That Dragon, Cancer

This VR experience really got me.

Never has a VR experience quite drove me to tears unlike this one.

Heres a play through video which shows the non VR gameplay, and how it really affected the user;

You can imagine how these emotions Jack feels are multiplied in VR because of the immersive presence your presented with, it puts you there, witnessing the experience first hand.

Any animation covering cancer, the dreaded C word, you know is going to be brutal. But I haven't ever seen one as hard hitting as this.

Joel Green was diagnosed with cancer at aged 1. Through the VR you are put in the doctors room as he gets his diagnosis. This part was so poignant for me, so metaphorical and meaningful. The water level rising reflects how the parents are overwhelmed in sadness and depression, that famous saying of your head being under water, suffocation, drowning. Meanwhile in the room Joel plays on a toy which you interact with to see peoples different perspectives and thoughts in the room. This toy is a reflection of his immaturity and naivety to the situation, he is too young to understand whats going on so he sits on his toy without a care in the world, his childish laughing breaking the seriousness.

This childish immaturity and his parents trying to make the seriousness of the situation not detected by him at all is presented throughout. From the hospital bed that he drives as a kart, to when he takes his first round of therapy. Even in the title, cancer is referred to as a 'dragon', like cancer is a mythical fierce beast that has taken him away, yet again reflecting the childish naivety.

So many metaphors are reflected throughout. The black tree contrasting with his colourful backgrounds representative of the constant reminder of the tumour, when everything looks okay your brought back down to realisation. Its sharp and jagged style makes it look horrifying and sinister, which of course it is. Colour is also used as an emotional metaphor throughout, dark times have dark hues and happy times have childish hues.

The low-poly fragmented nature of the characters is unique and also reflected of how their family has become fragmented as a result of the cancer. Facial features aren't always needed to get across that sincere emotion, it would merely distract.

The one scene that was unbearable for me to watch was when Joel was being crying and being sick because of the chemo. You never saw any of this but the audio of Joel was enough. It also got me thinking, where did they record this audio from?? Joel himself most likely which made it instantly tragic that a little boy endured all that.

At the end your presented with a spiritual paradise, a bookend from the start as your back in the forest, the place where Joel must have been most at peace. Seeing him laugh and have fun, which he hardily got to do in his short and tragic life. Is so sad.

What got me most about this experience was how it is real. There is no ahh its just a game! Or ahh its just an animation! This is hardcore real life and happens to so many children across the world.