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THE HOLY CITY -  IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

The graphics/special effects of this app are very good. The game/theme however is a huge disappointment. I was hoping for free reign of parts of the city or temples in Jerusalem, but instead you're fixed to a guided tour and limited interaction with the environment surrounding you. There is a quasi religious theme in this app which attempts to span the differences between Muslims, Jews, and Christians (though it really doesn't offer much evidence for that, aside from a spelling puzzle) and the focus is on similarities instead. This is the same human effort to understand religion and attempt unity that we see time and again from unbelievers who do not understand religion.  For me this game was a disappointment, but for others, they may find it entertaining. 

Library of Realities.com review: 

At the beginning of each chapter you are placed in front of a revered building of Jerusalem and directed inside. The app uses teleportation and snap turning effectively, and although in most cases viewers are able to self explore each location, a line along the floor indicates your recommended route and points of interest along the way. Typically the chapters lead you to brief mini-games that unlock a portals to further spaces. Interspersing the jumps between locations are 360° video clips that take you out of these empty buildings and into the middle of holy celebrations and rituals, surrounded by crowds while giving you prominent views of all the activies underway. The video segments are skipable, but we enjoyed them all in full.

An additional two chapters are revealed in turn upon completion of the first three. Chapter locations include the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Dome Of The Rock, Holy Sepulchre, St. James Monastery, Tower of David Museum and the Western Wall.

Location-based photogrammetry is done well and presents enough detail to provide a good degree of immersion. Unfortunately some of the most intricate and most decorated areas of these buildings and furnishings are rendered poorly by photogrammetry and it would have been better if some of those details were replaced with 3D models instead or in some cases removed entirely. The 360° video is very well positioned at events, and also includes more intimate and reflective locations with members of clergy present and providing expression. There is no snap-turning in video unfortunately. Though the video segments are of only medium resolution they work well, and it would be difficult to include higher quality considering the download for this experience is already over 30 GB in size.

There is a puzzle game with each of the five chapters and they balance out the experience well. Though relatively simple interactive games, sometimes the narrated instructions were unclear or easy to mishear, leading to confusion about what we had to do. A little patience and trial and error will get you through these moments, though they can be frustrating since no further hints are offered and the experience will not proceed until each game is completed.

For us The Holy City was an informative journey around Jerusalem that lasted around an hour, and we were grateful to the inter-faith production team for providing an objective interpretation of the subject matter. This is one of the best and most complete virtual reality travel tours that we've experienced to date. Whether it's worth $19.99 for an hour of content is up to you, though it is also included if you have a Viveport Infinity subscription. Also note that the 360° video is also available as a separate seven minute documentary film for $5 though we wouldn't recommend that as highly without the other parts of the experience.

✅ Inclusive and informative journey around Jerusalem.
✅ Great mix of models, photogrammetry, games & 360° video.
❌ Potentially pricey for 1 hour of content.