If you’re searching for some great VR RPGs to play, this article is here to help. I’ve spent the last few months playing all of the best virtual reality RPGs, racking up hundreds of hours of play-time, and I’ve put together my opinions about the very best ones available. I cover games for both PC VR headsets, standalone VR headsets such as the Quest 2, and also some PSVR games.
I’ve been an avid fan of role-playing games for years, but nothing comes close to the immersion of playing a premium game in virtual reality. This article covers 20 VR RPGs that I feel are the very best available and worthy of your time.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
Skyrim VR is the VR version of one of the most revered RPG games of all time and is an easy VR RPG to recommend, with a few caveats. This game has you exploring Skyrim, one of the northern provinces of Tamriel, within which all of The Elder Scrolls games are set. You take up the role of an adventurer, let loose in the vast world of Skyrim to follow an epic quest, or forge your own path in the world.
There is such an incredible amount of content to explore in Skyrim VR, with stunning towns and villages, voice-acted NPCs, hundreds of quests, and rolling hills and mountains filled with bandit hideouts, mines, and dungeons. There are so many things to explore and collect, a great crafting system, in-depth skill trees, player-built housing, engaging combat and magic systems, and loads more.
You can play as a melee fighter, rogue, mage, archer, or a mix of whatever you enjoy the most. This is a game that you can immerse yourself in, become your character, and live out an alternate life in an amazing fantasy setting. VR elevates Skyrim to one of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had, and I’ve put hundreds of hours into this game.
The PC version of Skyrim gets overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, but the VR version has more critical feedback, largely due to the standard of the VR port. Unfortunately, there are many issues with the gameplay, systems, and UI that have not been done well in the VR port, and they will significantly impact your enjoyment of the game.
The good news is that Skyrim VR has an active and enthusiastic modding community who have produced countless mods to fix all of the issues and loads more to improve an already awesome game. I would strongly advise you not to consider buying Skyrim VR unless you are willing to install at least a few mods. They are easy to install, and you can customize the game in more ways than you can imagine, elevating Skyrim VR to be the best VR RPG I have ever played.
Skyrim VR is available from Steam for PC VR headsets and also for PSVR. You can also play it on Quest 2 via the Link Cable or Airlink.
2. Demeo
Demeo is a turn-based, tabletop VR RPG that you can play either solo or as a group of up to four players co-operatively. It’s available on Steam for PC VR headsets, as well as on the Oculus store for Quest and Quest 2. It is a wonderful VR interpretation of old-school tabletop RPGs that provides hours of fun.
Your goal in Demeo is to follow a number of story-based adventures as you journey through dungeons, encountering a range of enemies, collecting loot, and trying to find the key that will let you escape. Playing in VR feels so immersive, and the controls, audio, graphics, and art style really draw you in and help you get involved in the adventure.
There is a good tutorial to get you up to speed with the gameplay mechanics, and after this, you can dive into a skirmish, quick game, or one of the multiplayer modes. There are a growing number of adventures to play through and the developers have a detailed timeline of content that will be added in the future.
You can choose a hero to play as, but there is limited customization of your character, unlike what you may be used to in other RPGs. Each player has a deck of cards that you can use on your turn to do damage, cast spells, or summon friendly characters.
The layout of each level is randomized each time you play, but the enemies remain the same. This provides a good amount of replayability for the limited adventures currently available. There is no facility to save your progress mid-way through an adventure, which significantly raises the tension as you work your way through the hostile environments.
I’ve had tons of fun playing Demeo with friends and would thoroughly recommend it. I’m looking forward to more adventures being released over time and can see myself coming back to this game again and again.
3. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
The Walking Dead: Saints And Sinners is an incredibly well-made VR RPG, that is incredibly immersive due to the attention to detail and well-thought-out gameplay and systems. It’s dark and it’s scary, and I found it genuinely terrifying, in a good way!
Danger lurks around every corner, both from the relentless undead, but also from other survivors who can often pose just as much of a threat, as well as the constant risk of hunger and disease. With loads of missions, compelling story-driven content, and plenty of gut-wrenching decisions, The Walking Dead VR will have you on the edge of your seat.
