Titanic: Echoes From The Past is a new virtual reality adventure that is now open in Camden. Using an immersive combination of storytelling and cutting-edge technology, the experience plunges you thousands of metres underwater and over a hundred years back in time to learn about the story of the RMS Titanic. As someone who has never watched the film in its entirety and has an unreliable memory of what we were taught in history lessons, I figured it was about time to fill in the missing pieces. Here’s our review of Titanic: Echoes From The Past…
Finding the experience
No need to travel down to Southampton to embark on a historic journey, the doors to Titanic: Echoes From The Past are found on Camden High Street. Just hop on the Northern Line to Camden Town station, head up the escalators, out the exit, then look across the road and there it is.
The chalky black entrance, wedged between an Urban Outfitters and JD Sports, makes for an unassuming gateway into a virtual world, but all the magic happens once you descend the stairs and slip on the VR headset.
What can you expect in the virtual reality experience?
First off, don’t expect to experience any star-crossed romances or unearth glittering sapphires on the ocean floor. Titanic: Echoes From The Past is less of a romantic tale and more an enlightening voyage into history. In this virtual reality experience, the gems you’ll uncover are the real-life stories of passengers, the immersive recreations of the ship and the fascinating vestiges of the wreckage.
The amazing thing about virtual reality is that it allows you to explore places out of reach. Whether it’s an event lost in history or a shipwreck scattered in the extreme depths of the ocean. In this experience, you get to play both time traveller and deep sea diver, all without even so much as dipping your toe in a puddle.
One thing you will need to do is put on a VR headset. Just slip it over your face, twist a few dials and adjust slightly until the virtual image focuses and ta-da…the world around you has transformed. The cautious among you will be pleased to know there’s no risk of bumping into walls or fellow humans here. Red grid shapes will appear to show your physical boundaries, while members of your group will show as white avatars with disembodied hands (a perfect opportunity to try out your best mime impression).
Once you find your footing in this digital realm, the experience will start. Say goodbye to solid ground. For the next 30 minutes, you’ll find yourself on a rocking boat deck staring up at an exploratory submarine-style vessel, 3,800 meters underwater on a shadowy seabed and inside the time-frozen interiors of an infamous ocean liner. Of course, you shouldn’t feel any sea sickness as, in reality, you’re wandering around a flat-floored, sprawling free-roam space thousands of miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
Now, as someone without a particularly strong interest in the Titanic, I did initially find myself more captivated by the marine life swimming around us – I mean spotting a whale and her calf in the murky distance and being surrounded by a swam of luminescent jellyfish is pretty wondrous even in virtual reality – but it wasn’t long until I was all ears.
As you follow your virtual guides, Alex and the bubble-like Dive (not, in fact, Dave as I first thought), they will shower you with facts and knowledge. All of this comes as a result of two years of extensive in-depth research and information drawn from the Cité de la Mer in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and American archives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Basically, you can count on it to be as authentic as possible. It’s an effective combo of visual and auditory learning, where at times I soaked up things without even realising – this could be perfect for school trips.
Don’t worry; it’s not just a flood of information and watching things play out from a distance. There are a variety of fun touches which help immerse you in each moment. In particular, I was a fan of the VR headset doubling as a head torch as you explore the debris field on the water (and dodge fish). The ability to free roam is also a bonus, allowing you to explore almost every nook and cranny – think peering through a window (or walking through a wall) into the helm, wandering onto a deck to gaze up at the aurora borealis on that fateful night or taking a closer look at the rudimentary machines they had on the Titanic gym. Has anyone else heard of an electric camel before? No, me neither.
Of course, one of the most moving elements of the Titanic is the fate of its many passengers. You get the chance to learn about the stories of some of the people who were aboard for that maiden voyage, including the Irish immigrant who risked her life for her hat and the Chinese sailor who survived but was still met with injustice. You’ll also get a glimpse of the crew, from the stoic Captain Smith to the engineers working among the pistons and giant cogs of the Reciprocating Engine Room.
Ultimately, as unfortunately in life, there is no avoiding the iceberg and its untimely destruction of the liner, but the experience ensures the focus remains on the more hopeful moments. Jack and Rose fan? You will be happy to know that the famous grand staircase makes an appearance, alongside the chance to dance a few steps, while the ending takes you back to the beginning – the joyful departure of the RMS Titanic from Southampton.
In conclusion…
Titanic: Echoes From The Past effectively immersed me in the real story behind the Oscar-winning film. The combination of detailed recreations, creative touches and freedom to explore were all highlights for me, as they encourage you to engage with the virtual reality you find yourself in. I would say there are occasions I found it difficult to follow the dialogue, often because there was a lot info at times and I was distracted by some of the visuals – what can I say, if I see a dog scampering by, even a virtual one on a historic ship, I’m going to want to say hello. But, all in all, the experience is worth a visit to those who want to learn more about the Titanic’s legacy; just expect more reflective exploration than dramatic spectacle.
