If there is one universe out there that is begging to be explored via virtual reality then it is Star Wars and the recent announcement that Darth Vader would be the star of his own VR game has to have those people excited beyond belief.
And can anyone think of a better concept for a Star Wars game other than a VR title of some sort?
Whether it is flying a ship, engaging in a lightsaber battle, or, better yet, using the Force, a Star Wars VR title sounds like a money-printing idea.
So it’s no wonder that the folks over at Lucasfilm announced that there will be a new exclusive for the just-announced Oculus Quest in the form of Star Wars: Vader Immortal, and as of yet untold story about the series’ most iconic villain.
Naturally, you probably want to know a little bit about how Lucasfilm plans on this all playing out and, especially, how they plan on taking advantage of the VR format.
Details are sketchy at the moment but we do know that there are at least three episodes planned in the series and that all of the plots will be new material. Another interesting detail is that this is not Disney’s first foray into VR nor is it Star Wars’ – the results of a game released under the name Trials of Tatooine ended up becoming a much larger VR experience attraction called Secrets of the Empire at Disneyland in California.
Combining narrative with interaction, these VR games largely realize the worlds depicted in the movies and straddle the line between film and interactive media. It would be a stretch to call these games in the purest sense but their game-like characteristics cannot be denied.
The one difference between Star Wars: Vader Immortal and the earlier efforts is the scope of the audience envisioned. The Disneyland experience is, of course, location specific, meaning if you’re not in California you’re probably not going to be able to experience it and the predecessor to this was much smaller in scale.
One thing audiences can rely upon when it comes to Disney is that the company doesn’t do anything small and it is likely that Star Wars: Vader Immortal will not only be an epic experience but one that improves with time. Given the already announced iterative format, it would not be surprising if some kind of audience feedback is incorporated into future episodes.
Another thing that cannot be discounted is that, for the most part, the Secrets of the Empire attraction is not only extremely popular but is something that many people would like to have access to in their homes or in a more convenient way.
We’ll just have to wait and see what Lucasfilm and Disney have in store for Star Wars: Vader Immortal but chances are good that it will be fairly groundbreaking and epic once it lands.
But, one thing you have to love about Star Wars fans, if it isn’t, you’ll hear about it.
