With Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series is, ILMxLAB is bringing you into the world of Star Wars in a way that could only be done through immersive storytelling in VR.

EPISODE I

Step into a galaxy far, far away and experience the first Star Wars story designed exclusively for virtual reality. Descend into Darth Vader’s mysterious fortress alongside new allies and encounter fearsome enemies, including the Sith Lord himself. Be at the center of a story in which you hold the key to the galaxy’s salvation… or destruction.

EPISODE II

Continue your journey into the heart of Darth Vader's dark fortress in Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series - Episode II. With the fearsome Sith Lord as your guide, you'll perfect your lightsaber skills against terrifying new enemies, and master the Force as you discover the truth of an ancient mystery beneath the fiery surface of Mustafar.

EPISODE III

Complete your journey in Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series - Episode III. With an ancient lightsaber by your side and the Force as your ally, you'll gain an army and launch an all-out assault on Darth Vader's fortress. Face legions of stormtroopers and a vengeful Imperial officer before facing off with the dark lord himself in a heart-stopping lightsaber battle that will determine Mustafar's fate.

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 used in our movies to this new form of storytelling. Of course, quality is key for a brand like Star Wars. We pushed ourselves every day to combine high quality visuals, sound and compelling interactivity in a way not previously attempted or achieved in the VR space. To do this, we built a team of folks with varied storytelling backgrounds from film, games, and animation, brought on key collaborators like ClutchPlay, and leveraged Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4. This, along with the help of Writer and Executive Producer David S. Goyer, helped to find our path for the project. 

One of our first meetings began with a whiteboard. We listed out everything that we thought fans (and ourselves!) would most want to experience, if they were inside the Star Wars galaxy. Wielding a lightsaber was right there at the top of that list, but we knew that if we were going to do that, we had to do it right. We went through many different mechanics, both in-house and with our partners at Ninja Theory, before we got to the point where you really felt like you were parrying a blow, slicing through metal, or blocking blaster fire. We continually tested and tweaked the feedback until we got it right.

There are so many parts that grab you in the experience, but my favorite is still early in the first episode. The moment when Darth Vader first approaches you is something that can’t really be explained (but I’ll try). It’s intense when his gaze follows you and he speaks directly to you. I’ve seen some people stand up taller and get in his face, and some shrink a bit or even step back, but his presence is intimidating, and unforgettable.

Currently available for PC (Oculus Quest/Rift), Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series is coming to PlayStation VR later this summer, and the series will be available as a complete series: all three episodes and Lightsaber Dojos will be available for purchase together, for the first time.