Meta’s newest headset had a strong year, but what were its must-play games? Find out with our list of the Best Quest Games 2021!
Well it might be a bit confusing remembering how to name Quest after Facebook’s recent rebrand, but one thing is clear as day: Quest 2 is now the headset to beat. All signs point to an enormous debut year for Meta’s third standalone headset (yes, that’s right, we didn’t forget Oculus Go), and developers measured up to meet the demand for great games. Here’s our picks for the 10 best titles released on the platform this year.
As always, you can grab these games from the Quest store. Looking for more impressions? Head over to our reviews section!
Best Quest Games 2021
10. After The Fall (Quest 2 Only)
We’d have gladly waited another six months for After The Fall if it had meant launching with more than five maps, but Vertigo Games still delivered one of the most enjoyable and addictive co-op shooters of the year. The Quest version in particular is a small miracle given that it can handle cross-play with the PC VR and PSVR builds with the same number of enemies on-screen at a time. Hopefully it’s only up from here for After The Fall.
9. Blade And Sorcery: Nomad (Quest 2 Only)
Were it releasing in a more finished state, then Blade and Sorcery: Nomad would quickly catapult into the top five of our best Quest games 2021 list. But, as it stands, the game still offers just enough brutal VR combat to qualify for the top ten. The new dungeons mode really helps give the game a sense of progression, but we’ll never tire of the physics-driven arena combat. Look for more to come in 2022.
8. Larcenauts
Not everyone took to Larcenauts and that’s a bit of a shame. The game might’ve had a bit of a shaky start but we’d argue that you won’t find a deeper, more thoughtful team-based hero shooter anywhere else in VR. Larcenauts might wear its inspirations on its sleeves but the way each character type genuinely adds something new to the game is incredibly impressive. It’s still worth assembling a team for this gem.
7. Gorilla Tag
Our only App Lab entry for this year’s list, though it’s actually surprising Gorilla Tag isn’t on the full Quest store yet. It might not be a full game, but it’s proving to be even more popular than some of the platform’s most-marketed online experiences, and it seems to have struck a particular chord with younger audiences. Expect to hear a lot more about Gorilla Tag as VR continues to grow.
6. I Expect You To Die 2
Schell Games took its time bringing us a full sequel to 2016’s excellent VR escape room puzzler, but the wait was more than worth it. IEYTD hasn’t lost any of its trial and error charm in these past five years, and the sequel presents some of its most memorable puzzles yet. Hopefully we’ll hear about the possibility of more levels sometime in 2022.
5. Song in the Smoke
The Quest version of Song in the Smoke is a real triumph. Yes, some visual effects are lost in the transition, but this still feels like perhaps the least-compromised port of the year, with a gameplay experience that’s virtually identical to playing on PC or PSVR. It makes this version of the game, which offers some of the most engaging and immersive survival VR mechanics to date, the one to seek out if you have the option.
4. A Township Tale
Technically still in early access, but A Township Tale already has endless hours of content to dive into with friends. The physics-driven crafting and resource gathering offers finely-tuned mechanics, but it’s the sense of adventure as you risk diving into another layer of the game’s mines that really has us coming back for more. We can’t wait to see what 2022 has in store for one of our favorite Quest games.
3. Resident Evil 4 VR (Quest 2 Only)
We didn’t think Armature would be able to keep the spirit of Resident Evil 4 intact in the transition to VR. Boy were we wrong – this is an incredibly considerate port that accommodates a lot of play styles and, even though much of its 2D design remains, the core thrills of the classic game are alive and well. With San Andreas also due to come to Quest, Resident Evil 4 VR sets a high bar for what we should expect from future efforts, making it one of the best Quest games 2021.
2. Demeo
If Demeo were a flatscreen game (which, incidentally, it will be in 2022), it’d be a fun, if flawed tabletop dungeon crawler. But it really comes to life in VR, offering a social experience that not only matches meeting up in real life with friends but also augments the fun by letting you scale down into the board, watch attack animations and highlight points of interest to friends. There’s a lot of talk about how VR is a social medium that can change how we interact with each other, but we rarely see that in action. Demeo’s fantastic blend of tactical co-op is the perfect demonstration of where this platform is headed in the future, making one of the best Quest games 2021.
1. Unplugged
Unplugged’s hand-tracked controls aren’t perfect but, when you consider most people expected the game to be an unplayable mess, ‘not perfect is actually a surprising success. And, once you settle into the game’s feel, you’ll discover one of the most innovative and best-presented titles of the year. There are few sensations more empowering than shredding notes in this controller-less Guitar Hero VR game, and it’s got a surprisingly robust tracklist from a huge number of great artists to bolster the experience. As such, Unplugged takes the crown as our best Quest game of 2021. More, please!
And that’s our list of the best Quest games 2021! Agree with our picks? Think we missed anything? Let us know in the comments below!
