Best VR Survival Games - Song in the Smoke screenshot

The 7 Best VR Survival Games

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Over the years videogames have become bigger, grander, and more fantastical. One of the genres that players love the most is ‘survival’, offering potentially hundreds of hours of gaming joy. The world of VR is no different. Here are what we think are the best VR survival games currently available.

The Best VR Survival Games

So what do we term as a survival game? Firstly, we’re looking at persistent worlds to explore so genres like ‘roguelike’ aren’t included here. Roguelike games like the excellent Cosmodread utilise procedurally generated worlds. So you die and return to a main hub for another run. Furthermore, a survival title doesn’t need to be open-world, survival horror games are a good example of this.

Survival games can be about collecting resources, crafting, making a base, and more, pushing and grinding for every new upgrade to improve your chances.

Below you’ll find titles (in no particular order) highlighting survival VR games from across the board. Playable across a variety of VR headsets including PCVR, PSVR/PSVR 2 and Meta Quest.

Song in the Smoke

Song in the Smoke

Released by 17-Bit back in 2021 with a remastered version for PSVR 2 in 2023 was Song in the Smoke. A mixture of fantastical narrative and realistic survival mechanics, Song in the Smoke drops you into a world where everything wants to hunt you.

Crafting is a huge part of the game, where you have to quickly learn to build fires and clothing to survive the night. Vicious predators stalk your every move, but you can stalk them as well. Track their smell, follow their footprints, and plan your ambush. As day transitions into night, the environment shifts and so do the creatures.  

Into the Radius - Best Meta Quest 2 Games

Into the Radius

Part science fiction and part horror, Into the Radius, is about survival in a brutal landscape scared by a calamitous event. Explore the Pechorsk zone which is filled with dangerous anomalies as well as valuable resources.

Fantastical it may be but Into the Radius is built upon realism and physics. Your backpack isn’t infinite so it has to be managed well. And so do your guns, they each have their own reload mechanics and ammo is scarce. With a day and night cycle, this means it can sometimes be more fruitful going out at night, where you can sneak about in the shadows. However, the Fragments, Mimics, and more are also roaming around 24/7. 

Developer CM Games has also confirmed that Into the Radius 2 is in development. You’ve got plenty of time to play this version though, as the sequel isn’t due until 2025.

The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners Quest3

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Time for some zombie survival in the form of Skydance Interactive’s The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. A single-player adventure that gives you the freedom to explore the ruins of New Orleans, it has been loved by players since 2020.

While a sequel has already been released, it didn’t quite live up to the original. You step into the shoes of ‘The Tourist’, encountering a city filled with the undead as well as survivors fighting among themselves. Help people out or lone wolf it, it is up to you. Search abandoned buildings for useful items which can then be crafted into weapons and other useful tools. You can choose to push the story-driven campaign on or continue exploring, scavenging and hunting the dead.

Green Hell VR - image1

Green Hell VR

Survival is no less tricky even if you’re stuck in a verdant jungle. Almost everything in Green Hell VR wants to kill you, whether that’s mercenaries, natives or wildlife. Just as they use the jungle to their advantage so can you, if you know how.

A port from the original Green Hell, this VR edition features completely reworked controls to physically immerse you in the experience. Craft weapons to keep you safe and hunt, tools to make tasks easier and heal yourself by wrapping plants around wounds. The Amazon is a very dangerous and interactive space, which makes Green Hell VR a demanding yet satisfying VR game.

Additionally, there’s more to look forward to as developer Incuvo has confirmed a Green Hell VR co-op mode is coming in 2024.

Best Open World VR Games - A Township Tale

A Township Tale

For those looking for a far less stressful but still in-depth and socially-focused game there’s A Township Tale. Starting with an abandoned town, you and a group of friends can bring it back to life, taking on roles like being a Blacksmith or a woodsman.

On the other hand, there’s a far wider world to explore so you’ll also need a few warriors to venture into the caves and forests. Bountiful resources can be found there but so can dangerous enemies. A Township Tale can be played solo but it works far better with a group of friends.

Arizona Sunshine 2 Launch-Screenshot3

Arizona Sunshine 2

The newest title on this list and another zombie-themed game is Vertigo Games’ Arizona Sunshine 2. The original game came out in 2016 and was hugely popular. Arizona Sunshine 2 continues the zombie adventure with more guns, undead and gore – if that’s even possible.

There’s a single-player campaign, a co-op mode to bring a friend along and a 4-player Horde mode. Plenty going on! Filled with head-popping action, Arizona Sunshine 2 also introduces Buddy, your four-legged friend. Buddy’s great for attacking zombies when you’re reloading or for fetching useful items.

Survival Nation screenshot

Survival Nation

So for our last survival game, we’ve gone for…a zombie game! From Wenkly Studio comes Survival Nation, an open-world online RPG. Unlike our other undead suggestions, Survival Nation is far more multiplayer-focused with solo, PVE and PVP modes.

Team up with others and build a survival camp. Hunt for food and resources, learn new skills, complete quests, and kill hundreds of zombies in the process. Or jump into the PVP mode where you can decide whether to cooperate with other players or hunt them down to get their loot.

And there you have it. That wraps up our picks of the seven best VR survival games. What are your thoughts? Which ones did we miss? Let us know in the comments below!

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