Kayak VR: Mirage

I learned today that I have a fear of deep bodies of water, so I was only able to enjoy one map. Beautiful game tho.

This game is quickly becoming my favorite VR game. I absolutely love kayaking and paddleboarding (hint hint, devs?) irl, so when my friend told me about this it was an instant buy. The racing is fun, the game is really immersive, and it's cool being able to have fun kayaking even if it's storming outside, and going out in conditions I wouldn't even consider braving in the real world.

Seems the game doesn't work with HP Reverb G2 headsets.
So I won't recommend it for those people.

It crashes within a minute or so. Despite the tips that should fix it.
It didn't fix it for me. The game looks very promising though.

great visuals, great water-physics implementation. a great and calming experience.. more maps would be nice, or at least getting rid of the boundaries..i´d take a split second delay for the possibilty to visit tge neighbour islands(and some well hidden rare fish, following me.
great vr experience, worth the asking price. keep it up, devs! :)

Best looking VR game ever made.
Game runs fine on free roam but time trials lags like crazy.
White water rapids should be moved to the top of the roadmap imo.

Every aspect of this game is well-constructed:
- Surprisingly intuitive paddling controls
- Beautiful graphics
- Excellent soundtrack (I would buy as standalone DLC tbh)

The only downside is performance -- even the lowest settings aren't 100% smooth, but the upside is that the game still looks amazing.

Beyond the great upper body workout, the visuals are spectacular and the motion and immersion is fantastic. Very natural feel and the physics are very real. This is a great title. Well done to the developers!! Kudos!!

Most reviews reported stunning visuals but I was pretty disappointed. For the price I paid I expected a lot better graphics and the game to be at least to be a little interesting. I should have asked for a refund.

this game looked great and felt great with controllers duct taped to the end of my broom stick but alas it was not for me

This is hands down the best looking VR game that i have played how ever i did end up getting a bit of motion sickness because of real the water looks but besides that would recommend

This game is something else. When combining 120 hz refresh rate, controllers on the stick and with these stunning graphics on 2.0 resoliution scale i actualy feel that i am there, in a virtual world that just looks, feels and sounds like real life.
I fell in love with this game. I recommend this to everyone. I would love to see more content for this game (new maps, boats, etc...).

Beautiful game, clearly some good stuff to explore and so far a very relaxing experience… my kids were very happy to discover the penguins!

I would like to see some river runs, and one thing that would absolutely seal the deal is if the developer can add telemetry out so I can use my motion platform - this game would be absolutely perfect for bobbing up and down on a motion rig! Look forward to playing this more and keep fingers crossed for some DLC for rivers!

Great job.

Finally, a video game where having extra-long arms is paying off.

I've really put more time into this game and ...

TL/DR - Thank you for this game, for me it is a life changing experience!

I recently found this game two days ago.
I watched a few YouTube reviews, checked the steam reviews, bought the game ... LOVED IT and then used my 3d printer to make attachments for a wooden rod so now I have an oar ... this took the game to a whole new level!

I love VR, I really love getting into and learning new and complex processes.

I am also a Combat Veteran with tours in Iraq, East Timor and Afghanistan and deal with the subsequent PTSD.
I also work in a hospital, no pressure with that one ... lol (I am actually on-call for the week as I write this).
This game / application is so much more to me than a game.
It gives me a chance to relax like I've not had in my home before

I can really, truly immerse myself in it, I can explore at my own pace, with no external pressures.
I can't express how grateful I am, truly grateful.

It's hard to decompress and when I am on-call (it goes for 7 days, 24 hours a day in that week), the stress and lack of sleep builds up quickly.
so, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Thank you so very much.

Also, I live in the USA now, but am an Australian.
I love the Australian environment (feels like the Kimberly) ... it's just wonderful

Thank you to all involved, best money ever spent on a game!
Thank you.

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Original review:

I've played for a bit over 30 minutes and this just blew me away!
It is fun, relaxing and a workout on your shoulders too!

Great graphics, love the physics.
The locations are great, I cant wait to get into it more.
Just incredible.

First off great job, visuals our top notch and the physics, mechanics are what they should be. I would like a slow moving River and rapids just using your paddle as a guide, a relaxing slow flowing river or high intensity rapids would be very cool.

Holy crap! Finally something with impressive fidelity on a 3090, played with a friend (its not multiplayer) but we streamed our screens in vr with discord, was a really relaxing way to meetup in VR. Taped my controllers to a 5 foot PVC pipe I had laying around and it was a massive deltoid / tricep workout!!! 2 hours in and a lot more to explore, only looked at two of the 4 worlds. Cant wait to show this to family and play more!

Absolutely fantastic game and highly recommended. The graphics are the best in VR after Alyx. The physics are great and the water and the enviroment almost looks like real life, you feel as if you are actually there in the sea. A new bar has been set for VR graphics with this game, highly recommended!

In the 27 minutes which I have played this game it deserves a 15/10.

It is the most calming game where you can explore and enjoy the subtle changes in the environment. It is a game in which I could fall asleep to if I really was about it. The graphics are impeccable and the white noise music in the background brings seals the deal.

Gorgeous graphics, nuanced gameplay, perfect VR concept.

Please add Multiplayer and massive free roam areas - then it'll be a favorite.