The VR implementation in this game is terrific, with excellent control and movement systems and surprisingly tactile interactions with the many objects in the world. Crafting, exploration, freedom of choice, and visceral combat make this a deep VR RPG that has been made from the ground up for virtual reality.
The Walking Dead: Saints And Sinners is available on Steam for PCVR headsets, on the Oculus store for Quest 2, etc, and is also available for PSVR.
4. Asgard’s Wrath
Asgard’s Wrath is without a doubt, one of the best VR RPG experiences, that would be dramatically more popular if it was not exclusive to Oculus PC VR headsets. Essentially, this means you’ll either need a Rift headset, or a Quest 2 connected to a VR-ready PC via Link cable or Airlink to play it.
With a great story, beautiful visuals, satisfying combat, excellent voice-acting, and varied gameplay across multiple playable characters and companions, this is a terrific VR game that you should definitely play if you have the right hardware.
The gameplay focuses on combat and puzzle-solving, which you achieve from the perspectives of an Asgardian god and as a number of mortal characters. Gameplay changes across each environment and characters have their own signature weapons and play styles, while a variety of loot helps you level up your character, and keeps things interesting as you progress.
The difficulty is well balanced, and there is an interesting companion system, which adds to the richness of the gameplay. Combat is exceedingly well done, and feels satisfying, yet challenging, and the larger-than-life puzzles provide further intrigue.
Asgard’s Wrath should be much more popular than it is, and it’s a shame that it is limited to PC VR Oculus headsets. If you have the requisite hardware, you owe it to yourself to pick up this awesome VR RPG.
5. Garden Of The Sea
Garden Of The Sea feels like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley for VR and is an adorable and relaxing VR RPG that is loads of fun to play. Plant and grow your own garden, make new friends, furnish your home, craft and customize a wide variety of items, and hop on your boat to visit neighboring islands.
This is such a relaxing game to play, with a cheerful and colorful art style, terrific audio, and a really chilled vibe. After working through a series of tutorials to get you up to speed on the basics of the game, you are free to explore, collect, craft, and grow your garden, or take part in any of the other activities on offer.
You can collect a wide variety of resources and items from other islands to help you create a perfect island paradise exactly as you want. The crafting system is easy to use whilst also being deep and interesting, and you will find a steady stream of new recipes to make new items and food. As the game slowly opens up in front of you, it’s easy to set goals that will keep you entertained for hours.
The tactile satisfaction of interacting with objects feels fantastic, and every item in the game is lovingly made. There is plenty to do, and all of the aspects of this game fit together well to make an overall enjoyable experience. I particularly enjoyed expanding and growing my garden, planting and watering seeds, and helping my plants grow.
If you like this type of game, Garden Of The Sea is easy to recommend, and it gets great reviews on both the Steam and Oculus stores. I’ve had loads of fun with it and will be playing it plenty in the future. Garden Of The Sea is available on Steam and on the Oculus store and can be played on most PCVR headsets, as well as the standalone Quest 2.
6. Green Hell VR
Green Hell VR is an Open World Survival game with many RPG elements set in the Amazon rainforest. You are left alone in the jungle and you must learn real-life survival techniques to endure the harsh environment.
Green Hell VR is a really premium, complex, authentic survival game where you can immerse yourself in your character and situation, as you fight for survival. The graphics, animations, sounds, and control mechanics are brilliantly done, making for a really atmospheric and engaging experience.
Green Hell VR is challenging, and you must struggle to manage your hunger, thirst, fatigue, and mental health, all while trying to find raw materials to craft essential tools and equipment and avoid the deadly animals that are prone to attack. The game doesn’t hold your hand, but it’s so satisfying to overcome every one of the many challenges in this game.
Green Hell VR is available on Steam for PC VR headsets but requires a fairly powerful computer to get it running smoothly due to the stunning graphics. There is also a Quest 2 version that works in standalone mode that has slightly reduced graphics to cater to the reduced processing power available. Don’t let this put you off, as the game is just as good on Quest 2.
