WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Maze Theory's Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality, available now.
One of the big selling points of Maze Theory's Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality was that the story at the heart of the video game wouldn't feature not one but two Doctors. Indeed, while the VR-inspired game stars Jodie Whittaker's current Thirteenth Doctor, David Tennant also reprises his role as the fan-favorite Tenth Doctor for an adventure that spans space, time and the near-destruction of all reality itself.
Much like in comic books and novels, the Tenth Doctor's return in the game unveils yet another story in this iteration of the Time Lord's life beyond his three-season tenure on the television series. While we don't exactly know when the game takes place in the Tenth Doctor's timeline, The Edge of Reality does confirm that the events take place after Season 2's "The Girl in the Fireplace." The video game is filled with references and Easter eggs to the past of Doctor Who, the most noteworthy being a touching nod to the Tenth Doctor's final Doctor Who line.
It's never easy to say goodbye to a Doctor, but that's part of the game for Doctor Who fans. Viewers know that, no matter how much they get attached to a specific iteration of the Time Lord, they will eventually have to say goodbye when the Doctor regenerates. Such was of course the case when David Tennant bid farewell to the role in 2010's "The End of Time," the episode that saw the Doctor regenerate into Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor. Before the Time Lord changed bodies however, the Tenth Doctor delivered a heartbreaking line that echoed fans' sentiments: "I don't want to go."
The line was devastating to hear for fans, and it's become a hallmark of Tennant's tenure on the show. The character's reluctance to leave, or "die," showcased his infectious joie-de-vivre, and it made it all the more difficult for fans, and the Doctor himself, to let go. The line is so important to the Tenth Doctor's tenure that it even made a return in the 50-year anniversary special, 2013's "The Day of the Doctor," when Tennant, reprising his role as the Tenth Doctor, once again said "I don't want to go" when considering his potential death.
Now, Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality offers an unmistakable nod to this iconic line. At the end of the game, the Thirteenth Doctor gives the A.I. system Emer a synthetic body, and she joins the Tenth Doctor as his newest companion. Talking to the players via hologram, the Tenth Doctor says that he will take Emer on a trip across the universe. Contemplating this new adventure, the Tenth Doctor signs off by saying "I really want to go."
With this line, the video game references the Tenth Doctor's final goodbye, but it also twists it to become a heartfelt celebration of the character. It's fitting that this is the Tenth Doctor's last line in the video game because not only does it echo Tennant's departure from the role, it also promises that the Tenth Doctor is far from done traveling the universe.
Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality is available now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Steam and Nintendo Switch.