It’s been a big year for virtual reality with both the PSVR 2 and the Meta Quest 3 launching into the world and onto people’s faces, and the games have been just as astounding, too. Here are the best VR games of 2023.
Strangely enough, December has been an absurdly good month for VR gaming, with two huge sequels coming in to shake things up. Plus, we’d be remiss not to mention Horizon Call of the Mountain, Assassin’s Creed Nexus, Resident Evil Village in VR, and Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice, all of which are amazing games from big names but not quite good enough to make it into our top five.
Dungeons of Eternity
Dungeons of Eternity is a staggeringly good dungeon-crawler and the most fun we’ve had in VR all year. It has you playing as adventures in space who have to delve into a labyrinth of dungeons on a planet called Eternity. Despite being set in the future, you’ll mostly be using medieval weapons to chop down monsters or get some magic in there.
Aside from the deeply gratifying physics-based combat, which is a constant joy to take part in, one of the coolest things about the game is the sheer breadth of weapons and the fact that you can enjoy the whole thing in co-op as well. It’s fun, it looks good, and it’s a game that we’re practically begging you to play.
Before Your Eyes VR
Before Your Eyes is one of those games that transcends everything and will sit in your brain for the rest of your life as an experience that nothing else replicates. That’s true of the standard version, where the game uses a webcam to track your blinking to control when things in the game change.
In VR, it’s even more personal as you’re dipped into each emotional scene feet first and submersed up to the top of your head in some of the hardest-hitting emotional scenes we’ve experienced. Please play this game, but also make sure you’ve got some tissues handy for when the waterworks come.
Arizona Sunshine 2
Arizona Sunshine is one of those VR games that most people will insist you play, so it’s incredibly good news that Arizona Sunshine 2 manages to improve upon the original in nearly every way. Arizona Sunshine 2 has you fighting your way through an absurd number of zombies as you try to survive the end of the world.
Along with loads of weapons, including things like machetes and flamethrowers, you can also play the game in co-op. Plus, and this is probably the biggest thing, you get a dog companion as well, which means you can pet them and live your best life. Sure, there are zombies everywhere, but you’ve got a dog, so how bad can it really be?
Related: Meta Quest 3 Made Me a Believer in VR (Review)
Asgard’s Wrath 2
Asgard’s Wrath 2 has one of the coolest opening catch-ups we’ve seen in VR, and that’s just the beginning of what makes the game so incredibly special. You take control of a god who can possess mighty heroes to make use of their amazing powers, and each time you flit between them, you get to experience new strengths and places.
The game takes place after the first one (which is what the catch-up is for) and has you chasing down Loki, who’s trying to do just so much mischief. As you go, you’ll get the chance to fight monsters and gods in epic battles, tame amazing animals, and even enjoy a huge world to explore as well. It’s a delight and an incredibly good-looking one at that.
No More Rainbows
Finally, we’ve got No More Rainbows, which has you taking control of a very angry creature called The Beast, who’s sick of all the colors and happiness being spread around their world and has decided to take things into their own hands to stop all of this nonsense. The result is that you get to destroy lots of cute things, which is fun, but more than that, it might be the best platforming game available in VR.
You use your arms to control nearly everything, and it makes the game a lot more enjoyable and physical to play. You’ll climb, jump, slide, and attack everything you need to, and there are plenty of things to do outside of just the story, with some multiplayer modes as well.
For more of our Best of lists for 2023, check out the following:
Best Action-Adventure Games of 2023
Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2023