As of the time of writing this article, Green Hell VR is single-player only, but a multiplayer update is coming soon. I absolutely love this game and find it so engaging, but I can’t wait to be able to play this with friends. If you love RPGs, Green Hell VR is a perfect option as it is so immersive and engaging, and has many of the same gameplay elements as the very best VR RPGs.
7. Tabletop Simulator
Tabletop Simulator is a sandbox game that lets you play an enormous variety of tabletop games within VR. Options include card games, chess, dungeon-crawler RPGs, Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer 40K, and loads more. There are literally thousands of community-made games to play, and the options keep growing.
There is a bit of a learning curve to get through when you first start playing Tabletop Simulator, so watching a few tutorials on Youtube is a good way to learn the basics quickly. There are many games that you can play in single-player mode, but where this game really shines is when you meet up with a group of friends in VR and enjoy some fantastic multiplayer tabletop games.
This game has the potential to provide the most authentic VR interpretation of old-school tabletop RPGs, but it can also do so much more. The graphics are fairly good, but not spectacular, and the controls do take a little getting used to, but once you get going, you won’t look back.
In terms of value for money, nothing comes close to Tabletop Simulator, so I wholeheartedly recommend getting this one. With over 32000 reviews on Steam and an average rating of 96 % (overwhelmingly positive), most people seem to agree with me. You can get Tabletop Simulator on Steam for all compatible PC VR headsets.
8. Journey Of The Gods
Journey Of The Gods is an Oculus-exclusive single-player adventure VR RPG that can be played on Quest, Quest 2, and Rift headsets. It tasks you with exploring an interesting world as a hero in a battle against the forces of evil. The gameplay is really solid, with an interesting story, environment, characters, and combat. It has exceptional animation, and the art style is appealing, despite relatively simplistic graphics that avoid taxing the Quest 2 excessively.
The combat feels challenging but satisfying, and there is a good variety of enemies, big and small to fight against. There are also a lot of puzzles that provide a lot of interest and challenge, and sometimes, you’ll have to enter your god-form to perform a number of special abilities to help you progress through the adventure. This adds a welcome and interesting dimension to the game that keeps it feeling fresh.
Journey Of The Gods is filled with unique and interesting characters that breathe life into the world, and there are a number of good loot and progression systems to improve your character as you play.
The game continued to surprise me with new features, gameplay, and level design throughout its duration, helping to keep my attention right to the end. It will take most people about 5-7 hours to play through the complete game, and it is well worth the price despite the relatively short length.
9. Half-Life: Alyx
If you want to play one of the most polished, premium games virtual reality has to offer, Half-Life: Alyx is something you have to try. This heavily story-driven game puts you in the shoes of Alyx Vance as she battles against the vicious Combine to save the fate of humanity.
Set in the legendary Half-Life universe, and with a pedigree of exceptional Half-Life games before it, expectations were always going to be exceedingly high for Half-Life: Alyx. Thankfully, Valve has produced a masterpiece of a game and there aren’t enough superlatives to express how great this game is.
With stunning graphics, animation, sound, VR controls, gameplay, and a story that kept me gripped from start to finish, Half-Life: Alyx should be played by everyone who has a compatible PC VR headset. From the opening few minutes of playing Half-Life: Alyx, I was blown away. The attention to detail in every environment provides an incredibly immersive and satisfying experience. The controls feel just right, and all of the animations are really well polished.
The pacing of the story was terrific, with plenty of action, tension, and moments of terror. I could hardly bear to keep playing at times due to the tension but I loved every minute of it. I can still feel the sense of fear I felt as I desperately tried to reload my weapon as enemies closed in around me, and the looming sense of dread that was my companion as I explored subterranean tunnels and alien environments.
Half-Life: Alyx is a story-based FPS with quite a lot of VR RPG elements that you can easily immerse yourself in. You’ll really care about the characters and story as you play through this game, and the whole package just blows the competition away.
Half-Life: Alyx is only available on Steam for PC-VR headsets, and does require a reasonable amount of processing power to keep it running smoothly. Don’t be put off by the premium pricing, as Half-Life: Alyx is one of the best games you will ever play, VR or not!
