Story Secrets - My Mind-Blowing VR Adventure in Assassin’s Creed Nexus

Story Secrets - My Mind-Blowing VR Adventure in Assassin’s Creed Nexus

Author: Fr. Roderick Vonhögen March 24, 2025 Duration: 29:14

Yesterday, I experienced something truly amazing. I played the first stage of a VR game on my Quest 3, based on the legendary gaming franchise Assassin’s Creed. Now, I’ve played parts of previous games, but this was something else entirely. This was the first VR version of the game, called Assassin’s Creed Nexus, and it completely blew my mind.

The franchise is known for its deep, history-inspired storytelling. From ancient Jerusalem to Renaissance Italy and even ancient Greece and Egypt, it’s always been about immersing you in another world. But this time, the immersion was at a whole new level.

You start off in the present, using this incredible technology that lets you travel back in time. Suddenly, you’re in Renaissance Venice. You look down, and you’re wearing Renaissance clothes. Your hands aren’t your hands, but they move exactly like yours. You can reach out, pick up objects, even open drawers to find historical artifacts like a miniature airplane designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

The sound, the visuals, the interaction—it all feels so real. And it's not just photorealism; it’s the sense of discovery, of being there. I’ve played my share of VR games, but nothing comes close to this. The Quest 3’s crystal-clear lenses make every detail pop.

The best part? It feels like stepping into a well-written book. You’re not just watching or reading the story. You’re in it. And it got me thinking: as a storyteller myself, what if I could create something similar? What if my fantasy novel’s story magic could also take people to other worlds, across different eras? I have a ton of ideas now, and I can’t wait to start exploring them.

But the real magic of VR is how it lingers. Even after I took off the headset, I was still partly in Venice, just like how a good book stays with you long after you’ve put it down.

Want to join me as I experiment with all these new ideas? Make sure to follow me and sign up for my mailing list at fatheroderick.com/free to be part of this new creative adventure!


Ever notice how a great film or television show can linger in your mind long after the credits roll? There’s often something more happening beneath the surface, a resonance that feels almost spiritual. Story Secrets is where we pull on those threads. Hosted by Fr. Roderick Vonhögen, this podcast sits at a unique crossroads, weaving together discussions on faith, popular culture, and pure entertainment. Each episode takes a familiar story-whether from a beloved movie, a gripping TV series, or even a timeless tale-and gently uncovers the themes of meaning, purpose, and humanity hidden within. You won’t find dry lectures here; instead, Fr. Roderick brings a conversational and insightful perspective, revealing how narratives we enjoy in our leisure time can unexpectedly illuminate deeper questions about life, virtue, and connection. It’s for anyone who loves a good story and has ever wondered why it sticks with them. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a thoughtful friend for a coffee after seeing a fantastic film, where the conversation naturally drifts from plot points to the profound. You’ll come away with a richer appreciation for the craft of storytelling and, perhaps, a new lens through which to view your own journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Story Secrets
Podcast Episodes
Story Secrets - How I Fell in Love with Reading Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:02
I was a library kid. My happy place was a quiet corner, surrounded by books, far from the constant noise of home—my dad’s bagpipes, my brother’s piano practice, and the general chaos of family life. Yet despite my love f…
Story Secrets - Severance Is 'Lost' for the Streaming Generation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:42
I can’t stop talking about Severance. It’s rare for a show to capture my imagination the way this one does. Every episode is like a puzzle piece, and the internet is buzzing with speculation, theories, and analysis. It r…
Story Secrets - The Magic of Star Wars Toys [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:11
If you grew up with Star Wars, you probably had that one toy that defined your childhood. Maybe it was a lightsaber, an action figure, or a model of the Millennium Falcon. For me, those early Star Wars toys were more tha…
Story Secrets - The Role of Providence in The Hobbit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:29
Over the weekend, I dived into a fascinating series of lectures on The Hobbit by Joseph Pearce. If you're not familiar with his work, he's written extensively about the deeper layers of Tolkien's stories, especially thei…
Story Secrets - The Irish Saint Who Inspired Tolkien and C.S. Lewis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:41
Did you know that an Irish saint from the early Middle Ages helped inspire both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis? His name was St. Brendan the Navigator, and his legendary voyage to a mysterious land echoes through some of…
Story Secrets - Is Assassin’s Apprentice Worth the Hype? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:42
I finally read Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb—the book that everyone on BookTok and BookTube seems to love. And I went in with high expectations. A fantasy classic? Deep characters? A compelling story? Count me in.…
Story Secrets - Andor Isn’t Just a Star Wars Show—It’s a Warning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:20
The trailer for Andor Season 2 just dropped, and wow—it reminded me why this series is one of the best things to come out of Star Wars in years. And no, it’s not just because of the gritty storytelling or the fantastic c…
Story Secrets - "Dungeons & Dragons inspired my book" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:23
What if the color of your eyes determined your entire life? That’s the premise behind Gaby Raaijmakers’ fantasy trilogy, where eye color dictates everything—your job, your social class, even your future. Born with blue e…