The hottest strategy game from a galaxy far, far away is available on iPhone & iPad now thanks to Apple’s ARKit.
Do you find conventional chess matches monotonous and often times dull? Then perhaps I could interest you in a game of Holochess. First introduced briefly in the 1977 George Lucas film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (you may have heard of it), Holochess, or ‘“dejarik” if you’re a super nerd, is a fictional strategy game in which two or more players direct a collection of holographic alien characters to battle each other for dominance.
Now Disney is bringing all that alien chess action you’ve been dying for to iOS devices as a 100% free AR experience. Powered by Apple’s ARKit platform, the Holochess for iOS experience is identical to that found in the Jedi Challenges collection for the Mirage. Players have access to 18 different maps in which they can summon 8 creatures, each featuring their own special characteristics to eventually unlock.
To begin, simply download the app and launch the ARkit Holochess option when prompted. From there, simply scan the surface area you intend to use and place the Holochess board to generate several augmented beasts and begin playing.
The mysterious game has popped up a handful of times throughout Star Wars lore, most recently in J.J. Abrams Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. This past holiday however, the fictitious recreational activity was made a reality when Lenovo released an official AR Holochess experience as part of it’s Jedi Challenges augmented games collection for the Lenovo Mirage AR headset. While the full bundle may be a fair deal at $200, it’s a bit pricey if you’re looking for just the Holochess experience.
Now young padawans everywhere have the chance to buff up their dejarik skills no matter their budget, so long as they’re wielding an iPhone or iPad running iOS 11 at the least.
Holochess is available via the Jedi Challenges app for FREE on the iTunes App Store.
Image Credit: SkyGuyTheJedi/YouTube
