Editor’s take: The Last Video Store won’t be for everyone, but it’s neat that we live in a time where developers are willing to think outside of the box to create something that isn’t just another cookie cutter first-person shooter. No word yet on when it’s scheduled to launch or how much it’ll cost.
As a child of the 90s, it’s weird to think that today’s kids don’t have any concept of video rental stores. A trip to Blockbuster was an emotion-filled experience, for sure. After rushing in and confirming that all 26 copies of the new release you wanted to see were gone, it turned into a game of searching for something else on the outer perimeter. If that failed, you’d then head into no man’s land (the middle aisles) in hopes of finding something… anything… to watch.
Soon, you’ll be able to relive that experience – or enjoy it for the first time – without having to visit the last remaining Blockbuster in the world.
RareBird Games is working on The Last Video Store, a PlayStation VR game that’s focused on the video rental experience. Based on the three-minute trailer and accompanying YouTube description, players will be able to visit some of the most iconic video store environments that have been “faithfully recreated from our fading memories.”
You’ll even be able to stroll the aisles, pick up and examine movie boxes, and play tapes in a living room or movie theater themed room. I’m not sure how that’ll work with licensing restrictions, but we shall see.
Diehard movie buffs are encouraged to hang around in-game stores to meet like-minded people. There’s even a ‘survival mode’ that includes “local jobs and bills to pay while maintaining your video enthusiast hobbies on the side.”