Hey everyone! It’s Blake here, back with another virtual reality adventure review for The Virtual Reviewer. Today, I’m taking you through my recent family outing at Dave & Buster’s Houston to try out their VR offerings. Located right off Katy Freeway near some movie theaters, this mega-sized arcade and sports bar has been a longtime staple for gaming and entertainment in the Houston area.
When I first heard they had jumped on the VR bandwagon, I just had to round up the wife and kids to see their new setup. My son John and daughter Jenette have been begging me to take them ever since the lockdowns ended. Oh, the struggles of a gaming dad! As an avid VR enthusiast, I couldn’t wait to compare their platforms to my Oculus Rift at home. The rest of my family was mostly excited about the arcade games but were willing participants in my quest.
So, last Saturday evening, we packed into the family minivan and headed out to the Marq-E Entertainment Center. Here’s the play-by-play on how it all went down!
First Impressions of Dave & Buster’s
When we walked into the venue, I was immediately blown away by the sheer size of it. The place was massive! One entire wall was lined with prize games as far as the eye could see. Jenette’s eyes lit up when she spotted a giant plush unicorn at one of the claw machines. The restaurant section took up about a quarter of the floor space, with a huge bar area as well. My wife Patty made a beeline over to check out the drink menu.
John was already rushing over to scope out the video arcade while simultaneously begging me for credits to start playing. I had to rein him in a bit while I got my bearings. “Easy there cowboy, we’ve got all night!” I told him.
It didn’t take me long to spot the VR zone, tucked into a back corner. There were signs posted showcasing their two platforms: Jurassic World VR Expedition and Men in Black: Galactic Getaway. Both were running on HTC Vive headsets, it looked like. I was relieved to see they were using quality equipment! The dome setups had enough space for free roaming without running into anything, which can be an issue at smaller arcades.
After buying a stack of game cards for the kids to go wild with, I made my way over to the VR desk to get ticketed for the rides. The VR attendant, Josh, gave me a quick overview of both games, stats like play length and age ratings, etc. Both looked very immersive and interactive – right up my alley! Now I just had to decide which one to try first.
Jurassic World Expedition
Dinosaurs or aliens? Such a tough choice! In the end though, I’m a sucker for a good dino adventure. After all, Jurassic Park is one of my all-time favorite movie franchises. Getting to experience it in VR seemed like a dream come true!
I suited up with the headset, backtop computer, headphones, and controllers. Josh ran me through the pre-flight safety checks and gameplay basics. Soon, I was stepping through the virtual airlock into glasses-free 3D.
The graphics were sharp and richly detailed. I stood inside a Jurassic World bunker, surrounded by control panels and security monitors. Through a window, I could see lush green jungle outside. I felt like I was IN the movie!
A voice came over the bunker loudspeaker, welcoming me to Isla Nublar as a VIP park guest. Apparently, they needed my help tracking some missing dinosaurs. Sounded easy enough! A door slid open, and I stepped out onto a stone path leading into the trees.
I wandered down the trail, jaw dropped in awe at the incredibly lifelike environment. Colorful tropical birds fluttered from branch to branch. In the distance, a brachiosaurus was munching leaves off the treetops. The realistic spatial sounds made me feel totally immersed. I knelt down to examine some tracks in the mud and felt like I could reach right out and touch the ferns. Incredible!
After finding some intriguing claw marks, I used my virtual tablet device to scan for DNA traces. This triggered the next story segment, indicating a troublesome velociraptor was on the loose nearby. Suddenly, the path forked, with signs pointing towards the Gyroshpere Valley or Gallimimus Valley. I opted for the latter – Gallimimus were always my favorite as a dino-obsessed kid.
As I crested a hill, I caught sight of a whole flock of ostrich-like dinosaurs grazing in the grass. I slowly approached, not wanting to scare them off. It felt so magical like I was a real wildlife photographer making some amazing prehistoric discoveries! A turtle-bot tour guide named Darwin rolled up next to me, identifying the various species in the valley.
After snapping some prized pics for my album, danger sirens began blaring out. Trouble was afoot! Darwin and I raced back towards the station, where glowing red eyes peered at us from the shadows. Apparently, my velociraptor target had stumbled upon the tourists, and chaos was unfolding!
