Now Playing: Kayak: Mirage (VR)

Kayak: Mirage is a VR game in which you paddle a kayak through four (at the time of review) unique environments. There’s a ‘free roam’ mode that allows you to spend as much time as you like slowly exploring each map and enjoying the scenery. There’s a few cool things you can find in free roam to unlock various achievements, but this mode is really all about taking it easy and immersing yourself in the visually impressive environment.

The other mode in Kayak: Mirage is a kayak time trial ‘racing’ mode in which you can choose between a variety of courses for each map and compete against the ghost data of other players on a global leader board. It’s strenuous and sweaty and kind of infuriating when you miss a checkpoint, but it’s also kind of fun.

The kayak physics work well . . . I think. I’ve never actually been in a kayak so I really can’t say. There’s an ‘arcade’ control option or a ‘simulation’ option but after trying both I’m not sure I really see what the difference is.

You can play standing or sitting but I’d recommend sitting because it helps keep you centred. You can also attach your VR controllers to the ends of a stick and use it like a ‘real’ paddle but I didn’t do that because I didn’t want to destroy everything in my room.

The maps offer some nice variety with locations set in Costa Rica, Antarctica, Norway and Australia. In free roam you can choose between a day or night setting and in the Norway map (only in Norway map at the time of review) there’s an option to change the weather and kayak in the midst of a storm.

And that’s . . . kind of it. What Kayak: Mirage does well is immersion and visuals. The environments look fantastic – provided you crank up the settings to max. This is another game that’s great at showcasing VR to new players – it won’t get them sick or dizzy and the controls are easy to learn. They can just sit back, relax and slowly paddle their way around some gorgeous scenery.

And I must admit, I’ve enjoyed doing just that, but I also feel like I’ve seen pretty much everything the game has to offer after only 4 or so hours of play. I paid £16 for Kayak: Mirage at release with a Day 1 discount. The actual RRP is £19.99. And I really can’t recommend it at that price, not with the current level of content.

We need more weather options across all of the maps. And we really need more maps, more environments to explore and race in. I wouldn’t say Kayak: Mirage is worth the current asking price, but with the right updates, I think it totally could be.

But what worries me is if they plan to charge for additional maps, rather than adding value to the base game. I think releasing new content as DLC would be a mistake, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

What’s here right now is good . . . but there’s just not enough of it for the asking price. I’d say wait for a sale if you’re interested, or wait to see if they add more content into the game over the coming year.

6/10