Trials on Tatooine

About

"Trials on Tatooine" is a virtual reality game set in the Star Wars universe. Players assume the role of a Tatooine resident, tasked with repairing and defending a power generator against incoming sandstorms and enemy attacks. The game offers a unique, immersive experience, allowing players to wield a lightsaber and interact with iconic Star Wars characters and settings.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,119 reviews

graphics34 positive mentions

optimization9 negative mentions

Immersive experience that makes players feel like they are in the Star Wars universe, especially with the Millennium Falcon and R2-D2.
Wielding a lightsaber and deflecting blaster bolts is a thrilling moment, providing a sense of empowerment.
High production quality with great sound effects and voice acting, particularly the portrayal of Han Solo.

Extremely short experience, lasting only about 5-10 minutes, with much of that time taken up by cutscenes.
Limited interactivity, primarily involving pressing buttons and a brief lightsaber segment, leaving players wanting more.
Graphics can be blurry and lack detail, especially at a distance, which detracts from the overall immersion.

graphics
118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
52%
19%
The graphics in this game receive mixed reviews, with many users noting that they are often blurry and lack detail, even on high settings. While some players appreciate the aesthetic and the potential of VR visuals, others criticize the overall quality as outdated and poorly optimized, especially compared to other VR titles. Despite being a free demo, the consensus suggests that significant improvements are needed for a more immersive visual experience.
- “The experience manages to put you on Tatooine, using amazing graphics, the official music, and it achieves this by incorporating several Star Wars elements - wield a lightsaber, meet R2-D2, repair the Millennium Falcon and defend it from Imperial stormtroopers.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, and the lightsaber is stunning.”
- “Honestly, this is really well done, very tightly programmed, very clean graphics, and a lot of fun all the way around.”
- “Graphics are surprisingly blurry, even on 'high quality'.”
- “The graphics absolutely suck; it's basically a collection of models and badly made textures thrown together.”
- “Even if you're a Star Wars fan, the graphics are absolutely abysmal; don't even get me started on the game itself.”
gameplay
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
85%
4%
The gameplay experience is widely criticized for being extremely short, with most players reporting only 1-5 minutes of actual interaction, primarily involving basic lightsaber mechanics and button pressing. Many users express disappointment over the lack of depth and replayability, noting that the lengthy introductory sequences and credits overshadow the minimal gameplay. While the lightsaber mechanics are praised as innovative, the overall gameplay is deemed insufficient and not worth the download for most, especially given the requirement for a large play area.
- “Easily the very best lightsaber mechanics I have ever seen in a VR title.”
- “Other than that, the lightsaber mechanics are great; I really liked how it autotargets troopers when you swing it.”
- “Not much to say here apart from that it's literally about 5 minutes of actual gameplay, but it's the first VR game that's got me to say 'woah' as many times as when I first used the Vive.”
- “Some of the gameplay elements are outside of my physical playing area, so I had to recenter near the wall to be able to click those buttons to progress.”
- “I'm disappointed that they didn't add any replayability to it, because at the moment it's just a scripted experience where the core gameplay lasts about 2 minutes.”
- “The intro crawl and end credits are longer than the actual gameplay.”
story
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
80%
7%
The game's story is widely criticized for being extremely short, typically lasting only a few minutes, which leaves players feeling underwhelmed and wanting more depth and engagement. While some appreciate the immersive potential of VR storytelling within the Star Wars universe, many reviewers express disappointment over the lack of meaningful narrative and gameplay, suggesting that the experience feels more like a tech demo than a fully realized story. Overall, the consensus is that while the concept is promising, the execution falls short, leaving players eager for a more substantial storyline.
- “The game itself doesn’t matter as much as the opportunity to feel part of the epic story.”
- “A well executed short story in the Star Wars universe… and it’s free… what’s not to like?”
- “It's seriously maybe 1 minute of gameplay about 5 mins of story.”
- “Despite this being set up as a story experience, there's no explanation for what you're doing there.”
- “The story itself is so short that you'll be playing something else soon, so you wouldn't want to hassle with the controllers while wearing your VR headset.”
- “The story felt rushed and added on in my opinion.”
optimization
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
29%
53%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users reporting significant performance issues such as hitching, stuttering, and low resolution, even on high-end hardware. Many players noted that the visuals are subpar compared to other VR experiences, leading to a degraded overall experience. Overall, the optimization appears to be a major drawback, detracting from the game's potential enjoyment.
- “On an i7 5820k and Fury X, I expected to get at least decent performance.”
- “Short little vignette; needs performance work, but pretty awesome.”
- “Maybe a more simple and stylized approach could be used for the sake of both performance and improved visuals given the low resolution in the HMD.”
- “It's an interesting idea, but I haven't been able to get around terrible performance problems.”
- “As a result, the resolution, anti-aliasing, and performance are poor, which degrades the experience.”
