john.falco.16
July 1, 2019
Idea A+, execution B
In my quest to find a music-driven VR app similar to the sensational GrooVR, I stumbled upon Idea B and its inspired concept. A visual album of 7 tracks with accompanying navigable environments, ranging from dreamlike to pastoral, was precisely what I was looking for. Although it of course does not reach the sublime heights of GrooVR, it nonetheless has its own unique attribute that differentiates itself and establishes its own identity. I’ll start with the drawbacks. Each environment is graphically similar; to many it will feel like a different outfit on the same person. The art style is notable, but core elements are strewn across every track. Secondly, the musical supplement provided is nowhere near bad, but fails to hold up to the numerous songs you yourself can imagine for each track. Speaking of which, there is also no mechanism for syncing music. It’s all external. Lastly, the controls leave a lot to be desired. I usually have little issue standing or sitting in a swivel chair for the full 360 effect, but here that approach feels all wrong. This is a sitting experience in my opinion, so the ability to turn with your remote would have been nice. Not to mention the haphazard flight control. What should have been the title’s standout characteristic, the exhilarating flying and gliding maneuver, is painfully static because of the awkward controls. You’ll have moments of what was intended, but the overall experience is anything but graceful in this regard. I rarely say this, but the developers really should have added gamepad support for full optimization. So, this all qualifies as a disappointment, right? Not at all. Even though the 7 tracks have redundant graphical elements, each environment possesses a deep archetypal, almost mystical, quality that transcends its outer facade. Not to mention the right song just underscores how ethereal the experience can be. And although the control mechanics are unsophisticated, the truth is that there is enough visual splendor that you shouldn’t need too much flight movement to enjoy the track anyway. Overall, I definitely recommend it at the price. 7 tracks, although not nearly as stylistically diverse as GrooVR, hold quite the value here. If you do decide to go for it, here’s a few suggestions to get you started. Track 1: “End of the Night” by The Doors Track 2: “Twenty Miles” by Deer Tick Track 3: “Shadow of a Man” by Neulore Track 7: “Clocks” by Coldplay It’s one of those apps that you have to just experience for yourself; all of these words in a review fail to do it justice. Although there are facets that keep it from elite status, it however remains a poetic trip that is essential to the “idea” of virtual music.
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