Manifest 99 is the first VR release from Flight School Studio – it’s an ominous and eerie story about finding redemption in the afterlife. Learn more in our Manifest 99 review!
In most VR experiences your movements are normally controlled by either the experience itself, be that on rails or in a static position, while some developers choose to give us small chances of moving or teleporting via the DualShock 4 controller or Move wands. Manifest 99 uses a teleportation mechanic while doing things a bit different since it asks that you gaze into the eyes of ominous looking crows and take on that position of scale and perspective as if you’re looking through the eyes of that particular crow, all while you make your way through an old steam train.
You find yourself wandering the cars of the train in a dark, eerie and almost featureless wasteland. During your journey, you uncover the stories behind the train’s ghostly travelers.
As you go on this journey, you will find items strewn throughout the train carriages which are key to finding out more about the ghostly travelers and their personal stories. You interact with these the same way you would teleport into the next position – by gazing toward them and lining up the picture with the object.
When you find all the items for that particular ghostly traveler, you catch up with them, and you can stare into that traveler’s eyes like you would the crows. After doing this right, you are treated to a flashback where you discover very personal and heart-wrenching stories for each of the travelers you meet. There is a twist at the end which kinda surprised me, but I won’t spoil things for you since it’s a good one!
I don’t want to go into much more about the experience as this would just spoil the storyline, and I really want you to try it out. I really enjoyed the rollercoaster ride of emotions I was treated to from this great visual treat. As is usually the case for PS VR releases, this one is only around 25 minutes long, but it’s worth the experience if you are looking for a good story from start to finish.
Graphically the experience is very pleasing, the storyline is strong, and it manages you fill you with many emotions during a short time. The quality of the graphics and the art style is superb, and that linked to the atmospheric sounds and music gives the viewer a fabulous emotional immersive experience.
Disclaimer
This Manifest 99 review is based on a PlayStation VR copy provided by Flight School Studio.
