When I first heard about the brand new free-roaming multiplayer VR attraction at Dave & Buster’s in Northpark Center, Dallas, TX, I was thrilled. The idea of experiencing virtual reality, playing arcade games, and indulging in deep-fried appetizers all in one place sounded like the perfect weekend getaway for my family and me.
Without wasting any time, I immediately began making plans to take my wife Patty and our two kids, John and Jenette, to explore the gaming wonderland. We set off on the wonderfully flat and straight highways of Texas, eager to see what all the fuss was about and to create memories that would last a lifetime.
Arrival at Dave & Buster’s
After somehow surviving being trapped in a car with two bickering teens (thank god for noise-canceling headphones), we pulled up to the absolutely massive Dave & Buster’s location. This place wasn’t just huge though – with the sleek modern architecture outside, I felt like I was about to walk into the headquarters of some Silicon Valley tech startup rather than a family fun center.
My kids, of course, made a beeline right to the flashing lights and sounds of the midway while Patty headed off in search of the nearest bar. As for me, I was on a mission to find the VR attraction. I weaved my way through the forest of arcade cabinets and towering racks of stuffed animal prizes when finally, in the back corner of the warehouse-sized space, I spotted it – the VR Arena. With laser tag style vests and headsets hanging, waiting to transport players to virtual worlds, I knew I had arrived at my destination.
The VR Experience
Since my darling daughter Jenette is just as much of a VR nut as her dear old dad, I decided to buddy up with her for a game of VRcade PowerPlay while Patty took on parenting duties, wrangling our teenage son.
After getting our vests and headsets synced and calibrated by the attendant, Jen and I entered the large square play space. Suddenly, the real world melted away, only to be replaced by the inside of a futuristic battle arena! The attendant’s voice came over the headsets explaining the rules – use your blaster to take out the opposing team before they take you out. With avatars that mimicked our real-life movements and the ability to run and take cover behind virtual barricades, this was about the closest I’ve come to being inside a video game in real life!
The buzzer sounded and instantly Jen and I were off! Using my years of gaming experience, I was popping off shots, racking up hits left and right while trash-talking my daughter the whole time. “Ha! Nice try Jenny, but you’ll never beat your old man!” She just laughed and kept peppering me with shots whenever I left myself exposed. I have to say I was super impressed with how accurate the body tracking was – being able to literally run circles around Jen or crouch down behind the cover felt incredible and really sold the illusion that I was inside the video game.
Before I knew it, the game was over – and what do you know, my smug little 12-year-old absolutely crushed me with her final score! Oh well, I still had a smile plastered on my face a mile wide as we exited the arena. VR technology has come so incredibly far in just the last few years, making experiences like this possible. I can only imagine what the next decade will bring!
Aftermath
After our game, my family regrouped to grab a bite to eat and celebrate Jen’s triumph over her pops with some good old greasy American cuisine and sugary beverages to rot our teeth. As we dined on hot wings, fries, and milkshakes, my kids couldn’t stop recounting their favorite moments from our VR battle. Even Patty admitted that while VR wasn’t really her thing, watching Jen and I run, dive, and take cover behind invisible objects was pretty hilarious.
As we stuffed ourselves with more food than should legally be allowed, my kids were already begging to play more games and ride the VR attraction again. Unfortunately, my stuffed belly and nearly empty wallet sadly wouldn’t allow for another round of VR laser tag that day. But seeing their faces light up and hearing their excited chatter after getting to be inside their very own real-life video game made my inner child smile as big as them.
Even with such fast VR hardware and software advances, it still seems like magic each time I strap those headsets on and enter into a virtual world. And being able to share that experience with my kids and kindle that same sense of wonder in them, well that’s just priceless.
So, while our wallets might be a little lighter after this outing, our hearts and minds are still soaring high in that virtual arena, thanks to Dave & Busters. Until next time, this has been Blake Pierce Howse with The Virtual Reviewer, reminding you to play as hard as you work!