You won’t find a VR adventure quite like this anywhere else in Vancouver! Motion capture technology and VR hardware come together for an experience like no other at Sandbox VR in Richmond.
Dinner and a movie, sure...
Escape rooms, well that’s a bit more interesting.
How about gazing upon the earth from outer space or battling skeleton-pirate-zombies with your best friends? Yeah, now that sounds like a night on the town.
Sandbox VR combines the latest VR hardware, movie quality real-time motion capture and AAA-quality content experiences to create one of the most immersive and straight-up fun VR experiences on the planet. You and your friends will solve puzzles, battle villans and travel through outer space, all while being able to move, talk, interact, and speak with each other in real time. If you ever wished you could jump inside a video game or action movie, here’s your chance.
Your journey to an alternate reality starts with a quick drive over to Bridgepoint Road in Richmond. Here you’ll find the only Canadian home to Sandbox VR, an augmented reality juggernaut that’s already established locations in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, and San Francisco.
When our team arrived alongside fellow Glacier Media team members, we didn’t really know what to expect. Upon our arrival we were greeted by a friendly team who gave us a rundown of the games and what to expect from each experience. With a few minutes of training, which included getting suited up with high-tech motion-capturing outerwear and VR headsets, we were ready to get your adventure started. Sandbox VR currently offers three games (The Curse of Davy Jones, Amber Sky 2088, Deadwood Mansion), and are expected to release new titles later this year.
From there we were taken into a green room where were further equipped with weapons that fired and responded within the game, adding another layer of realism to the whole fantastical experience. The “green room” is exactly what you’ve seen in the behind-the-scenes footage from high-budget CGI-driven films, just better suited for you and a small group of friends. Each Sandbox VR game can accommodate between 3 and 6 people, making it great for friends, families, double-dates and more.
Once the game fired up, we got lost in the experience. Imagine a video game mashed up with an escape room and laser tag arena... well, that sort of describes the sensation of the gaming experience. You can move, talk and even see the avatar-version of each player (choosing and naming your character is definitely part of the fun). We definitely had our fair share of shouts, scream and giggles as we played the Curse of Davy Jones. It’s a wild experience that even got our most introverted team members a little rowdy. I mean, who wouldn’t when firing cannonballs at an enemy pirate ship?
Once the game wraps the Sandbox VR team presented us with a series of hilarious video highlights, which switched between the game world and the real-life, highlighting all the high scores and ridiculous moments from our game. In all honesty, reviewing the gameplay might be one of the best parts of the whole experience. Fortunately, the videos were transferred directly to our phones, which made for a pretty great souvenir from our epic adventure.
If you’re looking for a memorable experience in Metro Vancouver, or simply to escape reality for an evening, this is definitely the place to be.
To learn more, visit sandboxvr.com/vancouver
