Review: Vikings: The Immersive Experience (Dock X)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There has been a new trend in immersive experiences to do in London in recent months, with several historically themed ones opening, combining elements of an exhibition. After the success of Titanic and Pompeii, and weeks ahead of the imminent Cleopatra, comes Vikings: The Immersive Experience. Following in the footsteps of those who came before it, would Vikings be able to conquer or would this latest venture struggle to stay afloat?

Opening in DockX, Vikings: The Immersive Experience continues the trend by combining immersive experiences with an exhibition, using impressive technology to create a world around you. However, there is something refreshingly different about the approach to this one compared to the others. In both Titanic and Pompeii, you walk through a carefully curated experience one room at a time. Vikings is more open-world, allowing you to roam around as you please and at your own pace. This worked much better, creating a rich world all around you, full of detail, which made the experience all the more immersive.

Another welcome change was a new welcome room where you sit down to watch the introduction of a story. Previous experiences have featured stories in their 360-degree cinematic video, which always forms the heart of the experience, but this has been substantially built on from the moment you walk in. Meeting a young girl named Kraka, we learn her story and find out all about her true identity and that of her family. Taking on the experience through her eyes and even getting to talk to her through a clever use of technology, it manages to make the experience all the more intimate while simultaneously feeling grand due to the rich history uncovered.

Previous experiences have allowed you to walk into their 30-minute 360-degree video at any time, but Vikings does something a bit differently, showing a countdown for the start of the next video and only letting people in at the beginning. This eliminated the risk of constant walk-ins, reducing the immersive nature, and makes a lot more sense to enjoy the story from start to finish. The visibility of the clock counting down to the start time also allows you to effectively plan your time in the experience, though my advice is not to rush it as officially this 360-degree video takes you to the end of the experience. You will want to spend between 30-60 minutes in the main space, exploring all it has to offer, before sitting down for this spectacular video.

Also new for Vikings is the inclusion of a personal audio guide to listen to as you walk around. You are encouraged to go on a scavenger hunt, tapping the corresponding symbol when you see one around the space to learn more about it. However, some parts of the space come alive automatically, especially in the 30-minute video using a clever mix of sound in the room itself and sound coming through your headset. Again, this makes it feel all the more immersive with the multisensory experience a real feast for the senses.

A highlight of these experiences is always the use of virtual reality, with a particularly standout use of it in Vikings. Taking a seat in a special room called the threshold chamber and placing the VR headset and headphones on, you are transported to a magical world full of awe and wonder, leaving reality behind and finding yourself sitting with the Vikings in the prime. Other experiences also feature the metaverse, my personal favourite element of any of these experiences, which is notably absent here - though the fact that the new additions made this such an exciting and refreshing watch more than made up for the lack of it.

The space is full of riches to uncover, with the ability to speak to Kraka and tell her exactly what you want to know which she will duly answer (within reason, of course), interactive maps dotted everywhere and even a viking knot station I am not ashamed to say I was utterly hopeless at (good to know I’d have been as useless as a viking as I was a scout). The combination of technology and world-building makes for a wonderful experience every bit as exhilarating as it is educational, and of course, there are plenty of opportunities for great photo opportunities - you can even take a seat inside the replica Viking ship for the 30-minute video.

If you are knowledgeable about Vikings or know nothing about them, there is something for everyone in this fantastic experience. Similarly, if the idea of walking through an exhibition and learning more about history isn’t quite your cup of tea, Vikings: The Immersive Experience will surprise and delight you. There is a reason these experiences keep popping up all over London, and that is because they really do fill a unique gap in the immersive experience market. The producers are at the top of their game, ensuring production values that always wow and an adventure that will thrill visitors of all ages. By the hammer of Thor, this is one journey you’d be a fool to miss.

Vikings: The Immersive Experience is at Dock X, Canada Water. Tickets from https://vikings-immersive.co.uk/london/