There are certain things in life you could never pay me enough to consider trying. Caving is one of them. Crawling through extremely tight spaces, devoid of any light or human contact? Absolutely not for me. So, me being me, of course, I had to jump into Tunnels VR to see if my fear of Caving would translate into the world of virtual reality. Wouldn’t you know it? It did. That’s not all. Creepy creatures that are a mix between Face Huggers and Head Crabs are part of the equation here. It takes a lot to make me feel uncomfortable in a game, and Tunnels VR did a phenomenal job of that. At least I could bring friends along for the trip, if they were feeling up to hearing me screaming in terror.
‘Tunnels VR’ Does a Fantastic Job of Making It Feel Like the World Is Closing in on You
Claustrophobia is a terrifying feeling. The fear of confined spaces is something I’d be glad to never experience in real life. But Tunnels VR tosses you into the thick of it right away. At any time, you can pause the game and take the headset off if it gets to be too much. But as with any proper horror game, I had to try and power through it. Cramped spaces, navigated by “swimming” through the air, may have looked hilarious to onlookers.
But inside the helmet, I was cramped in tiny passages. Surrounded by darkness, with only the faint light of a battery-powered flashlight to comfort me. Completely alone, I trudged through these caverns as quickly as I could. Well, at least I thought I was alone at first. I see it, blurred in the darkness of the cave, sprint across in my field of view.
The scurried steps of a creature charge toward me. Even though this… thing is right out of my line of sight, I start to freak out. I forget, just for that moment, that I was inside the world of Virtual Reality. Panic. Genuine, real panic, overtakes me. I scuttle as fast as I can, gripping the dirt beneath my hands to try and get out of this tiny cavern. This is exactly what horror should be about, and it’s something that Tunnels VR excels at greatly.
I have yet to dive into the world of Tunnels VR with my friends. Seeing the floating helmets may remind me that I have nothing to fear. But for brave souls looking for something to keep them up at night? This could be the one.
The post Tight Spaces, Unfamiliar Faces, Strange Places – ‘Tunnels VR’ Took Me on a Caving Adventure I’ll Never Forget appeared first on VICE.
