When you first step beyond gravity’s pull, an entirely new universe unfolds in front of your eyes. In Solara One, the VR experience created by AC Reality Studios brings this fascinating journey through the cosmos to life. Solara One is a peaceful escape to the unknown. This immersive experience, with its eye-catching graphics, ethereal music, and immersive gameplay is designed to help you relax and explore the infinite expanse of space. This unique blend of tranquility and awe positions Solara One as both a visually and emotionally enriching experience that finds ways to somewhat gamify the acts of meditation and relaxation.
Gameplay
The gameplay, if you want to call it that, in Solara One focuses primarily on exploration and relaxation. Solara One is not about dangerous missions or dark sci-fi stories like many VR space games. Instead, it’s about taking in all the wonders of nature. The detailed environments are a great way to introduce the gameplay mechanics. They also serve to build anticipation for what is to come. This spaceport serves not only as an introduction to the game mechanics but also as a hub for education and guided meditations. The upper level decks offer a variety of colored crystals for players to select from. Solara One’s environment is designed to make the lack of gravity the centerpiece of your experience. Although you won’t be able to see yourself floating in the lounge area of the ship, objects that you can interact with will tend to drift away. It’s also possible that the ship has a rotating motion, which can be uncomfortable for some. A slider was included to control the speed of rotation. There wasn’t a lot to do in the ship, other than this slider for the rotation speed and the destination panel. Solara One developers should add more doors to the station in order to allow us to explore the doors. After traversing the wormholes leading to other celestial objects, players are able to engage in guided and unassisted zero gravity spacewalks outside the ship. This is a passive activity, as the game offers 5 different guided tours. One of these was added recently in the latest update and allows the player to use thrusters attached to his or her hands. This was a welcomed addition as it gives players the freedom to explore at their own pace allowing them to truly soak in the beauty and wonder of the very detailed vistas the game presents… each one compelling yet soothing, resonating with the core theme of relaxation in this experience.
Graphics Quality and Sound Design
Solara One sets the bar high on Quest 3 with meticulous attention to detail, but it still lacks in some of the polish we’ve seen in other ambitious standalone titles like Red Matter or Asgard’s Wrath 2. The graphics are impressive when players travel to space. Celestial bodies and starfields, as well as wormholes, are rendered with stunning beauty. This makes the vastness of the universe seem tangibly near. The sound in Solara One complements and enhances the visual experience. Astronauts often describe the feeling they get when floating over the earth as “the overview effect”. I experienced similar feelings during some of my virtual walks. The ambient nature sounds on Earth enhance the tranquility of this game. The soundscape changes as players travel through outer space. Subdued sounds that complement the vacuum-like silence are interspersed by the soft hums of space stations and crackling thrusters on the jetpacks. Immersion is enhanced by the seamless integration of subtle audio elements that blend with the acoustic silence of outer space and the relaxed gameplay style. For me, it all seemed to aid in creating a meditative effect.
Controls and Comfort
The control scheme in Solara One is pretty straightforward. Solara One’s primary navigation mode is teleportation or smooth locomotion on the left stick, with snap-turning on the right. There is currently no smooth-turning option available in the menu. AC Reality Studios should consider including this in future updates. This new manual jetpack feature, which was included in the latest update of AC Reality Studios’ game, is an absolute game changer. This addition brings intuitive and responsive movements while navigating in the weightlessness of the many space walks you will be doing.
Similar VR Experiences
Elite Dangerous – No Man’s Sky – Lone Echo
Solara One is not the first VR game to offer space exploration, but it distinguishes itself through its emphasis on relaxation and the quality of its visual and auditory experience. Titles like Elite Dangerous and No Man’s Sky also offer vast space environments to explore, but they often combine that exploration with elements of survival or narrative-driven quests.
When compared to a game like Lone Echo, which offers a deeply narrative-driven experience with intricate interactions and a storyline, it’s clear that Solara One’s focus is entirely on the aesthetic and contemplative aspects of space, and it prioritizes a free-form exploration model building on an atmosphere of serenity and wonder.
Conclusion
Overall, Solara One offers a breathtaking journey through both familiar and unknown realms of our Universe. This VR experience is aimed at relaxation and offers a visual, emotional and captivating experience. Solara One offers a VR journey that is both serene and breathtaking. In a world where the possibilities are endless, your only limitation is your sense of wonder. So let your imagination run wild and see what you might discover.