There’s a few short VR experiences that just stick with you, and one of my favorites is the 2015-era VR music video Surge. Now, Netherlands-based synthwave producer Sheaf has created a real-time rendered VR music video for their debut EP that is definitely on my list.
The free experience is set to the music of Sheaf’s debut EP ‘Together’, a three-track synthwave album dripping with nostalgia for the ’80s with its “smooth DX7 chords, melancholic synth work and pulsating bass lines,” developers Stryde Games says.
Sitting in the driver’s seat of a red convertible, you cruise through a number of beautiful locations while listening to each of the EP’s tracks—Together, Innervision, and Point Break—making for a total listening time of about 10 minutes. It’s not an interactive experience, so you’re just along for what proves to be a surprisingly relaxing ride.
Although it makes heavy use of low poly assets, the experience’s art direction is nothing short of awesome, as it gives you plenty to look at along your way through some pretty breathtaking locales. Tactically placed tunnels punctuate the road as you enter desert biomes, glittering ocean-side views, and nighttime cityscapes.
In a way, it reminds me of the positively ancient driving game Cruis’n USA (1994), the beloved low poly arcade racer, although it’s clearly conjuring some of the classic ’80s tropes of neon sunsets, cool Miami nights—the sort of artwork you’d seen printed on the more inspired Trapper Keepers of the Reagan era.
You can download the VR experience for free on Steam, which includes support for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Valve Index. If you’re interested in buying Sheaf’s ‘Together’ EP, you can name your price and download it via BandCamp.