Graphics are very nice, I have most settings on cinematic and 1.6 render scale with a 3080 and it runs at 80 fps. The game is fun, sights are beautiful, racing is fun but very hard. Its a good workout too. This is a great game to relax in, or work up a sweat. VR controls are great too, there is almost no jank at all.

It needs more maps, but its still great for the price.

This game looks absolutely stunning, but you better have a great graphics card if you want the highest fidelity. I was using a 2080 Ti with 64GB of RAM and my GPU fans were roaring at times.. but the graphics are literally like you're there (no attention to detail was spared).

Absolutely love exploring and relaxing in this experience... it's what i got into VR in the first place!

2 MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS for the devs:

1) please allow use of thumbsticks to simulate paddling and steering/movement, not everyone is using this for exercise or racing or simulation of kayaking, it would make it way more relaxing for those who just want to explore the environment (like just relaxing/meditation)

2) i've shown this experience to at least 5 people and every single one had issues with VR sickness... this was never a problem when i showed them the National Geographic Antartica kayak experience, please look into how they avoided that and try to implement it into the settings.

I totally understand this is a kayaking simulator and you've nailed it IMO, but to make this more marketable and accessible i would recommend the changes above.

Thank you for putting the love and attention to detail to this water experience, it's amazing.

Immersive, with Beautiful Graphics

I haven't tried the multiplayer race mode, but I love the "free roam" aspect of the game. While some of the maps are limited, the Antarctica and Costa Rica environments have a fair amount of content to explore. This is a must-have title for anyone who enjoys realistic and breathtaking virtual scenery. The world-building is top-notch. Everything looks amazing on my Reverb G2. I was very impressed with the thunderstorm effects in the Norway map and the lush jungle river in Costa Rica. As for the kayaking part, the water physics and paddle mechanics are reasonably believable and straightforward to learn. It's easy to work up a sweat by paddling quickly, but I still consider it to be a casual experience. It probably won't appeal to you if you only like games with "frenetic" and "rogue-like" in the description. If you're a fan of walking simulators and meditation apps, this is perfect for you.

Absoletly awesome!!!!!!! Relaxing, fun, at the beach, on holidays and karting aroung. Graphics are AAA+ - Dont miss it if you love any sort of water sports! And thanks Devs for such a great game :)

I managed to fix the lag on 2 maps (Antarctica and Australia) which are good maps but It's not all of the maps in the game. But I am still going to change my opinion to Recommended.

Not sure if it's better than life, but the graphics and controls are pretty good.
I like how audio changes if you stick your head underwater, but found that things are sparse down there.
Definitely not something to complain for the price or game-wise, but it would be nicer if there was official mod support options.
Not that my lazy ass would actually make any mods...

By the way default settings are kinda fuzzy and does not show the true graphical power of this game. For those with higher end hardware, or in need of a room heater, remember to tweek them up.

Got this on sale in the steam VR fest for £17 and I can say that's really the limit for what I would pay though there are some MAJOR issues with the game for me. I won't be refunding it as I intend to upgrade my PC in the near future and I have hope that the game will ultimately turn out to be quite fun. Now to the issues I have with the game, ultimately it just doesn't work. I load into the pool/main menu area just fine and my framerate there is fine also however when I try to load ANY of the worlds the game just crashes. After turning down literally every available graphical setting including all the resolution based ones I was finally able to load into the Australia world. At this point it looks like I'm playing an N64 game in VR but at least it works. The funny part is once I loaded in to the world I was able to put all the graphical settings back up to what they were on (epic) and the game worked perfectly fine.

In terms of gameplay it's a fun game, I have never been kayaking in my life and never will (I'm disabled making it impossible) so this is a nice way to get to experience it to some extent. the mechanics feel good to me and personally I found controlling the kayak rather intuitive and fun.

In conclusion I am willing to overlook the issues the game has right now since it is new and I do have hope that the game will turn into something that can be a lot of fun to play with friends. If the issues are ignored or brushed off as "you just need a better PC" then the game is going to be a complete non starter for far more people than just me.

I was very excited about this game since I saw its trailer for the first time, but sadly I have to leave a negative review after trying it.

Performance Issues

I have a 2080S which fuels a HTC Vive Pro 2 at performance settings for the displays. With setting every graphics settings to the lowest possible I got hot garbage visuals at 60 fps. Funnily enough after restarting the game in the pool it dropped to 30 fps (18fps lows) for no reason. Even though the developers claim that the game has good optimization, you need a beefy setup to enjoy its full potential.

Nausea

One of the important factors in motion sickness in VR is acceleration. Our bodies feel the same when they are stationary or in constant motion, but we can easily sense acceleration. Now in a Kayak simulation you will inevitably end up with lots and lots of acceleration as you speed up, slow down, turn etc. On top of this, I played the game while seated which further exacerbates the situation. All in all, if you are prone to motion sickness in VR you'd have a problem with this game.

Clunky Physics

I have never been in a Kayak IRL, nevertheless some aspects of the physics simulation do not make sense to me. When I paddle fast the boat turns slightly opposite to paddle direction. While if you just hold the paddle in the side you turn that way. This inconsistency messed up with my positioning and I kept having to slow down to align myself. It seems like the interactions are implemented as simple as {if player paddles > move forward} {if kayak is on the side > turn}. I once got stuck near a cliff and to my disappointment I could not push myself away by pushing on the stones and had to paddle away from it awkwardly.

