SOMETHING new has landed in the Trafford Centre.

The first in Europe, the Odeon IMAX VR, has just opened in the Trafford Centre and already has regular gamers on its books.

This is a virtual reality (VR) arcade and it is the next generation of gaming.

Instead of watching the game being played on a TV screen, gamers can now be part of the action. VR headsets and controllers translate the players movements directly into the game.

As Escape Rooms sprang up all over the country last year, now it is the turn of VR.

The Odeon IMAX VR is the first of its kind in Europe with the other five being in the US, Canada and China.

Dominic Croft, who works at the Odeon IMAX VR, said since they had opened, around three weeks ago, he had already seen some regular weekly bookings

Located next to the Odeon Cinema in the Trafford Centre there are 10 purpose built rooms, or pods, featuring eight games.

Depending on the game players will find themselves seated or standing and holding a controller, remote or gripping an armrest. After a few moments in the Steam VR Home room, where there is plenty to discover and a brief tutorial players are presented with their game.

Pricing is either £7.50 or £10 depending on the game you choose and experiences range from seven to 15 minutes.

Games on offer at Odeon IMAX VR include Raw Data, Archangel, Eagle Flight, Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine and a range of Justice League options.

The pods use HTC VIVE headsets, coupled with room sensors and Subpac rumble backpacks which provide tangible feedback to the action in game.

Reporter's verdict:

It's fair to say the group of us who went to the Odeon VR experience had a great time.

The set up they have in place is amazing and Dominic and his team were enthusiastic about letting people come in and have a look round. There were more than a few curious faces peeking round the corners.

The way the pods are set up, most people walking to the Odeon can't see you, but those having a look round and the friends you brought with you will be looking, and laughing.

It certainly feels a little silly at first and there is an element of knowing you're in one room with a plush carpet and TV screens, while being presented with an entirely different room, which can be very disconcertin.

But after about 30 seconds I was far too amazed to be bothered by mortal worries, I was Wonder Woman and I had Parademons to fight.

The highlight had to be Eagle Flight, a capture the flag-style challenge which is set up for one to four players.

While the graphics are a little simplistic it's hard to care as you are swooping through a Paris which has been reclaimed by nature and overrun by zoo animals.

You can fly right up, inside the Eiffel Tower before looping back to skim over Notre Dame and the Seine, there's even Sacre Coeur in the distance.

In teams of two we battled to pick up the white rabbit and return it to our nest while being attacked from 360 degrees by the opposing team.

Raw Data was the VR experience I expected, in that it's a first person shooter where you get to be the action hero.

You can play alone or in co-op mode with a friend in another pod.

It's jumpy, punchy and will get your heart pumping. We were told to take any jackets or jumpers off before playing, that was good advice.

In Raw Data you must defend a glowing cube (don't ask me what it is or why) from an army of androids and drones which variously explode and leap at you from the dark.

It is brilliant fun. You must twist, turn, duck and shoot as enemies attack you from all sides.

More than any I tried it was the nearest you got to feeling you were the hero in a game.

My friend Tom, said afterwards: "I was firing in two different directions at once!"

If Raw Data was what I expected, the next experience showed me VR really is a world of possibilities.

A little more niche and certainly temperamental: the Star Trek Bridge Crew mission. In this co-op game, up to four of you take your positions as the crew on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.

Surely this is a must for any Trek fan?

Depending on your seat, you can be the captain, helmsman, tactical officer or engineer. Each has a specific role and you really have to work together to rescue the stranded civilians.

The headsets allow you to communicate and you will find yourself screaming 'get me to warp speed' or 'ready the torpedoes' as you frantically try to save as many civilians as you can. All while Klingons are attacking of course.

I want to comment on the price, because when I first looked up IMAX VR as thought it seemed steep but having tried it out and seen the set up they have I would be more than happy to pay £7.50 for another run at Eagle Flight.