Half-Life: Alyx (2020) is one of the most moddable VR games out there, which has spawned high-quality DLC and some impressively detailed levels. Now, the developer behind the ‘Gunman Contracts’—one of the best HLA mods out there—says we’re getting a full, standalone title next year.
Called Gunman Contracts – Stand Alone, the single player game is heading for Steam Early Access sometime next year, which is said to include core features such as customizable weapons, shooting challenges, and demo areas.
While initially announced last year with release targeting early 2024, Gunman Contracts mod developer ‘ANB_Seth’ announced they’re now teaming up with games publisher 2080 Games, which was founded by Mike from YouTube channel Virtual Reality Oasis.
2080 Games is partially funding the development of the title, allowing the solo developer to focus on creating the game full-time.
ANB_Seth says the first mission is currently in progress, however the game is expected to evolve over two to three years with player feedback guiding updates. The full version aims to include five to six contracts and various game modes. Initial Early Access pricing is said to start low and increase as more content is added over time.
Notably, the action-movie-inspired shooter will be playable both in VR and in non-VR, letting you become a professional hitman who takes on “ruthless forces in the criminal underworld, bringing justice and order in the world beyond the reach of law – one contract at a time,” the game’s Steam page says.
And since it’s a standalone title, you won’t technically need to own Half-Life:Alyx—but you probably should anyway. Although born from the developer’s work on Gunman Contracts – Chapter 1 & Chapter 2, Gunman Contracts – Stand Alone is said to be new from the ground-up, which includes all new missions, selectable and configurable from the gunman’s base of operations where you’ll store all of your pistols, rifles, shotguns, knives and even archery kit.
While initially targeting PC VR headsets, ANB_Seth says the connections and expertise of 2080 Games will make future ports of the full release version “actually realistic” on Quest or PSVR 2.
In the meantime, you can follow along with development over on the Gunman Contacts Discord channel (invite link) for the all the latest info.
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy (2017) is deceptively simple: move up an increasingly surreal mountain using only your trusty sledgehammer. In this Steam Next Fest demo, you can basically now do it in VR too.
From indie studio OP Softworks comes Clamb, an upcoming VR game that maroons you on an island with one goal: clamber up the mountain with your sledgehammer—that, and don’t fall.
You’d think things would actually be easier in VR than controlling the wibbly 2D sidescroller original because you have more direct control and have more flexibility in your movements. But after having played the free SteamVR demo, I can safely say that’s not true. At all.
Image courtesy OP Softworks
Confession: I haven’t make it to the top of the lighthouse yet, which is provided as a vertical slice to the full game coming at some point. I was however left with a surprising appreciation for the independent VR take on Getting Over It, and think it might actually have legs—despite not having any virtual legs to speak of.
For one, it’s not a puke fest. From the short gameplay vids out there which show off the unique locomotion method, it definitely could have been.
Image courtesy OP Softworks
Thankfully, both snap-turn and automatic vignettes come standard in the demo, which means I had little excuse to shy away from being extreme with the weird, wonky movement scheme. You’re basically free to focus on the task at hand of bouncing and scraping around, and pushing the limits of just how far you can blast yourself without falling off the edge.
While the oddly-shaped tool can be used to ‘row’ yourself in short hops forward, more often you’ll be using the head of the hammer and its handle to gingerly latch onto the game’s craggy geometry, which offers ample opportunity for failure. Because the hammer is physics-based, and offers multiple surfaces and edges, the skill floor is unexpectedly high, even from the outset.
Visually, the demo also looks pretty great, replicating everything you’d expect from a faithful 3D reimagining of Getting Over It too, including oversized assets of all sorts scattered around, making for a ton of varied terrain to traverse.
I’m not such a massive glutton for repeat failure, but if you are, you can nab the free demo now for Steam VR headsets during Steam Next Fest, which runs until October 21st.
Sony Pictures Virtual Reality and XR Games unveiled Starship Troopers: Continuum last month, the film franchise’s very own VR co-op shooter. The studios now say it’s coming in November.
Previously set to arrive on Quest 2 and 3 on October 17th, and PSVR 2 on October 31st, Starship Troopers: Continuum still needs time in the oven, it seems.
The studios announced via an X post it’s now coming November 14th on Quest, and November 25th on PSVR 2, citing the need for “extra playtesting, polish, and [bug] fixes.”