10. No Man’s Sky
Originally released in 2016, No Man’s Sky has seen a steady stream of updates and new content since its original rocky launch. You are presented with a galaxy to explore, filled with unique planets and lifeforms, and constant danger and action. With virtually limitless procedurally generated planets to explore, that you can fly to seamlessly without loading screens, it really feels like you have the entire universe in front of you.
The VR implementation of No Man’s Sky is breathtaking, with stunning visuals and a level of scale and immersion that is only present in the very best VR RPGs. Unfortunately, this is a PC VR game, so owners of Quest 2 and other standalone headsets can only play if they connect to a VR-ready PC.
Whether you want to be an explorer, fighter, trader, pirate, or something else, you can forge your own path in No Man’s Sky. Whilst the game was initially criticized for being as deep as an ocean and as shallow as a puddle, that is no longer the case thanks to the enormous amount of updates that have been delivered to this hugely impressive game.
No Man’s Sky is filled with interesting locations, characters, enemies, and loads of things to do. It is a sandbox RPG, so you must be prepared to set your own course, rather than enjoy a guided journey, but if this sort of game appeals to you, you are in for a treat.
There is a deep crafting system that allows you to create upgrades for your Exosuit, weapons, ships, etc, and produce products from blueprints that are found throughout the universe, and this adds a huge dimension to character progression.
I was one of the people who was put off by No Man’s Sky due to the controversial launch, and I’ve only started playing it over the past year, but I’m very glad I did. It’s available on Steam for PC VR headsets.
11. The Mage’s Tale
The Mage’s Tale is a VR RPG and dungeon crawler that transports you to a fantasy world and turns you into a wizard. It’s available on Steam and on the Oculus store for PC VR headsets and is also available for PSVR.
You play as an apprentice mage who must battle through a number of crypts and dungeons, fighting monsters, avoiding traps, and solving puzzles, all while becoming a more powerful and capable mage. It’s been designed from the ground up for VR, and this is so apparent, with well-thought-out controls, UI, and inventory systems.
The graphics, art style, and audio are excellent, and despite being a few years old now, it stands up well to current standards. The character progression feels satisfying, as you learn new spells and become more powerful over time. Although combat is limited to only spell casting, it’s done so well that you’re unlikely to be disappointed by the lack of melee combat.
The whole game is well-polished, and it really feels like a cohesive world, which is no surprise considering it is made by inXile Entertainment which has a great reputation for producing high-quality games. This is another great VR RPG that you should check out.
12. Blade And Sorcery
Blade And Sorcery is one of the most popular, beautiful, and premium VR games available. It is primarily a sandbox fantasy fighting game but has a lot of RPG elements, and big promises to evolve into a more complete VR RPG over time. It comes in two separate versions, Blade And Sorcery: Nomad, a Quest 2 optimized version of the game, and the more graphically stunning and complete, Blade And Sorcery.
The main attraction of this game at present is the ability to fight opponents with a range of physics-based melee, ranged, and magic combat. There is a wide range of weapons and fighting styles and so many opportunities for creativity and fun. There are a growing number of environments to explore and activities to take part in, and all of the mechanics and gameplay elements are lovingly designed to work perfectly in VR.
The combat feels so satisfying in this made-for-VR experience, due to accurate collisions and hitboxes, objects that feel like they have real weight, and enemies with full-body physics and presence. This is very much a sandbox experience at present, which makes for a really refreshing experience. A large part of the fun comes from just experimenting with what can be done in this game, which usually leads to highly entertaining and surprising gameplay.
Blade And Sorcery is available on Steam for PC VR headsets and Blade And Sorcery: Nomad is available on the Oculus store for Quest 2
13. Legendary Tales
Legendary tales is a VR RPG with well-developed RPG features, physics-based combat, and up to 4 player co-op. The goal is to work your way through a series of dungeons killing skeletons and other enemies, mastering the combat, upgrading your gear, and improving your character. You can allocate points as you level to customize your character as you progress through the game. There are lots of weapon types and variants with a range of stats.
