System: Valve Index, HTC Vive & Oculus Rift
Price at Time Of Review: Free
Comfort Rating: Green
Genre: Interactive Experience
Input: Tracked Motion Controllers
Best Playing Position: Sitting
Multi-Player: No
Age Rating: 15+
VR Shop Score 1/100: 10
Description: Blackbox is an emotional rollercoaster ride through the childhood memories of Sami, a Syrian boy, who shares personal stories of happiness and joy intertwined with unspeakable moments of sadness and remorse. The story takes place in the ruins of his home, where you the observer, interact with Sami to uncover hidden childhood memories of playing with friends in his grandmother’s neighbourhood. It’s a story of hope for the 2.3 million children like Sami that have been displaced as a result of the Syrian Civil War. It also shines a light on the dark childhood memories that each kid like Sami carries forward as they look to resettle and rebuild their lives. Sami’s story ends with a successful passage and entry into a refugee camp where he will begin the next chapter of his life. Directed and produced by the TRT World R&D Labs team, the Blackbox narrative is the result of extensive research and interviews with social aid workers, psychologists, journalists and refugees themselves.
Review: Blackbox is a VERY short interactive experience in which you are experiencing the life of a small boy in Syria. While the graphics are OK, there is very little gameplay to enjoy. But that is not my biggest gripe. The main problem I have is that the war in Syria is a complex and deeply integrated thing that needs a lot of explaining and what is anyone supposed to learn from a VR experience that only lasts for 3 minutes? It’s just so pointless and empty I’m not sure why it was made in the first place! At least it is free I suppose, so you can waste your time playing it if you want.
