Say what you will about Facebook (or Meta) as a company, the Meta Quest 2 has been making impressive inroads in terms of bringing Virtual Reality gaming to the masses. The combination of well-designed, fairly affordable, portable and quite capable VR hardware has seen quite a bit of success from a hardware and software perspective. So it looks like between Meta and Sony, VR gaming may be sticking around for a while.
Anyway, earlier today the company held their 2022 Meta Quest Gaming Showcase event which revealed a healthy slate of software coming to the Quest in the near future. Some highlights included Ghostbusters VR, Bonelab, Among Us VR, NFL PRO ERA, Red Matter 2, Moss: Book II, Resident Evil 4 – The Mercenaries and quite a bit more!
See the full event below, and also check out all the details directly from the Meta Quest Blog below.
Meta Quest Gaming Showcase 2022:
Hopefully you were able to tune into our second annual Meta Quest Gaming Showcase today. But if not? Don?t worry, we?ve got you covered. Below you?ll find a recap of every announcement from today?s show (and all of the trailers too). NFL PRO ERA, Among Us VR, Red Matter 2, Bonelab?the list goes on. Best of all: Every game we showed off today is slated to release within the next year.
We?re also celebrating today?s show with a sale in the Meta Quest Store. Grab games like Moss and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners so you can get caught up before the sequels drop later this year. And we gave away the world the showcase took place in as a new Home environment?look for Crystal Atrium under the Personalization tab of your settings menu.
Oh, and did we mention that The Mercenaries is out now for anyone who owns Resident Evil 4 on Quest 2? Read on for more details.
Ghostbusters VR
We saved the biggest surprise for last today. Mark Zuckerberg dropped by to introduce Ghostbusters VR, published by Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR) and developed by nDreams (Phantom: Covert Ops). Even the Ecto-1 made an appearance.
Strap on your very own proton pack and step into the Ghostbusters universe. Based out of your new San Francisco HQ, you?ll track, blast, and trap ghosts while trying to unravel a mystery that threatens the entire city?or maybe the world. And while playing alone is an option, you can team up with three friends for a big and engaging Ghostbusters adventure that has to be experienced to be believed.
Ghostbusters VR is equal parts silly and scary, and we can?t wait to share more. Keep your P.K.E. meters tuned to GhostbustersVR.com!
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners released two years ago, and millions of you have carved a path through its undead-infested streets?either to save New Orleans or to condemn it.
But actions have consequences. Later this year Skydance Interactive will release The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution. Continue your journey through a changed New Orleans, one that?s even more dangerous than before. Expect fewer resources, more walkers, and a new and bloodthirsty threat that will hunt you across the city.
Scrounge up whatever you can to survive?and be careful. Your choices matter now more than ever.
Bonelab
Stress Level Zero?s acclaimed BONEWORKS paired a next-level interaction engine with near-boundless player freedom. The result? One of the most realistic and immersive VR games to-date.
Hope you?re ready for the follow-up. Today Stress Level Zero announced its fourth project, BONELAB, built for both Quest 2 and PC VR. BONELAB builds on its predecessor, pairing a brand new story with two years of innovation and interaction engine progress.
Escaping execution, you?ll find yourself in a mysterious underground lab. Uncover the truth about your reality. Fight, run, and climb as you explore an exquisitely detailed combat simulation where every object reacts exactly the way you?d expect?and as a result, where creativity is just as important as skill. There will also be mod support, so you?ll be able to enhance your experience with new maps, new weapons, and new avatars.
BONELAB is set to release later this year, so keep an eye out on the store for updates.
NFL PRO ERA
We?re only a few months into the NFL offseason, but it?s already time to start thinking about what might happen when players hit the field this fall. Will you lead your favorite team to the Super Bowl?
Yes, you. Today StatusPRO revealed NFL PRO ERA, the first officially-licensed NFL game to hit VR. NFL PRO ERA uses NFL game data to create the most authentic on-the-field NFL VR experience to-date. Lead your team to a Super Bowl, improve your QB skills by participating in drills, or play catch virtually with your friends in your favorite NFL stadium. Read the defense, run the offense, and make the plays just like the pros do on Sundays?and see whether you have what it takes to compete at the highest level.
Among Us VR
Get ready, Crewmates! Among Us VR was one of our favorite world premieres at The Game Awards last year (though we might be biased). Today InnerSloth, Robot Teddy, and Schell Games hit us with more great news: We?ll be throwing around spurious accusations and offing our friends by the end of 2022, so start practicing your best ?I didn?t do it!? speeches now.
And there?s more! Schell Games has developed some fantastic VR games over the years, including I Expect You To Die 2 and Until You Fall. We?re excited to announce that we?re partnering with Schell Games on three more projects. No details yet, but stay tuned!