Here’s that message in full:
Starship Troopers: Continuum will now be coming out on November 14, 2024, on Meta Quest, and November 25, 2024, on PlayStation VR2.
This is to allow further time for extra playtesting, polish, and fixes, to help ensure the best experience on Meta Quest and PlayStation VR2.
We appreciate the community’s patience and support, and look forward to seeing everyone on the battlefield this November.
Set 25 years after the Battle of Klendathu, where film protagonist Johnny Rico first saw action against the giant Arachnid inhabitants, the online co-op shooter will let you and up to two other players become experimental soldiers with advanced psychic powers in your battle against the bugs.
Considering the game’s developer XR Games only just recently released Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded (2024) on Quest last month, which was widely panned for both its poor visual quality and game-breaking bugs, it makes sense Sony doesn’t want to see another critical misfire with its own IP, which has made somewhat of a resurgence as of late.
This comes amid the launch of the franchise’s latest flatscreen online shooter Starship Troopers: Extermination (2024), which arrived on PC, PS5, and Xbox X|S on October 10th. On Steam, the game garnered an overall user rating of ‘Very Positive’, tallied from more than 26,000 user reviews.
Quest 3S launches on October 15th, letting you dive into some of the best free games and experiences out there on the cheap, as well as a ton of paid Quest content built up over the years. Whether you’re into active games, puzzles, or just want to slice or shoot the ever-living crap out of something, we’re here to help you settle into your new headset with a few games that should keep you playing for hundreds of hours yet to come.
Note: This list includes only Quest-native games. Don’t forget that you can also play PC games with Quest Link, Air Link, or Valve’s Steam Link, and of course a VR-ready PC. Find out if your PC is ready for Link.
This list is a great starting point if you’re looking to burn pretty close to a single Benjamin, with each genre section featuring some tried-and-true games for cardio freaks, shooter fans, puzzle nerds, fantasy swordplay geeks, and much more. Click through each category, or pick and mix using the legend below:
While Zero Caliber 2 packs in an eight-hour single player campaign, not only can you play in four-player co-op, but also classic multiplayer game modes with up to 10 players. It looks (and plays) amazing on Quest 3.
After a long stint in free early access, Pavlov Shack brings a torrent of awesome features, making it truly worthy of its $20 price tag. Including 65 realistic weapons, you can team up in a 5v5 match of classic Search and Destroy, uncover traitors in a casual murder mystery, monster hunt in an asymmetrical 1 vs. 9 game mode. Operate vehicles in a 4v4 WWII match to defend Stalingrad, and hundreds of community made mods.
In Breachers, you plan your assault or orchestrate your defense as a team through intense close-quarters combat. Whether you play as an enforcer or a revolter, master your nifty gadgetry, customize your powerful weaponry and beat your opponents in stunning environments. Intuitive to grasp. Endlessly playable. Basically Counter-Strike.
Ghosts of Tabor is an extraction-based game with both PVP and PVE survival where you will have to use your wits, skills and resources to survive. Inspired by games such as Escape from Tarkov and Day Z, the game features a variety of scenarios from scavenging, looting to crafting. Make your safehouse your own by building your personal collection weapons and gear to display in your armory.
This is another strong single player game that just so happens to make everything more fun with the addition of four-player co-op, essentially replicating a lot of the action of Deep Rock Galatic in VR. Mine the caves. Shoot the many-legged beasties, and try to repair your ship to get the hell out (and back in again, because it’s so fun).
Not ready to plonk down your first $100 on Quest games? Thankfully there’s an impressive number of free games, experiences, apps, and social VR platforms to keep you playing before you’re paying.
Looking to make your Quest 3S gaming experience even better? Don’t miss our top picks for the most essential Quest 3 accessories. The new hotness supports all of the same Quest 3 accessories, save the facial interfaces, which are unique to each headset.
Free Quest Games
Yeeps: Hide and Seek
As a Yeep, your belly is full of stuffing used to craft anything from pillows for building to bombs for destruction. Pull items from your vast imagination and toss them into the world. The game’s intuitive block-based building makes it easy to express your creativity at any skill level.
Like your primitive ancestors, Gorilla Tag will have you lumbering around a tree-lined arena using its unique ‘grab-the-world’ locomotion style that lets you amble around like a great ape. Chase the other apes and infect them or climb for your life as the infected chase you. Pure and simple. Make sure you’re far from TVs, furniture, babies, and pets because you will punch something in the mad dash for sweet, low-poly freedom.
