Apex, an experimental dystopian VR musical experience from artist and musician Arjan van Meerten, has been featured on Wevr’s Transport platform and I had a chance to check it out recently. Things start out innocently enough, looking out onto a nicely rendered 3D cityscape as embers start to dance in the sky. Things start to become more ominous as a fiery explosion erupts into the distance revealing a cosmic destructive force. The journey continues as we experience an onslaught of giant titans rampaging through the city, the perspective shifting from the ensuing destruction to undulating geometric forms and creatures that suggest a sort of cosmic horror.

Van Meerten’s score compliments the experience well, starting with a bright, yet ominous orchestral filling before descending into a blaring crescendo that feels like a malevolent force trying to escape into our world. Apex is a passive experience that is self-guided (on rails) and doesn’t involve any interaction from the viewer, but unlike many passive experiences currently available in VR, it’s not a 360-degree video but instead a fully rendered 3D world with depth and positional tracking allowing you to truly get immersed in the world.

Apex was an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival, took second place in the People’s Choice Award at Fantasia 2017 and is currently available to premium PC subscribers on Wevr Transport, which is available for $20/year. I’m not sure this experience alone is worth the cost, but Premium access also includes access to the excellent theBlu: Season 1, so you could do worse if you’re looking for quality cinematic VR content. Van Meerten’s previous experience, Surge, is also available for free on his website and on Valve’s Steam platform. Both experiences can be enjoyed using either an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift VR headset.