VR Regatta by MarineVerse is a sailing VR game that takes virtual sailors to the Akalana Islands, Arctic waters, and other unlockable locations. The game teaches players to use parts of a boat or yacht to race solo and in multiplayer. It also has free-sailing for voyager exploration.
VR Headsets On Deck for “VR Regatta”
Sailing on the open ocean is now possible year-round. VR Regatta is available for the following VR headsets: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Vive Pro, Vive Cosmos, Oculus Rift, Rift S, and Windows Mixed Reality.
Training, Parts, and Movement
First thing to note, VR Regatta has intro lessons to help you learn what each part of the boat is called. Second, they then lead you into a freestyle sailing session to learn how to move the boat with the wind. Then, they introduce you to mini races to practice using these skills together.
Experienced sailors will find maneuvering a VR boat simple to do. Rising up from Mate to Petty Officer gives you access to more ships/yachts, parts, and races. So, learning opportunities are plentiful here.
Gamers that play VR games with unique control systems will breeze through using the tiller to sail and other parts. More skill is needed to control the mainsheet and mainsail. However, everyone’s experience with this will be different when it comes to their ability to capture the wind with a blue arrow and compass as a guide.
For absolute beginners like me, this is a great intro into learning the basics of sailing, but isn’t a substitute for the real thing. There’s no falling overboard nor are you able to wreck the ship. So, there’s no pressure except to win races or glide leisurely through tropical or icy waters.
Sailors are also given teleportation spots on the boat to sit at. I tried sitting on the two sides of the boat but didn’t like having to crane my neck sideways. Instead, I sat facing forward on an ottoman in the middle of my play space and calibrated the seat height.
The VR Game, Races and Possible Improvements
After completing a beginner’s Quick Race, I now have to finish an Easy Race in under 100 seconds. I’ve tried to accomplish this, but after many attempts, my best time is 120 seconds. I’m inching my way there!
The sailing sim turns into a VR game when the stars are introduced. Capture each one by touching it with your boat to reduce race time. I found this difficult to do, especially since I couldn’t capture wind that well in the Easy Race.
I found that I could move in a zig-zag or serpentine formation to wiggle my way out of being downwind. However, if you don’t keep an upwind speed over 3 MPH, you’re kind of dead in the water and will be the slowest sailor in the race.
VR Regatta races up the ante and fun with time reduction stars. Think ocean Mario Kart without invincibility. Eventually, after much practice, I got enough stars to lower my time by 3 seconds apiece. Yet, I just couldn’t get the hang of staying out of downwind long enough to get me to under 100 seconds.
Although I spent hours racing in Easy Race, it was a challenge for me. I went into the tutorial a few times to refresh my skills and that helped to an extent. Unfortunately, there were times where I was told to release the mainsheet when I wasn’t holding onto it.
This was confusing, so I tried to use the mainsheet more when racing. In the tutorial, the voice directing you would sometimes say that the sail is flapping, indicating to pull the mainsheet tighter. Yet, in Easy Race I did not see the sail flap at all.
Leveling Up and Chillin’ in Different Environments
Currently, I’m a Skipper who is currently working on becoming an Ordinary Seaman (woman). If you want to really get the most out of VR Regatta ranking up is important, as it unlocks more races and content.
After racing, visit different free sail environments for variety. VR Regatta comes with the Akalana Islands, Sail by Moonlight, Sunset, Dreaming, and Sunrise Islands. MarineVerse also has an expansion pack DLC for VR Regatta like “Arctic” and “Lake In Japan.”
I chose Sail by Moonlight so I could chill for a bit and get my sea legs without a timer. The location was tropical and the only light guiding me was the moon. There were times when I closed my eyes and could hear the water lapping against the boat. It was so relaxing.
Do I Recommend “VR Regatta”?
If you’re looking for a sea-worthy challenge then this is a VR game for you. There’s no rain-outs, seasickness, or going overboard. VR Regatta is for landlubbers (like me), sailors who know the ropes, and everyone in between.
