Kovee is a VR theme park in Indonesia. My family and I had the chance to try the various VR simulations and games, one of notable ones being a multiplayer arrow shooting tower defense game.

About the VR

Core gameplay

The objective is to protect the castle from losing all of its health. Players need to clear waves of enemy intruders by shooting them down with their bows and arrows. Enemies can throw knives at players, which players can then dodge by ducking/crouching down to the ground. There is a variety of maps to choose from, which allows for fresh strategies and avoids repetitiveness.

Player movement

The equipment used are the standard headset and 2 controllers. Players shoot arrows by stretching out one arm to hold the “bow”, and pull back the other arm while holding the button on the controller — in a motion similar to bowing an arrow — and then releasing the button to release the arrow. Certain shots do more damage, such as headshots or long distance shots. Players are stationed on towers most of the time, and they can teleport to their desired spot by shooting an arrow at the location.

Why I like the VR

The experience is very immersive — after finishing the session and removing the headset, it did not feel like I had been playing a game. Instead, it felt like I just traveled back from a different place. I appreciated how beginner-friendly it was, especially considering the target audience of such VR theme parks being families, friends or couples — people who are not necessarily familiar with using VR interfaces. Theme park rides, such as roller coasters which usually have height restrictions or are advised against people who have health conditions, felt more accessible and safe. All these factors made for a good bonding experience with loved ones. To sum up my family’s experience at the theme park, here are some quotes from my 8-year-old brother and my 11-year-old cousin while they were on the VR roller coaster — “This is FUN!” and “WE’RE GOING TO DIEEE!”.

Why it is engaging

The simulation engages almost the whole body and senses, even though the players are standing in place and not walking around. Players’ arms are actively engaged in shooting arrows, and their legs are also involved when crouching down to dodge enemy knife attacks. We were quite physically tired after each session, which ironically added to immersiveness. The simulation also had many audio cues such as the sound of the knives flying through the air also engaging players’ hearing. In addition, enemies come from multiple directions, which urges players to keep looking around the 360-degree environment instead of just facing one single direction the whole time.

What features are well done

The simulation generally has good VR user interfaces (UI).

Virtual world reference frame

Some UI is placed on the objects in the environment. For example, the castle health is shown as text on the castle itself, so players simply need to turn their heads and look back at their castle. This makes it intuitive and easy to look at. Another example is how the arrow damage numbers and type (e.g. headshot) are shown directly above the enemy. Even the players’ waiting room is represented as what looks like a literal knight’s preparation room, and the UI for selecting the map and other settings are shown on the room’s walls.

Interact directly with objects & use physical actions

Some commands are done using the players’ actions, so there is no UI. For example, in order for players to teleport, they simply need to shoot an arrow to the spot they want to teleport to.  The action of bowing an arrow also mimics real-life, minus the skills needed because players do not need to know how to use actual bow equipment.

Art style

The art style is slightly realistic but still stylised, and this helps to set the correct player expectations on the game physics and visual effects. The hand models in the VR world are also wearing gloves, which makes it feel more immersive by avoiding realism and feeling almost as if those are the players’ own hands.

Beginner-friendly

The simulation eases players into it. The waves of enemies start slowly, and gradually become more intense with more enemies. This gives beginners time to adjust at the beginning.

How some features can be improved

Player model

The players do not have a character model in the VR world — when we see other players, we only see their bow and arrow. This makes the experience less immersive. Perhaps allowing players to choose a character model would improve the experience, and since players are mostly standing in the same spot, the model animations required will mostly be the arrow shooting animation and the crouching animation. If we want to make it even more immersive, we could add the omnidirectional treadmill to allow players to walk around.

Indication of teleportation spots

Other than that, teleporting to desired positions is sometimes difficult, because some spots are not easy to shoot at or the hit box is not very obvious, which adds some unnecessary difficulty. This can be improved by making sure that every teleport spot has a direct arrow path with not too many obstacles, and a clearer visual indication of the hit box compared to the current vague blue edges as shown in the picture.

Conclusion

Overall, the VR is immersive in its art style and sound design, is engaging for the players’ whole body, and is beginner-friendly, which makes it a great option for bonding sessions with loved ones.