Test: Wallace & Gromit in The Grand Getaway

Wallace & Gromit are the two main characters of British TV series created by Nick Park and his animation studio Aardman Animations. In "The Grand Getaway" for Quest 3 and Quest 2, the two clay characters embark on their first foray into virtual reality. According to the developers, which include the co-production studio Atlas V, it is a "narrative experience", i.e. not an actual game, but a story - I was surprised to find out what this means.

You slip into the shoes of Gromit. As you know, the little dog is Wallace's best friend, but also his most loyal helper when it comes to sorting out Wallace's mess every time. Packing is the order of the day. But in order to make it to Bognor Regis Golf Resort on time, the only means of transport left is a rocket. Here, too, Wallace quickly causes trouble by causing an accident inside the spacecraft. As a result, you suddenly find yourself in zero gravity near the planet Mars, where the real adventure begins.

A colourful adventure

The characters and environments are very atmospheric. The voice actors (in English) also contribute to an entertaining Sunday VR outing for families and children. The interactive play can be played both sitting and standing.

Gameplay: You are confronted with various interactive mini-games. Alien baby balls are fired around or rocket control consoles are smeared with jam, cogwheels and oil. However, movement in space is not required on the control side. Most of the time you look around or spot new locations to which teleportation is possible. This is done using a funny two-handed gesture with binoculars in front of the VR glasses. Side note: However, I don't quite understand why the experience is labelled for "Seated Mode". Despite good lighting conditions, I always had to lean forwards or sideways on the sofa with the Quest 3 in order to reach individual levers and switches. Oh well.

Sometimes you also have to move things to your mouth, as dogs are known to carry many objects in their mouths. If you get stuck here and there, a wave to a robot companion will help, who will give you more clues.