First-time virtual reality users will likely be overcome with the wonder of Ralph Breaks VR’s in-headset vastness, but it’s some of the out-of-headset details that stick with you: the syrupy smells, the surprising zaps from wrong moves in a hacking game and the whoosh of wind as you rest your hands on a railing that overlooks the metropolis-like manifestation of the internet.
If you’ve navigated Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire or Nicodemus: Demon of Evanishment, then you’re already familiar with type of immersive walkthroughs that the VOID excels in: a VR adventure that allows visitors to physically move through and interact with environments, which in this case is a bright, busy corner of the internet where retro shooters and hordes of cute critters come to life.
When Ralph and Vanellope tell you to walk forward onto a ship or through a door, you can. When they say to touch a wall, you’ll actually feel that hard surface with your fingers as your in-headset hands meet the wall with a satisfying blue glow. And when they suggest you pick up a sweets-slinging launcher, you can (make sure to pump it to toggle your types of sugary ammo). Speaking of those two, they’ll look, walk and sound just like the characters you already love as the film’s supervisors, directors and co-writer all collaborated on the project.
Ralph Breaks VR mixes up the VOID formula, though, with gamification. As you move through a series of objectives, you can glance at your left wrist to see a real-time scoreboard. “We start with the experience and the story,” says Jose Perez III, lead experience designer for collaborator ILMxLAB. “For this one, we have gameplay elements; we really brought those in because it tied so well into [the Wreck It Ralph series].” Curtis Hickman, chief creative officer and co-founder of the VOID elaborates: “They really go hand in hand. What are the experiences that we want people to have? We’re going to be with Ralph and Vanellope, and eventually they’re going to break something.” We don’t want to spoil too many details about what exactly they break, but expect three different types of game mechanics, including one that takes cues from Space Invaders and Tron (Side note: Where do we sign up for a VR recreation of Tron?)
You can try Ralph Breaks VR for yourself at the VOID’s storefronts in Downtown Disney and the Glendale Galleria. Expect to spend about a half hour there, with roughly 11 minutes inside the virtual reality headset (don’t worry, the risk of motion sickness is virtually zero). The attraction accommodates up to four guests at a time, so we definitely suggest bringing along a few friends.
