New Doctor Who VR Game Makes Fannish Dreams Come To Life

I had a chance to test out the new Doctor Who VR game, The Edge of Time, at San Diego Comic-Con, and it made my fannish dreams of exploring the world of Doctor Who come alive.

My experience with VR games largely centers around mobile gaming. Nothing makes my fangirl heart sing more than when I can place my Ditto in the cubicle next to me with Pokemon Go and make my workday just a little more interesting, but the Doctor Who VR game The Edge of Time is a different experience altogether. The game will launch on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Vive Cosmos in September 2019. This means you’ll be putting on a VR headset and stepping into the world of Doctor Who as opposed to the mobile VR games I’m used to, which pull the fantasy world into our own with VR overlays. Different than my normal VR fair, but just as exciting and even more immersive.

The game itself was easy to navigate, even for someone like me who isn’t used to this type of console. I can imagine that those of you who already have experience with VR consoles will have no problem moving around and exploring the world. Fear not, fellow n00bs, you can play this game without issue. It took me maybe ten seconds to get used to how to move around with the controls.

The scene I explored featured having to gather certain supplies, assembling them with the Sonic Screwdriver, and then watching as the TARDIS materialized in front of me. The whole scene was lively and immersive, with Dalek UFOs circling above casting the whole environment in an eerie red glow.

All of this was fun and exciting, but the moment that made my jaw hit the floor was stepping into the TARDIS itself and letting that feeling just wash over me.  It was an experience unlike any other. This is the interior of the TARDIS and you get to explore it.

For decades we’ve watched new companions experience entering the TARDIS for the first time.  It’s always the moment of a companion’s first trip with the Doctor when the reality of what they are embarking on truly sinks in, but now it’s our turn to take that first look inside the TARDIS, look around and realize it’s bigger on the inside (or “smaller on the outside,” according to Clara), and then take off on a journey through time and space. It’s a fannish dream.

The scene I played had the Dalek spaceships hovering overhead, but it’ll also feature the Weeping Angels. Just like my fear with the Endermen in the upcoming Minecraft VR game, I’m both excited and horrified. I still jump in the regular old Minecraft game when an Enderman pops up, so putting it in a VR type experience? Oh my god. I’m going to die. And now Weeping Angels for the Doctor Who VR game? VR Gods, please give me strength to not scream in the dead of night and disturb my neighbors. Because that’s going to happen. I can tell that much already.

Side note: you can PROBABLY blink. VR technology isn’t that good yet. But still, the idea of turning your head for a second and having them jump at you is scary enough. The Weeping Angels are one of the most terrifying villains from the Doctor Who universe, and I still have nightmares about them twelve years after they were introduced. I have about the same amount of Weeping Angel dreams as I do Enderman dreams. Can these creepy monsters get out of my dreams and stay in the VR games where they belong? Thank you!

Doctor Who: The Edge of Time will also feature a brand new creature specifically invented for this game: the Hydrorks. They are described as “vicious amphibians, sometimes used as guards by races like the Stenza and Zygons. They incredibly eerie, slimy and have a penchant for staring at you!” Creepy!  I guess we can count our blessings that VR doesn’t extend to the sense of touch, because I don’t really want to experience the ‘slimy’ texture for myself. Just getting stared at by them is enough, thanks!

The game is developed by Maze Theory and published by PlayStack. Look for it on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Vive Cosmos in September 2019.  Buckle into your headset and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

Author: Angel Wilson

Angel is the admin of The Geekiary and a geek culture commentator. They earned a BA in Film & Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz. They have contributed to various podcasts and webcasts including An Englishman in San Diego, Free to Be Radio, and Genre TV for All. They identify as queer.

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