A Visit to 奥亦未来 VR Arcade
During my recent trip to China, I got to visit a VR arcade in Guangzhou. While I did not get to try every single VR game there, I did try the most exciting one: bumper car VR ride. In this article, we will be taking a look at the 奥亦未来 VR arcade.
The arcade can be found on level 6 of 正佳广场 shopping mall in Guangzhou. Before you can play, you have to pay at the cashier. ¥50 (~S$10) per game or ¥118 (~S$24) for 4 games. You will be given a card, just like at normal arcades.
The game that definitely catches your eyes the moment you enter the VR arcade is the bumper car. Each match lasts about 5 minutes, with only 2 players at a time. What is it like to sit in one of these bumper cars? Before we can answer that, we have to queue up...
You can watch the gameplay of the current match via the TV from a third person view, with the score and time remaining displayed. This bumper car game is rather popular, so expect to wait for around 10-15 minutes for your turn during off-peak periods.
The moment you put on the VR goggles, you feel like you are in a whole new world, sitting in a bumper car with two huge fists. Your goal is to collect boxes, avoid bombs and "punch" your opponent! You control the car by stepping on the pedals and spam the buttons to punch.
Unlike cheap VR headsets that uses your phone's display, this is extremely immersive. Pixels are not very noticeable, refresh rate is high and field of view is huge; you actually feel like part of the game. It can get a little nauseating at first, but really fun after that.
You can keep your glasses on during the game. Many customers wear the VR headset each day, so for hygiene purpose you can obtain a free mask from the cashier. Note that the masks are only in adult size, so children may not be able to wear them.
Apart from VR bumper car, there are other stations available around the arcade, each with their unique props. One is a whack-a-mole style game where you hit wolves, another is a first person shooter. There is even one station with PAMKUU robots.
There are enough games to keep you occupied for the whole afternoon, if you are willing to spend a ton of money to do so. The games are not cheap, but many are not things you can do with regular VR headsets. For the unique experience, I will say they are worth it.
There are also free mini games like the AR walls outside, which can instantly transform you into fierce power rangers-like warriors or princesses with wands. Of course, these are not as fun and cool as the VR headsets inside the arcade.
If you are in Guangzhou and do not have anywhere to go, I highly recommend visiting this VR arcade at 正佳广场. It is not something you get to experience everywhere. And once you get bored, there is an amusement park on the top floor of the shopping mall.
