There are various interpret -ations of "fun" in a place like Second Life. It's fun to shop; it's fun to explore; it's fun to build; it's fun to get together with friends and chat; it's fun to, you know [wink, wink, nudge, nudge]; and for those who appreciate the artistic side of a graphics environment and the time and effort that goes into creating a unique space, it's fun to wander around in a great build.
The side-by-side SICK! regions are such a place. From one end to the other they are a beautifully constructed version of a cityscape similar to the downtown scenes in the movie Blade Runner. In the central area there is even the background narration of a female voice in Japanese, similar to the drug advertising Geisha that was such a memorable part of that film. Immediately upon wandering around in SICK! you will be aware that the regions are Japanese owned and created, as most signs, store information, and billboards are in Japanese only.
In and of itself, SICK! is not a thing to do, but a place to see. It is a backdrop for role players as well as a fun place to explore if you enjoy walking in Second Life and getting lost in a maze of alleyways, connected buildings, tunnels, and bridges. In fact, SICK! is meant to be explored on foot as flying has been turned off in both SIMs (easily overcome, but really walking around IS more fun there). Many of the buildings are for ambiance, not entering, as only the ground level is accessible and the floors above are just prims with texturing. There are a lot of little food places scattered around, noodle shops, fast food, and small bars, and in one diner there is a working copy of Reversi on the wall that can be played.
Visits at different times display differences in the environment. For example, I went there once and most of the region was in the middle of a massive thunderstorm with heavy rain and lightning strikes happening all over the city. Other times fireworks are prevalent in the center of town. Vehicles appear and disappear from the streets -- one space that was clear on a previous visit had massive tank vehicles parked on it in a later visit. Sometimes there is a tractor/scoop vehicle that you can drive, either to smash buildings or scoop up avatars if you are role playing with a group engaged in combat.
Throughout the regions there are little surprises built in. In one case an entire building collapses if you crash into it running. Elsewhere explosions unexpectedly occur (I set off a huge boom walking over a manhole cover). Little animations and sound effects here and there in the streets and back alleys add to the interest. There is even an area with pose balls for a gang attack on an individual who cowers on the ground while the people around him (or her) kick and pound on the outnumbered victim.
If you like taking pictures in Second Life, SICK! is a great place to dress up in your gothic or combat gear and pose for pictures and, because there are a lot of glow effects present around the regions, different settings of WindLight give a nice variation to the surroundings.
Shopping is minimal, but present. Most of the offerings are either accessories and shirts, or weapons. One shop had an assortment of tiny robot avatars and another had a gizmo for sale that, when you sit on it, makes you (or you and a friend) totally weightless; you float around in a sitting position completely at the mercy of external forces and Second Life wind.
Oh, and be sure to click on everything! Typical of many Japanese SIMs, lots of things are free gifts and will either just let you take a copy, or will offer themselves for sale to you for $0L.
SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/sick/221/172/43
Slideshow: Slideshow of older pictures of SICK! on Flickr