Overall

The game boasts good visuals but that's it. Even to take advantage of that you'd need to have a very good VR headset and GPU. If you are sensitive to motion sickness or expect intricate kayak physics then you should stay away from this game.

Side note to devs; for the love of god don't use any text/menu/info or anything that moves with players head. It's obnoxious and annoying to try to read anything on the sides. With such issues I thought this was an early access release but no, you are actually calling it v1

It's cute to sit in a kayak and the feeling pushing yourself off a solid object is nice... so is witnessing the stormy weather - and while the graphics are better than most VR titles, they are not good enough to impress. I know, the screenshots talk big game, but the VR experience really isn't that. If you want visuals in VR just play Alyx or the Lab.
I found myself drawn to paddle to places that turned out to be outside the map boundaries causing you to get reset (the maps are freaking tiny!).
The experience looses it's appeal rapidly, and then there's no game to be had beyond a poor racing gamelet which is purely about cheesing how the paddles move, making it not even fun.
On sale for the experience, maybe, but I was expecting so much more for the price.

More than just pretty graphics!
Stunning experience, great to show off to family and friends.
If you have fun exploring the different maps in free mode, there is actually a lot to discover (check the achievements).
The races are short and fun. They can be challenging if you are going for the gold medal.
Very excited for future updates and more content!

I rarely make reviews, but just WOW!!! Best Visuals in a (VR) game for sureee!! A lot of people don't know that you need to crank the settings up to really see how beautiful it is, especially the up scaling. Australia was just amazing af

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Looked very promising and the swiming pool test level performed flawlessly, but as soon as I tried a real level, the framerate immediately dropped to nauseating levels - setting the graphics to the lowest possible settings did not help. A Ryzen 3700X, 32G RAM and RTX 2060 was insufficient even though it ought to at least match the minium requirements.

Really fun game to chill out in. Best graphics I have seen in VR. They are always adding content.

My First Time Kayaking in 10 Years! IT WAS AWESOME.

*See my updated video review after 40 hours of play! *Spoiler Alert* It's STILL AWESOME!

https://youtu.be/gnub5dQQxDw

So, this is an incredible and very convincing kayak simulator with great graphics and realistic physics. It runs flawlessly @ nearly max settings on my i7/RXT 3070 system. If you like kayaking, get it!

Due to a spinal cord injury I can't kayak in real life anymore, but I can do this in safety and comfort.

For accessibility, the Devs have stated that they plan to implement a sort of "touring mode" that would allow people who can't paddle to experience the environments too. This is great!

However, I'd like to suggest also adding XBox controller support as well. For those who may not be aware, there are adaptive xbox controllers that allow people with physical disabilities to play games.

There are many people with disabilities, like me, who love VR because it gives them the chance to do and experience things that they can't do in real life.

Simply adding xbox controller support to the game would make it much more accessible to all kinds of people with all kinds of disabilities!

Beautiful game. Many details and great atmosphere. You can go slow in free mode and appreciate all the details or go into a fun but challenging and exhausting race.
If you go for a gold medal, be prepared to slap your face and knees with your controllers while you can barely keep your eyes open because of all the sweat pouring into them.

This games graphics dont really look 1:1 when in vr (maybe they do if you have a 4k vr) but they are still very amazing.
On max settings games preforms smoothly even an a little bit worse pc than recommended.
Although i feel like the simulation mode isnt really that realistic (its still the most realistic for a kayaking game)

I give the game a 9/10!
(This game is so calming, i feel like i could just stay there!)

This game is awesome and the graphics beautifuls but we absolutly need more maps to explored et really more big ,it would be cool if we could do a slowly long exploration ride in the jungle or anywhere and add a option for ride with friends in local and online like 2-4 players togethers. It work great with i7 10700F and GTX 1660 ,default settings ,just put msaa and it's not the perfection but look great and good performance on my Quest 2 with airlink ,no steam vr.

This game is so relaxing, it's very realistic, and the maneuvers are accurate. Running it on it max setting.
HMD quest 2. Recommend if into kayaking!

Looks great but very little content. Also the locations are very small, its just paddling around the lighthouse or around a small island in Costa Rica. Same applies for the other locations. The tracks are nog longer then 5 min paddling.

It does not take more than one hour to like this "game", it is super relaxing and having done a fair bit of kayak and canoeing the physics are spot on, worth mentioning that the dev was quite forward thinking having a whole array of settings if you place the controller on a pole (will do, already playing on a small bin bag sitting like on a kayak it is super immersive).

As some have said the locations are currently few, however I can see these released partially as addon and DLC, I would not mind paying for even more detailed macro-locations to explore.

I would find cool if there was a way to play own songs directly in game, however easily done on PC by simply lowering in game music and opening whatever player.

Playable no issue on cinamatic on a 1080ti with 8700k - there is Fidelity FX which is the first time I ever used and actually add that bit of FPS to make it better, graphics here are photo-realistic and water is stunning.

I do a fair bit of Flight Simulation, which in VR is really stunning, and I have to say that this is just right next to it for me.

More, bigger, locations and mechanics and this would be a top VR game of all time!

What noone mentions: the movements are very uncomfortable! And yes, I'm into VR since 2016. This is hard on my stomach but so is Boneworks. I have no problems with Alyx or Onward and such. My guess is the up and down and lateral movements are vomit inducing.

Looks cool though.

