After initially applying to study mechanical and nuclear engineering, I could hardly contain my excitement when I was invited to Gamescom to preview a VR game that would allow me to personally prevent the Chernobyl catastrophe – one of the most catastrophic nuclear disasters in history? The intriguing premise of Chernobyl is overshadowed by a cumbersome stock system in this game.
As a descendant of gifted nuclear physicists, you’re driven by a sense of responsibility to go back in time and prevent the catastrophic reactor meltdown in Pripyat, Ukraine. The narrative of redemption and espionage takes root amidst the tediousness of an overly extensive sports game tutorial, setting the stage for a gripping tale to unfold. Time-terrorists – a phrase that warrants no curiosity, but rather immediate compliance – are of little to no value, and it is imperative that your organization establishes clear protocols to address these concerns. Might this infer that the calamity was never intended to happen and was always a consequence of intentional meddling?
In a vast, starry expanse, a specially designed staging area floats on the edge of a swirling black hole, its event horizon seeming to stretch forth like a cosmic canvas, as if plucked directly from the visionary concept art of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. Despite featuring standard VR tactile controls, Chernobyl’s default setup falls short in terms of smoothness, trailing behind other games in this regard. Can’t you just… Holding your arm straight out in front of you, bring your wrist up towards your face, aligning your hands to form a straight line between them. Since everything will be saved exactly where you are, you’ll need to stop whatever you’re doing and use both hands to grab what you want.
The constant interruptions are cumbersome, disrupting the natural flow of the game’s rhythm and leaving us feeling lightyears behind the action. I don’t waste my time navigating virtual reality headsets just to browse through menus; what I crave is the ability for immersive VR games to transport me into their meticulously crafted worlds. While collaborating on some puzzles requires interaction with the ’80s nuclear facility’s peculiarities, an inherent issue arises when I’m forced to interrupt my progress to switch between multiple instruments, disrupting the flow of my problem-solving endeavors.
As soon as the basics were established, I set my sights on exploring the haunting expanse of Chernobyl. While the sport offers an engaging level of interactivity, asking players to input their own time coordinates can quickly become tedious. Unfortunately, the controls suffer from being somewhat unresponsive, detracting from the overall experience. Carefully adjusting each knob, dial, and switch to its precise setting may prove challenging.
Frequent situations of these interactions have persisted throughout this preview. The buttons don’t respond as naturally as expected; the objects I grasp fail to fit comfortably into my arms, leaving an overall sense of roughness and imperfection in the design. The immersive experience of this VR setting falls short of connecting with me on the same level as other virtual reality games I’ve had the pleasure to play.
The darkness outside the space station’s perimeter remains eerily still, while within Chernobyl’s reactor control room, the console stands silent, an unexpected contrast to the intense energy one would expect from such a pivotal location. The allure of halting time terrorists in Pripyat is undeniably enticing; yet, unfortunately, the gameplay experience falls short of its lofty promise. While the concept of VR’s physicality is present, its execution falls short.
Chernobyl: Exclusion Zone is now available on Meta Quest, Pico, PSVR2, and Steam platforms.
