[Disclaimer: I received a review key for Mindway through Keymailer, a third-party website/company that connects publishers and developers with content creators. The game was given without promise or expectation of a positive review, only that the game be played, and content be created through the playing of the game and the experience. Unless otherwise noted, all content in the following article is from my own playthrough of this game.]
Mindway
Systems: Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3 & 3S, & Meta Quest Pro
Release Date: January 24, 2023
Publisher: Mindway Studios
Developer: Mindway Studios
Time Spent:
Playthrough Series on YouTube
On some level, I don't think I'm the target audience for a mindfulness and meditation virtual reality app, but at the same time, that's probably why I'm the perfect audience for this. I'm turned off a bit by the concept of a mindfulness app or actively meditating, as it's something that I've done in the past, so it's not entirely new for me. When I lived alone after college, I had made a space in my living room where I would meditate after work, and I would sit and focus on my breathing. I did this for a couple of months on my own, but found that I would get really sleepy and actually fall asleep a few times, so I was convinced I was doing something wrong and stopped. On the Quest 2 headset, I had tried two meditation apps, but both ended up going under, and they're no longer supported on the Meta Quest store. So I'm open to the idea of meditation and open to the prospect of using the Quest 2 VR headset as an avenue to practice meditation, but not overly excited about it. I was also a little disappointed to find out that it requires a connection to Meta's servers to verify that you have a paid subscription (more on that down the line), which means that I can't use this app while at work (we have all Meta platforms blocked on our WiFi).
That being said, I don't find that the Quest 2 headset is overly comfortable for an extended period of time, and I would like to think that I would want to be as comfortable as possible when I meditate. The Mindway VR app, though, offers a multitude of programs/avenues to practice mindfulness and meditation practices, some that are easily transferable outside of the VR space, while others are not.
I spent most of my time with Mindway doing their "30 Days of Mindfulness," which I also found to be the most approachable if you're able to accept several flaws up front. First, the narration is a flat/neutral-sounding and emotionless AI-generated voice. Maybe that's something that can help people relax, knowing that there's not a real person gently talking them through ways to practice mindfulness outside of the VR space. The second thing is that every day has you in a different location, and the majority, if not all, of the vistas and 2D backgrounds consist of AI-generated artwork. So if you're not keen on your game not being upfront about containing AI-generated content, then the developers have already lost you on two fronts. I personally will not advocate for using AI-generated content over someone who could do a much better job creating art, but I will admit that most of the time, I was able to accept it.
What I liked about the "30 Days of Mindfulness" was the fact that it felt like you were learning these short 5-10 minute strategies for being mindful out in the real world. There were breathing exercises where you would just focus on your breath, paying attention to how your body moved and reacted to taking purposeful deep breaths, not the usual shallow breaths our bodies automatically take without our noticing. There was a walking "exercise" of sorts that had you focus on how your body felt while walking (or walking around in a circle around your living room), what your body felt like coming into contact with the ground, and how the rest of your body moved when you focused in on it. There were several sessions dealing with self-affirmations and how to deal with thoughts that might intrude on your otherwise mind-quieting meditation. I will definitely be pulling up some of these videos from the playlist while I'm at work from time-to-time, so there is some benefit.
I dabbled a bit in some of the VR-centered sessions, such as an ASMR walk, an ASMR labyrinth board game (you know the kind), and even the sessions that focused on helping you fall to sleep. For the latter, this was the one I was most skeptical about, mainly because I couldn't see myself falling asleep with the bulky Quest 2 VR headset strapped to my face. Maybe the experience is different and more enjoyable with one of the newer Meta Quest headsets, but with the Quest 2 headset, it wasn't going to happen comfortably or naturally. The walking ASMR really wasn't that comfortable either, since you weren't walking in a traditional video game sense, but it was more like you were stationary on a moving walkway with footfall sounds. And the sound effects used sounded like there were only 2 different footfall effects per type of terrain, so the sounds got old and repetitive really fast. The marble maze ASMR wasn't very pleasant, as I found trying to rotate the board pretty awkward for my hands, and the sound effects used didn't create a soothing atmosphere. I guess that's pretty subjective, though.
You also have the option to create a customized mindfulness session, but you're severely limited in the locations where you can have your session. I would think that you could pull from any one of the locations in the "30 Days of Mindfulness," but instead, you have fewer than 10 options, and none of them felt very inspiring to me. Nothing like the rainy campsite from Day 23, or the sweeping forested vistas of Day 15, but locations more akin to the pink gummed hills of Day 19, or the empty villas of Day 28. You are able to customize sessions by time, or limitless, as well as having guidance by a male or female (AI-generated) voice, or no voice at all, and just take in the ambiance and scenery.
For a lifetime membership/access to Mindway, $79 is more than I would pay for what this app has to offer, but maybe there's more to the Fireside chats with a Mindway mindfulness coach and a group of other people logging on at the same time that helps to bring up the value. Maybe the experience is better visually and comfortably with the Meta Quest 3 headset, but with the Quest 2, I didn't notice any shortcuts that I hadn't already experienced with other games/apps/experiences in the last year. I genuinely think that Mindway should offer one week free for people to test out the product before moving on to any paid models, but that's also coming from someone who didn't have to pay for the product at all. And what I keep coming back to is how calm I often felt at the end of most of the mindfulness sessions, so there is some level of benefit.
~JWfW/JDub/The Faceplantman/Jaconian
To Find Peace Among the Rotting Corpses
No comments:
Post a Comment