The ultimate form of escapism in 2022 following the pandemic lockdown, virtual reality gaming continues to increase its lifelike immersion for players who want to leave their daily lives behind and explore exciting new worlds. When pairing the most engaging Role Playing Games (RPG) on the market with VR headsets like Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Valve Index, etc., players can genuinely feel like they are part of the world and can make for the most enthralling experiences.
While there are plenty of RPGs available to play in VR, the cream of the crop tends to balance visceral immersion with top-notch storytelling, smooth gameplay mechanics, excellent graphics, and more.
No Man’s Sky
A vast RPG set in space, No Man’s Sky is one of the most riveting cosmic explorations to experience in VR. Players identify as The Traveler, an alien humanoid tasked with searching the infinite expanse as they collect items, fight monsters, survive the environment, and barter with others. While individual gaming elements show certain blemishes, the sum total is greater than its parts.
Hailed for its procedural generation game mechanics that use algorithms and random number generators to create over 18 quintillion planets to explore, No Man’s Sky has overcome its dubious reputation at launch in 2016 to become one of the most satisfying VR RPGs in 2022.
Blade & Sorcery
Whether the PC or the awesome Oculus Quest headset version, the early-access Blade & Sorcery remains one of the most beloved action-based melee combat VR RPGs in 2022. Applauded for its excellent physics-based engineering specifically tailored for VR, few swordplay games feel as fun, realistic, or replayable. Players can choose to be a warrior, sorcerer, or ranger tasked with making their own discoveries and fighting a slew of hardened enemies.
While it lacks the vast open-world exploration that keeps players engaged for the long haul, Blade & Sorcery is ideal for those who simply favor brutally intense melee, ranged, and magic combat. While the game does not offer a multiplayer option, those looking to be as creative as possible while fighting in virtual reality need to look no further.
Journey Of The Gods
As most VR gamers know, minimalism and simplicity usually equate to the smoothest and most satisfying gameplay. Proving such is Journey of the Gods, a straightforward yet delightfully charming affair that takes many cues from The Legend of Zelda’s puzzle solving. Set in a gigantic open-world environment, the first-person action RPG tasks players to act as a magical god and fight deadly monsters of all shapes and sizes summoned by the chaos moon.
While the visual style of the game is pretty basic, the balanced gameplay mechanics are ideal for VR players who move around the entire room rather than play from a seated or fixed standing position. With roughly six hours of content to uncover, Journey of the Gods is polished. Plus, using the sword, shield, and crossbow with the Oculus Touch feels authentic as can be.
A Township Tale
A Township Tale consistently makes every serious VR gamer’s cut as one of the absolute must-play titles exclusive to Oculus Quest 2. The acclaimed medieval fantasy MMORPG allows players to work together with friends online to colonize, form a society, dungeon crawl, and work as blacksmiths, woodcutters, archers, miners, warriors, and more, all of which have their own stories to fulfill.
An excellent community-building game that prioritizes cooperative teamwork, A Township Tale is ideal for VR gamers less interested in harrowing combat and better equipped for building, crafting, exploring, and turning a barren plot of land into a unique settlement from scratch. While the visual tableau might be too cartoonish and childlike for hardcore gamers, the game has very few other drawbacks.
The Mage’s Tale
The closest approximation to a Harry Potter VR experience, The Mage’s Tale is a must-play single-player RPG that allows players to confront creepy ghouls, goblins, lethal traps, and a labyrinthine lair that will keep them busy for more than 10 hours from start to finish.
A spin-off of The Bard’s Tale, the mystical VR quest tasks players with saving their wizardly mentor from odious beasts, forcing them to cast spells, learn new magical incantations, and slay deadly monsters in the process. The production values are second to none, the tempo fast and furious, and best of all, The Mage’s Tale is available on Rift, Vive, PSVR, and other VR headsets. The only real downside includes a linear, non-open-world narrative that does not feature a multiplayer option.
Half-Life: Alyx
Currently boasting a 93 Metascore, Half-Life: Alyx is arguably the most gratifying VR first-person shooter RPG on the market. Players familiar with the world of Half-Life will get a nostalgic dose of terror as the story is set between events that transpired in Half-Life and Half-Life 2 enabling players to control Alyx Vance in the most realistically engaging ways possible.
Joining her father to bring down the nefarious Combine, Alyx is tasked with solving puzzles, exploring mysterious environments, and surviving hostile alien forces in the most innovative ways possible, putting the full onus on the players to make the proper decisions. Half-Life: Alyx was named Best VR/AR at the 2020 Game Awards, indicating its excellence across the board.
OrbusVR: Reborn
Famous for being the first supported VR MMORPG released to the masses, OrbusVR: Reborn remains a must-play for gamers looking for the most immersive VR gaming experiences out there. Designed for dynamic roomscale movement, the game offers over 100 hours of explorable content that allows players to fight monsters, race dragons, brew potions, craft weapons, and more.
With 8 playable classes, 5-player dungeons and 10 player raids, free updates, player trading, pet dragons, and other unique role-playing options, OrbusVR: Reborn overhauls the original game’s aesthetic and offers a way for every player to join the game on their own terms. As such, it’s a top contender for one of the most enjoyable and exhaustive VR RPGs.
Zenith: The Last City
In an astronomical open-world specifically created for virtual reality, Zenith: The Lost City is everything gamers can hope for in an early access release. Marrying top-notch VR combat mechanics with smooth multiplayer functionality and arresting graphics, the epic sprawl of the land will keep players inspired, engaged, and in awe for over 100 hours.
Whether crafting, fighting, exploring, forging alliances, joining raids, or carving one’s own path, Zenith: The Last City does a wonderful job of really making players feel like they’re lone survivors in the galaxy whose decisions hold consequential weight for the future of humanity. Best of all, it’s available on all major VR headsets.
Demeo
Resolution Games’ popular tabletop RPG Demeo was named VR Game of the Year in 2021, ensuring it as a top-flight contender for those looking to immerse themselves in an unforgettable gaming experience. The venerated fantasy dungeon crawler features three distinct and supremely well-written adventures for players to take on, where they can live out their days as a hunter or assassin in what’s been described as the closest thing to a D&D VR game on record.
The intricate detail and polished finish of the visual design in the game is beyond reproach, allowing gamers to play alone, or with friends via online co-op mode, and even has an awesome cross-platform multiplayer option. Available on nearly all VR headsets, Demeo is one of the most satisfying social VR engagements on the market.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The granddaddy of all VR RPGs, the sheer size, scale, and scope of Skyrim is what continues to keep the game at the top of the heap. Elder Scrolls was already a towering title before the VR addition, but with it, the experience transcends mere gaming to become a fully immersive investment that feels authentic and cinematic at once, making players feel as if they’ve been plopped right into the heart of a harrowing Game of Thrones finale.
With 25 hours of content in the Special Edition and over 200 hours for gamers looking to exhaust every aspect of the game, Skyrim has been universally praised for its endless maze of content that keeps players fully engaged throughout. The massive open-world VR game is still played by millions of players every month and is considered the number one influence of Breath of the Wild. Between the excitement of the VR immersion and the lofty impact it’s had on the gaming industry, Skyrim still reigns supreme.
