With the new Doctor Who Virtual Reality game, The Edge of Time just around the corner, there has been a lot of news coming out lately, including the introduction to a brand new villain, The Hydrorks.
We’ll be looking at everything we know so far about the game, which was recently used as an exciting exhibit at London’s MCM Comic Con in May. I got a chance to play the teaser there and it was a brilliant taste of what promises to be a great and immersive experience.
Narrative and Gameplay
The game will feature the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker who will talk you through the use of a device you collect earlier in the game. She will also appear in a hologram form. You can use the Doctor’s gadgets including the Psychic Paper and Sonic Screwdriver, the latter of which helps assemble items that will help you to complete various missions.
You will be the companion for the story as the Doctor picks you up on one of her travels. It’s certainly an enticing opportunity for players who will have often wondered what it would be like to be the Doctor’s best friend. It hasn’t been announced whether the Doctor’s other companions, Ryan, Graham, or Yaz will be part of the game.
You will also get to pilot the TARDIS, with the developers having gone to great pains to make sure that every switch and dial we’ve seen on screen is on the console – including the custard-cream dispenser! The developers at Maze Theory have also made sure that each is screen accurate, turning or flicking in the right way.
Stepping on board the TARDIS is a wonderful moment, seeing the console room expand out around you is pretty mind-blowing. I think when I tried the game at Comic Con, it’ll always be the moment that I got to board the TARDIS properly, its certainly a moment I’ll never forget!
The game takes you to many different times and worlds including Victorian London, an abandoned alien space-ship, a Dalek-occupied world, and even to Totter’s Yard, where Ian and Barbara first met the Doctor. That in itself promises to be something really exciting. And there will be plenty of other Easter Eggs and references littered throughout the game in its runtime.
Watch the Trailer
The Monsters
The trailer shows you will be meeting the Daleks, something that was included in the teaser game. I made a device that called the TARDIS to rescue me, just as a Dalek saucer flew overhead. You’ll also meet the Weeping Angels which were ripe for the VR treatment. The developers even managed to design the game so that every time you look away, as the game requires you do, they move closer to you. As someone who remembers being terrified of the Weeping Angels back when they saw 2007’s Blink, I certainly think they’ll be scaring us all over again!
The game will also include new planets and alien species, one of which was recently announced as the Hydrorks. The story-developers explain the amphibious squid-like Hydrorks are often used as guard-dogs by aliens like the Stenza and Zygons. You’ll first meet them in a laundrette and they’ll certainly be scarier than Jackie Tyler flashing her knickers at you! Still, the Hydrorks are a great way of expanding the mythos of the show just like original monsters from BBC Books or Big Finish do.
When I asked the lady who was running the stand at Comic Con if there were any other monsters included in the game, she said you’ll come up against some other old favourites which may or may not include creatures like the Sontarans, Zygons, and Cybermen.
Limitations and Expansions
People who haven’t got a VR set will also be able to play the game should they have a VR Arcade near them. Perhaps the only problem with the game, VR headsets are quite expensive and not everyone in the target audience can afford them. But as the developers state, the title relies on immersing you into the story, something that other console games don’t.
And there might very well be expansion packs and direct sequels to this game should it do well. With The Edge of Time being released on every possible VR format (PSVR, Steam VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus), I’m sure it’ll have a lot of fans and I think it would be remiss of the BBC not to be open to the possibilities of a follow-up.
As I said above, I got a chance to experience the game earlier this year, which including stepping on board the TARDIS. It was a great taster and if the taster is as good as the actual game, then I’ve no doubt it will be a success.
The Edge of Time is available on all VR formats in September.
