As reported on The Verge.
By Jacob Kastrenakes
Google has experimented quite a bit with ways to make Maps more immersive, but no attempt yet may be as successful as its latest: Night Walk, a loosely guided tour through the streets of Marseille on one vibrant and beautiful evening. Night Walk starts you out in a small alley in the neighborhood Cours Julien and works a lot like Street View — you can look around in every direction and click wherever you want to zoom in or move ahead. In this case, a tour guide will introduce you to the city as you move along, directing you to look at art, landmarks, and gorgeous views, among much more.
Night Walk’s goal is to make you feel like you’re right there in the city, and it’s fairly successful for an experience on your computer. The world has been photographed far nicer than what you’d find on the average Street View-road, and Night Walk even plays ambient sounds of the city and quiet guitars and jazz to build the mood. While you can’t explore the entire city, Night Walk does let you wander off the beaten path and down dark alleys to make new discoveries. Even if guided tours aren’t your thing, Google’s Night Walk through Marseille can be a lot of fun: you can feel the culture of the city, and you actually get to explore — not just spend an evening wandering behind a guide.