All your actions, and particularly the combat have a satisfying, weighty feel to them like you are interacting with real items and using real weapons. There is little in the way of story, but this doesn’t detract from the excellent game Legendary Tales already is.
The closest comparator to Legendary Tales is Blade And Sorcery, and both have their pros and cons. Personally, I find the weighty feel of the combat in Legendary Tales to be more satisfying, although there is less combat and weapon variety.
I have a feeling that Legendary Tales is going to surge in popularity over the next while, as the quality of what is on offer is terrific, and it’s only going to get better as this early access game improves over time.
Legendary Tales is available for Steam, so you’ll either need a PC VR headset, or the ability to use a Link cable or Airlink with the Quest 2. It’s priced a little steeply for an early access game, but I don’t regret my purchase, as I feel confident this is a VR RPG that I’m going to be playing again and again as it improves over the next few years.
14. Zenith: The Last City
If you’re looking for a VR RPG that brings the best of the MMO genre to VR, then Zenith: The Last City is a clear winner and a game that is worthy of your time. Released in January 2022 and made by Ramen VR, a small development team, this is a really impressive game so far. Combining all the aspects you’ve come to expect from a good MMORPG in a satisfying VR package, Zenith is a lot of fun to play, particularly with friends.
The downside of Zenith: The Last City is that it only has a small team working on it, so the game feels a bit empty and incomplete, and has much less content than similar non-VR MMORPGs. The team is hard at work and, with significant new funding since the initial early access release, the team is now able to accelerate development.
I feel the foundations are all in place for Zenith to grow into an awesome VR MMORPG, but it probably doesn’t have sufficient content to keep most people playing for more than a few weeks at present. This will definitely be a VR RPG that I keep checking in on over the next while as more content and polish are applied.
Zenith: The Last City is available on Steam and from the Oculus store and can be played on PC VR headsets and on standalone headsets such as the Quest 2.
15. Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrok
Shadowgate VR is a VR remake of a classic RPG that dates back to 1987. It has been completely redesigned for VR by the original developers and it has been turned into a premium, immersive VR RPG that you should definitely check out.
Shadowgate VR is a story-based dungeon crawler where you must make your way through the Dwarven halls of Mythrok, solving puzzles, confronting monsters, and avoiding traps. It’s a challenging experience, with puzzles that require a good amount of thought, and traps that will lead to your demise frequently, so make sure to save often.
There is a great mix of storytelling, humor, and scary parts that will keep you on edge while you play, although you can tone down the scary parts in the options menu if desired. Shadowgate VR feels like a premium VR RPG, with good graphics and sound that really draw you into the world. It’s available on the Oculus store for Quest and Quest 2, and on Steam for PC VR headsets.
16. A Township Tale
A Township Tale is a deep and engaging open-world VR RPG that has become one of my favorite VR games. You have complete freedom to follow whatever path you like in this game, with activities including gathering, crafting, mining, cooking, blacksmithing, trading, exploring, and combat, all providing hours of entertainment.
A Township Tale has a terrific character customization process and tutorial islands that seamlessly teach you the basics of the game, ensuring that when you enter the main world, you have a good idea of what to do next.
This VR RPG may have simplistic graphics, but it is a deep and challenging game, with loads of possibilities. The crafting system is impressive, with a highly tactile process that has you physically hammering nails, chopping down trees, and combining components to make a wide range of useful tools and items.
You can explore caves to mine rocks, find loot, and tackle the enemies that lurk within, many of which provide a challenging combat experience. There is a significant multiplayer component to A Township Tale, although you do have the option to play in a private world if desired. I found it a lot of fun to play in multiplayer mode, and the community is mostly friendly.
A Township Tale has some basic survival mechanics, and you must collect, grow or kill your own food to keep your energy up and maintain your health bar.
A Township Tale is available to download for PC VR headsets from the developer’s website, or you can get it from the Oculus store for Quest 2 and Quest. It usually costs about $8 and is a total bargain at this price. There are some cosmetic items that you can purchase with in-game currency, but nothing that impacts the gameplay. Overall, this is a fantastic VR RPG that I would highly recommend.
