Virtual Arena: London’s Immersive Time Travel Experience

Virtual Arena: London’s Immersive Time Travel Experience

The application of the XR to attractions and amusement landscapes is featured in the latest virtual arena column by industry specialist Kevin Williams. An amazing 1605 London-based immersive adventure is experienced with the launch of the Gunpowder Plot.

Creating an immersive experience in which the audience is ready to pay the ticket price for participation has been a constant challenge. Attempts are being made to mix the right level of immersive, live performance and thematic environment for both stage performances, art installations and attractions. And London hosted the latest adaptation of this process to the mainstream.

Based on historical figure Guy Fawkes and the turbulent times of British history he was involved in, Layered Reality launched a gunpowder plot. This is an immersive experience that combines theater themes and live performances in addition to immersive projection and virtual reality.

Gunpowder plot case
Image credit: KWP

Located on Tower Hill behind the historic Tower of London, the Tower Vault venue has been transformed into an entertainment space, bar and dining hospitality. Developers have experience in providing this level of immersive entertainment, Jeff Wayne’s World War: Immersive Experience – Reported earlier.

Layered Reality has worked with Historic Royal Palaces and Figment Productions to initiate this ambitious historical reinterpretation of the Gunpowder Plot. Figment Productions is best known for creating attractions for the “Derren Brown’s Ghost Train: RiseoftheDemon” theme park. He has worked hard to create a virtual recreation in London in 1605. The developers have hired more than 50 actors to be virtually represented in this experience, including accurate period costumes.

Developers don’t stop there, lovingly portraying the old London landscape so much that they want to be able to visually navigate the streets of the historic city, such as the River Thames, the former London Bridge, and the surrounding castles. doing. And the Great Fire of London. The VR element of the experience is divided into three different parts of the viewer’s entire adventure. Cross the Thames with a rope, a miserable night across the river, and an audience with the King!

Gunpowder plot case
Image Credit: Mark Dawson

Adventure is a truly immersive experience, largely based on the more theatrical representation of immersive elements.An army of famous stage and screen actors fills the cast – well known for the portrayal of Draco Malfoy, led by Tom Felton. Harry potter movie. Layered Reality’s artistry is characterized by a mix of immersive technology and live actors.

Gunpowder plot case
Image credit: KWP

In groups of up to 16 people, guests move over time. The guide is a real actor and uses performances to captivate the audience and complement them with a vault theme. Along the way, there’s a sequence where guests wear the HTC Cosmos Elite VR headset and get even more immersed in the action sequence of the story. The group must agree on moral decisions that influence the conclusions of the adventure. The entire experience lasts over an hour and is divided into signature-themed pub areas for guests to interact with during the adventure.

Gunpowder plot case
Image Credit: Mark Dawson

Aside from the obvious opening night jitter from technology, the overall experience was an amazing task, offering a fascinating and entertaining adventure. I wish I could admire the incredible reenactment of the old town for a longer time. The experience is expected to move from a soft opening to a reservation system and be the first of many immersive theme experiences based on popular properties.

In itself an interesting habit of history Gunpowder plot case The experience is in the same vault that housed the Legend Quest VR experience about 28 years ago. The first true multiplayer fantasy VR game, co-developed by pioneer Virtuality with Virtual Reality Design & Leisure at the time, was incredibly rudimentary, but demonstrated the power of this fledgling technology. .. Jumping in 2022, the Tower Hill location gives a glimpse into the future of technological efforts that will revolutionize guest entertainment.