Up a creek with a paddle in the Kayak VR: Mirage Yucatán DLC
Kayak VR: Mirage, as we noted in our original review, is a rather minimalist experience. Sure, there’s a competitive mode where you can race against ghosts of other players, but you can also just jump in a Kayak and pootle around some stunningly gorgeous locations and relax. In his review, Stefan also commented, “For me, though, I was left wanting something more […] a kayak slalom in the whitewater rapids.” It appears developers Better Than Life – who win all the points for that Red Dwarf VR reference – were listening, as that’s exactly what you get in the Yucatán DLC pack.
The level begins in a lagoon surrounded on all sides by high cliffs that are covered in tropical vegetation. It is stunning to look at; I have been lucky enough to go to places like this and it does feel real with birds flying around and fish swimming under your kayak. As I was playing this in London during a heatwave, I was suitably hot and humid as well. Sadly, this gorgeous location is not indicative of what you get to play as the rest of the level is set in caves and an old mine.
The first section is very sedate and has you paddling through a few tunnels, ducking down now and then to avoid the cave roof, before things open up into a large cavern full of stalactites and stalagmites, all of which are lit by glowworms crawling up the walls. It’s very pretty and looks like something from a fantasy game, but a quick paddle sees you heading into more caves, which gradually turn into tunnels from an old mine. There’s almost a puzzle element to this section as you paddle through a maze with rockfalls crashing down around you, blocking what seems to be the obvious route.
Eventually the tunnels widen out to another larger cave and the water begins to flow faster, pushing you forward and into, you you guessed it, more tunnels! As the pace picks up have to be alert as the game throws all sorts of obstacles at you, narrowing the passages so you have to lean to squeeze through and even that video game staple, giant fans blade that slice through the water. However, as the game is rated E for Everyone, don’t expect a gory decapitation if you smash in to a slicing blade, you just bump off and can have another try.
And that’s about it. It’s a short and sweet experience, twenty minutes from end to end if you paddle at a decent pace. There’s a time attack mode where you can race ghosts of other players and a tour mode in which you can sit back and let the Kayak navigate itself through the map, the same as the other maps in game.
The cave system is completely different to other locations in the game, which are all set in wide open areas, and this change adds some variety to your paddling, but it does mean you don’t get the majestic views found in other locations. You also have to rely on a head mounted torch for some sections and, like all torches in all video games, it’s weaker than a cup of tea made by an American.
The Yucatán DLC is definitely worth a look if you already own Kayak VR: Mirage as it does bring something new to the game, but I think I preferred some of the other locations which were less enclosed and allowed you to marvel at how gorgeous VR can look.
