Yesterday, on Star Wars Day (May 4), Sony announced on the Playstation Blog that Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series will be coming to the PS VR platform in late summer (August-September). According to the blog, the three episodes and Lightsaber Dojos will be available in kit form for the first time.
The first time it was talked about a Star Wars project for the Playstation VR focused on the character Darth Vader, it was said by ILMxLAB that the game's proposal would be to tell a new and unique story about one of the most infamous villains in the galaxy. The developers wanted to design the game in a unique way, which could only be realized through VR (virtual reality or virtual reality), as this would bring an involvement never seen with the history of the movies.
ILMxLAB Executive Creative Producer Mark S. Miller says:
"Prior to Vader Immortal, I worked with the Lucasfilm Story Group to develop Star Wars stories for feature films. Now, the task was to bring the same techniques and care that we use in our films to this new way of storytelling. Obviously, quality is critical for a brand like Star Wars. We strive every day to combine high quality visuals, sonic and compelling interactivity in a way that has never been attempted or achieved before in the VR space. To do this, we've built a team of people with diverse backgrounds in movies, games, and animation, we have key contributors like ClutchPlay, and we leverage Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4. This, along with help from writer and executive producer David S. Goyer, helped find the way to the project."
Early on in the Vader Immortal project, Mark says it listed and a whiteboard everything it was thought fans (and the development team) would want to experience if they were inside the Star Wars story. Of course, holding a lightsaber was at the top of the list, but it had to be done consistently, to give the player realism. Several mechanics were tested, both internally and with development partner Ninja Theory, to the point where the player felt as if they were stopping a blow, cutting through metal or blocking a laser weapon.
According to Mark, there are several parts of the game that draw attention to the unique experience, but his favorite was the first episode. The moment when Darth Vader approaches the player is something that is difficult to explain, according to the producer, it is intense when the villain's gaze follows him and he speaks directly to you. Some people stood up and came face to face, others backed off, the character's presence is intimidating and unforgettable.
The dev team is working hard to make the story work on PS VR. According to Mark, more will be revealed in the coming months. Eager for more news? Comment below and share your opinion with us!
