Apr 18, 2018

REVIEW | Out of This World!

CHARMAINE, WALLY & MOM, WELCOME YOU TO CTRL V
April 12 was a very busy afternoon. I climbed to the peaks of majestic mountains, got to work in an auto body shop, a convenience store & fast food restaurant, played fetch with a robotic dog in a busy warehouse, traveled to the wild west and defended myself against very gruesome zombies...all without barely breaking a sweat!

How could I do all this and still make it home before the street lights came on? It was made possible thanks to virtual reality and more specifically, thanks to a visit to Ctrl V, a new attraction located at 20 Hartzel Road -Unit 11 in St Catharines. 

Ctrl V has locations across Canada and the U.S. They offer visitors the chance to play high action games or just enjoy leisurely, breathtaking life-like views of places they may normally never get to experience.

The simulated scenes are not just located directly in front of you.  Thanks to a virtual reality device, which is worn similar to diving goggles, you can see things all around you.

When I visited the vast mountain scene in Vesper Peak, I could look up and see the sky, clouds and birds in flight. I could look down and see I was standing at the narrow edge of a rocky cliff, with a river far, FAR below. To the left, to the right and even behind me, it truly felt like I was actually “there.”

KIM & I GEARED UP AND READY FOR FUN
The day I visited, the high tech arcade was hosting an invitation only media event. The owners of this location, Charmaine and Wally, are Scribbles friends and had extended an invite for myself and a guest.

My “plus one” was my sister Kim, who (like me) had never experienced virtual reality before.

Kim joked that we were “Virtual virgins”... you can insert your own jokes here.  LOL.

Ctrl V St. Catharines has 14 game cubicles and you go online to book a time and date to play.

Games vary from 1 to 4 players and you can also compete with players at other Ctrl V locations.

Games include; Smashbox, Quivr, Loco Dojo, Cowbots and Aliens, Space Pirate, Slingshot, Xortex, Brookhaven and my personal favourite, Job Simulator.

There is also a room you can reserve for parties or other gatherings.

Pricing and hours of operation can be found on Ctrl V St.Catharines Facebook and Instagram pages.  You can also visit Ctrl V’s main website, where you can view previews of the various games offered.  Links to these are featured below.

It was indeed a thrill to be in attendance with the mayor of St. Catharines and other members of the media. Thank you very much Charmaine, Wally and other family members for making us feel so welcomed.

Time flies when you’re having fun. Kim and I tried out numerous games for over two hours.  We may have entered the building having never experienced this type of reality before, but we left there feeling happy and invigorated....”virtual virgins” no more.