• by Aaron Baar , December 1, 2016

In the run-up to the release of the “Assassin’s Creed” movie based on the popular video game franchise, some viewers will get the chance to experience the hero’s journey firsthand.

Electronics companies AMD and Alienware have teamed up with film studios 20th Century Fox and New Regency on a virtual reality experience that takes viewers into the film’s time period of the Spanish Inquisition. The experience, which was shot on location during the movie’s filming in Malta and in Los Angeles, puts users in the role of a cloaked assassin. 

A digital video highlighting the content depicts a person being coached through a virtual reality session in “the Animus” (a setting from the video game franchise). After being soothed by a lab technician, the scene cuts to first-person content from the experience, in which the viewer person is held in a cage and rescued by the film’s main character, played by Michael Fassbender. As the action in the video mounts, quick cuts show senses heightening, such as hair on the arms rising and eyes darting around to get a view.

The VR experience made its debut Thursday night at The Game Awards 2016 in dedicated “Red” and “Green” rooms at the venue. For the month of December, AMC Theaters in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Texas and New York City will feature Oculus Rift kiosks where people can try out the VR experience. The Assassin’s Creed VR experience will also be available for free through the Oculus Video app for Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR devices. It will also be available as a 360-degree video on Facebook.

“The 'Assassin's Creed' Movie VR Experience is a thrilling piece of virtual reality that will excite aficionados of the game, fans of the movie and newcomers alike,” said Roy Taylor, AMD Corporate Vice President, Content, Alliances, and VR, in a statement. “We are delighted to team up with Fox and are excited to demonstrate how world-class VR can be produced and experienced on AMD technology.”