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In the world of amusement parks, virtual reality is the newest, biggest thing

Virtual is now a reality. Mithila Mehta takes you on the rides

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New Revolution - Six Flags
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It could be just any roller coaster, but it’s not. You sit down and strap-on your safety harness. A freckled teenager hands you some sophisticated headgear, which you put on, snugly covering your eyes. He then shows you a QR code on his smartphone device, which activates your virtual reality experience.

Suddenly, the roller coaster starts moving. You plunge ahead. But instead of seeing the metallic rails (and the backs of the heads of other riders), you witness another world emerge. Larger-than-life skyscrapers rise above, and aliens whizz through the sky. One of the buildings besides you catches fire, you feel the heat on your face. You shoot the evil aliens in desperation, but not before your vessel starts falling down, down, down… These are true-blue, virtual theme park experiences that have plenty to offer from hyper-reality entertainment to heart-stopping virtual reality adventures on roller coasters. 

A Complete VR Park

As a child who loved to play video games, you may have often wondered what it would be like to be inside the world of the video game! Surely most of us have secretly harboured similar curiosity. The Void, the world’s first virtual reality park, lets you experience exactly this. Located in Utah (USA), it immerses visitors in larger-than-life experiences spanning the real and 
virtual world. 

The Void is set in a large warehouse, mostly unassuming—until you put on a headset and backtop (a laptop that works as a backpack) to be seamlessly transported into an alternate world. The warehouse disappears and you float into an abandoned space laboratory, armed with your gun. Slimy spiders, flying drones and springing aliens come at you as you shoot, duck and attack (in the real and virtual world) to emerge victorious. As you take off your gear and blink your eyes back to reality, you won’t be too sure what reality actually is. 

Ghostbusting in Times Square

Movie buffs, rejoice! The fabulous Times Square just took itself a notch higher by welcoming a newly launched attraction, ‘Ghostbusters Dimensions’ housed in Madame Tussauds.  With a backpack computer, haptic vest and head-mounted display, it immerses fans and curious visitors into a virtual reality experience of the upcoming Ghostbusters movie. 

What starts off fairly conservatively with a virtual exploration of the iconic Ghostbusters headquarters  in teams of three progresses into ghosts lurking about, ready to pounce. You must remain alert. Use your gun to aim and shoot and be prepared to encounter crumbling walls, shaking footbridges, an abandoned New York subway station and a scary elevator. It all  culminates into an epic finale shootout with the biggest paranormal villain of them all.

Superhero meets Stunt Pilot

The New Revolution Virtual Reality Coaster at Six Flags, USA lets you feel like a cross between a superhero and a stunt pilot. Travel blogger Sharon Smith, who visited the park recently, says “Being a roller-coaster fanatic, I was very excited to about the new virtual coaster. Seated in the coaster, we put on a Gear VR headset equipped with a smartphone. Soon we were away—the coaster began to climb and the video scene in front showed an aircraft launching tube. A computerised voice explained my mission and then we launched. It was spectacular! The drops and twists were as per the movements of the fighter jet I was piloting. I was flying through the skies, in hot pursuit of the villains as the city unfolded below me. It was the perfect mix of adrenaline and entertainment, I can’t wait for my next visit!”

Mission Outer Space

Another eerily realistic experience is Galactica, the shiny new coaster at Alton Towers theme park in the UK. It is a trip into outer space—in fact, riders are made to don spacesuits! The ride takes them through stars, wormholes, interstellar marvels and more, with each view synced to movements. Karan Mehta, who rode the coaster earlier this year, shares, “Previously disappointed by these so-called virtual reality experiences, I was cynical about Galactica too. But I was happy to be proven wrong—the experience was so realistic, I had goosebumps all through. The highlight for me was when I ‘saw’ the birth of a new sun and zoomed over rivers of lava on a volcano planet. I could even feel its heat blazing on my skin!”

Skull Island

At Universal Studios in Orlando, USA, you get to live the brutal struggle of an expedition that’s caught in a clash between prehistoric predators and man-eating beasts. This sci-fi virtual reality ride takes you through a maze of near-death experiences with ferocious monsters fighting for dominance around every thrilling turn. The highlight? A 30-foot-tall, 18-foot-wide King Kong that will be brought to life by 3D technology and  animatronics. 

Make your own roller coaster in India


The virtual reality scenario in India is coming of age too. Finger Coaster is an innovative experience at Smaaash in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Bangalore. This make-your-own ride concept allows visitors to create the roller coaster of their dreams on a touchpad—choose the length, number of loops, steep falls and slow rises. Then you settle onto bucket seats, buckle up, put on Oculus head displays and ride your coaster.  It’s thrilling at top speeds of upto 200 kmph. And apart from the lifelike visuals, there are other nice touches—a fan blows wind into your faces, the seats jerk and move as a coaster would, hurtling you from side to side, and there’s a constant metallic clanging of the coaster in the background.

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