Positives:
-Great graphics in VR
-Runs smoothly and without issues
-Accurate to real life kayak physics
-Very relaxing as you kayak in free roam
-Seems like a good workout game for your arms and shoulders
-Unlockable skins for your kayak, paddles, etc.

Negatives:
-Only four maps as of July 2022
-Maps are too small, I want a much bigger area to explore
-Not enough challenges outside of the races (e.g. collectibles, interactive objects, etc)

The graphics quality even on "cinematic" is meh. Not good enough to be immersive. In another type of game, it could be ok, but paddling around calmly, looking around, you really notice the blurry textures. I'd love to support the dev's good work on this but not for $29.

I did not expect this. I purchased it out of curiosity, expecting to refund it after trying it for a few minutes. I only tried free roam on a single map, but I've already decided that I'm keeping this game.

The graphics are amazing, even on my old GTX 1660ti. The water is just mesmerizing. The environments are more carefully crafted than any I've seen in any VR game.

The only small negative feedback I have is that with a WMR (so controller tracking by cameras on the headset) and my slightly awkward seating position, I felt that the game did not always managed to infer correctly where my hand was when it was out of sight of the headset, something that for example Beatsaber manages to do with almost magical accuracy. I will try to craft a stick on which to mount my controllers and activate the special setting for that mode, to see if it improves things! I'll be spending many, many hours in this game.

Edit: OH MY GOD I WHACKED A PENGUIN WITH MY PADDLE AND IT FELL OVER. GAME OF THE YEAR 10/10

The Best Graphics I've Seen In a VR Game. Its rare to water to react to your movement even in a non-VR game. The Sound Quality as well is top notch, especially in caves.

The Only bad thing about this game is the lack of maps, but that's to be expected given how new this game is.

i'd love more maps and a co-op mode that either puts two people in a kayak together or just multiplayer free roam. the game is amazing though. such a great vr experience.

I loved this game. It came up in my recommended so I thought, why not? And wow. It blew me away. The game looks so well done, and looks so crisp. My jaw dropped on almost all the maps. I really hope to see a lot more with this game in the future.

Would also love the ability to invite friends to a free roam so you can relax and kayak together (:

Honestly though, 10/10 game for me.

I don't write a lot of reviews, but I feel compelled to add mine to what I see as watermark vr experience/game. I was especially motivated by a negative review here that said that the graphics for this are "meh". They're not. Obviously. And it's hard to imagine anything more immersive than rowing this kayak. I read a comment somewhere that said the devs hope to add fishing as a feature. That would be amazing! Imagine a big fish dragging the kayak along as it tries to run......yes please!!

Bought in the sale as looked interesting, but just feels like a glorified tech demo. Once you've paddled about a bit it gets old pretty quickly, there's only 4 locations and not much else to see. Graphics are nice, and I don't suffer the performance issues others are mentioning. I'm running an 8 year old i7-4930k, MSI GTX 1080 Ti, 32Gb DDR3 RAM, Win10 Pro with everything on maximum and super sampling at 1.5 and it runs faultlessly via AirLink on Quest 2 (v42), no stutter, lag, frame drops or anything negative. I am running direct via the Oculus runtime, so maybe running via SteamVR is the issue here. Ultimately, it looks pretty and is a good advert for what VR can bring and I give kudos to the developers to what they've set out to achieve, but it just doesn't hold my attention. The old adage, "graphics don't make a game" springs to mind. Even with racing there's really not that much of a game here and it's pretty limited unless they intend to add more locations. As technically good as it is, it really needs more content for any chance of longevity.

I'm running a GTX 2060 with an Intel i7-7740, so a decent computer. Not top of the line, but decent.
I am also running this via Virtual Desktop on a Quest 2.

This game is gorgeous. The kayak mechanics are spot on.
I played for awhile, my arms are sore. But I feel so relaxed after playing, it's silly.

10/10, will paddle around aimlessly again.

Played on a Vive Pro with Wireless attachment and Index Knuckles controllers. 2080TI/9900k/32GB 3000 RAM/SSD.

I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I actually do. All the reviews talk about the gorgeous graphics and everyone is right, this game is probably the most graphically beautiful VR game I've ever seen. The water reacts realistically as well.
I'm not sure what black magic the devs pulled to make this game run so well either, after just a bit of tweaking I got it running smoothly while keeping the settings high.

Aside from graphics, I am blown away by the attention to details. Stuck my head under water to get a closer look at a fish and the game changed the view as if I was actually looking underwater, the audio changed with it. When you run up on land and use the paddle to push yourself away, the sound will change depending on the surface that the paddle makes contact with. Ice will let you slide off it easily instead of being stuck like rocks.

The racing is ok, I'm not a huge fan of competition in a game like this but it does have leaderboards and medals to earn if you want. It has neat unlockables and secrets to find while free roaming which is always nice.

I would like too see more unlockables and weather scenarios. I love the stormy map but would also like a more calming storm to paddle about in.

100% worth the purchase for me.

I can tell it is a really relaxing game. Graphics looks great, physics are pretty good. However, I was quick to remember I am scared of open waters xD. If i wasn't I know i would be playing this a lot more.

I have been gaming in VR since 2014 and the rift DK2. it has been probably 5 years since I was as floored by a vr title as much as this.
I Bought and tried the Kayak Mirage VR "game" last night.
In some ways it goes back to the early VR stuff... as a game it is pretty light on content So if you want games then this does not offer much.

