The depths of the Earth’s oceans are still mostly a mystery to us, and there have already been several virtual reality (VR) titles that explore the seas, varying in tone from serious to comedic. VR content creators Curiscope have now launched its own VR experience to take a closer look at the creatures of the ocean, Operation Apex.
Operation Apex expands on the work done in the first immersive work Curiscope produced, called Great White Sharks, which was a 360-degree video that aimed to show how important sharks are in the food chain, and also to correct the prejudices and misinformation that exist about the species. Operation Apex takes this idea several steps further by crafting a room-scale adventure.
The experience puts players in the role of an assistant to a marine scientist, taking a research vessel into the open sea to find the largest great white shark ever recorded. Players will be able to don diving gear and scan the ocean depths for marine life. Players will be able to view and interact with marine life that are rarely seen outside their native habitats. There are dangers in the deep ocean, however, so players will need to keep an eye out for predators and hazards.
Operation Apex features three complete underwater environments, and Curiscope have aimed to create an immersive environment that is as realistic as possible in an effort to help people understand and interact with the world in a new way, taking users on adventures to places they might otherwise never see.
The title is now available on Steam for HTC Vive, priced at £15.49(GBP).
Curiscope have also been involved with other VR and augmented reality (AR) projects, such as The Virtuali-Tee, an AR t-shirt that lets users see their internal organs. Curiscope are also working with publisher Dorling Kindersley to produce a book covering the history of VR technology that also includes a free Google Cardboard headset and five VR experiences.
VRFocus will bring you further news on Curiscope and Operation Apex as it becomes available.