‘Vader Immortal’ Concept Art Teases Episode II, Where Darth Vader Teaches You To Use The Force
The first episode of ILMxLAB’s new VR seriesVader Immortalis available now, allowing fans to step into the world ofStar Warsand be in the intimidating presence of Darth Vader. The Dark Lord of the Sith has been looking for a recruit to help him retrieve an ancient artifact, and wouldn’t you know it, you’re the one who finally has the skillset he needs to help retrieve it. After igniting a lightsaber, deflecting laser blasts, and impressing Darth Vader, it’s finally time to start learning the ways of the Force inEpisode II, and some new concept art from the next installment teases what’s in store.
At the end ofVader Immortal Episode I, Darth Vader promises to teach you how to use the Force. However, he does so in a very Darth Vader way by drawing your lightsaber and destroying it. This leaves you no option but to use the Force for the next part of your journey inVader Immortal Episode II, and a new piece of concept art features the villain showing off his mastery of it:
Ben Snow, director ofVader Immortal, chatted withStarWars.comto discuss what’s in store for players:
When trying outVader Immortalfor the first timeat Star Wars Celebration earlier this year, I was impressed with the mechanics of lightsaber wielding in a VR environment. It really made you feel like you were holding and swinging the ancient weapon. But how do you replicate that same feeling with something intangible like the Force? Snow says:
“That is something that we’re still working really hard on, to make it feel as good as we can. Our goal is to make the Force inEpisode IIas satisfying as the lightsaber felt inEpisode I.”
That will probably mostly come down to vibrations in the controls and feeling the weight of whatever it is you’re moving, but that sounds significantly trickier than duplicating the experience of holding a lightsaber.
InEpisode I, you witness Vader speaking with a character called the Black Bishop. While secretly observing a conversation between the two, you learn that the artifact that Darth Vader is looking for has something to do with mastery over death. It’s undoubtedly being driven by his loss of Padme inStar Wars: Revenge of the Sith, something that has also been written about in Marvel’s Darth Vader comics. But the Black Bishop will become even more important inEpisode IIas you learn more about his background.
In the above piece of concept art, the Black Bishop is standing next to a tomb inside the ancient fortress that was revealed at the end ofEpisode I. Snow says of the setting:
“We’re trying to make it feel very atmostpheric. This is a hidden area of the fortress that hasn’t really been explored. The Mustafarians know of it through legend. It’s a good chance to poke around in an unexplored part ofStar Wars.”
If you haven’t been able to tryVader Immortal, the experience is a fun one. Not only is there an interesting story that further expands the mtyhos of Darth Vader and his castle on Mustafar, but you get to play in the universe through VR by doing the kind of stuff you’ve wanted to do since you first saw aStar Warsmovie. Even if you don’t have a VR headset of your own to play Vader Immortal, it’s worth bugging a friend who has one to give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed.
Vader Immortal Episode Iis available now, butEpisode IIdoesn’t yet have a release date, so stay tuned.