But as a tech demo to show what is possible, and possibly to show none gamers what potential VR has, as well as just a place to chill out it is incredible. For me it was £17 well spent, i am more than happy just splashing about and exploring the areas. Visually there is nothing else like it, not quite photo realistic but it is as close as it gets. (my RTX3090 had to really stretch it's legs on full bubble with my reverb G2)

I am not sure the paddling is that accurate, though there are 2 modes arcade and simulation. it's good enough for me.

I put my chiller fan on blowing on me as i played it and it definitely did what it set out to do. it has been a long time since i have been on a holiday you would consider a tropical paradise and will likely be a long time before i go again, but this was a nice reminder of what i am missing. It also is the perfect app to show off my Reverb G2 headset, hiding its main weakness (controller tracking at extremes) but really showing off its high resolution display.
I also tried very briefly the storm in ............ Norway i think it is ..... around a lighthouse ..... that seemed good too but i think the limits to the water physics are on show a little. The LED displays held up well - its not really that dark. i havent done a night scene to check, that will be a real test for that.

if anything the only problem is it is easy to let your imagination run away with what could be in this.... stuff which would probably take a lot of Dev time and is completely unrealistic.. I do hope we get more content however, perhaps a few surprise animals injected in (there are some already) without being told , as well as the obvious stuff like fishing or white water rafting etc.

Next job is to fashion a paddle.

Knocked out a penguin with my paddle
10/10

It was alright, for for the price I can't justify having it. YouTubers are going nuts over the graphics, but for me, it was in the uncanny valley. Things just didn't look right because of the limits in technology I can assume. But I was able to run it fine.

There is not much to do and for some reason I wasn't immersed as much as I thought I would be. And that is the whole game. So I can't recommend it

An amazing looking game. A bit heavy in terms of resource use though. my 2060 laptop doesnt handle the open areas very well, but other than that its a really nice game to just relax for a while. I hope more areas are added with time.

I'm not gonna give it a like or a dislike button. This game is the exact middle.

Graphically, this is one of the best looking games on VR, Obviously they went for the "Whoa" factor when creating this.
BUT for a normal VR user who is not into kayaking or sports...that's it. You see these beautiful areas and then it gets repetative afterwards. The other problem is that while the areas are BEAUTIFUL, they are pretty small and you can go around them in less 10 minutes. For now this a pretty small, pretty cool experience for VR, but nothing more than that. I would say pick it up when I'ts on sale, MAYBE they add more levels in the future ? but for those 4-5 levels the game containing, I'ts not worth full price in my opinion.

Came across this game on 7-27-22 bought it the next day after some reviews on youtube would i recommend this game yes 100 % I did the Costa Rica map in free mode and just amazed by the scenery and controls. I have kayaked before and own 2 kayaks this is a great item to get the motion down to build stamina or just waste time I lost track on that free run for almost a hour .

Okay, so since getting into VR I've been trying to find some kind of release that manages to capture something of a 'real life' experience. Wearing a headset and limited resolution obviously makes this something of a fantasy. Some releases have been nice but ultimately boring with visuals not nearly good enough to hold my interest for long. Lots with potential but never realised.
But Kayak VR may be something different. I've tried 'River Relaxation' by another developer. Kinda bland and basically just a mechanism to transport you along a river with no real 'sense' of anything. But Kayak VR gives an incredible sense of motion. Bobbing on a very impressive sea, every motion is truly plausible. The rise of the sea, the dipping of the kayak. All incredible. The water is the best I've ever seen. And the scenery is very, very good. Fixing the controllers to any kind of stick adds to the immersion. Way more than it has any right to! And, of course, it is this aspect that makes this 'game' so good. If you want to get a very good sense of kayaking then this achieves that task. If you want something that succeeds in what it sets out to do, then this is it.
The environments are a little limited. Not necessarily each particular environment, but more the number of them. But I honestly don't think anyone could criticise the experience. I think the developers have nailed the mechanism and only very minor tweaking may be needed. But I hope and pray they use their talents to expand the scope of the experience. Lots more content please!
If there's one thing I personally want it's to gently kayak down a river for an hour or so. We don't need to interact with anything, just a pleasant environment to enjoy. Please don't get caught up in unnecessary complexity. More wildlife, and more time-of-day and weather options would also be amazing. But the most important thing is hour long rivers!!!
The developers have really done an amazing job. If you don't want this kind of experience don't buy it and don't criticise it for what it doesn't claim to be. But, if you are like me and want a perfectly implemented experience, then I wholeheartedly recommend this.

It's really a great beautiful game to relax or exercise,
Feels weird to not have played Beat Saber for a full month! (Played the Beta)

The handling is great and you can put your controllers on a stick and a fan for even greater immersion.

When racing but not trying to get world records I average at 10 kcal/min. (Top is 14.7 kcal/min)
After 30 hours in it, searched for all the achievements, I will still play it :)
Great community and devs on Discord.

I had to try canoe IRL because of the game, both are great

Was very excited for this and had it in my wishlist; to be honest, i just experienced awe the first 5 minutes because of the graphics, but to be honest that's all, i found the gameplay very boring unfortunately. Maybe it's a personal point of view

This game has some serious potential, wish it had live multiplayer and more things to do. It's sad for me because I have never been so immersed and meditative inside a VR title.

If you are into kayaking, rafting, or any kind of paddling you will dig this game more than any other on VR almost guaranteed. There is nothing like this anywhere else in gaming and I can't wait for the devs to build on this fantastic skeleton.

