Virtual Reality may not have caused a paradigm shift in the modern gaming scene, but it’s hard to ignore the extra immersion VR titles bring to the table. If you’ve been in the VR scene as long as I have, you’ve probably played Asgard’s Wrath, Into the Radius, Vertigo, Boneworks, and other heavy-hitter games by now. So, here’s a list of the most underrated virtual reality games you can check out if you’re feeling burned out after playing the same ol’ VR game or modded flatscreen title.

👁 A person playing Trepang2 on the Meta Quest 2 via UEVR
Hands-on: How to play almost any Unreal Engine game in VR

As long as you have a powerful system, the UEVR Injector mod can make your favorite Unreal Engine games more immersive

5 Skydance’s Behemoth

Shadow of the Colossus Behemoth(s)

Most VR games tend to have normal-sized enemies in their combat encounters, and even the ones that do have large bosses (like dragons inside modded Skyrim) don’t capitalize on the epicness of taking down towering foes. Enter Skydance’s Behemoth, a dark fantasy title where you slash, platform, and dodge your way through treacherous environments to confront the titular behemoths. Yes, behemoths with an “s” — because there’s more than one humongous monstrosity that you need to vanquish over the 10-hour campaign. While the platforming sections are a bit rough around the edge (pun intended), the game has a unique combat system where you need to parry attacks and use a grappling hook alongside your trusty sword to dispatch enemies.

Action-Adventure
👁 Placeholder Image
OpenCritic Reviews
Top Critic Avg: 69/100 Critics Rec: 53%
Released
December 5, 2024
ESRB
M for Mature 17+ — Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Use of Drugs
Developer(s)
Skydance Interactive
Publisher(s)
Skydance Interactive
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure

4 Grimlord

It's Dark Souls, but in VR

Ever wanted a Soulsborne title in VR? Well, Grimlord is as close as you can get to the conventional Fromsoft formula. You’ve got mysterious NPCs, cool weapons, stunning environments, and the same challenging combat where, to paraphrase a certain Glock-wielding saint, a moment’s hesitation can result in instant defeat. The weapon customization aspect is pretty well done, and while there are certain rage-inducing difficulty spikes, you’ll have a blast with Grimlord if you’re a fan of Soulsborne games.

Grimlord

3 Until You Fall

And a shout-out to In Death

On the roguelite frontier, I’ve got two suggestions: Until You Fall and In Death. The former throws you into a chaotic dance of sword fights, where you’ll have to hack, slash, dodge, block, and counter through numerous levels. After spending hours trying to beat the game on the hardest difficulty with different weapons, I can confirm that Until You Fall is a solid title if you want to test your reaction time against hordes of enemies – though I’m a bit miffed that it hasn’t received new updates in well over a year.

There’s also In Death, which replaces the swords, axes, and other melee weapons with your trusty bow. Otherwise, it provides the same adrenaline-pumping, high-stakes action as Until You Fall. That said, I refuse to put it in its own category solely because the enhanced Unchained version wasn’t released on PC and remains restricted to Meta’s godawful store.

2 Underdogs

Nothing better than fighting mechas in VR

From Daemon X Machine and Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon to the more realistic MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, we’ve seen a resurgence of mecha games over the last couple of years, though each title provides a varying degree of immersion. However, none can emulate the feeling of controlling a larger-than-life robot from a cockpit than Underdogs. Beating your opponents with your nail guns after barely dodging their moves feels as satisfying as it sounds, and you’ve got plenty of options to customize your war machine. Plus, the story is pretty engaging for a VR title and the animated cutscenes perfectly fit the neo-punk vibes of the game. Oh, and there’s mecha dismemberment, so you’re in for a treat if you love piloting (and more importantly, destroying) giant robots.

Underdogs

1 Dreadhalls

The best VR horror game. Period

I consider the MotherVR mod for Alien: Isolation the pinnacle of VR mods, as it takes an already scary title and dials up the survival and creepy aspects to eleven. But if you’re looking for a bone-chilling game that’s designed for VR, look no further than Dreadhalls. The game drops you into a terrifying dungeon, and you’ll have to scour for weapons and resources to fight hordes of demons. But don’t let its simple premise and old-school graphics deceive you: the sound design, monsters, and atmosphere are horrifying, and you’re bound to get goosebumps every time you hear the distant echo of an enemy.

Dreadhalls

Which underrated VR game is your favorite?

Source: Steam

If you’re still itching for obscure VR games, I’ve got some other recommendations. Created by the devs of Dreadhall, Cosmodread tones down the horror aspects in favor of a more streamlined roguelike experience, though it’s a fantastic title for fans of both genres. If you enjoyed the MotherVR mod for Alien: Isolation and want something similar, you can try giving Alien: Rogue Incursion a shot. There’s also the recently released Arken Age, a fantasy title that combines satisfying combat with jaw-dropping environments.