SYFY is ramping up for the December 2 premiere of its new original series “Nightflyers,” based on the science fiction and horror novella by George R.R. Martin. Ahead of the premiere, SYFY has released a three-part VR series that complements the arc of the first season of the show and takes viewers into the heart of the action on board the Nightflyer.
Written and directed by showrunner and executive producer Jeff Buhler, the shorts were created as standalone vignettes, however, they revolve around “Nightflyers” characters Murphy (Phillip Rhys), Thale (Sam Strike), and Lommie (Maya Eshet) and feature three characters who appear exclusively in the virtual reality shorts.
I slapped on my Daydream View headset and gave the shorts a whirl to see what they were all about, and I must say this really is the best way to leverage VR outside of gaming. The only complaint I really had was that the videos seemed a bit dark, and the sets felt very static and reminded me a lot of the 90s PC games where they would leverage live actors in a more or less static environment. That said, the overall experience was very immersive and while not necessarily in 3D, they do use some effects that have a 3D-like feel and there are moments where you feel so immersed in what’s happening it can make you feel a bit uneasy or anxious.
You can watch the three shorts below on any device using YouTube’s 360 feature, however, I highly recommend using some sort of headset, whether its VR or something like Daydream View, or Cardboard as it really does make a significant difference. I would also suggest using some decent headphones. I watched the first short without headphones for my first viewing, but then went back and rewatched it with them and it made a huge difference in the experience and made me feel like I was part of the action.
Chapter 1: ALARM
Chapter 2: TUNNEL
Chapter 3: CIRCLE
I hadn’t heard much about “Nightflyers” prior to hearing about the VR experiences, but I will say, this has me excited to check this series out.
“Nightflyers” is a psychological thriller set in the year 2093 that follows a team of scientists aboard the Nightflyer, the most advanced ship ever built, as they embark on a journey to find other life forms. Their mission takes them to the edge of the solar system, and to the edge of insanity as they realize true horror isn’t waiting for them in outer space—it’s already on their ship.
