System: Valve Index, HTC Vive & Oculus Rift
Price at Time Of Review: Free
Comfort Rating: Green (No Movement)
Genre: 360 Video and Animation
Input: Keyboard & Mouse
Best Playing Position: Sitting
Multi-Player: No
Age Rating: U
Description: Allumette tells the story of a young orphan girl who lives in a fantastical city in the clouds. After enduring tragedy, she grasps at hope for her future. Loosely inspired by “The Little Match Girl” by Hans Christian Andersen, Allumette is an account of the love a mother and daughter have for one another, and the sacrifices they make for the greater good.
Review: Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s short story “The Little Match Girl”, Allumette (French for “matchstick”) is a rather sad story about someone who just wanted to bring people the joy of matches. Mostly focused on the love of a daughter for her mother this is a tragic story of death, sacrifices and good will. The scene is loosely inspired by Venice floating in the sky and does have that dream-like look and feel.
I will keep the story under wraps, needless to say, it gets quite emotional, but it is the incredible visuals that really carry the story. I have seen thousands of animated short movies in my time, but this is quite simply mind blowing to look at, the character animation is nothing short of jaw-dropping as is the detail gone into each and every set piece.
Penrose Studios once again raises the bar on what to expect when it comes to a VR short movie. If you have ever watched a Clay animation film and wondered what each scene would look like in real life, this is it, only without the hand of god moving the characters and set pieces. Be warned! This is a powerful story told in a way that you will never have seen or experienced before. It will take the coldest of hearts not to shed a tear or two at this one. Without a doubt, this is one of the best VR experiences I have had the pleasure to experience and I hope Penrose Studios come up with many, many more.
