Here's everything announced during tonight's Meta Quest VR game showcase
Ghostbusters VR! Red Matter 2! More!
If you've been hankering for more quality VR action to shove your face into, there's a good chance you might find something to your liking in Meta's latest Quest-focused virtual reality showcase, broadcast earlier today. And if you missed its selection of reveals and gameplay, have no fear! You'll find all its announcements - including word on Ghostbusters VR, Red Matter 2, Moss 2, Resident Evil 4's Mercenaries mode, and a follow-up to Boneworks - conveniently gathered together for your perusal below.
Ghostbusters VR
Ghostbusters VR (working title, if you were wondering) brings the 80s movie classic to virtual reality as a four-player co-op adventure promising an "extensive and engrossing" spirit-bothering campaign. Players will need to track, blast, and trap ghosts as they protect San Francisco from the unearthly realm, with developer nDreams aiming to deliver "all the humour and frights from the beloved franchise" when Ghostbusters VR eventually arrives at some currently undisclosed future point.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2
2020's well-received The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is, as previously announced, returning later this year in a new standalone sequel known as Chapter 2: Retribution. Details have been a little scarce on what survivors can expect as they navigate the zombie apocalypse this second time around, but developer Skydance Interactive has now shared a little more, promising "fewer resources, more walkers, and a new and bloodthirsty threat" that will hunt players across a "changed" and more dangerous New Orleans. You can get a peak at some of the action to come in the trailer below.
NFL PRO ERA
American football is heading to Meta Quest in NFL PRO ERA, the first officially-licensed NFL VR game. "Lead your team to a Super Bowl, improve your QB skills by participating in drills, or play catch virtually with your friends in your favourite NFL stadium," is how developer StatusPRO introduces its new title. "Read the defense, run the offense and make the plays just like the pros do on Sundays—and see whether you have what it takes to compete at the highest level."
Among Us VR
First revealed at last year's The Game Awards, Among Us VR does exactly what it says on the tin, bringing developer InnerSloth's smash-hit social deduction game into the realm of virtual reality. It's being developed in conjunction with Schell Games for a release on Meta Quest later this year, and you can get a fresh look at its action in the new trailer below.
Red Matter 2
Eurogamer's Ian Higton was a big fan of developer Vertical Robot's sci-fi puzzle adventure Red Matter when it released on PSVR back in 2019, calling it a "master-class in virtual reality world building" - and a long-awaited follow-up is now officially on the way. Red Matter 2 picks up right where the previous game left off, sending players on a new adventure spanning our own moon to a space station orbiting above Saturn’s rings as they attempt to halt the titular red matter and save humanity. Expect this sequel to be longer and more ambitious, building on the puzzling of the original with various new tools, including a more mobile jetpack.
Espire 2
And that not the end of the sequels; developer Digital Lode's Espire 1: VR Operative is also getting a follow-up, serving up a fresh helping of stealth-action international espionage. This time around, players are on a mission to locate and stop the launch of an untraceable, supersonic missile, and they've a fresh set of high-tech gadgets to help them achieve that goal. And for those looking to do a bit of spying with a friend in tow, Espire 2 also incorporates a separate co-op mode, featuring unique missions set in familiar locations from the first game.
Moss: Book 2
Meta-Quest-owning fans of developer Polyarc's delightful VR adventure Moss are in for a treat this summer, when its follow-up, Moss: Book 2, makes the leap from PSVR. Once again, the action is built around a hybrid of first-person and third-person perspectives as players, in the role of an omniscient spirit, help guide mouse protagonist Quill on her adventure. Ian liked the sequel's cinematic blend of puzzling and combat a lot when he reviewed it earlier this month, so good things are in store for Meta Quest owners.
RuinsMagus
RuinsMagus is a new fantasy RPG from Kyoto-based developer Character Bank, taking players deep into the labyrinthine ruins that lay beneath the town of Grand Amnis as they search for powerful artifacts. Character Bank describes RuinsMagus as a narrative-driven adventure, and promises 26 fully-voiced quests when it arrives on Meta Quest at some point later this year. There's a new look at the game, first announced last year, in the trailer below.
Cities: VR
Fast Travel Games' Cities: VR is a new virtual reality adaptation of developer Colossal Order's acclaimed city builder Cities: Skylines, promising to deliver a "more intimate" twist on the latter game's core strategic city planning. Cities: VR recently got a release date of 28th April on Meta Quest 2, so its appearance during today's Meta Quest showcase was more of a reminder that it's on the way than anything else.
Resident Evil 4 - The Mercenaries
Developer Armature Studios' VR adaptation of Capcom survival horror classic Resident Evil 4 was warmly received on release last year - Eurogamer's Ian Higton called it a "wonderful way to revisit" the original - and players now have a little more to enjoy. As of today, Resident Evil 4's much-loved Mercenaries mode is available to download in a free update, tasking players with taking out as many Ganados as possible in the time limit. It's all been given the VR treatment, obviously, and includes a range of new features including online leaderboards, new challenges, and various unlockables, such as a Big Head Mode and a black-and-white Classic Horror Mode.
Beat Saber - Electronic Mixtape
Beat Saber is great, so it stands to reason that more Beat Saber is also great. And more Beat Saber is exactly what players will get when developer Beat Games launches its newly announced Electronic Mixtape DLC. There's no release date for this latest musical expansion yet, but Beat Games says it'll give purchasers the opportunity to twiddle their light sticks rhythmically along to tracks by the likes of Deadmau5, Marshmello, and Pendulum when it eventually arrives.
Bonelab
And finally, there's Bonelab, the follow-up to developer Stress Level Zero’s critically lauded Boneworks. "Escaping execution, you’ll find yourself in a mysterious underground lab," explains Stress Level. "Uncover the truth about your reality. Fight, run, and climb as you explore an exquisitely detailed combat simulation where every object reacts exactly the way you’d expect". Bonelab promises to deliver a new story, mod support, plus "two years of innovation and interaction engine progress" when it launches for Quest 2 and PC VR later this year.