Step on the podium and become a true orchestra conductor in Maestro: The Masterclass. Play hands free or grab a chopstick and master the real hands motions that command the orchestra through an off the rail conducting masterclass that culminates with an epic symphonic concert in a packed opera house. Good luck, Maestro!
Riding off the success of cult-like status of ‘The Backrooms’ Internet lore, Noclip VR lets you and online players explore the liminal spaces, solve puzzles, and escape that which lurks within. To move, you’ll need to swing your arms, and always keep in ear-shot of your friends, otherwise they won’t hear you scream. Gameplay is a bit barebones, making it feel more like something you’d find imported on a social platform like VR Chat or Rec Room, although it’s definitely invoking Gorilla Tag vibes.
Population: One is basically VR’s most successful battle royale, letting you climb, fly, shoot, and team-up with whoever dares. The free-to-play game does feature microtransactions, but only for cosmetics, which is nice. It’s more than just a battle royale though: you can play in the sandbox for custom maps and rules, team deathmatch with customizable loadouts, a 12v12 war mode, and more.
Gun Raiders serves up a healthy slice of multiplayer shooter action with multiple game modes that let you jetpack through the air, climb from wall to wall, and shoot down the competition. There’s the same sort of microtransactions you see in bigger games, but it they’re all avatar skin stuff, so no pay-to-win here.
Gym Class – Basketball is the solution if you’re looking to shoot some hoops and dunk like you probably can’t on a physical court. Online multiplayer lets you go head-to-head for a pretty convincing game of b-ball thanks to the game’s physics-based and full-body kinematics.
This room-scale shooter is now free-to-play, letting you take on friends, family and foes in head-to-head 1v1 dueling. Refine your loadout and jump into the action as you scramble for weapons and send a volley of hellfire at your enemies, all the while Matrix dodging through this innovative bullet hell meets futuristic dueling game.
Hyper Dash is a multiplayer shooter that basically fills in where Echo Combat never could (never mind that Echo Combat was never on Quest, and is now entirely defunct on Oculus PC). Letting you quick dash, sprint, and rail grind around, Hyper Dash manages to serve up an impressive number of modes, including Payload, Domination, Control Point, (Team) Deathmatch, Capture The Flag, and Elimination. You can also take on both Quest and SteamVR users thanks to the inclusion of cross-play.
Ultimechs should look pretty familiar: it’s basically Rocket League, but instead of driving around in cars, you’re given rocket-powered fists to punch balls into the goal. Online multiplayer includes both 1v1 and 2v2 matches, offering up tons of opportunities to earn cosmetic gear that will let you outfit your battle mech into something unique. There are also now two paid battle passes too, offering up a ton of cosmetics to set you apart from the competition.
Fans of arena shooters, get ready to battle in this lucky dip of game modes, including all of your favorite modes and a few new ones too, like Red Light, Green Light and Glitter Pig. Now in early access, the stylish, neon-soaked free-to-play team shooter packs in some serious style.
Cards & Tankards is a pretty addictive social collectible card game, letting you collect and battle friends with over 180 cards. With cross-play against SteamVR headsets (also free on PC), you may consider hosting your regular game night playing more than a few rounds in the game’s characteristic medieval fantasy tavern.
No real cash gambling here, but PokerStars’ Vegas Infinite not only let you go all-in on games of Texas Hold’em, but now a full casino’s worth of table games a machines that are sure to light up the dopamine starved pleasure centers of your brain. It’s all free play, so you won’t be risking real cash unless you buy in-game chips, which cannot be turned back into real money: it’s only to keep your bankroll flush for free play.
Since the Fishin’ Buddies update, this classic VR title has gotten a whole new lease on life as a multiplayer VR fishing game that lets you sit back and crack a cold one with the boys as you reel in the big’uns. The additional social areas also let you sit back between your fishing adventures to take part in casual mini-games.
Gods of Gravity is an arcade-style RTS game where you compete in an epic showdown of between celestial gods (2-8 players). Scoop up ships and fling them to capture a nearby planet, or open wormholes to teleport them across the solar system. Hold planets and moons to boost your production. Mine asteroids for the powerful resources within. And if you dare, capture the sun for the ultimate buff. Then send a massive fleet to conquer your enemy’s home planet. Last god standing wins.