- “Also, whoever optimized this in UE4 did a pretty terrible job as it is extremely blurry by default even on a GTX 1080.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The music and sound effects in the game are widely praised for their iconic quality, effectively immersing players in the Star Wars universe. The combination of familiar themes, cinematic moments, and engaging sound design enhances the overall experience, making players feel like they are truly part of the story. Many reviewers noted that the music elevates key moments, such as wielding a lightsaber, creating a thrilling atmosphere that resonates with fans.
- “The music, sound effects, and location are all iconic and pretty much carry this to a recommend.”
- “All the familiar noises and music that are so key to Star Wars are all there, and Ross Marquand, who plays Han Solo, does a great impression of the character.”
- “The soundtrack and sound effects are amazing, and you really feel part of the story.”
- “Besides that rush I get every time the yellow text starts scrolling and the music swells, I found very little to excite me in this very demo-y demo.”
- “It's all cinematic and stuff, which is kinda whatever to me, but maybe you really want to use a lightsaber in VR set to the theme music and this free app could therefore produce that chubby, as it were.”
- “Intro music and scrolling text, check.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
42%
33%
Overall, the game's replayability is severely limited, with many users expressing disappointment over its short duration and lack of achievements or varied gameplay. While some fans appreciate the free access, the consensus is that the experience is too scripted and brief to warrant multiple playthroughs, leading to a quick uninstall after the initial run.
- “This game may be very short and without much replay value, but it's free!”
- “It lasts maybe four minutes, but it has great replay value.”
- “Come on LucasArts...bring me a full-length version of this...the lightsaber vs stormtroopers alone is a game mode with a lot of replayability!”
- “I'm disappointed that they didn't add any replayability to it, because at the moment it's just a scripted experience where the core gameplay lasts about 2 minutes.”
- “There's not much to do, so there's limited replayability.”
- “The replayability is near nil as barely anyone would be willing to go through that long and tedious intro for a few seconds of lightsaber action.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game, with experiences ranging from joy and catharsis to deep sadness and trauma. Despite its brief duration, the game evokes powerful feelings, highlighting its ability to resonate with players on a personal level.
- “Sure, it only lasts 5 minutes, but I cried at the end, so there's that.”
- “This game almost made me cry.”
- “Never have I had such an emotional response to something so free.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its immersive soundscape and empowering lightsaber sequences, creating a thrilling experience enhanced by great background music. However, some users feel that the graphics and textures detract from the overall atmosphere, appearing unrealistic rather than stylistically cartoonish. Overall, while the sound and certain gameplay elements contribute positively, the visual presentation received mixed feedback.
- “A nice little atmospheric experiment that thrives on its soundscape and the short lightsaber sequence that makes the user feel empowered through their ability to deflect blaster fire.”
- “The lightsaber part played great, and because of the fantastic background music, the atmosphere was just right.”
- “I think they really nailed a great atmosphere, and I personally had a blast.”
- “The atmosphere feels incredibly lacking, making the experience feel flat and uninspired.”
- “Despite the potential, the atmosphere fails to immerse players, leaving a sense of disconnect.”
- “The game's atmosphere is underwhelming, lacking the depth and detail needed to engage players.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The stability of the game is generally criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and lag issues that detract from the experience. While some appreciate the visual appeal and the Star Wars theme, the limited interactions and overall technical problems suggest it feels more like a tech demo than a polished product.
- “It's just a tech demo; it looks nice but is quite buggy.”
- “Buggy and laggy, but still a genuine Star Wars experience.”
- “Very limited interactions (push some buttons and extend lightsaber... that's it), no lightsaber fighting, buggy, and a bloated file for such a short 'experience'.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, with many expressing frustration over the lack of fast-forward options and the lengthy intro that detracts from the overall experience. This has led to concerns about replayability, as few are willing to endure the grind for minimal rewards.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The replayability is near nil as barely anyone would be willing to go through that long and tedious intro for a few seconds of lightsaber action.”
- “No fast forward option makes for a tedious and long wait to get to the lightsaber part.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for feeling more like a tech demo and advertisement for a Star Wars movie rather than a standalone experience, leading players to perceive it as lacking substance and purpose. While it is not considered a blatant cash grab, the overall sentiment suggests that the focus on promotion detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
- “This is not a game; it's a tech demo and advertisement for a Star Wars movie.”
- “This experience feels more like an advertisement without a point rather than a fun experience.”
- “Not some super short cash grab!”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its cleverness and wit, with players finding enjoyment in the slow-motion laser blasts and overall comedic elements. Many reviewers highlight the experience as both smart and genuinely funny, contributing positively to the gameplay.
- “A little funny watching laser blasts come so slowly, but I don't have Jedi reflexes, so it's a necessary handicap.”
- “Great experience, smart and funny.”
- “Very funny.”