This song is inspired by the virtual reality (VR) game, "Lone Echo," which is played on an Oculus Rift. Olivia Rhodes is a fictional character I "met" in the game.
This song is written from the perspective of an artificial intelligence called "Jack" - the robot character you "inhabit" in the game. He sees "Liv" as his friend and the feeling is reciprocated, and it seems this relationship brings him to "life" - whatever that means for AI.
Good writing and the voice actors (Troy Baker and Alice Coulthard) really give Jack and Liv vitality and personality.
Olivia has a fully-realized human character, and not just visually in three dimensions. You learn of mysterious secrets in her past, and there is a sadness about her as she yearns for things in life that are out of her reach. Through banter, jokes, and working side by side, she becomes your friend -- this emotional connection is the real surprise for me in VR. When she is in peril, you feel a visceral need to come to her aid.
Of course you know it's all a digital illusion. But the magic of VR happens because the immersive illusion becomes "real" - it kind of sneaks up on you. You find that you truly "inhabit" your VR character.
What fascinates me are multiple levels of perception, illusion, and meaning in VR, and the game raises important questions about consciousness, artificial intelligence, and human connections.
Check out Lone Echo, from Ready at Dawn Studios:
www.echo.games www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1368187813209608/
from
Liftoff,
track released May 18, 2018
Song by Chris Pellnat
Performed by Chris Pellnat and Erin Pellnat
Folk art painting with glow-in-the-dark stars by Chris Pellnat