So two bits of news with this post.
First of all… we’re doing reviews now. Officially. Technically, we’re farming them off to local people/entities who are more qualified to evaluate things but we’ll still be the ones posting them online.
Secondly… Our first review is of the new Hyper VR experience at the Rec Room West Edmonton Mall; Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire. Remember how I said we’d farm off reviews to those who are more qualified to write them? This inaugural review is brought to you by Kyle from Inception VR here in Edmonton. If you’re not familiar with Inception VR, they’re currently bringing mobile experiences to local schools, events & businesses. They SHOULD be having another VR haunted house soon too 😉
Anyway, here’s what Kyle had to say after our group of four made its’ way through…
On August 16, 2018 I had the pleasure of attending The Void’s Secrets of the Empire virtual reality (VR) experience in the newest licensed location at the Rec Room in West Edmonton Mall and I am glad I did.
After a quick elevator ride to the second floor in the Rec Room we arrived on location and were kindly greeted by the staff working. After a waiver and giving up our phones, wallets and keys to the locker, much like an escape room, we were brought into our mission briefing room. Our mission: we are undercover storm troopers and need to secure a crate. I could not contain my excitement when we were finally putting on our backpacks and dawning our headsets. I got in trouble a couple times racing ahead of everyone else to put on the gear. As a VR business owner, I am very familiar with the technology and could quickly understand the setup straps and clips orientation. I was pleased to experience the integration of the Leap Motion which allows you to see your hands inside the virtual environment, without the need of controllers.
Placed in our starting location with our gear on, it was time to bring our visors down. This is where the newest and best technology was met with its most common problems. One of our storm trooper friends could not be found in the virtual world. I can’t tell you how many times Inception VR has been faced with these similar glitches and technical problems. The staff were quick to solve the problem. We didn’t even notice how long it was because we were all too busy giving each other high fives in VR and some other hand gestures. The ability to see your hands in a virtual environment really does help with the immersion. With our trooper successfully having his gear serviced we were ready to go.
What a wild self-driven ride the next 15 minutes were. When they say “Hyper-Reality” they really mean it. The Void has really outdone themselves with the immersion they are able to provide in their experience. After arriving to the molten planet, the shuttle bay doors opened, and we were all greeted with a blast of heat and the smell was, as Shrek would say, “it’s brimstone”. From battling storm troopers to crazy huge fire spitting lava monsters, the experience left you satisfied but greedy for more. After I was shot by a trooper the anger I felt was so authentic I knew I was completely immersed on the molten planet Mustafar.
From my years of experience with Virtual Reality they really have met and even exceeded my expectations. This is a must for everyone to try. I know it will be hard for me to go home and use the regular headsets without the haptic feedback and real-world room walking and I have The Void to thank for that.
*For more information, Kyle Gagnon can be reached through his business, Inception VR, at contact
