Google Spotlight Stories: Age of Sail

I don't know where this development team ended up after Google shuttered them a half decade ago but this remains one of the most emotionally tight experiences up for grabs to anyone with a VR headset. Not gonna lie, I actually gasped like a 1950's housewife at a key part towards the end, I'm sure anyone that has seen this will understand when and where. And who doesn't want to hear Ian McShane as a drunken sailboat captain? "I like the old songs."

"Google Spotlight Stories: Age of Sail" is not a game. Games contain meaningful gamelike interaction and game loops, which are absent in this "art experience". Instead of being a game, "Google Spotlight Stories: Age of Sail" is once more Google failing to understand what a game is as they continue to dump Youtube videos onto Steam. Don't they OWN Youtube??? Stay in your own lane, guys, this is Steam, for PC games. Not for Youtube videos that don't even play or work well. Maybe they should Google what games are before deciding Youtube videos are games. This Youtube video is an "experience" (not game) about sailing, in VR, done badly, and is completely unentertaining. Especially when you are sitting at your gaming PC with the intention of playing video games. We get this non-game shovelware on Steam whenever film school dropouts are desperate for anyone to give them validation, so they publish their short film on Steam because nobody watches their garbage on Youtube. There was a video section on Steam, but it's deprecated and basically closed, so failed filmmakers seem to just try to abuse the Steam games section instead. Why is this good for gamers? It's not. For those …

Age of sail is a quick VR experience where you get to see a short story. Do not expect amazing graphics just enjoy the experience since its free. It about a sailor and a his recouperation at the end. Recommended!!!

Does not launch on Quest 3.

There's a series of free VR games by Google called Google Spotlight Stories. This is one of them and the second one I experienced. Due to how short these experiences are, I don't want to give much away but given its title, I'll go ahead and reveal it involves sailing a boat. Age of Sail is basically an immersive movie. You do not play a part in the story, but you are there within its key moments, like a ghost watching over the characters. There was a moment where I felt goosebumps and a thrilling sense of adventure which isn't easy to find nowadays, especially when you've experienced your fair share of games. While adding the game to Grouvee and looking up information about it, I found out it was created by renowned talent. Ian McShane voices the main character and the director was John Kahrs. If you don't have VR, you can watch the short on Youtube.

Short but sweet fly-on-the-wall story. Probably runs well on all levels of hardware as the graphics, while very effective from a story-telling perspective, are not demanding - but don't need to be be given the context. Gives a lovely impression on the open water.