Kayak VR: Mirage Review (PS5) | Push Square

pushsquare.com:

A throwback to the early PSVR tech demos, Kayak VR: Mirage is one of those games you just need to try out on PSVR2. The premise is pretty simple: you're dumped on a kayak and will use the PSVR2 Sense controllers to explore varied exotic locations. That's really all there is to it, but its kind of the point.

Let’s get the most notable thing out of the way: the graphics in Kayak VR are utterly gorgeous. Whether it be gently swaying palm trees or dusty red cliffs, you’ll be looking around in awe as you are transported to beautifully serene vistas. And the water! This is easily some of the best water in video games, period. It’s so good you’ll be annoyed that you can’t tip yourself off your kayak for a quick dip. The visuals partnered with some light ambient music and natural sounds make for a brilliant zen experience. Quite often we’d kayak our way out into the open ocean of Norway just to sit and take it all in.

That brings us onto the kayaking mechanic. It's surprisingly in-depth, and it can be easy to lose control in those early sessions. Thankfully there's an indoor pool to try out all the moves, but you’ll need to lean side to side, ensure you are evenly paddling, and even the depth at which your paddle goes into the water will impact things like turning and forward speed. It does mean that getting to your favourite zen spots may result in some achy shoulders.

We spent most of our time in free-roam, but there's a racing and tour mode, for those that either love all the effort or none at all. But sadly, that's about it. There's no multiplayer support at launch, and only four locations are available to explore, so it certainly won't keep you around for long.

However, despite this, Kayak VR: Mirage is still a great