I recommend the Prosaber by ProtubeVR for a paddle because i found it to be the perfect size and form for a realistic experience without taping your controllers to a broomstick.

One of the best graphics for VR.
Thank you very much!

Its nice, realistic and fun. I was able to use this little simulator game to immerse my self while also being able to listen to audio-books, as well as, podcasts like one would irl.

Would recommend as a buy if you are seeking to relax.

What an incredible game! The most realistic VR game yet! Great for a sweaty workouts that don't seem like a workout. Arms so sore today,
Only two complaints:
1 the controllers constantly vibrate with no options to disable that in game. Seems to eat controller battery.
2 when just sitting and enjoying the scene the "press B to..." Message overlay appears ruining the view.

only way i'd ever do this, is in virtual reality and even in here its too real sometimes. also great workout

I don't think I can recommend this game at this time. It is very limited in content. I believe I have played demos that have more content than the game currently does. There seem to be only four maps, and they are small. I thought that the kayak races would have you go through long routes in these worlds, but instead they have you doing little loops and turns in a small area. I think the arctic level for instance, was about the size of Halo 3's The Pit map. I assumed this game was early access and I'm shocked to find out its not. I was going to not write a review but when I saw it wasn't in early access I decided to write this. It just simply isn't enough content to justify being a released game @ $22 or whatever it was I paid at. I know they have a roadmap and it is listed that new levels would come in it, but it also contains a disclaimer that says basically "We can just simply not follow this roadmap at any time if we feel that is best to do"

Easily one of the best VR experiences. Is it a 10/10 game? No, but it will come very close I think as these devs work on it more. It is probably the prettiest VR game I've ever seen for sure. My jaw hit the floor as soon as I loaded into the pool. The physics are really good. Exploration in free roam is great with some interesting things to find. Hopefully they add more as updates come. Is it worth your time and the money they are asking for it? In my opinion, absolutely. It is an enjoyable, relaxing experience if you want it to be or a great arm workout in race mode.

I've never actually been kayaking. But now i really want to try it.

To me this is more a tech demo than a game.

But you had better believe this is the most mind blowing tech demo I've ever played.

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What an absolute gem of a game this is! At first I thought that it might not have a lot of replay value but it absolutely does. As a workout routine this thing is fantastic with the incentive to beat your previous times being an ever present driving force. Control of the kayak is very realistic and it’s gratifying to see your skill level improve to the point where every stroke contributes to your next record breaking time. I feel comfortable in recommending this game to anyone who is even the least bit curious about the unique game play and utterly beautiful vistas :-)

This game is a godsend for me & I love love this game!!!! Due to health issues I can't kayak anymore & had to sell my Seda Glider (19 1/2') kayak. Arcade mode's physics has very much the same movement as my Glider with wing paddles. In speed & acceleration. My right stroke is stronger so I would veer right without a rudder & the game does the same thing!!!! Once again I really really LOVE this game. In simulation mode the physics are like a flat bottom river kayak. Slow & quick turning. But I was a sea kayaker so arcade mode is a dream for me. The only thing I would like the devs to add would be a Rudder mode. Maybe have a simple on & off mode so you can hammer when going at speed & turn it off when turning is needed. For me that would awesome. I have been fortunate enough to kayak in Draco Bay Costa Rica & in the north between Vancouver Island & the mainland & in this game both Cosat Rica & Norway have the same feeling. Once again I REALLY REALLY LOVE this game!!!

Great game, gorgeous graphics, fun to paddle around. The giant snake in the Australia map freaked me out a bit.

Very beautiful kayak game with the best water simulation I've ever seen.

I was sent a link to this game so decided to take a look as was very happy with what i have seen.

Decided to buy it a few days ago and also made my own pole/stick to put my VR controls onto and all i can say is wow so realistic.

I do a lot of kayaking in real life and this is the closest you can get to the real thing in my opinion :D
For anyone who likes VR and Kayaking i can recommend this game.

This is also one of the best looking VR games i have played so far and it is also very well optimized and running great on my EVGA 1660TI and Ryzen 2600x

The negative reviews are from people who fell out of the kayak.

i dont even like kayak stuff but this was soo cool the graphics are amazing
and this game runs very good on an rtx 3060 i recommend trying it
but this game isnt something i would play alot i only play this too experience the amazing graphics

good game, if u want clear visuals tho and it not to be really blurry, put the render scale to 2.0, just make sure you have an RTX 3090 ti for the frame rate to be bareable

Amazing, probably the most realistic looking VR game I've played to date. It might seem like a boring idea, but it's actually really fun to race and even just paddling around on free roam can be relaxing.
This is VR done right. I think it's safe to say this is one of those 'must have' games if you have a VR setup.
(Devs are very responsive to issues which is nice as well)

I decided to do a review when I saw this game also has negative reviews...
If I had to give up all the games in my library and keep only one, this would be it.
Other people have done a better job than me describing it. It's all they said - realistic, breath-taking, beautiful. I have been waiting for a game like this since I first bought my VR headset. There's no way to say what this game is until you have tried it. I wish all the best to the people who made this game possible and may your inspiration continue to guide you in the future!

Visually stunning. Artfully beautiful. A VR must buy.

