Above is a virtual experience that place the player in the position of a stranded astronaut in space.
From the product description
Join the main character in a visually stunning experience during the last minutes of his life. You will get a relaxing sensation and during those minutes be free.
About the Experience
This is definitely a unique one for VR or even flat games. It’s not a universe simulator, nor is it a game. It’s a brief experience of the last few minutes of an astronaut’s life. Weird enough?
The basic conceit is you get to fly around the globe until you run out of oxygen. You have four directions of movement around the globe… and that’s it. There’s a brief setup to the scenario, but no story as such. If it was just an app for flying around the globe it wouldn’t be that interesting, but adding a dynamic musical score and a countdown makes it feel like an experience.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics are decent. I love that the globe changes based on the sun. There’s also a layer for clouds which float separately over the ground. The sun looks great with lens flares and corona. It creates a bright spot for the sun reflection as it moves over, and lights appear on the earth’s surface based on time of day (based on the sun’s position).
The sound is very well done. It plays some Rachmaninoff gently in the background. As your oxygen runs out, the music builds and finally crescendos. There’s also a sounds from your boosters that enable you to move around. There’s nothing else for audio, but it doesn’t need it.
Information Content
No narration, no labels on the globe. This is an experience solely based on your perceptions. The only indicator is the oxygen level on the right controller. It doesn’t need any other heads-up information though. Its minimalism contributes to the immersion.
If you’re expecting an accurate space simulation, you’ll be disappointed. The scale is off, and time is sped up enough to see the earth’s rotation and the orbit of the moon. It would be less fun if it was more realistic though, so I think it’s a good trade-off.
Navigation and Interactivity
This is a very simple app in terms of controls and interaction. You can do nothing until the episode that causes you to start worrying about oxygen occurs. Then, you can just thrust in four directions. Your current level of air is overlaid on your right controller which is handy. You can move around the earth, but you can’t get closer or farther away. The experience is just about taking in the planet in your final moments.
Updates and Support
Based on some comments that no longer seem relevant, it might have gotten updates in the past, but nothing recently.
Summary
On sale, Above is a decent title. Not too much replay value, but an interesting concept. While the scale of the earth and moon are a bit crazy, I’m sure it was about creating something more accessible than a true simulation. Still, if you have some awareness of astronomy, it might be annoying. In that case, the old Google Earth VR still works fine!
Pros
- Nicely done musical score
- Good job on the globe, its layers, and the lights
- Watching the sun and moon orbit is fun
Cons
- The scale isn’t accurate, but it’s not really intended to be
- The first few moments are non-interactive but nothing tells you that
