Netflix’s new location-based VR experience has you battling zombies from inside a motorized taco truck.
*UPDATE [8.12.21]: We’ve made a small correction regarding the type of VR hardware used as part of the experience.*
This past week, I had the chance to check out Army of the Dead: Viva Las Vengeance, a new location-based VR experience based on the Netflix original film of the same name. Produced by Netflix in partnership with CE, Fever, and Pure Imagination Studio, the 30-minute multisensory experience has you battling waves of the undead throughout the plague-infested streets of post-apocalyptic Las Vegas.
Teaming up with five other players, you’ll take on the role of a gun-for-hire and embark on a dangerous rescue mission brought to life via a combination of VR technology, motion tracking, and haptic feedback, including a motorized taco truck complete with immersive haptic flooring.
I was lucky enough to experience Army of the Dead: Las Vengeance last week at the official launch in Los Angeles, California, and while my personal score may have been abysmal, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this action-packed location-based VR experience.
Upon arriving at the venue, we were herded into a preparation room and video briefed on the situation by María Cruz, one of the leads in Army of the Dead and a founding member of the Las Vengeance crew. After a quick rundown of the mission, event staff helped us into a pair of hand and foot trackers before leading us to the play space.
After slipping into a Valve Index headset and grabbing hold of my weapon-like peripheral, our blood-soaked road trip was officially underway, kicking off 30 uninterrupted minutes of adrenaline-fueled zombie-killing action. Upon making our way past the makeshift barrier holding back hordes of the undead, we found ourselves under constant attack. From behind the reenforced windows of our armored taco truck, we unloaded thousands of rounds of ammunition at a seemingly endless throng of “shamblers” as they crashed like waves against the vehicle.
As we made our way through a gauntlet of flesh-hungry creatures, I could feel our vehicle physically shake thanks to the motion flooring built directly into our play space. Meanwhile, motion trackers attached to our wrists and feet allowed us to view each other’s movements in real-time.
Reaching out in VR I was able to physically grab the iron bars lining the window of our armored taco truck. Turning around, I watched as each of my teammates dispensed an incredible level of pain on our flesh-hungry foes and even deliver a few well-earned high fives. Once we completed our adventure, we exited the play space to inspect our individual scores, which included total kills, headshots, and accuracy.
Tickets for Army of the Dead: Viva Las Vengeance are available now for $24.99 per person. For more information on locations and scheduling visit here.
Feature Image Credit: Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Netflix