If you're a fan of kayaking IRL, you'll enjoy this.
I bought this game on sale, expecting to maybe enjoy it for a second and then show it off to a friend or two eventually. The first person I showed it to sighed and relaxed multiple times until he chilled out so hard that I had to try it too. This one goes on the Steam Favorites List.

Best water graphics I've seen in a game in a long time, especially for interactive water physics.
Best graphics in general that I've seen in VR. The realism is almost as high as I am.

At the time of this review I've only had the game open for 54 minutes but I already feel safe giving it a positive review. I'll be spending a good amount of time just floating around, probably with a YouTube video projected into my virtual lap and a cat in my irl lap.

DISCLAIMER: my new computer is monstrously powerful and i don't know how it performs on average hardware
(though even on a 3080ti i can tell this game is very well-optimized relative to its graphical load, compared to other graphics-heavy vr games i've played.)

Amazing game, playing on an RTX 3060 laptop on cinematic settings with a quest 2. Love the challenge of Norway with rainy weather. Hopefully with updates coming some more challenging tracks with wild water / down river. Perhaps a waterfall jump lol.

Never had any interest in kayaking, but absolutely loved this game for its beautiful visuals and realistic physics.
The only current downside is lack of content - just 4 maps, although some of them are quite big. Plus the game is still being actively developed so there is a real chance for additional content in the future.

Controls are very responsive and intuitive. I use workout bench to sit in a similar pose that you would in kayak, and it is very immersive even without tying controllers to a stick:) Interactions between paddle, boat, water and terrain are physics based and yet somehow there is no jank, everything works smooth even when you swim in a shallow waters and grind the seabed.

The game looks great and performs pretty well thanks to native FidelityFX/DLSS support.

I kayaked for a mile in Costa Rica at max graphics. Super beautiful, great atmosphere. I could spend hours just sailing around but my arms are killing me. Love it. 10/10 it's cozy

Read a couple of reviews for this. The best review was really accurate. An amazing VR experience let down by the fact that it is unbelievably buggy. At the start in the tutorial, if you don't get moving it just corrupts the screen and locks up. The most I've managed to stay paddling for is about five minutes... then locks up with distorted graphics. Each time I have to take VR headset off and task manager cancel the program. Really spoils it. A disappointing experience that could have been amazing.

Bought this game just because its graphics are impressive, i have used the AMD Fidelity FX Super Resolution instead of my default Nvidia settings , I still use a AMDFX 8350 with a 1660 6 GB, 16GB ram and it runs smooth and looks ace. Definitely glad i bought it

This is my new meditation app. Graphics and environments are amazing. I own a kayak, and the interaction with the controls and objects in the environment with respect to the paddles is an example for all other VR programmers to follow. The storm in Norway is my new goto "show a friend" VR demo, as after being on the water is a similar situation in a small craft myself, the swells and dips that push against the kayak's movement is next-level.

I've played on an Index and Quest 2 over Airlink and performance is great overall on an RTX 3070. Highly recommended.

as someone that has kayaked, (a bit) its a beautiful game, however for a fairly realistic sim its got no water resistance, witch ruins it for me

only played for like half an hour but the graphics are insane

great game. sound design is amazing, graphics are amazing, and physics are on point.
i only have one complaint. this needs to be better optimized for better systems. i cant even play the Costa-Rica map, as it either crashes steamvr, or runs at 2 fps. other than that, great game! i reccomend if you have the pc to run it.

I'm not even sure where to begin with this review.

Kayak VR: Mirage is simply mesmerizing and beautiful and well worth the money just for the experience of paddling around and taking in the scenery. It's gorgeous and I feel I still have so much to explore in the environments.

Some of the criticism is that the content is lacking, and I can see that. If you're not hugely into racing or want to play this often, the content that is currently there can get stale fast. I was worried about that myself, but I think what's important to consider is this game's future.

The promises of future development are what convinced me to buy it, because I want to support the huge potential of KVR:M moving forward. This is obviously a passion project, and I have faith in the devs to bring it to the next level. Free roam and racing real-time multiplayer is going to contribute immensely here, as are new environments, more weather, more game modes and more wildlife.

Even if you find the content lacking at this stage, I still think it's worth the purchase as an investment in the game's future. I will continue to enjoy this for a while to come.

This is not an usual review. Let me go straight to the point. I would like to share the deep emotions and sensations aroused by the experience. It’s very personal, but I think it gives an idea of the value of this app in relation to the technical evolution of the new VR medium. For months I tried the public playtest of Kayak VR on Steam and gave developers some suggestions to make it better; the title says it all, it’s a Kayak simulator in VR, the kind of sim where you are meant to move the controllers as if you were actually paddling. The Australian Canyon was the only location available, but it was enough to sense the great potential of the experience; very immersive and capable of enchanting our senses thanks to the great graphic fidelity and the incredibile rendering of light, especially for what concerns simulation of water. At the time, I wrote that it promised to be a milestone in VR gaming. Well, now I played the complete experience and I can say it goes way beyond my expectations! I never buy games at day one, it’s a bad habit as consumer; however what I experienced in the playtest was so convincing that this time I broke the rule and bought Kayak VR at day one for supporting such passionate and competent developers.

