Surviving Mars: Pioneer is a VR reimagining of the strategy game, and it's entering early access later this year.
Based on the top-down strategy game Surviving Mars, Surviving Mars: Pioneer tests your grit as you attempt to establish a new civilization among the stars. In the original game, players would control a Martian landscape from a top-down perspective, constructing futuristic domes and guiding eager citizens. Developed by Bolverk Games (Genotype), the VR adaptation gives you a more central and personal role, mining for materials and placing solar panels on the red planet's surface in first person.
0:00
/0:34
Surviving Mars was originally launched in 2018. Here, players took on the role of an overseer tasked with building up a Martian colony from the dust. With a rocket full of resources and sponsorship from an earthly organization, surviving the vastness of space requires balancing human needs like water and air with the fiscal needs of society and your sponsor. This port looks to pull from those basic principles, allowing players to feel like even more of an active participant in their burgeoning cityscape.
Surviving Mars: Pioneer is entering early access on PC VR and Quest later this year, and a PlayStation VR2 version will arrive “at a later date.”
Upcoming horror puzzler Out of Sight is getting a full VR port.
Developed by The Gang, Out of Sight is an eerie puzzle game that asks players to control a blind girl called Sophie from the viewpoint of her cuddly teddy. Set throughout a menacing mansion, players control Sophie and carry around the toy to gain better vantage points on confounding contraptions. To escape, you must avoid the ire of Sophie's captors and unravel the mystery surrounding her. Announced during the VR Games Showcase, here's the trailer.
0:00
/0:55
The VR port sees players embody Sophie's cuddly companion, expanding their line of sight by controlling Sophie and moving around the bear they inhabit – closely mirroring the gameplay seen in the flatscreen version. Across the tense trailer, we got a look at some gameplay mechanics, which included Sophie moving a wheeled block onto a pressure plate and climbing on a waiter's trolley to pull down a lever. That's all from the static viewpoint of the bear.
Out of Sight VR comes courtesy of Flat2VR Studios, the notable developer who helps officially translate flatscreen games for VR platforms. The studio's previous work includes the hilarious rhythm game Trombone Champ: Unflattened, alongside upcoming titles like FlatOut and Wrath: Aeon of Ruin.
Out of Sight VR is coming to Steam first alongside its flatscreen counterpart, while PlayStation VR2 and Quest versions will follow later. A release date is unconfirmed.
Deep Cuts delves into the magic of movie making, letting you become the protagonist in a myriad of genres.
The elusive world of the seventh art is one that fascinates me, telling stories from a unique perspective that evokes emotions like few other things in life can. Movies, and the filmmaking process, are at the heart of Deep Cuts, pun intended. It takes you behind the scenes to create your own action-packed scenes as eccentrically as you wish them to be. And, spoiler alert, it's as wacky as it is fun.
The Facts
What is it?: A physics-based VR adventure where you act out movie scenes. Platforms: PC VR, Quest (Reviewed on Quest 3) Release Date: Out now (Quest), 2025 (PC VR) Developer: Scythe Dev Team Price: $29.99
A decaying movie studio called Lights, Camera, Faction sets the scene well, as film producer Elise searches for her collaborator Malcolm to complete a film that just might save their business. What's particularly clever is how she can directly go inside different movies thanks to a technology called Neurareel, letting the game present classic setups like a sheriff in a western, a kaiju's assault in a big city, or the final frontier, space.
Deep Cuts screenshot taken by UploadVR on Quest 3
Showing an extreme farce of the movie making business with multiple references from the get-go, Deep Cuts, as its name suggests, takes players on a wild ride where they must shoot 5 scenes in every set. No two scenes are ever the same, keeping things fresh throughout. Some revolve around shooting outlaws and leaving a bloodbath, while others like winning a hot dog competition have a layer of unseriousness that adds welcome mission variety.
Acting as a shop on the go, a convenient weapon called the Bodegun from which you can spawn weapons, ammo, health, explosives, and even enemies. This useful invention requires credits scattered across the LCF building in drawers or on movie sets. Not every weapon is available immediately, but as you progress, chaos will be at your beck and call with laser beams, miniguns, and rocket launchers, opening up the approach to each scene smoothly.
Deep Cuts screenshot taken by UploadVR on Quest 3
The physics-based nature of Deep Cuts is where it shines the most. Almost every object can be interacted with. While you can shoot your way through most situations, getting up close and personal is an option too. As the game measures your velocity, most of them will be on the floor within three hits and you will have gained a workout. Feeling adventurous, grabbing a chair and knocking them out American-wrestling style never ceases to amuse.
Comfort
Accessibility features are a bit lacking. An option to toggle instead of holding weapons, which you have on you at all times, should be available. There's no option for seated play, and there's no movement vignette available for those who suffer from motion sickness. Otherwise, the usual features of smooth and snap camera turning, choosing left or right dominant hand, and subtitles can be accessed via your wristwatch.
