Jumanji: Reverse the Curse

The Void’s virtual reality experiences have never failed to deliver a good time. Each brought something new to their format, but some moments have felt a little redundant. Was blasting Stormtroopers in Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire really that much different than busting ghosts in Ghostbusters? Or firing pancakes and milkshakes at the bunny and kitty in Ralph Breaks VR? I had heard Jumanji: Reverse the Curse broke new ground. I am pleased to say that it does!

The most promising sign was multiple Void employees telling me Jumanji was their favorite. Most exciting was the in-game personalization, which seemed a natural fit. Not only does the concept sync with the movie plot perfectly, but it’s ideally suited for Virtual Reality. Why shouldn’t people wearing different headsets be able to see different effects in the shared space? Personalization offers a variety of experiences and adds replay value to Jumanji, something lacking in other VR experiences once the novelty wears off.

Welcome to the Jungle

As with most other Void visits, you select a character card at the front desk. These cards explain the game mechanisms and have an animal totem on them, but they do not indicate which character you will be. There is a more subtle (and clever) method for choosing that. Being surprised by your avatar is fun! However, if you do have a strong preference, just ask the employees and they will make sure you inhabit the body you want.

After a mission briefing from the films’ Rhys Darby, and clear instructions not to run, we appeared in a wooden hut in a jungle. Finding a mirror on the wall, I looked at…Kevin Hart! I was inhabiting the body of the Mouse Finbar character, complete with large backpack. The virtual bodies of Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan joined me in the hut, all scaled to fit the real players. It was amusing seeing a 5-foot tall version of The Rock.

We’ve Got Fun and Games

The character personalization is noticeable immediately. As instructed on the card at the front desk, I held out my palm and a color-coded menu popped up listing my strengths and weaknesses. Like in the films, I can understand animals! Other characters can decipher other languages or are skilled at fighting. My forearm showed 3 stripes, one for each “life” I had. With orientation over, our group headed out into the jungle.

A cliffside trail, log bridge, and waterfall were all beautifully rendered and gave a genuine sense of height. Genuine enough that our miniature Dr. Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) wanted to run across the bridge, despite previous warnings. The individual character attributes kicked in during the next segment. I had to get an item out of my backpack and another character had to decipher a coded message on the wall that nobody else could read. Following another interactive environment, we got a sort of “cutscene” that laid out the story and added a sense of urgency to the rest of the adventure.

The personalized talents came into play several more times, requiring cooperation and light puzzle-solving. I particularly like the times when the other players see an overlay instead of what someone is actually doing. Specifically, in a fight scene, a player will be punching to defeat an enemy. But because their character is an expert at “dance-fighting,” the other players all see her performing complex karate kicks.

The Next Level

Two innovations in Jumanji: Reverse the Curse borrow from video games. Silver coins scattered throughout the experience in particularly challenging locations are fun to find and collect. One gold coin per character can only be collected by that player after performing a particular task. Unfortunately, these led to my first real quibble. The rules for gold coins are not clear at all. The first time through, I thought all 4 of us achieved our gold coins. The second time, I didn’t get mine. When I asked why not, I was told that someone died during my task. Yet in the first run-through, I died during someone else’s task, and they still earned the coin. The Void employee was unable to offer a clear explanation on how someone can earn their coin, or fail to achieve it.

The concept of extra lives is another one from video games. As in the film, you start with 3. The first time I met my demise, I re-spawned at nearly the same spot with 2 bars now on my arm. On my second run, I failed a puzzle on purpose to see the alternate scenery that would result from dying. It was well worth it! I would encourage everyone to choose appealing moments to spend their extra lives. It’s harder than you might think! I tried to fall prey to wildlife the second time and failed. I am very curious what happens if someone loses all 3 lives. Surely they won’t turn off your headset and not let you finish? Maybe the programming simply won’t let you die if you’re on your last life.

Power Up

One other feature that I think is new to the Void is the addition of employees inside the space to assist with props. Previous experiences, like Star Wars, have used props stored within the set. Jumanji uses an employee as a kind of backpack surrogate, to hand you items or take them from you. This employee is silent and invisible in VR, so the items seem to appear and disappear as needed, like in a game. It’s a wonderful solution for dealing with an inventory system.

Originally, there was to be even more employee-aided immersion, via laying planks on the ground to simulate walking on a narrow bridge. Testing revealed that people shuffled their feet instead of taking a step, which kicked the planks around and broke the immersion. The Void decided not to proceed with this very cool idea, but by special request, they were able to do it for us the second time. It was noticeably better, and I hope they keep trying to add these physical touches that make the experience more realistic.

Jungle Boogie

After two adventures, I think Jumanji: Reverse the Curse is the best example of what the Void can do, and their most immersive overall experience. It’s not the best in every aspect (there’s no Smell moment like in Ralph Breaks VR/Avengers/Ghostbusters). Although popular, Jumanji doesn’t have the cultural cache of the Marvel and Star Wars brands. Still, Reverse the Curse is probably the most ambitious, most innovative and most well-integrated with the source material. I like that each character has different skills and that you can make poor choices to get snippets of alternate visuals. The mini goals of the coins (despite being not entirely clear how they work) is an engaging side quest. Jumanji feels like the player would benefit more from repeat trips than any other Void experience to date.

Jumanji: Reverse the Curse is designed for 4 players but works great with 3. If you are missing one, make sure it’s either Dwayne Johnson or Karen Gillan’s character. They are both fighters and their personalized moments overlap the most, so you don’t need both. Also, pay attention to the story and listen to the dialogue, as it is possible to fail your quest. A child joined our first trip and talked throughout. Not even about the game, but breaking the fourth wall and wondering out loud about the technology. He also tried repeatedly to grab an item wielded by another character. I let him take it but the added distractions were quite detrimental to being wrapped up in the adventure.

Jumanji is playing at select Void locations. Make sure to check which locations have it before you go. I went to the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, which had a very helpful and friendly staff. The only other Southern California location currently with Jumanji is Santa Anita. Tickets are $34.95 and can be booked on their website, along with hours of operation and other information, here.