This kicked off an intense, climactic encounter against the clever girl herself. Dodging razor-filled jaws and slashing talons was no easy feat! It took some quick reaction times and clever environment manipulation to distract the predator and safely trap her for transportation. As the adrenaline rush wore off, I found myself panting and sweating. What a thrilling expedition this turned out to be!
Men in Black: Galactic Getaway
I emerged from the steaming jungles of Jurassic World feeling exhilarated. One epic adventure down, now it was time to blast some extraterrestrials! My wife Patty decided to join me for the Men in Black experience. She’s not usually big on sci-fi, but I managed to convince her it would be a fun couples activity.
We stepped into our dome setups side by side and strapped on those iconic MIB shades. After the digital training on using our shock blasters and tools, we were Neuralyzed and became probie alien fighters.
Suddenly, the walls vanished, putting us smack in the middle of MIB headquarters! Gadget-filled desks and massive monitor screens surrounded us. Agents scurried to and fro on various urgent missions. It felt like we just stepped onto the set of the latest blockbuster film. “Not too shabby, eh honey?” I quipped to Patty. Her avatar gave me a grin and a thumbs-up.
Our guide, Frank the Pug (a fan-favorite alien pup character), waddled up and assigned us our first field test containing some hostile aliens spotted over in Italy. We tapped our watches and digitally jumped across the globe, landing on a sleepy village rooftop.
I glanced over the ledge and spotted some creepy-looking beings emerging from a crashed spaceship. “Heads up, partner. Looks like we’ve got company!” I told Patty. We vaulted down to street level, blasters drawn and ready to immobilize some ETs. I took the right flank while she covered the left.
What followed was a whacky showdown against a dozen diverse alien species, each with unique attacks and vulnerabilities. Good thing that MIB training prepped us well! Together we leaped, dodged, shielded, and blasted our way through the various hostiles. I had Patty’s back when a jellyfish-like creature tried to immobilize her in goo. “Hold still, hon, I’ve got ya!” I called, shocking the alien into submission from behind.
Eventually, we cleared the area and called for cleanup crews to start neutralization procedures on the witnesses. Another job well done! Our little probie test run was a success. Frank congratulated us as we reappeared back at HQ. “Not bad for a pair of rookies!” he chuckled in that iconic deep voice. Even Patty admitted it was a blast, though she jokingly vowed to stick to human opponents from now on.
Overall Impressions
After our interstellar bug hunt, the kids had pretty much tapped out their arcade card balances. We regrouped by the prize counter to tally up everyone’s ticket hauls and redeem some goodies. John got himself a pair of fancy LED headphones with his tickets. Jenette unsurprisingly went straight for the giant unicorn – it took nearly all her tickets, but she snagged it!
On our way out the door, Patty and I shared reflections on the evening’s events. We both agreed the VR offerings were very impressive – polished graphics, fun storylines and gameplay, and great equipment. No motion sickness issues either, which can be a problem for some gamers.
Compared to my Oculus Rift at home, it was missing some of the cutting-edge hand interaction and finger tracking features. But for an arcade setup with continuous guest turnover, these HTC Vives were still pretty advanced systems. Plus, they included free-roam elements, which typical home platforms don’t accommodate.
Price-wise, the $6 per VR play was fairly reasonable given the production value and length of gameplay (10-15 mins). Way better value than something like Movie Tavern’s 5-minute VR demos for $7 a pop. Of course, you can also play their arcade/prize games to win VR ticket plays instead of paying cash.
One word of warning for parents though. Some of these VR shooters are too intense for younger kids. My 12-year-old daughter Jenette had to cut her Men In Black trial run short because the creepy aliens were too much for her. So check those age ratings, folks!
All in all, Dave & Buster’s new VR additions earn top marks from this gamer dad. Definitely a fun way to spend an evening out with friends or family. Arcade gaming has come a long way since my childhood days playing Pac-Man and pinball, that’s for sure! But it’s nice to see some classics in there among the new tech as well. Can’t beat the appeal of a good redemption prize section.
I award Dave & Buster’s Houston hotspot 4.5 out of 5 stars. Two virtual reality thumbs up! If you happen to be in the area and are looking for some futuristic family fun at reasonable rates, be sure to check them out. Just watch out for those velociraptors…they move in packs!