Although billed as “a twisted movie-inspired world overrun by nightmarish creatures”, to my relief, this VR narrative adventure decidedly falls into the action category. Sure, there is a mission where you go through a haunted house, but it never feels like a full-on horror game. More than anything, Deep Cuts strikes as a parody of that trope, not taking itself too seriously and delivering a lighthearted romp at heart.
Deep Cuts screenshot taken by UploadVR on Quest 3
Giving unfettered player freedom via physics-based breakable items never gets old. With quick access to an endless array of explosives, weapons you can dual-wield and abilities such as a slow motion effect, there is a commitment to making the player feel cool. In that sense, Deep Cuts accomplishes its goal of living out entertaining film-based set pieces. Setting the stage for the player to run wild with their imagination means endless replayability, especially for those craving cinematic action.
Fast-paced FPS roguelike Roboquest VR showed off a co-op mode in today's new gameplay trailer.
Originally developed by Starbreeze, Roboquest is a high-octane roguelike that pits players against an onslaught of frenzying ballistic bots. In a post-apocalyptic 2700, players become Guardians, upgrading their loadout and skills to advance against a menacing metallic force. Alongside platforming challenges and bullet-hell battles, Roboquest also features boss battles that bookend bouts of tense exploration.
0:00
/1:38
The VR version of Roboquest is being made by Flat2VR Studios, the notable studio that helps officially port popular flatscreen games, like Trombone Champ, over to virtual reality platforms. Today's new trailer offers a closer look at Roboquest VR's techy cel-shaded world that includes its player hub, which features a Workshop, Class Area and Gadgets Rack players can access for upgrades. There's also a Shooting Range to test out weapons.
While much of the trailer featured single-player gameplay, the final moments gave players a peek at the two-player co-op mode currently in development. In the trailer, we saw tandem Guardians grinding on rails and unleashing their loadout on the enemy robots. In co-op, you can revive fallen allies and combine abilities for team attacks.
While the announcement stated that Roboquest is coming to PS VR2, PC VR, and Quest this fall, the Quest page lists an August 22 release date.
2003 shooter Postal 2 is being “fully rebuilt” for VR on Quest, PC VR, and PlayStation VR2.
Originally released in 2003 by Running With Scissors, Postal 2 takes place in the fictional town of Paradise, Arizona. Playing as “The Postal Dude,” this involves completing various tasks across your in-game week while choosing how violently to respond. Your actions then influence the town's dynamic AI, which can cause riots or other violent events.
0:00
/2:17
The original game faced considerable criticism for its depiction of violence, stereotyping and more, leading to its ban in New Zealand. This upcoming adaptation includes manual weapon handling, gesture-based NPC interactions, and physics-driven melee combat. Your inventory, mini-map, and bodily function mechanics are also fully interactive.
The upcoming port is being handled within Flat2VR Studios by Team Beef, best known for its work on id Software conversions like Doom and Quake. Presently, it's unknown if the Postal 2 conversion will include the game's various expansions, and the 2003 shooter isn't the only announcement from Flat2VR Studios at today's VR Games Showcase.
Other reveals include a new gameplay trailer for Roboquest VR, which also revealed a co-op mode, while upcoming horror puzzle game Out of Sight is getting a VR edition. The company is also publishing 2022's Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrok on PS VR2, and it's on co-publishing duties for Surviving Mars: Pioneer with Paradox Interactive.
A release date hasn't been confirmed, though Postal 2 VR is coming to Quest, PC VR and PlayStation VR2.
Stay: Forever Home is a virtual pet experience that blends mixed reality and VR modes, and it's coming to Meta Quest in April.
Developer Windup Minds has just released a fresh trailer for its upcoming virtual pet experience, which showcases both the game's MR and VR modes. The trailer begins with the player exploring a magical world alongside their virtual pet, Ember. The developers promise a “world right outside your front door” that's full of “cozy activities and co-operative challenges.”
0:00
/1:20
When you get your fill of exploring in VR, you can bring Ember back into your real-world space in MR mode. In this mode, also shown briefly in the trailer, Ember exists in your living room and gets cozy on their own cute little bed.
The CEO of Windup Minds, Bernie Yee, previously released Bogo, a free Quest launch title and virtual pet simulator which showed off the then “Oculus” Quest's wireless room scale tracking and hand controllers. It was a groundbreaking VR app at the time, which we've previously covered at length when support was dropped last year.
With Stay: Forever Home, Bernie Yee and the team at Windup Minds look poised to further expand the concept of VR/MR virtual pets.
Stay: Forever Home launches on April 3 for Meta Quest.
From the developers of Windlands comes Titan Isles, a new VR action adventure with co-op support heading to Quest and Steam.
Developed by Psytec Games, Titan Isles marks the first new game from the studio since 2018's Windlands 2. Set across the ruined world of Toska, which was shattered after the mysterious awakening of giant Titans, you play as one of the few survivors fending off swarms of robots and these colossal foes. As seen during today's VR Games Showcase, here's the announcement trailer.
