Dreamscape — a virtual reality experience

A virtual reality experience that you rarely get to experience.

Virtual Reality, or VR for short, can now be found everywhere. Be it a simple pair of VR glasses to put your cell phone in or the more complex version for games in your own living room. But it is not only at home or in one’s own possession that the VR world has firmly established itself. Equally — or even ahead of the game — are the many opportunities to have a virtual reality experience in guided attractions, cinemas or guided tours, etc.

Dubai, after all, has it all. Waterfalls, indoor ice rinks, theme parks and aquariums in malls. Its own indoor ski slopes with real penguins (also in a mall), huge cinemas and the deepest swimming pool in the world. So why should Dubai be missing a unique VR experience? The Dreamscape at Mall of the Emirates is a truly brilliant VR experience.

For me, it was actually my first real exposure to virtual reality. I’ve worn one of those glasses before, where you put your phone in and then with the help of the appropriate apps you can experience, or rather look at, a kind of virtual reality. But compared to the Dreamscape, it was absolutely nothing and more like watching a 3D movie on my phone.

The Dreamscape in the Mall of the Emirates

Actually, Marc and I just wanted to see the Mall of the Emirates and then go to the movie theater. However, when we arrived at the movie theater, all the movies we were interested in were already booked. On our further way through the mall we finally passed the Dreamscape. I first thought it was some kind of small 3D or even 4D cinema.

Upon closer inspection and eventually an explanation from the staff, we realized that there is some sort of interactive VR cinema here. I don’t really know what it’s called but I’ll explain in a moment how it went then. I think that’s the best way to get an idea of this.

First of all, Dreamscape currently has three possible scenarios:

• Dreamworks Dragon, in which you dive into the world of dragon tamers and on a rescue mission to a new world, get your own wings.
• Alien Zoo. Here you take a trip into the wild world of dinosaurs and aliens and get to know new species.
• The Blu — Deep Rescue. A journey into the wonders of the underwater world with the goal of rescuing a family of whales.

We have chosen “The Blu”. The depths of the ocean and the entire underwater world are simply magical. Unfortunately, I have never been diving or snorkeling, but it has long been my dream to explore this weightless world myself. Even though this is just a virtual underwater world, I still find the idea exciting and fascinating.

How it works

You buy the tickets on the spot. Touchpads are available for this purpose, on which you can select the time, the “show” and the number of tickets. After successful booking, you also have the option to choose your own character for the VR experience. We simply chose the first character we were shown.

Around the corner, you enter an anteroom that looks a bit like a movie theater. There is a counter where you can buy snacks and drinks, as well as various small tables, chairs and benches. There, you are asked by the friendly staff to take a seat until you are called to the booked VR show. The next “shows” are always updated on a board.

At the booked time, you are finally called by a guide and led into a small room. We were really lucky, because only Marc and I had booked at this time. So we could enjoy this experience undisturbed.

The room into which the guide led us resembles a submarine. There are 6 seats, each equipped with an underwater jetpack and a mask. This equipment provides even more of a real underwater experience.

The guide explains to us how to put on the virtual reality sensors. They are small square sensors that are attached with a loop in the middle of the feet and on the hands. The jetpack is strapped to our backs like a backpack and with the mask including goggles and headset in hand, we are led into the next room.

It is a round room with metal railings at the edge and in the middle. Not much more can be seen here yet. Now we put on our goggles, mask and headset and the show begins.

The Blu — Deep Rescue

The so far inconspicuous room changes from one second to the next into the control center of a marine research station. Marc now wears — just like me — a fully equipped diving suit. It’s fascinating when you look down at yourself and you’re no longer wearing your own clothes.

The sensors make the whole scenario seem very real. If I move my arm, my arm in the diving suit also moves. Only the fingers don’t move with it, which is a bit confusing. The movements of the body are adjusted accordingly. Unfortunately, this is missing with the fingers, which is not too bad.
Through the headphones we are instructed to follow the footsteps on the floor. We walk around the metal railing and are now on a round metal platform. We are asked to confirm that everything is okay and suddenly the platform starts to jerk.

We are lowered into the sea. The air bubbles rise as we dive into the water and after a short while many colorful fish but also sea lions and jellyfish cavort around us. The deeper we get the darker it gets. With another jerk the platform stops and we find ourselves at the bottom of the research station.
Since it is very dark there, the lamps on our hands turn on automatically. With these we can now illuminate the surroundings. There are sharks, turtles and many other sea creatures swimming around us in the darkness. So close that you could almost touch them.

Shortly after, we get on a kind of underwater jet ski, which we are now supposed to steer through the depths of the ocean. You actually stand at a steering edge and when you move it to the left or right, this movement is also executed accordingly in virtual reality. Wind is blown towards you from the front or the side, so this underwater tour feels very real.

I thought the whole time that I was also controlling the height of the jet ski and tried very hard not to get too close to the rocks or sharks in the water. As I found out later, I could only steer slightly left or right and the actual route was already set. So I stressed myself for nothing not to make an accident. Great :-D But that shows how real this world seems.

Finally, we head for a baby whale that is trapped in the ropes of a ship. We are supposed to try to free this one and we succeed. Now we swim together with the reunited whale family through the sea until we finally reach the surface. Here the sequence ends and we are asked to follow the footprints.

That’s it. The helmets are taken off and we find ourselves back in the inconspicuous room. Through the door into the replica submarine and the sensors removed. So quickly you go from a magical underwater world back to a mall in Dubai.

Conclusion

It is worth it! Especially if you haven’t experienced virtual reality before, the Dreamscape is an ingenious and unique experience. But even for experienced VR connoisseurs, this is a rare experience. Due to other effects like the jerking of the ground, the wind in your face and also because of the heaviness of the jetpack, you are transported into another world that seems more than real.

When using VR at home or in general, you always hear about the so-called “motion sickness”. This nausea occurs when you move in virtual reality but not in reality. The brain is made to believe that you are moving in a way that does not correspond to reality, which is why you suddenly feel nauseous.
This is not the case here, since all movements are copied into virtual reality in real time. Thus, the simulated movements match the real ones and nausea is prevented. When we left the Dreamscape, I still felt a little nauseous, but the nausea disappeared after a few minutes.

We only experienced “The Blu” scenario, but we were so thrilled that we are considering exploring the other two as well when we get a chance. Even if it is only a short moment, you dive into a completely new and different world. And this experience alone is worth it. Just under 30€ for the two of us is also perfectly fine for such a versatile experience.

Dreamscape, you have convinced us. We will be back again!