I’ve been hearing about The VOID for a while now. Indeed, our very own Adam even podcasted about his family’s time with two of their VR experiences. Between that and a few other firsthand accounts of how awesome it is, I had to try it out for myself.

I mean, what kind of Star Wars fan would I be if I didn’t enter The VOID, work with K-2SO, and unearth some secrets of the Empire? (See what I did there?)

So it was a particular thrill when we were recently invited to check out the Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire VR experience at The VOID’s Las Vegas location (at the Grand Canal Shoppes inside the Venetian Resort).

And it did not disappoint.

First off, for those who might be unfamiliar, The VOID is a fully immersive virtual reality experience that almost literally drops you into the Star Wars galaxy (or Ghostbusters or Ralph Breaks the Internet or…). If your only experience with VR is at home via something like Oculus or Vive…

Well, you might have an idea what The VOID is like, but you’re still far off. If those at-home VR systems are 8-bit Super Mario Bros., then The VOID’s VR experiences are more akin to Super Mario Odyssey. It’s several steps above and beyond the familiar. But even that comparison is woefully inadequate.

Before beginning Secrets of the Empire (or any of The VOID’s experiences), you not only gear up with VR goggles – actually, an entire helmet – but also get strapped into a haptic vest that will help immerse you into the experience more fully.

The helmet lets you SEE the virtual world around you, but the vest lets you FEEL it. For example, see those Stormtroopers aiming their blasters at you? Yeah, you can feel their shots (sometimes) find their mark.

Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt. On a scale of laser tag (i.e., no sensation whatsoever) to paintball (i.e., could be painful), The VOID is much closer to the former. You’ll feel a slight tingling or ping when a laser blast hits you, but that’s it. It’s just a mild sensation, but it’s enough to pull you into the simulation and separate you from “reality.”

Once you’re geared up, you’re led into the first room of the experience. Look around with your mere mortal eyeballs, and it’s just a small room with a blank slate of four black walls. Pull the helmet down, and you’re suddenly in Star Wars and K-2SO is RIGHT THERE, talking to you! Outside of Galaxy’s Edge at the Disney parks, this is about as believably immersive as you can get.

Storywise, you must disguise yourself as a Stormtrooper, infiltrate an Imperial base on Mustafar, commandeer a mysterious shipping container, destroy an enormous lava monster, and solve a few puzzles along the way.

As you move through several rooms, you’re encouraged to physically interact with your environment in addition to virtually running around Mustafar. You’ll need to pick up blasters, pull levers, push buttons, open doors, and even pet an astromech droid.

In addition to those nifty haptic vests, the (unseen) physical structure around you also has fans (to mimic wind), heat lamps (so you can feel the heat of the lava), and other tools to simulate environmental conditions you’re experiencing in the virtual world. In short, it’s quite convincing.

Secrets of the Empire is ingenious, immersive, and phenomenally cool, but my favorite part? Seeing my kids (8 and 10) as the two shortest, cutest Stormtroopers imaginable.

Some important logistics:

• Group size is limited to four people, so if you have a larger group, you’ll be split up.
• Yes, you can wear your glasses beneath the helmet. And yes, the VR effects still absolutely work as intended.
• Minimum height requirement is 48″ (presumably so the vests will fit properly), and The VOID recommends a minimum age of 10. However, my son was 8 and had no problems.
• The entire experience lasts about 30 minutes, but that includes time to gear up and listen to the safety spiel. The actual VR experience only lasts 10-15 minutes, which will breeze by (believe me).
• Cost varies a bit by location, but at the Las Vegas location, it’s $34.95 per person. Which, yes, is very pricey for about 10 minutes of VR, but damn is it fun.

Secrets of the Empire is also The VOID’s flagship experience. It’s available at every location, but they actually offer three other experiences: Ghostbusters: Dimension, Ralph Breaks VR, and the horror-tinged Nicodemus: Demon of Evanishment. The latter three are only available at select locations, so check here to see where they are.

I’d love to check out their other offerings, but alas, the location nearest to my home doesn’t have them. Sadness.

So did Secrets of the Empire and The VOID live up to the hype? Most certainly yes. Would I recommend it? I would, but I think I’d attach a caveat. Keep in mind that I can only speak to Secrets of the Empire (and not the other experiences). If you’re a Star Wars fan, it’s a must-do experience. But I’m not sure it’d be a must-do REPEAT experience.

For a family or group of four, we’re talking an expense of almost $150. No matter how you figure it, that’s a lot. And since the experience, though interactive, isn’t dynamic or differentiated at all, it’ll be the same experience each time.

Exploring the Star Wars galaxy in such a firsthand way is truly unique and mind-blowing, and we all loved it, but I’m not sure we’d drop $150 to do it again. I think it would therefore be in The VOID’s best interest to get those other experiences (Ghostbusters, Nicodemus, and more) at as many locations as possible. I could totally see us going back to try them all.