0:00
/0:44
Described as an “epic struggle for survival and revenge,” Titan Isles lets you play solo or with teams of two, three, or four players. Cross-platform multiplayer is supported, but what's particularly intriguing is that each of the four Exo Suits uses a unique method of traversal with its own weapon.
For example, Storm uses hand jets and a jetpack while arming you with pistols and a rifle. Hunter uses grappling hooks plus a bow and arrow. Goliath is equipped with hand burst Jets, alongside a Kyros cannon & shield. Finally, Blink can use a triple-jump, phase-dash and a 'Viper Bolt.' Abilities cannot be switched between Exo Suits, but there's no limit to how many players can use one suit in co-op.
Titan Isles doesn't have a release window right now, though Psytec Games confirmed this will be a premium title. Which specific Quest headsets will be supported is currently unconfirmed and as for potentially reaching other platforms, the studio provided the following statement.
“Right now we are committed to the Meta Quest and SteamVR platforms. We would love to support all major VR platforms, however as a small team there are technical and logistical hurdles preventing us from committing to additional platforms at this time.”
We'll keep you updated as we learn more about this upcoming game, and the store page is now live on Quest.
The adorable event coordinating simulator Penguin Festival is coming to Quest and Steam.
Penguin Festival sees players adorn the monochromatic flippers of a party planner and assist in creating a winning North Pole party. In the announcement trailer, we can see some physics gameplay in action, with the flightless bird hammering away at stalls, rocking out with mohawked guitarists and defending themselves from snowball-throwing chicks before taking some icy revenge. Later, we see them fishing in the ocean and taking proud selfies with another penguin – standard animal kingdom stuff.
0:00
/1:00
Penguin Parade is being developed by Zi Ye, an ex-Owlchemy Labs Expert Engineer with credits on games like Job Simulator and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rickality. The upcoming game promises no time pressure for activities, nighttime festivals filled with games and music, and a third-person spectator camera for others to watch.
“My wish for this game is to take players to a world they will be happy to be a part of—somewhere where they feel welcome, at peace, and free to just be,” explained Zi Ye in a prepared statement. “I want to give the player freedom to interact with the VR world on their own terms, without asking them to invent their own fun. Rather than making a playground, I want to create a place that has a voice and a heartbeat of its own.”
Penguin Festival is coming to Quest and Steam, and a release date is currently unconfirmed.
Flatscreen horror game Slender: The Arrival will be released later this year for Steam, PS VR2, and Quest.
Announced during today's VR Games Showcase, Slender: The Arrival will be ported from flatscreen to VR in spring this year. Developed by Blue Isle Studios, the first-person horror game pulls from the notorious creepypasta character The Slender Man, asking players to survive eerie environments while avoiding The Slender Man's haunting faceless stare and hair-raising presence.
0:00
/0:42
The flatscreen version of Slender: The Arrival reimagined solo developer Mark Hadley's 2012 game Slender: Eight Pages — a survival horror experience that explores the eerie internet creation and asks players to find collectables in a dense, unforgiving forest. Alongside visual updates, like enhanced shadows and renewed models, Slender: The Arrival also introduced a new story for players to creep through while avoiding the sinister being.
The VR port further expands on the series' affinity for immersive horror, allowing players to move through the space more literally and experience these enhancements up close. Slender: The Arrival was previously delayed to 2025, with Perp Games and Blue Isle Studios explaining that the team needed more time to 'fully translate' the franchise into VR.
Slender: The Arrival VR is coming to PS VR2, Steam and Quest in late spring 2025.
Minimalist action shooter Vendetta Forever is heading to PC VR this May, and five new levels are coming as a free update.
Previously released on Quest and PlayStation VR2 last October, Vendetta Forever is a VR shooter from Meatspace Interactive and publisher nDreams. Designed around the 'LO-KILL-MOTION' mechanic, where you can only move by teleporting to an enemy's dropped weapon, today's VR Games Showcase revealed it's now heading to PC VR soon.
0:00
/0:45
Coinciding with Vendetta Forever's PC VR launch are five new levels across all platforms. 'Speakeasy' takes you to a '40s themed level. 'Sub' sees you sabotaging a submarine and escaping. 'Trench Run' involves wading through war across no-man's land to reach the enemy. 'Panzer' gives you one grenade launcher and a barrel as a tank slowly approaches. Finally, 'Escape Velocity' involves stopping an enemy space station with new weapons.
We enjoyed Vendetta Forever in our 4/5-star review last year, praising its minimalist approach to delivering a “satisfying action game.” Since then, a separate update later arrived in January that added a SUPERHOT-style modifier and native bHaptics support.
Vendetta Forever is out now on Quest and PS VR2, while the PC VR port and new levels will follow on May 8. The new levels are included with the PC VR edition at launch, while Quest and PS VR2 will receive these as free DLC.
