(Update: 10/29/19): For this update to our list of the best VR RPGs we’ve removed Fallout 4 VR and The Witching Tower in favor of adding Asgard’s Wrath and No Man’s Sky VR.
(Update: 8/9/19): For this update we’ve bumped off Chronos, VR Dungeon Knight, and Vengeful Rites in favor of adding Journey of the Gods, The Wizards: Enhanced Edition, and Shadow Legend.
(Originally published 2/8/19): For a lot of people, virtual reality is all about escapism. Being able to put on the headset and immediately be transported to a totally new world. Perhaps in your dreams that world is full of magic, wondrous creatures, and breathtaking locations. If that’s the case for you — if that’s what you imagine the best that VR has to offer being like — then you’ve come to the right place. This is our list of the top 10 very best VR RPGs that you can play on Rift, Vive, PSVR, Oculus Quest, and Windows MR right now.
We’re still in the early days of consumer-focused VR so that means we haven’t quite reached the point where developers can spend years crafting the ultimate experience from top to bottom. Many of the games on this list are either ports of non-VR games or made by small teams with a passion for VR. Either way, these are our picks for the best.
And since we’re specifically collecting a list of RPGs (that means role-playing games) we’re leaving off stuff that is primarily a shooter, adventure game, or even just combat-focused action games like Blade & Sorcery if it doesn’t feature a heavy emphasis on RPG elements. We’re also leaving off mobile titles because there just aren’t many great VR RPGs on mobile (other than The Well, you should definitely play that on Go and Gear VR.)
Here is our alphabetical list!
Asgard’s Wrath (Read Our Review)
Asgard’s Wrath is not only a step forward for Sanzaru Games as a development studio, but also a fundamental advancement for VR games in general. It’s a captivating experience full of enchanting adventure from start to finish. When people buy a headset with the idea of visiting strange, beautiful, and rich new worlds full of exciting things they can only do in VR, this is the type of game they’re imagining.
There are some small gripes here and there and it’s not perfect by any means, but it’s certainly the best VR game yet that I’ve played. After over 25 hours of questing through the realms of Norse mythology, all I can think about is the laundry list of things I’ve still yet to discover. Asgard’s Wrath is, from top to bottom, an extraordinary accomplishment.
This is a must-play if you have an Oculus Rift.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR (PSVR Review, PC VR Review)
When Skyrim VR was announced at E3, it was like a dream come true for me. The Elder Scrolls is one of my all-time favorite game franchises and the thought of being able to walk the streets of Whiterun and slay dragons in VR was just an incredible proposition. And luckily, it lives up to the hype.
The VR implementation could have used a bit more work since the flat menus and awkward NPC interaction leaves a bit to be desired, but the scale and amount of content is unmatched in VR. This is truly one of the best RPGs ever made, now in VR. If you’re on PC then you can play with mods too!
Journey of the Gods (Read Our Review)
Journey of the Gods is a simple, yet charming game. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel in terms of action adventure games in VR go and it certainly won’t blow your mind with its visuals, but what we’ve got here is a well-made and tightly designed adventure with hours of content to explore. I’d love to see this turned into a franchise so we could experience a bigger, better, and bolder sequel. As it stands, Journey of the Gods is a delightful and fun game worth adventuring with.
It’s available on both Quest and Rift, providing an adventurous scratch for your RPG itch.
Karnage Chronicles (Read Our Thoughts)
Romping through dungeons with friends is a ton of fun, especially when it’s VR and you’ve got defined class roles. Similar to VR Dungeon Knight, also on this list, Karnage Chronicles is heavily focused on co-op fun. There’s a surprising amount to this one with some solid progression systems and really inventive environment designs keeping you coming back.
It’s still in active development, but you can already experience a lot of great content even while it’s still in Early Access.
The Mage’s Tale (PSVR Review, PC VR Review)
From inXile Entertainment, the actual creators of The Bard’s Tale and Wasteland comes The Mage’s Tale, an excellent single-player RPG that pits you against dangerous goblins, deadly traps, and a surprisingly lengthy campaign featuring 10+ hours of content.
This one is out on Rift, Vive, and PSVR and it packs a lot of good RPG fun with some of the best production values in the genre. It’s not open world and is instead extremely linear, but the pacing is great with a fun adventure
No Man’s Sky VR (Read Our Review)
While not classified as an RPG directly in the most traditional sense, it’s got most of the core hallmarks in place and lets you immerse yourself in one of the largest and most detailed virtual universes ever crafted. For all intents and purposes, this is a sci-fi RPG epic in our books.
No Man’s Sky is very much more than the sum of its parts. When looked at under a microscope individually, each element can show significant blemishes with plenty of room to be more polished, more dynamic, and more expansive, but to focus too intently on the moving parts and not take it in as a collection of its immersive ambitions would be missing the point. Performance issues and some non-game breaking bugs aside, to appreciate what makes No Man’s Sky VR so special is to appreciate the underlying appeal of VR as a medium. They’re both about exploring a vast, endless sea of fantastical destinations. They’re both about embodiment and unrivaled immersion. And above all else they’re both about becoming who you want to be by exploring the far corners of seemingly limitless potential.
OrbusVR (Read Our Thoughts)
This one holds the crown of being the first-ever actually released and supported VR MMOs. Obviously it can’t hold a candle to Sword Art Online or Ready Player One just yet, but it has laid a great foundation for what’s to come.
Now that is massive overhaul is out and its released on Quest, OrbusVR is bigger and better than ever. Plus you can play for free all the way up to level 10!
Shadow Legend (Read Our Review)
Shadow Legend probably isn’t going to blow any minds or make believers out of anyone that has decided VR isn’t for them, but it does deliver on its promise of offering a feature-filled single player VR RPG that tells a complete story with action and intrigue. Production values and clunkiness aside, the mere fact that Shadow Legend feels like an actual game probably says more about the state of the VR market than it does the quality of the adventure itself. At the end of the day when I lay down my Knight’s Templar sword and finish slaying demons, all I could think is how badly I wish there was more.
Shadow Legend is out on PC VR headsets and is coming to PSVR sometime this year.
Vanishing Realms: Rites of Steel (Early Acces Review | Sundered Rift Review)
This is really the original roomscale VR RPG. It came out at the same time in Early Access back when the HTC Vive first launched almost three years ago and is still one of the best. It’s now out of Early Access and the massive expansion more than doubles the game’s size and length.
Vanishing Realms is the most traditional D&D-inspired game on this list and is all about exploring dungeons, fighting enemies, and bypassing some simple puzzles and traps. It’s a world rife with potential and is still a blast to play to this day.
The Wizards: Enhanced Edition (PSVR Review, PC VR Review)
On the gamut of magic-based first-person action games, The Wizards: Enhanced Editions is definitely one of the better ones. Its spell-casting system is interactive without being too cumbersome and the campaign mode packs a solid amount of content. Plenty of collectibles, a replayable Arena mode, and lots of mission augmentations add up to this being a really fun journey. But some of the repetition, relatively short length, and recycled wave-shooter-style mission structures left us wanting a bit more creativity. I absolutely enjoyed my time with The Wizards, but with a few additions it could have been the definitive VR spell-casting game.
It’s out on PSVR, PC VR, and even Oculus Quest now too.
Notable Upcoming VR RPGs
Nostos (Read Our Thoughts)
SoulKeeper VR (Read Our Thoughts)
Here’s some prototype footage of Zenith, our in development VR MMORPG for the Quest. from r/OculusQuest
Zenith (Read The Announcement)
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via Mint VR