I can't stop thinking about Summer Lesson. And before you start, this isn't a situation where I've had to go to bed wearing boxing gloves – I just mean that it's kind of amazing. While there isn't much "gameplay" to speak of here, it's clear that Bandai Namco has invested the bulk of its development budget into creating a believable virtual person – and it's been successful.

Even watching the gameplay video above, you can see how lifelike the main character is. The motion capture is seriously impressive; the girl doesn't look real, but she definitely feels it. And even though the language barrier means that I don't understand what she's trying to tell me, it's amazing how you can read her body movements in order to get a sense of what's going on.

I know I keep banging on about it, but virtual reality is properly impressive. Who would have ever thought that we'd reach a point where it's possible to sit in a room with a virtual person who feels somewhat real? The potential here is amazing: imagine living in World War I trenches or being a guest at one of Henry VIII's banquets.

Virtual reality offers the ability to quite literally exist somewhere else with someone else

The opportunity for both entertainment and education is unparalleled here – and the thing about virtual reality, and what a lot of people who haven't tried it perhaps don't realise yet, is that the experiences don't necessarily need to be "gamey" to have value. Sometimes there's merit in merely existing in a space that you've never been to before.

Now I get that it's still going to be a difficult sell for many, and that's understandable – but games like Summer Lesson, in spite of all its creepiness, show how far we can go with this kind of technology. I've built a career in this industry because of the escapism that it offers, but what we're starting to see now with PlayStation VR is the ability to quite literally exist somewhere else with someone else. And that's incredible.

Are you open to the idea of future virtual reality experiences where your primary means of interaction is merely communication? Are there any particular scenarios or characters (fictitious or real) that you'd like to interact with? Say hello in the comments section below.

[source bit.ly]