Welcome back to the VOID, the hyper-reality game spot in Downtown Disney Anaheim. Since it opened in January of this year, the VOID has been offering “Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire.” Thanksgiving weekend brought a new experience to the establishment, “Ralph Breaks VR,” which coincides with the opening of the Wreck-it Ralph film sequel.
The experience is very similar to Star Wars. This time you get to choose your in-game avatar by picking one of the cards you see in the image below. Your partner will see you as the character card you pick. It’s a little more streamlined than picking your character on a screen, as you do in the Star Wars version.
You receive your mission brief from Ralph and Venellope, who want to take you to the “best game on the internet.” You then suit-up to enter the internet.
For those who haven’t been to the VOID, the vests you wear are pretty extensive and feature haptic feedback. The game is rendered in real time from a proprietary PC on your back, that’s why it’s a tad heavy!
The actual experience is very similar to Secrets of the Empire. Your hands are tracked in real time. See a wall? You can reach out and touch it. See a prop? It’s really there. It’s what makes this experience so immersive.
I won’t give away anything, but Ralph and Venellope do take you to a game, which cleverly reuses button panels from Secrets of the Empire. It also uses the same blasters to help you save Ralph, which has a clever ammunition type that actually changes when you pump the front. They also keep score, which shows up at the end and is emailed to you.
Full disclosure, I LOVED Secrets of the Empire . . . but I feel like this is a more accessible experience and for a wider audience. It was harder to gauge the physical space, but there was a lot more storytelling compared to the running and gunning in Star Wars. Ralph Breaks VR is a simpler experience and less frustrating to play, particularly for younger players who may not have played a VR game before.
I brought a family member who isn’t a gamer and hasn’t done anything quite like the VOID before and she was impressed with the quality of the immersion. The haptic feedback, the physical space, and the lack of motion sickness. I asked her if she’d do it again and she said she’d like to try Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire as well. Luckily, she’ll have the chance. The VOID will be switching back and forth between Ralph and Star Wars, so check their schedule online before booking.
I believe that both experiences are worth playing. They’re extremely immersive and fun, more so than any other VR experience I’ve tried. Ralph Breaks VR will be running every day until Tuesday and will then alternate days with Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire. tickets start at $32.95 plus fees (so they end up being about $37).
Have you had a chance to try the VOID experience? Are you looking forward to jumping into the world of Wreck it Ralph?
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