Ahead of the release of season two of Yuru Camp in January, a brand new game, Yuru Camp: Virtual Camp, brings the camping experience of the anime into a virtual space.
The announcement that another season of Yuru Camp is on the way was welcome news for many of its dedicated fans. The story about cute girls and the joy of camping was told with a mix of great characters, superb backgrounds capturing the Japanese countryside, and a relaxed pace that made it a fan favorite. The upcoming second season looks to deliver more of what people love about the show.
What’s better than watching Yuru Camp? Experiencing Yuru Camp.
Yuru Camp: Virtual Camp will be sold in two editions, the Lake Motosu Chapter and Foothills Campsite Chapter, and each put you into the shoes of either Nadeshiko Kagamihara or Rin Shima on a camping experience. Together you can wander the campsite, admire the views, eat warm food, and take photos together that can be shared with the other members of the Outdoor Activities Circle. The game promises to offer the outdoor group camping experience with friends in the Japanese countryside, which is not necessarily possible at the moment, from the comfort of your own home.
While the concept had grown in popularity even before the pandemic, COVID-19 and the way it has ripped a hole through traditional social connections have led many to flock to virtual spaces for a sense of connection with others. Animal Crossing’s surge in popularity, as well as the rise of virtual conventions like Comic VKet, are recognitions of our desire to not just talk together but experience new things, and of the ways in which humans will craft new experiences when circumstances prevent us from experiencing them in real life.
While this may be a single-player experience alongside a virtual character, the concept of creating a virtual space to experience camping with another follows the same ideas.
Yuru Camp: Virtual Camp will be released during Winter 2021 on PS4, Nintendo Switch, Steam, iOS, and Android devices. The inclusion of subtitles in English, Chinese, Korean and French would also suggest an international release is in the works.