Joy Way is a pretty prolific VR developer. The team behind Stride and Against, also has Red Flowers and Stack on Meta Quest’s App Lab. And let’s not forget Joy Way’s cancelled project Outlier. Interestingly, the latter wasn’t for nought, with the team creating Dead Hook from its ashes.
A Steam Early Access title, Outlier was cancelled in 2022 as Joy Way said it had “overestimated demand”. It also didn’t see a path to “financial self-sufficiency” due to work required to achieve the vision. However, the team wasn’t finished with the ever-popular roguelike genre, with the action-packed Dead Hook set to appear on Meta Quest 2 in May.
Dead Hook arises
Looking like a mashup between Windlands 2 and Zombieland, Dead Hook arms you with a plethora of weapons and wrist-mounted grappling hooks. Joy Way says it’ll feature a “captivating storyline” which sees you “Explore the elder planet Resaract and take on the role of Adam Stone, a mercenary, smuggler, thief, and devoted husband.”
This planet seems to be overrun by demonic creatures. A mixture of regular and elite elders defending their tombs. In combination with the grappling hooks, expect the game to be an intense VR experience.
Like any roguelike, each run is about surviving as long as possible, trying to get ever deeper into the game. Furthermore, to aid you, you’ll not only have weaponry but also 100 buffs and upgrades to make each run unique. Buffs will be run-specific, whilst upgrades will permanently carry over to make your character that little bit stronger each time.
Dead Hook is slated to arrive for Quest 2 on 18th May 2023. Check out the first trailer below to see the gameplay in action.
Or for more roguelike gaming take a look at our recent Light Brigade review.
Are you a VR roguelike fan? What’s your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.