Newly Announced VR Games That Actually Look Good
The next wave of VR games is here. The medium is heralded as the second coming of Christ… ok that’s a little dramatic, but the VR hype has been a little too frenzied. Especially considering most people who own a VR headset almost never pick it up. A lot of the games built for VR so far have been… just meh. Luckily, the technology improves every year and a slew of newly announced games look extremely engaging and dare we say, pretty f***ing fun.
Among Us
The game that changed everything might just change everything again. Among Us was the smash hit of lockdown which allowed us to feel close to (and suspicious of) our friends in a time when we had never been farther apart. Now we’ll be able to live out the thrills, intrigue, and frenzied task management in a way that feels more immersive and dangerous than ever.
Adorable animations, a game everyone already plays, and heart pounding space murder could be the recipe VR needs to have it’s first global megahit. We’ll find out when Among Us VR drops this holiday season.
Ragnarok Hellfest
Wanadev
This DLC looks, as (probably) the kids say, metal af. Ragnarok is a VR rhythm game where you use your mighty Viking hammers to beat out songs and inspire your crew of rowers to speed you all into legend. It’s like beat saber but on a longship. This DLC (downloadable content) is in partnership with one of the biggest European metal fests, ‘Hellfest’. If you haven’t picked up this game yet, now’s the perfect time. The DLC released with 11 songs from legendary bands like Gojira and DragonForce. It’s out now so what are you waiting for?
Polyarc
The trailer for this game is cute enough to make Ron Swanson weep tender tears. Explore the mysteries and puzzles of a cursed castle as the tiny mouse hero Quill tries to save the realm of Moss. Come for the action adventure, stay for the feeling that you’re a teeny creature. This follow up to one of the best action adventure VR games ever made is available right now if you’re a PSVR user. And lucky for you ‘Meta heads’, a term I just made up for Meta Quest 2 owners, this game is comin’ to the ‘quest on July 21st.
Final Fury
Kluge Interactive
A VR fighting game sounds like an easy road to a busted lamp and/or roommates face. But this game might just be worth it. The developers at Kluge Interactive proved they can make a fun, immersive game that resonates with audiences with 2018’s Synth Riders. Now they’re taking on the classic arcade fighter genre, paying homage to must have fighting game mechanics like special moves and life bars. The game looks fun as hell, but we’ll all have to wait until it releases in 2023 to see if it’s a genre-sparking fresh take, or an arcade dud.
Hellsweeper
Vertigo Games
Some of the games on this list are cute or charming or playful. This game looks freakin’ scary and honestly, pretty awesome. Vertigo Games released Arizona Sunshine, a multiplayer zombie shooter VR delight, way back in 2016. The studio has released some VR offerings since then, and Hellsweeper looks like it could be the best of the bunch. The enemy design is awesome (and more than a little familiar to Total War: Warhammer 3 fans). Some of the design is also reminiscent of a cute game some of you might know, Elden Ring. Innovative weapon use, magic powers, fun and freaky in-game physics, all this and more can be yours when this game releases in Q4 of this year.
Green Hell
Creepy Jar
Survival games have swept the Steam charts in recent years. Games like Valheim, Ark, and Rust have proved that people just love scrounging around in the dirt, pitting their wits and skills against a brutal environment. Sounds like a weekend trip to New York City, and also a winning formula for game play. Green Hell is the fascinating looking follow up to 2019’s non-VR version of the game. Craft, fight, and explore as you do something humanity has tried to do for it’s whole history: survive the jungle. The first reviews of this game are great, so now is the perfect time to pick up your headset and prepare for the fight of your life.
The Twilight Zone
Horror games are showing no sign of slowing down as one of the most popular genres to stream on Twitch. And you can bet that VR streamers will be blasting out playthroughs of The Twilight Zone when it releases on Bastille Day. (That’s July 14th for all you non-francophones). The game features three stand alone stories, all taking the player to different strange and dangerous worlds (or zones I guess). It promises to be a trippy, mind bending time. Which VR already is, so batten down your sanity hatches.
Better controls, intuitive gameplay, and smarter motion tracking systems are going to make this generation of VR games the best yet. Whether they’re good enough to get people to actually put on the headset remains to be seen. Whether they can wear the headset without getting sick… well that’s another mystery. Read about why Horizon Call of the Mountain VR is going to make everyone barf here.
