I did play all three episodes, but I don't think I have a ton of unique commentary across the trilogy, so I'm grouping 'em together at once.
Years ago, I had the chance to play a pick-up game of the Star Wars tabletop RPG at a convention. At the time, I decided I wanted my character to be a Force-sensitive janitor, because that seemed funny to me - just some random guy who happens to be Force-sensitive, who isn't really part of the Jedi or Sith or whathaveyou but is just kinda doing his own thing. I feel like that campaign was symbolic in a lot of respects of my relationship with Star Wars as a cultural phenomenon. By way of example, I was riding along with people who had been playing the game since the 70s, and they ended up having an in-character conversation for an hour in Jawa (none of us were Jawas), and I just kinda had to sit there for the duration of it.
But it's relevant to mention here because, as much as I can get swept away by the grand, sweeping stories of political factions, and as much as I can get caught up in individual stories about certain characters (ahem), after a certain point I just kinda feel like too many random people can do Force stuff, and having each and every one of these guys interface directly with major factions or main characters like Darth Vader sort of makes the galaxy feel a little smaller to me.
I know it's probably unfair to pick on this game for that sorta thing. Any Star Wars video game is gonna have elements of power fantasy, doubly so for a Virtual Reality game. It'd be a little strange if, in a universe where people possess mystical powers, all you could do in the tie-in VR game was bulls-eye Womp Rats or something. Still, it's the sort of thing that runs through the back of my mind for this experience.
Vader Immortal is not fully confident in letting the player roam 3D space - but that's not a specific indictment, since many VR games are anxious about that sorta thing. Actually, that there is some wandering around here, even if it's just on-rails, is decently interesting. But the large thrust of the game is getting from one shooting gallery or cutscene set piece to another, and it does a decent enough job at that.
I kinda think of this game like a decent theme park ride with a good budget. It's fun and memorable while it lasts, but more something I think of as a decent diversion than something with a gripping narrative. I don't remember a whole lot about the actual experience, aside from some decent messing around with Stormtroopers, Jedi Outcast-style. I'll admit I'd rather be playing Jedi Outcast, but I know myself well enough to recognize that's nostalgia speaking. No reason why this can't be someone else's Jedi Outcast.
Years ago, I had the chance to play a pick-up game of the Star Wars tabletop RPG at a convention. At the time, I decided I wanted my character to be a Force-sensitive janitor, because that seemed funny to me - just some random guy who happens to be Force-sensitive, who isn't really part of the Jedi or Sith or whathaveyou but is just kinda doing his own thing. I feel like that campaign was symbolic in a lot of respects of my relationship with Star Wars as a cultural phenomenon. By way of example, I was riding along with people who had been playing the game since the 70s, and they ended up having an in-character conversation for an hour in Jawa (none of us were Jawas), and I just kinda had to sit there for the duration of it.
But it's relevant to mention here because, as much as I can get swept away by the grand, sweeping stories of political factions, and as much as I can get caught up in individual stories about certain characters (ahem), after a certain point I just kinda feel like too many random people can do Force stuff, and having each and every one of these guys interface directly with major factions or main characters like Darth Vader sort of makes the galaxy feel a little smaller to me.
I know it's probably unfair to pick on this game for that sorta thing. Any Star Wars video game is gonna have elements of power fantasy, doubly so for a Virtual Reality game. It'd be a little strange if, in a universe where people possess mystical powers, all you could do in the tie-in VR game was bulls-eye Womp Rats or something. Still, it's the sort of thing that runs through the back of my mind for this experience.
Vader Immortal is not fully confident in letting the player roam 3D space - but that's not a specific indictment, since many VR games are anxious about that sorta thing. Actually, that there is some wandering around here, even if it's just on-rails, is decently interesting. But the large thrust of the game is getting from one shooting gallery or cutscene set piece to another, and it does a decent enough job at that.
I kinda think of this game like a decent theme park ride with a good budget. It's fun and memorable while it lasts, but more something I think of as a decent diversion than something with a gripping narrative. I don't remember a whole lot about the actual experience, aside from some decent messing around with Stormtroopers, Jedi Outcast-style. I'll admit I'd rather be playing Jedi Outcast, but I know myself well enough to recognize that's nostalgia speaking. No reason why this can't be someone else's Jedi Outcast.