EARTHLIGHT
Developer Opaque Space • PRICE TBA www.earthlightvr.com
Prior to PAX, I was reconciled to the idea that the closest I’d ever get to space would be another video of Commander Chris Hadfield brushing his teeth in zero gravity. (My seven year old has discovered YouTube.) Then, I played Earthlight. At 2017’s Australian Game Developer Awards, Earthlight was awarded Game of the Year for a compelling use of new technology. Opaque Space was also awarded Studio of the Year for pushing the boundaries of what games can achieve. Incredibly, the team is working on Boeing’s Starliner astronaut/pilot training and collaborating with NASA in the creation of VR content.
And so, aboard the virtual ISS, I took a moment to rifle through cabinets and squirt bubbles of liquid around. It was fun. Leaving the airlock to undertake a maintenance mission, however, was something else. I was full of questions. Is this to scale? What is that island? Are those brightly lit areas inhabited? Why is the ocean so blue? As I eventually removed the headset and a designer asked me if I were OK, I experienced a distinct moment of not wanting to return to reality. This unique vantage point had prompted me to consider a wider context for our beautiful planet, beyond my usually mundane, suburban existence.
I haven’t played a lot of VR games, except at conventions, but the barrier to entry seems less prohibitive if it can provide truly inspiring experiences, like Earthlight’s story of an astronaut’s journey. The platform’s typical offerings, including satire and mini-games, are great. But which grander settings lend themselves to this inherent immersiveness? Recently, I met a woman who is filming for VR inside a refugee camp and another whose project allows you to conduct the Australian Chamber Orchestra. This was my fifth PAX Australia and, each year, the games on show reach new heights of excellence. Earthlight was, at least virtually, out of this world.
this vantage point had prompted me to consider a wider context for our beautiful planet