I went into this experience by Excurio with no particular affinity for Egyptian history and nowhere near the knowledge of the VR landscape my colleague Noah detailed in his recent op-ed, VR Winter is Here. Indeed, my VR exposure was mostly limited to the 2019 VR arcade at Denver Film Festival where I tinkered with 10 different experiences of varying length and ambition. The Festival’s arcade opened my eyes to the incredible potential of VR, but left me feeling conflicted about applications beyond pure entertainment.
So when I donned an untethered headset and took those first shaky steps onto the gamefloor of Horizon of Khufu - which instantly transported me to the base of the 450-foot tall Pyramid of Khufu at night, with the city of Giza, Egypt lit up behind me - I was awestruck.
The premise was straightforward enough: we were there for a tour of the pyramid. As we stumbled through a tent to meet our tour guide, the massive pyramid looming not far in the background, we were naturally onboarded into the world both narratively and physically, as we got our sea legs learning how to interact with the tech.
Next thing I know, I’m standing on a platform rising up the facade of the pyramid with a light rumble below my feet giving it an extra layer of authenticity. I take an unnecessary wide stance with my feet, giving my brain the sense of security it needs right now, as it’s convinced we’re really doing this. Later, inside the pyramid, as our guide Mona ducks down to crawl through a narrow passage, my friend and I debate out loud if we should do the same. The rational part of my mind knows there’s absolutely no need, but we do it anyway, not mustering the courage to walk through the walls.
All along the way, Mona is spewing information like the good little tour guide that she is. Most of it is in one ear and out the other, as I’m fully distracted just looking around and taking it all in. I’m passively learning, given my neutral interest in Egyptian history, but I don’t doubt that this auditory information paired with engrossing visuals would be mind-boggling for enthusiasts of Egyptian culture.
Just as we’re settling into the tour, something happens that I won’t spoil, but it brings a mystical element to the story and dramatically changes the format of our expedition through the inside of the pyramid. Next, we step out of the pyramid somewhere in the upper third of it to look out upon the city. Soon after, we’re giants looking down with a birds eye view of the Giza Plateau, learning about all the different features we’re literally standing on, the purpose they served, and their relationship to each other. Next, we’re riding on a boat down a causeway with a giant moon sitting on the horizon as we approach a funeral temple. Inside, we witness the funeral rites of an ancient king where I walk right up to his coffin and peer inside as Egyptian royalty wail and mourn him behind me.
As the experience starts to conclude, we’re back outside on a platform again, riding to the top of the pyramid. With an impeccable 360-degree view from the highest point in sight, I look out on the plateau and recognize the features of the Eastern Cemetery that Mona had taught me earlier. I look behind me to my right and see the slightly smaller Pyramid of Khafre that I was expecting to see and think, “Maybe I did learn a few things along the way.”
And just like with any real-life tour, I’ve also got some pretty specific memories about the experience that extend beyond the informative and educational components of the tour. Things like what happened when the electricity went out inside the pyramid and Mona had to step away to go fix it. Or the way my friend and I laughed at ourselves as we crawled down that tunnel. The way I cautiously tip-toed over the gaps between those moving platforms and the solid ground they connected to, even though I knew in the back of my mind I was just bumbling around in a giant, empty room.
In that 2019 recap of the VR arcade, I concluded that “the best VR experiences are the ones that have familiar real world elements paired with made-up things that can’t possibly exist.” Six years later and that’s still holding true for me, as that’s exactly what Horizon of Khufu does and why it impressed me so much. I’ve always thought that VR could allow people an alternate way to travel and see the wonders of the world, which this experience has plenty of. But it does so much more than that, offering truly magical moments that a standard tour (even in real life) couldn’t. Layer in a thoughtful script that’s drenched in historical facts and written with a stylish authenticity, and the end result is a delightful experience that is my new gold standard for what “edutainment” can and should be.
Horizon of Khufu is currently playing in Denver, through February 9th. Tickets start at $23.
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