I must warn you that the quality of my experience is highly dependent on the quality of my headset and VR rig. I play with the HP Reverb G2; each LCD has a resolution of 2160×2160 on 2,89″, that means1058 PPI, with very good brightness, contrast, colors and blacks; horizontal FoV is around 98°, so it has a definition around 24 PPD. If this numbers sound weird to you, no worry. I make it easy. The visual quality inside the G2 is the same as you get when looking at high quality monitor FullHD 24″ from a distance of 32 cm. In comparison to the today state of VR tech, it’s insanely good and eye candy! Obviously to manage such beefy headset and take the best out of VR games and apps, you need a beefy PC, not less than a RTX3080. Ok, it was important to understand my personal experience, let’s go on.

I bought Kayak VR on day one as promised, but I was on my summer holidays far from my VR rig, so I played the complete experience just yesterday! I lost the sense of time, I spent the whole afternoon glued to the G2 without realizing it! OMG! Let me tell you my experience. First of all I focused on the relax mode. Kayak VR comes with two modes: the race mode and the relax mode. The first mode is a kayak race simulator where you challenge other users; paddling mechanics are very good and as consequence very tiring, all in all it’s an exer-game. Don’t misunderstand me, I tried also the race mode, and it’s good, but I played few races. I didn’t buy Kayak VR for the race mode, but for the relax mode. In this mode, you’re alone with your Kayak, immersed in the silence and calm of a wonderful Nature. Definitely a contemplative experience for sensitive romantic people! You know, I’m Video Games Art, that’s my mode! I already knew the Australian Canyon, so I started with the Antarctica location. It was a pleasure to paddle in the charming iced water surrounded by penguins, and explore the suggestive ice caves where the blow of the wind and the dripping of melting ice are amplified. It confirmed my first impressions, very relaxing and immersive. Then I explored the Costa Rica. Gee! Please, let me live forever in the clear fresh water of this sunny warm tropical island! OMG, the reflection and transparence of water, the poetic encounters with exotic marine fauna, the turtle, the manta ray, the dolphins; and most of all the intriguing foray into a jungle ravine hidden by vegetation on the surface of the water! Wow! I slipped stealthily through the shadows of the narrow passage surrounded by vegetation, as if I were the first man to step, or better, to paddle in that hidden paradise. I could not believe the realism of the vegetation on my G2! For at least 5 minutes I was no longer on this earth. I was truly in that paradise, all my senses focused on exploration and contemplation, my brain completely fooled. It’s a great achievement for a still immature tech like VR. Don’t forget that you have just 100° of horizontal FoV and 90° of vertical FoV; you have no eye accomodation, your eyes are always focusing on the panels at fixed distance; definition of real images is at least 60 PPD, not 24 PPD; and so on. Nevertheless, Kayak VR made the magic! It is certainly thanks to passionate and competent developers that are better than big studios! And we’re not done yet! Now it comes the best part of the experience...

Continue here:
https://vgartsite.wordpress.com/2022/09/01/kayak-vr-mirage/

Amazing. The feel of the kayak on the water is so great. The translucent look in the shallow water is sublime. The rock textures are fantastic. Some areas are larger than others, but all are unique. Free exploration is perfect. Still haven't done so well at the racing. The main thing is the need for more. Venice Canals. The Chicago River. Autumn Splendor. Haunted Hills. Winter Retreat. More...Even Larger areas. Day/Night cycle if wanted. Rock On!

Absolutely insane. I have no words for this and its not just about the visuals (although they clearly play a part) but its the mechanics, the movement, lighting and most important for a VR game, the sensation of truly being there. Pure immersion. I swear, put anyone in the game who is seriously angry about something and put them in Antarctica at night and bingo, instant therapy! Its a beautiful thorough experience. I've been on each location at least 6 times and i keep finding new things every time! I didn't even find the sharks until last night! Then the plane and atom bomb....what else is hidden under the waters?! This whole experience is an important step for PC VR and everyone who enters my house from now on in will be experiencing this. My good friend who is not good using VR was absolutely blown away with this.

Finally another kayak game besides Phantom Covert Ops. This game is too nice looking to be a VR game, but good lord it looks so good. I was doing a quick row through Costa Rica and I had to stop to write this. Buy it. This game is a must buy. The kayak physics are superb and the locales stunningly details. I can't wait to see what comes next for the game.

Did not dig this at all. Basically you have to tape two controllers to a stick for this to work as intended. :P

Lots of polish and care in this game. I can see why it got delayed multiple times, but it's here and it's awesome!

This is the prettiest VR game I've EVER seen.

The gameplay is simple, relaxing and satisfying.

The sound design is perfect, with a solid sense of depth and brilliant music direction.

The controls are intuitive and immersive

The physics feel satisfying - the water looks great.

The game performs excellently at 90hz and with some tweaking it can really maximize your GPUs potential.

This game has the looks of Chris Hemsworth, but the soft velvety touch of Hugh Jackman

I like this but I want it to be more. But that may just be me. I had an overwhelming desire to get out of the kayak and go explore the light house. I remember Nat Geo's kayaking VR game and was pleased that there was a feeling of freedom built into it. It wasn't much, but you could (in fact, had to) get out of your kayak to continue an exploration story.

So, yes, this is a great little kayak racing game / escape experience. The atmosphere is soothing! If those things are all you want, then this is worth the price. But yet in my dreamiest of dreams, I want there to be a story mode add-on. Or at least some dynamic that let's you get out of the kayak and stretch your legs and rest your tired shoulders with perhaps some simple mini puzzles on dry land. That dog needs to fetch tennis balls out of the water or something. :)

Thanks for a great game!