STAY ALIVE MY SON (VR): A True Story About A Father's Relentless Search For His Son

About

"Stay Alive My Son" is a VR game spanning 45 years, based on the true story of Yathay Pin, a survivor of the Cambodian genocide. Players witness Pin's harrowing journey of family separation, survival, and resilience, navigating decisions that unfold his poignant narrative. This immersive experience, honored with awards, bridges the past, explores human endurance, and celebrates the power of love, forgiveness, and healing.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

STAY ALIVE MY SON (VR): A True Story About A Father's Relentless Search For His Son screenshot

100%

Audience ScoreBased on 66 reviews

story28 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Stay Alive My Son offers a deeply emotional and immersive storytelling experience, effectively conveying the struggles of a father during the Cambodian genocide, which resonates with players on a personal level.
The graphics and sound design are exceptional, creating a hyper-realistic environment that enhances the emotional impact of the narrative, making players feel as if they are truly part of the story.
The interactive elements and first-person perspective allow for a unique engagement with the story, making it not just a game but an educational and transformative experience that encourages empathy and understanding.

The game suffers from performance issues, requiring high-end hardware for optimal experience, and can be unpolished with frame rate drops and lack of graphical settings.
Some players have reported that the experience can feel blurry on certain headsets, detracting from the overall visual quality and immersion.
The lack of optimization and technical issues may hinder the experience for some users, especially those unfamiliar with VR, potentially making it less accessible.

story
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
The story of "Stay Alive My Son" is a deeply emotional and immersive experience, centered on the true account of Pin Yathay's struggle to find his son during the Cambodian genocide. Reviewers praise its powerful narrative, which explores themes of loss, family, and resilience, enhanced by lifelike graphics and interactive gameplay that draw players into Yathay's poignant journey. This VR experience is recommended for those seeking a meaningful story that resonates long after the game ends.
- “For those who are sensitive: this story is a rollercoaster ride of deep emotions that keeps you wanting more despite wanting to stop many times.”
- “The game tells a heart-wrenching story about a father's fight to find his son during the Cambodian genocide.”
- “I warn other viewers that this is a heavy story, albeit the hope and optimism that it leaves the viewer.”
- “The story is the heart of this game, dealing with themes of loss, family, guilt, and acceptance all told through an adaptation of an autobiography about the Cambodian genocide.”
emotional
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game "Stay Alive My Son" is widely praised for its deeply emotional narrative, centered on a father's harrowing quest to find his son during the Cambodian genocide. Players report being profoundly moved by the story's heart-wrenching moments and the immersive experience, enhanced by powerful sound design and realistic graphics. Overall, it is described as a touching and educational journey that leaves a lasting impact on its audience.
- “Stay alive my son is an incredibly touching experience that really pulls at the heartstrings.”
- “The game tells a heart-wrenching story about a father's fight to find his son during the Cambodian genocide.”
- “It's an immersive, emotional story told well through the magic of VR.”
graphics
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
43%
10%
The graphics in this VR experience are widely praised for their hyper-realism and stunning detail, creating an immersive environment that enhances the emotional storytelling. Reviewers highlight the visuals as some of the best in VR, with breathtaking scenes that evoke strong feelings and a sense of presence. However, the lack of graphical settings is noted as a drawback, but overall, the visual experience is considered next-level and a significant achievement in the medium.
- “This VR experience is next-level, with stunning graphics making every moment real and multi-layered sound design that pulls you right into this man’s world, thoughts, and emotions.”
- “The narrative is gripping and beautifully told, making you feel every bit of the protagonist's pain and hope, and the visuals are some of the best of the best in VR, with some scenes that are genuinely mind-blowing.”
- “Unfortunately, there are no graphical settings or settings of any kind for this experience.”
- “The graphics are so real, and you really feel like you're right there with the father and son as they struggle to survive.”
- “I would say this experience is a walking simulator, like Dear Esther, but with updated visuals for 2024.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many users noting that it is highly unpolished and requires powerful hardware, such as an RTX 5090, for satisfactory performance. Even on high-end systems like the RTX 4090, players have experienced rough performance, particularly on Windows 11, indicating a need for further optimization. Despite these issues, the game's touching story has led some to recommend it.
- “This app supports native Oculus drivers for optimal performance.”
- “Also, performance was rough even on my 4090, but I lived with it.”
- “Update 5/18/2024: it seems the optimization issue is for Windows 11.”
- “However, it needs to be better optimized.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The gameplay is characterized by intuitive light mechanics that seamlessly enhance the narrative, maintaining emotional engagement throughout the experience. Reviewers praise "Stay Alive My Son" for its exceptional blend of cinematic storytelling and interactive gameplay, which effectively immerses players in the story from the outset.
- “I was lucky enough to experience Stay Alive, My Son by Victoria Bousis for the first time at FIVARS in 2023, and I have nothing but praise for it as an exceptional VR experience that blends cinematic storytelling with interactive gameplay.”
- “I was impressed by the mechanics, and the initial part of the story helped ease into the experience of being in a game/movie.”
- “I was impressed by the mechanics and the initial part of the story helped ease into the experience of being in a game/movie.”
- “I was lucky enough to experience Stay Alive My Son by Victoria Bousis for the first time at FIVARS in 2023, and I have nothing but praise for it as an exceptional VR experience that blends cinematic storytelling with interactive gameplay.”
- “The light gameplay mechanics are intuitive and enhance the narrative without being inauthentic to the story, so I was never taken out of the emotion.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
The music and sound design in the game are widely praised for their breathtaking quality and emotional depth, significantly enhancing the overall experience. Many users draw comparisons to the epic scores of composers like Hans Zimmer, noting how the music effectively conveys the gravity of the narrative, particularly in relation to the historical context of the Cambodian genocide. Overall, the combination of beautiful art and evocative music creates a powerful atmosphere that resonates with players.
- “Truly breathtaking experience, amazing music and sound design.”
- “The sound design, particularly the musical score, plays a crucial role in amplifying the emotional intensity of the experience.”
- “The music in the background gave me a Hans Zimmer/LOTR (Battle of Helm's Deep where all hope is lost but regained) feel that allowed one to feel the hurt of Pin Yathay and the truly impossible decisions he faced during an impossible time, the Cambodia genocide.”
- “The music in the background gave me a Hans Zimmer/LOTR (Battle of Helms Deep where all hope is lost but regained) feel that allowed one to feel the hurt of Pin Yathay and the truly impossible decisions he faced during an impossible time, the Cambodia genocide.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its emotional depth and exceptional art direction, leaving a lasting impression on players. Many reviewers highlight the combination of a moving narrative and immersive visuals as key elements that enhance the overall experience.
- “Incredibly moving story, phenomenal atmosphere and art direction; I'll be thinking about this for a long time.”

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STAY ALIVE MY SON (VR): A True Story About A Father's Relentless Search For His Son
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STAY ALIVE MY SON (VR): A True Story About A Father's Relentless Search For His Son

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