Stranger Things: Catalyst, A Thrilling Yet Familiar VR Adventure at Sandbox VR

Hands-On with Stranger Things: Catalyst, a Dated Arcade Shooter’s VR Experience

Step into the Upside Down like never before with Stranger Things: Catalyst, a location-based VR experience. The player embodies Dr. Brenner's test subjects, wielding telekinetic powers of Eleven in this arcade-style wave shooter. Will this quick, fan-focused chapter capture the show's magic, or is it a familiar, repetitive adventure? Find out if it’s worth the trip to Hawkins.

Telekinetic Action and Arcade Pacing

The core gameplay of Stranger Things Catalyst is much like an arcade game. Players embody test subjects for Dr. Brenner and are recruited to try the 'Catalyst device,' a wand-like controller. The first interaction involves a simple telekinetic system. Pressing a trigger allows users to draw selected objects toward them, which can then be hurled at enemies. In the meantime, users can use their free hand to telekinetically shove nearby foes away.

This power is intended to make players feel like the character Eleven. However, the experience offered by the gameplay is similar to an arcade wave shooter, focused on defeating creatures like Demobats, Demodogs, and the Demogorgon. The overall experience is enjoyable, but while communicating with a group, the gameplay is regarded as dated.

The action, which only takes 25 minutes to complete, quickly becomes repetitive as players are overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies, making the repeated actions of pushing enemies or throwing objects tiresome. It’s an experience that feels like something seen years before in other location-based VR offerings.

A Fan-Focused, Location-Based Experience

Stranger Things: Catalyst is a new, location-based virtual reality experience available at Sandbox VR venues. It allows fans to step into an entirely new chapter of the global phenomenon. The experience puts players around Hawkins' darkest secrets as they become test subjects for Dr. Brenner.

It is perfectly timed to coincide with the premiere of the final season of the series. Teams of up to six friends can freely roam and explore virtual worlds. As test subjects, players venture through well-known locations, including the sinister hallways of Hawkins National Laboratory, the glow of the Rainbow Room, the shadow-haunted Mirkwood woods, and the nightmarish Upside Down. 

Sandbox VR makes use of motion-tracking technology and a haptic system to detect full-body movements and offer complete immersion. The user’s whole body acts as the game controller and lets players physically into the story to face the horrors of the Upside Down and create thrilling memories with their friends.

Stranger Things: Catalyst delivers an enjoyable, fan-focused VR chapter, immersing groups in iconic locations with full-body motion-tracking. While the arcade-paced telekinetic action can feel repetitive at times compared to modern games, it definitely succeeds as a thrilling, social experience for friends who are looking to step directly into the world of Hawkins.