So, the Vulcan tourism Centre has a fun virtual reality game. And, of course we just had to go give it a try!
The premise is that you are a Starfleet Cadet and the Federation is under attack by either Klingons or Romulans. You have not completed your training, but since the entire sector is under attack, all cadets are deemed battle ready and, like the new Star Trek movie, the cadets are placed onto starships and sent into the fray.
When first entering the game, you are briefed by Captain Krok. This is a hilarious send up of Captain Kirk using over exaggerated body movements and vocalisms (if that's even a word).
He doesn't like cadets and, ironically, considers them inept and like children. Toward the end of the briefing, he forgets that the transmission is stil engaged and hurls one or two laughable insults at you, the cadet.
Captain Krok will appear once you are aboard your starship to give you other instructions.
The Omega shaped apparatus is called L.E.O.N.A.R.D, and is a new patented aiming and firing device desinged by a company called GestureTek. The game combines light, sound effects and a multi camera technology to place the player right in the middle of the action.
According to Vulcan Tourism, the "Vulcan Space Adventure" is one of only a couple GestureTek installations in Canada, and a first opportunity for Western Canada to see and experience this technology in action.
That aside, I can honestly say that my father, my daughter and myself had a ball playing the game. It only cost us $10.00 for the game and it was well worth it.
It took us a while to figure out which buttons were which and who was pushing what buttons. Part of the fun is the mistakes we made and the missed shots as we tried to recover from our own ineptitude and fits of giggles.
It really was a fun game to play and the props were very authentic looking.