The Great Exhibition of 1851 in VR
- September 26, 2024
- Hooked Wit Ltd
Get on SteamThe Great Exhibition ran from May to October 1851 in London's Hyde Park, in a temporary building known as the Crystal Palace. Six million visitors passed through the turnstiles, to view over 100,000 individual exhibits. Now, over 170 years later, we are recreating the exhibition as an immersive VR experience. The simulation includes a narrator to describe each of the exhibits and the Crystal Pala…
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game is an excellent use of VR, showcasing a remarkable amount of research and collaboration with museums to recreate The Great Exhibition accurately.
- The exhibits are visually impressive in VR, with detailed 3D scans and audio descriptions that provide a wealth of historical information.
- The developer is committed to ongoing updates and improvements, responding quickly to feedback and expanding the content available in the experience.
- The game currently feels a bit barebones, lacking fully populated displays and some polish in controls and overall experience.
- Some 3D models are underwhelming, with flat images used for certain exhibits, which detracts from the immersive experience.
- The controls can be clunky and cumbersome, particularly for non-VR users, making navigation less intuitive.
- optimization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that while the developers aimed to optimize performance, the use of flat images for 3D objects detracts from visual quality, reminiscent of older games like Super Mario 64. Suggestions for improvement include implementing quality toggles to allow players to adjust settings such as anti-aliasing and resolution for a more customizable experience.
“I understand that the devs of this program were trying to cut back on performance hits, but several free-standing 'statues' were actually just flat images mapped in a 3D way that makes me think of the trees in Super Mario 64.”
“If you guys are worried about performance, perhaps add quality toggles (like adjustments for anti-aliasing, resolution, sampling, etc.) to have the options of higher or lower overall quality.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been described as lacking in quality, particularly in its early iteration, but reviewers emphasize that the focus should be on the gameplay and potential future content rather than the visual presentation. Despite the graphics not being impressive, the game is still considered worth exploring, especially given its free price point.
“I'm going to keep it real, the graphics aren't awesome and this early iteration lacks content.”
“Don't be put off by the graphics as it's more about what is in there and what can be in the future.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game features an opening score directed by George Thomas Smart, under the supervision of William Sterndale Bennett, highlighting a classical influence in its composition.
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a unique dodge mechanic reminiscent of Doom Eternal, allowing players to perform evasive maneuvers using the shift key, even when not using a VR headset. This adds an engaging layer of action to the experience.
