Never has there been an easier question as to why you should be excited about Taskmaster VR. The British gameshow has been running for 16 seasons all thanks to ludicrous challenges and hosts Greg Davies and Alex Horne. Somehow developer Scallywag Arcade is going to bottle up the show’s magic and feed it in a VR headset. And we couldn’t be more excited.
Taskmaster has run for years thanks, in most part, to the dynamic between Davies and Horne. Davis is quite literally a giant of comedy, standing at a lofty 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and helms the show as the Taskmaster. Horne is a fellow comedian and plays the part of a long-suffering co-host perfectly. The show revolves around several guests – usually comedians – trying to gain points by impressing the Taskmaster during each task.
The challenges are left to the contestants to decide how best to fulfil them. Some will try a methodical approach while others go for outright lunacy. It is this level of out-of-the-box thinking and interactivity that makes Taskmaster VR so exciting.
The task at hand
Scallywag Arcade has already begun teasing what some of the tasks will be. There will be melon smashing, creating and delicious sandwich for the Taskmaster and even a challenge involving a VR bath. Tasks are always seemingly simple yet fans of the show know that’s never the case.
Each one is timed so you have to think quickly to come up with a creative solution. You’ll have an abundance of ordinary and not-so-ordinary items to utilise as you try to remain calm and patient to skillfully succeed. This being Taskmaster you could try the opposite, of course, unleashing all hell is still an option. “Grab, smash, balance, throw, magnetise, fry, pierce – do whatever you need to do to complete the task,” says Scallywag.
Step inside the Taskmaster universe
The tasks might provide the gameplay experience, but the atmosphere comes from the locations and hosts. You’ll be able to explore the Taskmaster House, venturing into this previously quintessential British home to find the lab, the kitchen, the caravan, and the garden. Locations where so many stars have won, lost, and come a cropper.
The icing on the cake to all of this is the official inclusion of Davies and Horne. They’ll both provide their VR avatars with their own voices, adding a greater sense of being part of the show. They will, of course, have plenty of feedback regarding your performance in each task in their usual deadpan tone. That means you could get a compliment from the Taskmaster himself, or just as easily withering scorn. That all depends on how successful you are. Davies is renowned for his put-downs so expect some corkers.
While the TV show features multiple contestants, Taskmaster VR will be a single-player experience by the look of it.
Taskmaster VR is slated to arrive for Meta Quest and PCVR headsets on Steam in 2024. Watch the first trailer here.
Is this now on your 2024 wishlist? We’d advise watching a few series to pass the time.