What you need to know
- Stranger Things VR shows the "never-before-seen" origin story of Vecna, a major antagonist of the global Netflix hit.
- The trailer shows you traversing the Upside Down, using telekinetic powers to drive off monsters, as well as other familiar settings from the show.
- Developed by Tender Claws, Stranger Things VR launches in fall 2023 for the Oculus Quest 2 and Quest Pro for $29.99.
We've known about a Stranger Things VR title for some time, but most of us assumed you'd spend the game channeling Eleven's righteous rage. Instead, this psychological horror / action game reveals how [SPOILERS for the show incoming] Henry Creel, aka One, gains his otherworldly powers and plans his revenge.
In addition to battling creatures with telekinetic powers, you'll "invade the dreams and memories of fan-favorite characters" like Will Byers and Billy Hargrove, recreating events from the show with a more sinister perspective.
"I saw a means to realize my potential, to transcend my human form, to become the predator I was always born to be," says Vecna in the Stranger Things VR trailer, revealed during the Meta Quest Games Showcase 2023. In the game, you'll help him realize that potential (you monster).
"Our goal is for Stranger Things VR to add additional layers and new perspectives to the fantastic story of Hawkins, letting fans engage with this world in new and more intimate ways," said Tender Claws directors Samantha Gorman and Danny Cannizzaro in a statement. Stranger Things VR will "follow unexplored paths and uncover deeper relationships between these characters."
While the game focuses on Vecna, it appears you may also play as Eleven. The fact sheet sent to us by Tender Claws focuses on the baddie but has one line that reads, "Wielding powers that subvert and defy Vecna’s own, make a final stand to save your friends in a climactic finale."
If you were hoping to play a game focused more on the Party, you may want to look instead at Demeo — the fantastic D&D-like dungeon crawler that lets you strategize with friends and roll dice above a virtual map — or the new Demeo Battles game announced at the Meta Quest Game Showcase, which adds tactical PvP dungeon battles against your friends.
The Quest Showcase has revealed a ton of exciting upcoming Quest 2 games with big-name IPs already, including a new Ghostbusters game, a Vampire: The Masquerade spin-off, and a remake of the classic PC adventure game The 7th Guest.
Stranger Things VR will arrive this fall for $29.99 on the Quest Store for the Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro. The announcement also said it would come to "major VR platforms," so we'll have to wait and see if that includes the PSVR 2.
