If Annapurna Interactive was to make their version of Pokemon Snap, it would be Umurangi Generation. Somehow, someway, Umurangi Generation VR gamifies photography in a way that makes it less of a chore and more of an emotional experience. Once you get past the jitters of the VR platforming, you’ll experience something more than just taking photos. You’ll be reminded of the joy photography instills – all thanks to virtual reality.
The earlier days of social media were a more precious time. As were the early days of the Internet that preceded the apps that have now interwoven themselves into the fabric of our daily lives. I remember a time when Instagram and Facebook feeds were simpler, benign, often adding glimpses of slices of our lives. We shared pictures of our boring pasta meals, a simple cup of coffee, or even a silly picture of our loved ones that wouldn’t even be considered as worthy for today’s ‘Gram. Taking and sharing pictures of our boring ol’ selves.
Umurangi Generation is a game about taking pictures of a world that’s slowly unraveling at the seams. It came out a few years back, capturing many players’ attention by posing as a photography simulator. Underneath that sandbox is an impactful story that’s told via environmental storytelling.
In April, Origame Digital brought Umurangi Generation to the virtual reality space. This now begs the questions of how well Umurangi Generation VR exists as a VR title as well as how well does it hold its impact? Let’s get to it.
Umurangi Generation VR is very light on the instructions front, often relying on the vaguest of icons to get me going into using my camera to capture minutia and seemingly everyday happenings. Despite the terseness, Umurangi Generation VR is simple. Just take the best photos you can. Check your watch for your photo bounties (objectives) of what to photograph. Once you’ve taken the main photos on your checklist, you “scan” the photo package and you’re free to move on. As you complete levels, additional lenses and photo editing tools become available to turn regular photos into miniature works of art.
My work was judged by “the three Cs” of content, color, and composition. While the better photos I took ended up granting me more “money” (as in, a higher score) based on the quality of how well I adhered to the three Cs, I had quite a bit of freedom in taking subpar photos and being reward for doing so. A perfectly framed photo granted me slightly more money that only mattered for bonus objectives, so I didn’t feel like I had to be a “pro” photographer to succeed.
Instead, I just had to find and complete the objectives, which ranged from simple to painfully specific, occasionally requiring a specific lens for full completion. On the second level, I was to take pictures of solar panels with the telephoto lens, but on my objectives I wasn’t explicitly told that a smallish and almost missable icon was tied to an objective. I frequently paused the game to look up how to best photograph an objective, as my attempts to photograph something often didn’t set off the “complete” indicator.
These small quirks aside, I was given quite a lot to capture and explore in each level. Once I had unlocked the full suite of camera tools, I could effortlessly complete levels while also completing the side objectives on my list, whether it be perfectly emulating the framing of a postcard’s photo or taking a picture of my friends. Each level has a consistent secondary objective of finding film canisters scattered about, making for a nice little Easter Egg hunt.
Umurangi Generation VR captures the essence of being a photographer moderately well thanks to the new VR controls. On my right is my floating camera that can be set on a timer, swapped lenses, and more. Raising the camera to my character’s face put me into the “viewfinder” mode. The controls took a smidgen getting used to only because I kept bonking my controller to the PSVR2 headset, but it wasn’t that big of a deal in the long run.
A small amount of platforming is required thanks to the levels’ size. While it was cool to wander around and find small secrets, this was the one aspect that needed to be properly ironed out for the VR experience. Jumping felt janky, often automatically double jumping rather than simply jumping once. If I went out of bounds, my character’s position would be moved several feet downward, as though I was an ephemeral being whose figure was halfway obscured by the ground. Moving would also be sticky if I was respawned, too. These small setbacks were frustrating, but they didn’t impact the overarching experience of virtual reality photography.
No spoilers on the story (assuming you haven’t already checked another review or have seen videos online), but there’s something about Umurangi Generation‘s story that’s quite powerful. Despite very little being said, the amount of bleakness and parallels to today’s trials and tribulations are driven home thanks to the game’s themes. Sure, I was taking photos and attempting to quickly capture and edit photos according to bounties. But, each additional level took things one step further in elevating the emotional presence. I had no attachment to the main character or their friends, but I felt for them. It felt familiar.
Umurangi Generation hits its stride in its endgame, or at least its post game. Once I had everything unlocked from completing the primary photo bounties, I was able to take photos as I wished and edit them in ways that I expected to given my prior experience as a photographer (no, not just an Instagram junkie). I know it’s weird to lock the “pro” editing tools behind completing the game, but doing so allowed me to truly enjoy replaying the game’s earlier levels and testing out my new tools in ways that I wasn’t able to at the beginning of the game. I appreciate it when I’m encouraged to replay early levels with new tools, almost like a New Game+ of sorts.
If you’re worried about a slog of things to accomplish or grind through, don’t be. Umurangi Generation VR is a delightfully short title, only taking a few hours to complete on your first runthrough. If you’re down to complete the bonus photo bounties, you’re looking at maybe six hours total. If you’re down to take pictures in VR and have some fun, then maybe another hour or two. Either way, it gets to the point while also encouraging you to return to attempt to stress test the post-game photo editing tools.
I know the VR space tends to have murky examples of games that may or may not be appealing for those who want to replay them. Sandbox titles are a dime a dozen, often manifesting as “look at what you could do in VR” rather than “look at the power of VR in creating something meaningful for the player wearing the big, bulky headset.” Umurangi Generation VR does a little of both. To its benefit, it drives home the power of the photographer in capturing life’s minutia, even when that life is slowly devolving into an unhappy place.
If Annapurna Interactive was to make their version of Pokemon Snap, it would be Umurangi Generation. Somehow, someway, Umurangi Generation VR gamifies photography in a way that makes it less of a chore and more of an emotional experience. Once you get past the jitters of the VR platforming, you’ll experience something more than just taking photos. You’ll be reminded of the joy photography instills – all thanks to virtual reality.
