Star Wars 7x7: A Daily Bite-Sized Dose of Star Wars Joy

Before we get into spoiler territory regarding the VR experience Vader Immortal: Episode II, I think it's worth spending a moment on the philosophy around spoilers here at Star Wars 7x7. I've been thinking about this as compared with console video games, and also with book review spoilers - which we did last week with Queen's Peril, and which we have coming soon with a few other books.

With VR, as much as you may learn about the story of Vader Immortal: Episode II here today, nothing can replace the experience of actually playing it. And as opposed to console video games, it really IS an experience. So I'm very confident that, if it's your kind of thing and you have access to a VR headset, talking about the story here won't make you avoid the game. In fact, I imagine it might make you want to play it that much more. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Episode I of the groundbreaking Vader Immortal VR game from ILMxLAB set up the story. Now, Episode II sends you on the Bright Star quest - after being trained to use the Force.

On today's episode of the show, we'll get into a non-spoiler review of Vader Immortal: Episode II, which includes a comparison of the installment not only to the Episode I predecessor, but also to the LEGO Star Wars games (yes, really - although, spoiler alert, the VR version is way cooler than the LEGO Star Wars version in terms of the ability I'm talking about on the show).

Not only will we be talking about the gameplay/story mode, but we'll also talk about the enhancements to the Lightsaber Dojo as well. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The inevitable has become the official: Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2020 has been canceled. So, what happens next? That's what we're talking about today... Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

The video game code-named "Maverick" has been revealed as "Star Wars: Squadrons"! On Monday, a reveal trailer debuted, as well as some promotional images and additional story details. Yes, I said "story"! There's a single-player story narrative to the game, which will see you playing as both a New Republic pilot and as an Imperial pilot. One article I read said that the price point of the game - $39.99 at pre-order - suggests the storyline and associated gameplay will run approximately 15 hours.

But that's not all, of course. There's also a multi-player aspect to it, and it's cross-platform, so you'll be able to play against friends who have different consoles/platforms. The announcement also talked about ships, characters, and worlds, and we'll dig into everything we've learned so far on today's episode of the show. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

When the coronavirus pandemic struck, production on live action movies and television shut down. Thankfully, season 2 of The Mandalorian had already finished principal photography, so it could proceed on schedule for its October 2020 debut.

In the meantime, we've heard that Star Wars animation is also moving full steam ahead, even though we don't know many details about that (yet). And there's another type of storytelling that's also moving forward... or should we say "storyLIVING"?

That's the word used by ILMxLAB's Executive-in-Charge Vicki Dobbs Beck, referring to the idea that "you're inside a world making consequential choices that drive your experience forward." In other words, virtual reality. On today's show, we'll talk about ILMxLAB's first title, Vader Immortal, getting a wider release; and the first sneak preview of their second VR title, Tales From the Galaxy's Edge. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

You may have heard of "The Volume" before, but what's the deal with it? How does it work, and how was George Lucas thinking about this a decade ago? The "Technology" episode of Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian goes into deeper detail about the revolutionary new studio setup. Jon Favreau talks about the journey from his previous movies and how it all led to The Mandalorian, and the episode features roundtable discussions with the directors, actors, and visual effects professionals who made it all happen.

On today's episode of the show, we'l dig into some of those details, with clips explaining "The Volume" and how it realizes Lucas' vision - which you'll hear from the Maker himself. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Mild spoilers in this, our final episode that dives into the novel Queen's Peril by E.K. Johnston. I was really surprised when I dug into Wookieepedia and didn't find much in the way of details (in the "Canon" section, at least) about the Royal Handmaidens of Naboo. So that made me doubly happy that we got a *lot* of details about them in Queen's Peril, including their recruitment; the last time they were used extensively; some of the training; and the bonding that happens between these young women (to which I alluded a bit in the non-spoiler review episode earlier this week).

We'll talk about some of those details today... Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Mild spoilers for Queen's Peril by E.K. Johnston in this episode! I'm on record as saying that I think the whole taxation of trade routes thing is a perfectly fine entry point for The Phantom Menace. After all, the dispute happens off screen, and we jump right into blockades and invasions and Jedi action.

Well, speaking of off screen ... since the events of Queen's Peril take place in the months leading up to The Phantom Menace, you can see how taxation issues might be brought into play. But lest you think Johnston would avoid them in favor of something more obviously dramatic, I'm here to applaud her for the fact that she committed to the deal, so to speak. Multiple scenes in the book address the topic, and a diplomatic undertaking by Queen Amidala pushes that taxation clash forward.

I'll be talking about those scenes on today's episode, and they feature some surprise guest stars in the book. Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

We interrupt our regularly scheduled discussion of Queen's Peril to give you an update on the Galaxy's Edge theme park experience at Disneyland in Anaheim. Phased re-opening proposals have been submitted for the parks, Downtown Disney, and two hotels. But there's a bit more to the story that what you're seeing in the headlines.

And by the way, what could this mean for Star Wars Celebration - as we don't have any announcements for that event yet? I've been giving that some additional thought, and I wish I could say I was coming to a happy conclusion about this... Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***

Mild spoilers in this episode! The final third of Queen's Peril by E.K. Johnston runs concurrently with The Phantom Menace. Apart from a plotline that fills in a backstory hinted at in Queen's Shadow, most of this section serves one of two purposes.

One of these purposes is to give us a look at characters from the movie, in scenes that play like moments from the cutting room floor. Mind you, this isn't a criticism - a scene with Darth Maul scouting Theed Palace prior to the arrival of the Jedi isn't one that was needed for the movie, but is a terrific addition from a novelization perspective.

The other purpose is to complete character arcs that were begun in the pre-Phantom Menace part of the book. That focuses primarily on Sabé, who is Padmé's number one handmaiden, even though Sabé's primary talent has been playing second fiddle - pun intended.

I'll dig into all of the above and more on the show today... Punch it!

***I'm listener supported! Join the community at http://Patreon.com/sw7x7 to get access to bonus episodes and other insider rewards.***