Unreal Engine brings Legend of Zelda boss battles to VR

Nintendo may have abandoned virtual reality gaming after its Virtual Boy flopped in 1995, but that hasn’t stopped fans from imagining how its famous franchises would look in VR. Independent developer Aklar_45 went much further than mere imagination, using Unreal Engine 4 to re-create some of The Legend of Zelda’s most memorable boss battles. The results are impressive — and a sign that if Nintendo doesn’t start working on modern VR games, its fans will.

Some of the developer’s videos show how direct first-person fights could work against classic Zelda villains — big bad Ganondorf and giant skeleton Stallord. Looking through Link’s eyes, the player picks up his famous Master Sword and Shield for melee attacks, switching to a bow and arrow for distant shots. When enemy projectiles approach, Link can swing his sword to volley them back, use his shield to absorb them, or teleport to dodge.