Yesterday, I experienced something truly amazing. I played the first stage of a VR game on my Quest 3, based on the legendary gaming franchise Assassin’s Creed. Now, I’ve played parts of previous games, but this was something else entirely. This was the first VR version of the game, called Assassin’s Creed Nexus, and it completely blew my mind.

The franchise is known for its deep, history-inspired storytelling. From ancient Jerusalem to Renaissance Italy and even ancient Greece and Egypt, it’s always been about immersing you in another world. But this time, the immersion was at a whole new level.

You start off in the present, using this incredible technology that lets you travel back in time. Suddenly, you’re in Renaissance Venice. You look down, and you’re wearing Renaissance clothes. Your hands aren’t your hands, but they move exactly like yours. You can reach out, pick up objects, even open drawers to find historical artifacts like a miniature airplane designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

The sound, the visuals, the interaction—it all feels so real. And it's not just photorealism; it’s the sense of discovery, of being there. I’ve played my share of VR games, but nothing comes close to this. The Quest 3’s crystal-clear lenses make every detail pop.

The best part? It feels like stepping into a well-written book. You’re not just watching or reading the story. You’re in it. And it got me thinking: as a storyteller myself, what if I could create something similar? What if my fantasy novel’s story magic could also take people to other worlds, across different eras? I have a ton of ideas now, and I can’t wait to start exploring them.

But the real magic of VR is how it lingers. Even after I took off the headset, I was still partly in Venice, just like how a good book stays with you long after you’ve put it down.

Want to join me as I experiment with all these new ideas? Make sure to follow me and sign up for my mailing list at fatheroderick.com/free to be part of this new creative adventure!