‘I explored Ancient Rome and saw gladiator fights in the Colosseum up close’

Think of the ancient Roman Empire and Julius Caesar, Mount Vesuvius and Russell Crowe likely come to mind.

We’re taught so much about this great civilisation – yet will never truly know what it was like to be a part of it.

But the opportunity to experience Ancient Rome might be closer to home than you think – in a small venue opposite Camden Town station in northwest London.

Today, VR company Eclipso will launch its ‘newest and boldest’ immersive experience to date, Colosseum: The Legendary Arena.

And it’s a fitting location to stage the virtual ancient capital following the launch of the company’s Titanic VR experience in July.

As you exit the Tube station, the bustling Camden High Street mirrors the lively Roman market you will explore with your guide, a young boy named Caius, whose ambition is to become a fearless, famous gladiator.

Eclipso encourages you to engage with everyone and everything you see during the experience.

Interact with the merchants and market goers – but don’t attempt to throw pieces of fruit at them.

Caius guides you to the stands of the Colosseum, where you’re one of 80,000 roaring punters waiting for a bloody battle to commence.

He navigates you through a network of secret tunnels underneath the arena where you come face-to-face with some of the gladiators preparing for battle against both each other and the wild, starved beasts ready for their pound of human flesh.

You meet Flamma, the famous Syrian gladiator and hero of Caius, whom you watch at an arm’s length smite down his rivals.

The journey is a glimpse into history as well a plunge into the emotion, grandeur and decadence of an empire that resonates in our minds today, according to Eclipso. 

You will encounter gods and mortals alike, experience life as a true citizen of Rome and ‘feel the intensity of a world where life and legends collide’.

The project was supported by a scientific advisory board which collaborated closely with the team from the early stages of development.

The board provided historical insights and inspiration for the storytelling, and reviewed and validated the final script to ensure historical accuracy.

The virtual journey is possibly the closest yet to imagining what Rome was really like thousands of years ago.

And it feels almost too real as you’re standing at the edge of the balcony in the Colosseum, contemplating whether you should jump off to see what happens. It’s fantastically life-like.

Karl Blake-Garcia, venue director for Eclipso London, told Metro: ‘We always like to pick topics that are really rich in history and culture – something that we know will be of interest to the general public.

‘The Colosseum seemed to us like a sure bet for the simple fact that it’s a widely loved topic of history.

‘The ancient Romans we study in school in the British curriculum and we felt like it would be really, really interesting content to create to also make it more immersive.

‘There were a lot more factors that allowed us to differentiate this type of content from the Titanic content we have.

‘In the Titanic one you’re primarily on one object, you’re on a ship, whereas with the Colosseum we were able to make the scale grander – you’re in the Colosseum, you’re in the markets, you’re in the presence of Gods.

‘So for us it was an opportunity to really stretch our legs and create an experience that was larger in scale and also a lot more interactive.’

But how was the idea developed? And where did the inspiration for the storyline come from?

Karl said: ‘Flamma was already a really famous gladiator in the history books so we felt that he was a great character to put at the centre of the story.

‘Caius was obviously a fictional character that was created to allow the customers to feel a slight sense of familiarity throughout the entire content and also make it seem like it was a journey.

‘With him being your guide, it was really interesting for us to use a child. It made it a little bit more fun, a little bit more care-free and not so much like a museum tour.

‘He’s got his own dreams and aspirations of wanting to be a gladiator and you’re following him on that journey, witnessing what his version of Rome is also like as a Roman living in that time.’

Eclipso has two further VR adventures already in the pipeline’ ahead of Friday’s launch.

Karl said the company aims to release new content every six months.

‘By the time this one has already been made, they are already half-way through making the one after that.

‘In future, it will be content that is definitely steeped in history and is of cultural interest, whether that be Aztec, Ancient China – those are the kinds of subjects.’

Tickets start from £20. The minimum age is eight.

The experience takes around 45 minutes to complete. It was created in collaboration with the Small Creative studio.