I had the wonderful opportunity to try out Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge, a virtual reality experience, on the Meta Quest 2, and meet Producer, Alyssa Finley at Downtown Disney thanks to ILMxLAB.
This experience is free to try out and opens on Sunday, November 21st, and will be there to enjoy through January 5th daily from Noon-8pm. It is located at the former ESPN Zone building across from the Star Wars Trading Post. You may enter the queue to play or reserve a time slot with a Staff Member to return later that day. Participants must be aged 13 years old or older. Face masks are required to play.
Fans who love Galaxy's Edge wll be mesmerized by this game! I left in tears because I was able to explore more parts of Batuu that I never thought possible! In the 10 minute experience, you'll meet new characters like Cantina owner, Seezelslak as well as Droid Depot owner, Mubo. You'll have opportunities to interact with your surroundings - how does grabbing a Ronto Wrap or using a blaster sound? You'll also experience incredibles views of Batuu that you've never seen! I didn't want it to end! As someone who often spends most of my time at Disneyland on Batuu, this experience just meant so much to me.
I'm happy to say that I didn't experience any motion sickness whatsover. Prior to playing the game, you can choose two different playing options: Teleportation or Locomotion. Teleportation is the recommended option to prevent motion sickness especially if you've never used a VR system before. The team really felt that having these options would help even more fans be able to play Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge.
The Meta Quest 2 is also comfortable to wear, which makes the experiences even more realistic. There are adjustable arm and head straps too, so be sure to communicate how the devices feel before beginning your adventure on Batuu for the optimum play-time.
I got the chance to ask Producer, Alyssa Finley a couple of questions. It was so exciting to see how excited and passionate Alyssa was about this project! It was a pleasure getting to speak and geek out with her. Please do not continue reading if you don't wish to be spoiled as there are major plot details and character reveals.
Q: "What kinds of experiences can you have in the game that are different from visiting Galaxy's Edge in the parks?"
A: "Well, what you just got a taste of is the start of a big adventure on Batuu. As the droid repair tech that you were just playing as, you go through a couple of giant places in the wild, with the spires like you were walking through, and that includes both indoor and outdoor spaces. You can explore a lost Jedi ruins that exists on Batuu, and you can explore it in current time. But one of the things that Seezelslak was offering you in the Cantina was if you bring him back a set of ingredients, he'll make you this special drink, and that special drink will allow him to tell you a tale and transport you back in time on Batuu. So, what you can do then is you actually step into the shoes of Ady Sun'Zee who is a Padawan who goes on an adventure - this is in the New Republic era actually - and you and your Master went into this lost Jedi ruin to try to contain an incredibly dangerous Sith relic. And, well, it doesn't go exactly to plan. And Master Yoda ends up coming in to help save the day! So you get to go on an adventure with Master Yoda. So, that's the kind of experience that we're trying to bring. We're trying to bring both the High Republic era in Batuu to life as well as the current day. It's set just a little bit before the time that Galaxy's Edge in the park is set. We really want people to feel like they're just getting to explore."
Q: "What is your favorite part about Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge?"
A: "For me the magical moment is when you step into that Cantina and all of a sudden there are Star Wars characters looking at me! They're talking to me, I am the center of their world and they're the center of mine. It's that moment where they're just real!"
I'd like to thank everyone at the ILMxLAB for inviting me to try Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge! You can purchase the Meta Quest 2 here or from retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.
If you have any questions about this experience, let me know by leaving a comment below or get in touch with me on Instagram or Twitter.
I love your long sleeve shirt! I need more prequel merch!
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