Red Matter 2
Red Matter ended on a cliffhanger, so it?s safe to say that expectations are high for Red Matter 2. Don?t worry: Today?s debut trailer oozes atmosphere.
Red Matter 2 picks up right where the previous game left off. You might?ve escaped the titular red matter last time, but you certainly haven?t stopped it. Doing so will take you across the solar system, from a base on our own moon to a space station orbiting above Saturn?s rings, and beyond. Uncover dark secrets and do your best to halt the red matter?s spread and save humanity.
Vertical Robot has built on lessons learned from the first game, and the result is a longer and more ambitious adventure. Puzzles are still central to Red Matter 2, but the sequel varies it up with new tools, a more mobile jetpack to help you navigate difficult terrain, and?well, a few surprises we?d hate to spoil this early. It?s also a technical tour de force, with some of the most stunning visuals seen on Quest 2 to-date. Keep an eye out for more updates later this year.
Espire 2
Back in 2019, publisher Tripwire Presents and Digital Lode wowed players with Espire 1: VR Operative. Plunging players into the world of international espionage, Espire 1 served up a thrilling story befitting someone with a three-number code name (and strong thoughts on martinis).
Now the team is back with a bigger-and-better sequel, Espire 2. Your mission?should you choose to accept it?is to ultimately locate and stop the launch of an untraceable, supersonic missile, a true doomsday device. Wield an array of high-tech gadgets as you go behind enemy lines and try to save the world for a second time.
And if you have a partner? Espire 2 features an entirely separate co-op campaign, with unique missions set in familiar Espire 1 locations. Find someone you trust with your state secrets and pair up for a thrilling side story that spans the gap between Espire 2 and its predecessor.
Moss: Book II
Yes! You saw it here first. Quill, the young hero of Moss, joined us during the showcase to announce that Moss: Book II is coming to Quest 2 this summer!
Book II builds on the story set forth in Moss. Having rescued her uncle Argus, Quill?s adventure continues with the revelation that a winged tyrant is hunting her within the hexed castle where her uncle was once held captive. But Quill has a plan of her own, one that could finally end the merciless rule of the Arcane and save the world from a great unmaking. To stand a chance, Quill will need a true partner by her side?and hopefully that partner is you.
RUINSMAGUS
Beneath the quaint streets and alleyways of Grand Amnis lies a vast labyrinth of ruins, long-forgotten by those above. In RUINSMAGUS, journey deep into this hidden subterranean realm in search of precious and powerful artifacts. Unravel the secrets of a lost age and grow from a novice wizard into a powerful, spell-wielding Magus in this narrative-driven action JRPG that includes 26 fully-voiced quests?featuring the vocal talents of Naomi Ohzora, Ai Maeda, Eiji Takemoto, and more.
RUINSMAGUS is set to release later this year, so stay tuned.
Cities: VR
For more than 30 years, the city builder genre has kept aspiring urban planners (and maybe a few professionals) up late laying roads, placing hospitals and schools, creating the cities of their dreams.
Now Cities: VR is set to bring the streets to life like never before. Fans of Paradox?s Cities: Skylines will feel right at home here, as Cities: VR manages to capture the essence of that experience on Quest 2. It?s not a one-to-one port, but Fast Travel Games is taking you ?through the screen? so-to-speak, giving you a newfound appreciation (unique to VR) of the scale and scenery of the cities you?re designing.
Best of all? It?s out next week. Pick up Cities: VR on Quest 2 starting April 28 (or preorder today for 10% off)!
Beat Saber – Electronic Mixtape
Beat Saber has already had a busy start to 2022, with both the release of OST5 and a Fall Out Boy music pack. But the year is still young, and there?s plenty more to come. Today, Beat Games announced their next release, the upcoming Electronic Mixtape, featuring tracks from hit artists deadmau5, Marshmello, Pendulum, and more.
Resident Evil 4 – The Mercenaries
When Resident Evil 4 released last year, many of you asked ?What about The Mercenaries?? Fear not, the wait is over. Like we said up top, the fan-favorite mode is out now as a free update for those who own Resident Evil 4 on Meta Quest 2.
The Mercenaries has been entirely rebuilt for VR by Armature Studio, in partnership with Oculus Studios and Capcom. Your goal is the same as ever: Take out as many Ganados as possible before time expires. The Meta Quest 2 version features exclusive online leaderboards though, plus 20 new Challenges to test your skills against. Completing challenges also lets you unlock some made-for-VR treats, including a Big Head Mode, a black-and-white Classic Horror Mode, and fancy Golden Gun skins for all your favorite weapons. And you can even bring these unlocks back into the main Resident Evil 4 campaign.
It?s endlessly replayable?and again, it?s out now, so pick up Resident Evil 4 on Quest 2 if you haven?t already, and enjoy!