Without a doubt one of the most fun, and most expansive VR titles out there… and it’s free. Sure, you can pay real cash for in-game tokens to buy spiffy clothes for your avatar, but that’s really up to you. Gads of mini-games await you in both first-party creations such as the ever so popular co-op Quests—that could be games in their own right—to user-created stuff that will keep your pocket book gathering dust. It’s social VR, so meet people and have a ball for zero dollarydoos. Fair warning: there’s a ton of kids.
If you’ve been anywhere near the Internet in the last few years, it’s likely you’ve already heard about VRChat, the user-generated social VR space filled with… well… everything you can imagine, re-pro games included like Among Us, Mario Kart, and even a version of Beat Saber. Fashion your own avatar or download the millions of user-generated avatars out there so you can embody SpongeBob, Kirito from Sword Art Online, or any one of the million anime girl avatars that you’re bound to see there.
Horizon Worlds has changed a lot since launch. It now includes more tools, user-generated content, and some more compelling first-party games which has rounded out things to make it more competitive with Rec Room and VRChat. You may want to check in just to see the state of Meta’s first-party VR social platform. Whatever the case, the price of ‘free’ is hard to argue with.
Nerd Ninjas, the indie studio who helped develop Niantic’s Pokémon GO and Terrible Posture Games’ Battle Train, announced a co-op roguelite for Quest and PC VR headsets that promises a serious dose of piñata-cracking mayhem: Rogue Piñatas: VRmageddon.
As the studio’s first original IP, Rogue Piñatas features both solo and up to four-player co-op matches set in a “party-apocalyptic world,” where players try to survive by bashing piñatas that have come to life.
With over six characters to choose from, each character gets their own unique perks and starting weapons, letting you swing for the bleachers against over 18 different piñata enemies before facing off against six piñata level bosses. Smash a piñata to earn candies, which you can spend to upgrade powers and 12+ weapons.
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Image courtesy Nerd Ninjas
Image courtesy Nerd Ninjas
Image courtesy Nerd Ninjas
If you’re looking to bash a few for yourself, the studio released a free demo for Rogue Piñatas: VRmageddon, now live on Quest 2/3/Pro the SteamVR headsets.
Nerd Ninjas is also slated to launch a Rogue Piñatas Kickstarter on October 22nd, which, in addition to supporting the game, gives backers the chance to become beta testers and join design sessions.
Notably, Nerd Ninjas co-founder and CEO Nate Chatellier has successfully launched eight Kickstarter campaigns to date, including board games ‘X-Men Dice Throne’ and ‘Marvel Dice Throne’.
There’s no release date for Rogue Piñatas on the books yet, although we’re hoping to learn more when the Kickstarter launches next week.
Resolution Games announced that Spatial Ops, the studio’s multiplayer mixed reality shooter currently in beta, is heading for full launch on Quest next month.
Update (October 14th, 2024): Spatial Ops is now headed for full launch on Quest 2/3/Pro on November 14th, priced at $20 ($15 for pre-orders).
Alongside multiplayer shooting, the game also features a two-hour Campaign Mode for some story-based wave shooting action. A separate Campaign Edition for Pico 4 headsets with Campaign Mode is also launching on November 14th.
The original article announcing its release window follows below:
Original Article (June 26th, 2024): Spatial Ops lets you turn any physical space big enough for mixed reality play into a virtual battlefield, replete with barriers and a host of weapons, such as Tommy guns, revolvers, shotguns, scoped rifles, rocket launchers, grenades, and a riot shield—making it feel more than a bit like a game of laser tag on steroids.
Featuring 1-8 players, Spatial Ops offers a number of modes, including a solo PvE bot mode, and PvP modes like Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Domination, and Free-For-All.
While it might seem like the game is designed with VR arcades in mind, thanks to a handy level editor basically anyone can pick up Spatial Ops and tailor it to their living room, basement, or well-lit outdoor space for some pretty impressive battles. Check out our early hands-on here to learn more.
Resolution Games says the launch version of Spatial Ops will focus on reduced gametime setup, pre-set and movable maps, performance optimization, more gameplay, more enemies, and more modes.
Spatial Ops is already available to wishlist on Quest 2/3/Pro via the Horizon Store (ex-Quest Store). If you’re interested in playing the open beta, you can play it via SideQuest up until its full launch.
