Travel back in time to an undiscovered reality.

Published July 10, 2015 2:05 PM PST By Liana Kerzner @redlianak

One word: dinosaurs. You really have to work to make dinosaurs suck. It's been known to happen, but dinosaurs are the sort of instant hook that makes otherwise kinder, gentler, all ages experiences work, because we collectively acknowledge that dinosaurs are cool. It may sound counter-intuitive to say that Time Machine VR is more impressive as a virtual reality application because it attempts to do less, but it really is nice to finish a session in an Oculus Rift headset without the urge to reach for anti-nausea drugs.

As the name suggests, Time Machine VR puts the player in control of a time machine, with the task of going back to prehistoric times to study dinosaurs using probes, sonar, and a time-stopping mechanic. The demo starts in calibration and training, easing you into the VR experience before you meet the female doctor heading up the time travel program. Transmissions from this doctor reminded me of the messages from characters in Myst, and this short scene hints at the emotional core of the game to come. Since it's just a hint, however, back to the dinosaurs.