The Best VR Games Of All Time

Video games, as a whole, already provide a more immersive way to experience modern media. But virtual reality is what makes it seem real. Button presses and analog sticks don’t feel the same as seeing a sword move in your own hand as you move. The action is thrilling, the worlds are massive, and the most mundane horrors become heartbreaking.

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Virtual reality allows us to fully experience games. So why not experience the best there is to offer? Maybe you’re new to the platform, or maybe you’re a veteran who wants to see what you might be missing. From the HTC Vive to the Meta Quest 2, these are the best VR games of all time.

THE GALLERY VIDEO OF THE DAY Scroll to CONTINUE CONTENT 10 The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

The Walking Dead has seen many different media formats, from live HBO shows to decision-based narrative video games. Why not VR too? You play as a hapless tourist in the now zombie-infested swamps of New Orleans. Sneak past walkers, collect food and water, and craft new weapons and equipment as you progress through a dead world in hopes of survival.

What really sets Saints & Sinners apart is pacing. The way things flow strikes a perfect flow, from the narrative progression to how best to fight the zombies. It all feels natural and fair, with the right balance to really immerse you in the experience. It’s a level of consideration for the VR format that you don’t always see in a game.

9 Walkabout Mini Golf

There is beauty in simplicity, two things that Walkabout Mini Golf has in spades. Traverse through a variety of low-poly themed mini-golf courses, aiming to get under par. Venture through space, past pirate treasure, and even onto the Island of Myst via one of their various reference DLC add-ons. When you’re not putting, you can search for hidden ball patterns or solve secrets to unlock new putters.

There’s a certain level of clever game design going on here that improves the overall gameplay in a way you might not even notice. Small aspects like automatic putter length and adjustable power settings allow you to perform as expertly as you feel like you would, instead of the unfortunate reality.

8 Blade And Sorcery

Blade And Sorcery is one of the older VR titles available. Originally a purely magic-based game, it eventually evolved into a full physics-based sword fighting game. Now with a host of medieval combat weapons, magical effects, and even dungeon diving, it sets an impressive standard for VR combat. There’s a certain disconnect that VR games have in that you can move your arms with the power of an empty hand. The weighted swings of a heavy loose grind don’t really flow the same.

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But that’s not a problem here. Large weapons move slowly and strike with a heavy thud. A weapon lever will stop a blade, and an ax’s hook can catch (and even pull away) the edge of a shield. You’re capable of complex combat maneuvers only possible in VR, and the game handles it tremendously.

7 Beat Saber

The most famous and best selling VR title of all time, Beat Saber is something that is much easier to understand first hand. You wield two lightsabers. As a music track plays, cubes will fly towards you. You must cut through the blocks of each sword’s color in the direction indicated on the block. It’s your standard rhythm game experience, set in a neon 3D landscape. It’s easy to follow, fun to play, and will make you feel.

If you’re playing on PC, you can also access a massive collection of community-made tracks and playlists. From meme tracks to dance classics, it creates a seemingly endless supply of fresh content to experience and explore. Just make sure you stay hydrated. This game is a real workout.

6 Job Simulator

Often considered the progenitor of VR gaming, Job Simulator has been a launch title for almost every single VR headset to hit the market. And it remains the king for a reason. This quirky sandbox game puts you in a generic office job. However, you are from the distant future, where the details of each job have gotten a little muddled over time. It’s not just an office job either. You can also experience the concept of working as an auto mechanic, chef and convenience store clerk.

Aside from immense charming humor, the level of sandbox interactivity available on each map is unforgettably fun. Apparently every item can interact with every device in some way, boosting creativity for every objective. It will have you so engaged that you will forget you are at home.

5 I expect you to die

I Expect You To Die is the perfect game for puzzle savvy people who have ever wanted to feel like a speedy super spy. This game offers a continuous narrative across several escape room style levels where you, a secret agent, must undo the evil plans of a mad scientist.

Each level is creative and offers over-the-top answers to some clever puzzles happening all around you. Each puzzle is a challenge and can often be solved using more than one method. And the plot, while not exactly funny, perfectly fits the theme and tone the developers were going for. All of these aspects combine to make what is arguably one of the most enjoyable VR puzzle games out there.

It also has a sequel that was quite well received.

4 Superhot VR

Superhot already turned heads when it was initially released. This incredibly stylized indie game introduced a fascinating concept for a first-person shooter: time only moves when you move. It creates the intensity of a non-stop action fight scene with the timing and consideration of a puzzle game. Wrap all of this in a very cyberpunk narrative and unique art style, and this will be a game that burns the words “SUPER… HOT…” into your memory long after you’ve played it.

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Although originally a standard PC game, it was eventually remade for virtual reality. The freedom of movement, both in your head and your hands, takes the movement-time mechanic to a whole other level. You do more than play in this world; you live through it with your own eyes.

3 Phasmophobia

This is another ‘hit indie game given VR’ title. In Phasmophobia, you (and up to 3 friends) are tasked with investigating a haunted house. You must use a variety of ghost hunting tools and your ghost encyclopedia to determine what variety of ghosts are present. Think of it like Clue, but much scarier. It’s a perfect balance that promotes bravery but responds to it with more terror.

Phasmophobia is already a very heart-pounding experience, with sporadic paranormal behavior causing numerous anxieties about an encounter. And it’s all turned up to 11 on the scare factor when presented in VR. Now you’re actually in a decrepit hospital, and the ghost actually whispers in your ear when you speak their name. The level of immersion takes an already compelling multiplayer horror game and makes it one of the best horror experiences available in VR.

2 Pistol whip

Often described as ‘Super Hot Meets Beat Saber’, Pistol Whip is a rhythm-based rails shooter that combines the genres to near perfection. You, equipped with a pistol, move forward along a track. Each level is handcrafted to tell a small story, set to some of the most pounding techno and EDM tracks you’ll ever hear. Enemies will appear along the track to try and shoot you, dodge and fire back, all to the beat of the song.

It has a surprisingly deep level of customization, ranging from simple modifiers to new mechanics and weapons. The neon style and unique story behind each track make each level immensely immersive for the context, and the rhythm-centric design means the action will remain consistently exciting. It’s a perfectly condensed showcase of how fun VR can be, all boiled down into four-minute segments.

1 Half-life: Alyx

Half-Life: Alyx is what happens when you take one of the most beloved PC game developers of the past era and combine it with one of the most immersive gaming platforms of the modern era. Half-Life: Alyx is a sci-fi action-adventure game based on the titular game series. You play as Alyx, who, in search of her father, encounters a plot much bigger than she expected.

This game takes everything we all love about a narrative shooter adventure and melds it perfectly into the VR perspective. Use your freedom of movement during intense combat sequences, feel and control your weapons and equipment in ways not possible on a flat screen, and use the true 3D perspective to solve unique puzzles. With absolutely stunning graphics, fantastic music and a plot that will really draw you in, Half-Life: Alyx will make you think if the eye strain is worth another hour in the VR headset.

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