17. RUINSMAGUS
Ruinsmagus is a VR RPG with strong JRPG influences that is both stunning to look at and a blast to play. Ruinsmagus tasks you with exploring the world of Grand Amnis and exploring the ruins beneath the city, battling enemies, collecting loot, improving your character, and following the engaging and interesting story.
This is a world that has been lovingly crafted, with a really appealing art style and so many unique details that will really draw you into the world. I played this on Quest 2 and I was really blown away by how good it looked on this standalone headset.
In keeping with a lot of other JRPGs, the voice acting is in Japanese, but there are English subtitles so you can follow the story, and I didn’t feel this detracted in any significant way from my enjoyment of the game.
I loved the design of the UI and inventory system, as well as the process for using and managing your weapons and magic. In keeping with all good VR RPGs, the satisfaction of having to make realistic movements to use, aim and manage your weapons and equipment helps greatly with the level of immersion.
The combat is challenging and satisfying and the level design is interesting. There’s plenty of entertainment to be had in Ruinsmagus, with 25 story-driven quests to complete to keep you entertained for hours. For anyone who enjoys JRPGs, Ruinsmagus is a fantastic option. It is available on the Oculus store for Quest 2 and also on Steam for PC VR headsets.
18. Fallout 4 VR
This VR RPG puts you in the shoes of the sole survivor of vault 111 as you enter a world destroyed by nuclear war. You have complete freedom to play the game in whatever way you like, fighting for survival, exploring hundreds of locations, meeting a wide range of characters, and completing quests.
Fallout 4 VR is worth your time if you have the patience to install mods to fix many of the deficiencies that are apparent with the original VR version of this classic RPG. If you have the patience for this, you will be rewarded with the most immersive and enjoyable version of Fallout 4 that you can play. If you don’t have the patience to install mods and follow detailed instructions to fix the long list of issues, don’t even think about getting this game.
It actually took several years after Fallout 4 VR was released for all of the issues with this game to be resolved by the modding community. If you’re planning to just buy, download, and play this game, I would warn you not to. This VR RPG should definitely be considered a project, but one that I feel is worth it for someone who doesn’t mind a bit of work to get the game working.
Fallout 4 VR is available for PC VR headsets via Steam. I’ve played it on the HP Reverb G2 and also on Quest 2 via Airlink and I’ve really enjoyed it despite many hours of frustration to get it working well.
19. OrbusVR: Reborn
OrbusVR: Reborn is a VR MMORPG that is very much a traditional MMO experience that has been translated into the world of VR. There is a lot that OrbusVR does well, with hundreds of hours of entertainment to be had if you are willing to put in a little effort at the start and forgive a few things that are a little rough around the edges. There is plenty of content, with 8 classes, hundreds of quests, 6 group dungeons, two 10-person raids, and dynamic level scaling.
The graphics and UI are serviceable, and although not cutting edge, didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Quests weren’t particularly inspiring and combat is fairly dull after a while. You’re likely to get the most enjoyment from OrbusVR when playing with friends and I have enjoyed the time I’ve spent in the game with a small group of friends. The player base is low, so you’re likely to need to bring others with you to play group content.
OrbusVR is one of the first VR MMORPGs, so I’m a little bit more forgiving of its weaknesses. The other option worth considering is Zenith: The Last City, which to be honest, is probably the better choice. OrbusVR: Reborn is available on Steam for PC VR headsets and on the Oculus store for Quest and Quest 2.
20. Hellsplit Arena
Hellsplit Arena is a VR medieval combat game set in a fantasy version of the Middle Ages filled with gruesome undead monsters that you must fight against. There are RPG elements here, but the combat is the main attraction, with excellent physics, 1-to-1 movement, and realistic battles.
The graphics are great, the art style is well executed, and a life-like injury system provides excellent feedback as you battle your opponents. The only downside to Hellsplit Arena is that the amount of content is slightly limited, and it’s hard to recommend it over Blade And Sorcery and Legendary Tales.
This is a really solid game that you can have a lot of fun with, but you may be better off getting this on sale or opting for one of the other options instead.