
Here at The Elite Institute, we are keen on highlighting a variety of great games to our audience. Whether it be indies, AAA titles, or anything in between, we want to show off as much as possible in order to help guide your purchasing decisions.
That’s why we’re not entirely restricting ourselves to the Nintendo Switch. Thanks to Nintendo Labo VR Kit (check out our review), we’ve fallen in love with virtual reality and as a result have invested in a PlayStation 4 along with PSVR. There are some truly great experiences on the system, and we’d love to share our thoughts with you.
A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH
Set between episode three and four of Star Wars canon (after Anakin becomes Darth Vader, but before he builds his Death Star), Vader Immortal puts you in the role of a smuggler who finds their ship suddenly seized by the Galactic Empire whilst flying over the planet of Mustafar. Fearing that your smuggling jig up, it turns out that Vader is actually more interested in your bloodline, which unlocks the secret to resurrecting the dead – something that he hopes will bring back his beloved Padmé.
As a narrative experience, Vader Immortal focuses heavily on the story happening around you whilst trying its best to keep you as actively involved as possible. It actually does a pretty good job of doing so thanks to a great supporting cast. You have Vader, of course, who comes and goes throughout the story – but you also have other characters who you deal with more frequently. The most notable of which is your robotic companion Z0-E3, who is voiced by the ever fantastic Maya Rudolph, and I ended up feeling a sense of closeness with the character despite never actually directly communicating with her.
Gameplay mostly consists of some impressive set-pieces where you utilise the iconic lightsabers and force powers, and these are separated by segments full of busywork to keep you engaged. Whilst this may not sound very interesting, these bits are surprisingly competent. Whether its hacking open a prison door, climbing your way out of a tricky situation, or scanning your ship for signs of damage, it’s all pretty fun even if there’s not really a lot to it.
Of course these sections pale in comparison to the really big sequences, where you could be using your force powers to defend against stormtroopers, stealing their guns to use against them, and deflecting back their laser fire. Each of the three episodes (which are annoyingly three separate executable game files) have their own great set-pieces, and the final episode in particular has some of the best you’ll ever experience in a Star Wars game.
That’s not to say the game isn’t without its issues, however, and the main issue I had revolves around your character’s movement. Utilising teleportation, with the X and O buttons turning you left and right, it can feel rather stilted. Whilst it does work well enough, you’re often forced to follow other NPCs and never allowed to go in front of them. It makes you feel less like a protagonist and more like a pet.
Furthermore, despite the hefty selling price for the game, all three episodes of Vader Immortal can easily be beaten in less than a couple of hours. Sure, there is a lightsaber dojo for you to mess around with afterwards (each game has one, but they’re all essentially the same experience), but it’s unlikely to keep you playing for very long. This is alleviated somewhat by the game’s sale price, which brings it down to below €10, and that seems like a far fairer price to pay for the overall experience.
VERDICT
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series may be quite expensive for its short runtime, but it’s also a great narrative experience that makes you feel like a part of the Star Wars universe. The second episode of the trilogy may struggle to live up to some of the set-pieces in the other two, but otherwise its an enjoyable ride from start to finish.
Recent Comments