high quality and immersive visuals that enhance the experience, while others report issues such as low-quality visuals, graphical glitches, and performance problems. Overall, many users appreciate the detailed environments and animations, suggesting a strong artistic direction despite some technical shortcomings.
- “However, the graphics are very nice to look at, like standing in a photo-scanned room, with some extra 'life' added.”
- “However, the graphics are terrific and they did throw in some animations in there, like a cat walking down the path for unknown reasons.”
- “Extremely limited and low quality visuals prevent it from accomplishing what it was trying to do.”
- “On the second try, I experienced graphical glitches and flickering with the Quest 2.”
- “The graphics were very well done as well.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report experiencing stability issues, including graphical glitches and flickering, particularly with the Quest 2, indicating a generally buggy performance.
- “On the second try, I experienced graphical glitches and flickering with the Quest 2.”
- “It's kind of buggy.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing shaky performance despite high graphics quality. However, the lack of movement in gameplay makes lower frame rates more tolerable, and many appreciate the game being free.
- “The graphics quality was really good, but performance wasn't so great. No biggie, as there is no movement, so the lowered FPS is tolerable.”
- “Shaky performance on my system, but it’s free, so thumbs up.”
- “Shaky performance on my system – but it’s free, so thumbs up.”
- “The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, making it hard to enjoy.”
- “Frequent stuttering and lag issues really detract from the overall experience.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that users experienced technical issues, specifically graphical glitches and flickering, which may have impacted their overall engagement with the story.