UPDATE: Moss: Book 2 won Best VR/AR at The Game Awards 2022!
2022 is finally wrapping up, and that can only mean one thing for the gaming industry: it's Game Awards time. Every year, industry veteran Geoff Keighley takes a few hours to celebrate the best titles of the last 12 months, and this year the categories are absolutely stacked. While Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok are set to duke it out in a whopping total of seven categories, the other contenders look to make their mark in other ways, and though this year's VR/AR entries aren't quite as well known as those two juggernauts, it's still set to be one tough competition.
With five entries coming from across the year, 2022's Best VR/AR Game Awards category is overflowing with innovative titles that pushed the boundaries of VR to their limits this year. Though most of this year's contenders don't boast the same brand recognition as the prior two winners Half-Life Alyx and Resident Evil 4 VR, they all deserve their spot on the list, though one or two may have a clear edge over the competition.
After the Fall
Technically released in December 2021, After the Fall has made the cut for 2022's Game Awards. From the developers behind the hit zombie VR title Arizona Sunshine, After the Fall puts a more realistic spin on the zombie apocalypse, dropping up to four players into a snowy co-op adventure. Taking clear inspiration from Left 4 Dead and its many spiritual successors, After the Fall reviewed fairly well on launch, with critics praising the game's visuals, gameplay fluidity, controls, and its intensity. As far as co-op VR games are concerned, they don't get much better than After the Fall.
That being said, After the Fall isn't a perfect game, and reviewers still had plenty of criticisms. The biggest criticism revolved around the game's lack of variety and lack of content at launch. After the Fall suffers from some very same-y looking and feeling environments, and only offers a handful of different zombies types for players to blow to bits. On top of this, After the Fall did suffer from some performance issues within its first few weeks, particularly the PSVR version, and with a fairly hefty initial price tag, After the Fall failed to gain the traction a title needs to stand out for the best VR title of the year, despite having a solid core.
Among Us VR
One of the biggest contenders of the year, Among Us VR released on November 10. Despite releasing just a few weeks ago, Among Us VR has already made its mark in the wider gaming ecosphere, managing to ride on the coattails of its big brother right out of the gate. As far as the actual gameplay goes, Among Us VR absolutely nails what it set out to do, translating the traditional Among Us experience into virtual reality seamlessly to provide an experience that feels familiar, yet brand new. And thanks to the implementation of proximity chat, Among Us VR has managed to capture some viral moments. Social media relevancy doesn't always affect the Game Awards, but it does help a game to stand out from its peers, especially when it released so recently.
Bonelab
The successor to the revolutionary Boneworks, Bonelab also released just a few weeks ago. When Boneworks released back in 2019, it changed the VR landscape, introducing physics systems that just hadn't been seen before. Admittedly though, while the technology was astounding, Boneworks' actual gameplay was a little disappointing. Bonelab tries to improve on its predecessor in every way, but it stumbles in the process.
On paper, Bonelab is a step up from Boneworks. Bonelab improves its physics engine, adds a full campaign, and adds some additional modes. However, in trying to be more ambitious, Bonelab ends up being even more unpolished than its predecessor, with an excessive amount of bugs at launch. To make matters worse, Bonelab's actual gameplay can also be a tad boring and even frustrating at times. While the physics system is certainly more realistic, that doesn't necessarily lead to great gameplay, with Bonelab's climbing mechanics being particularly arduous. The game also lacks weapon variety, enemy variety, and its puzzles can be incredibly obtuse. It's a shame how Bonelab turned out, because before release fans were sure it would take the top spot this year.
Moss: Book 2
The long-awaited sequel to 2018's Moss, Moss: Book 2 released back in March of 2022. While players won't find any groundbreaking, boundary-pushing gameplay from Moss: Book 2, they will find an incredible sequel to one of the most beloved VR games of all time, that manages to do what Bonelab couldn't, and improve upon its predecessor in every conceivable way. Where the first Moss was a tight action-puzzle platformer where the player took control of an adorable little mouse called Quill, Moss: Book 2 opens things up significantly, providing a Metroidvania-like world where players can return to previous areas and use newly found tools to open up secret pathways and hidden areas. One of the best aspects of the first game, the player's ability to interact with the environment as an omnipotent spiritual force, has also been greatly improved, with the player being given more methods of manipulating their environment.
The only real downside to Moss: Book 2 is that some parts of the game can feel constrained by the platform it's on. Being a PSVR game first and foremost, Moss: Book 2 can feel a little outdated in terms of its visuals and performance, and it's clear the developer tried its best to push the tech to its limits. Still, with a ton of variety, a fun and light story, great puzzles, improved action, and plenty of VR-specific features, Moss: Book 2 may just be the tightest VR game of the year.
Red Matter 2
Another sequel, Red Matter 2 takes players to a dystopian alternate reality where the Cold War took the conflict to space. Picking up after the events of the first game, Red Matter 2, much like Moss 2, is another example of a VR sequel done right. While its puzzle and action gameplay is a definite improvement over its predecessor, it's Red Matter 2's visuals and technical performance that put it in the running for best VR game of the year. Built from the ground-up for the Meta Quest 2, Red Matter 2 is widely considered to be one of the best game for the platform, pushing the headset's visuals further than anyone thought possible.
Final Prediction
When it comes to predicting the winner of the Game Awards 2022's Best VR/AR category, there are really only three games that are in the running. While Bonelab's physics engine continues to be impressive, its unpolished and frustrating gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, and though After the Fall is a great co-op VR experience, it's a little too same-y to stand out from the crowd. So that means it's down to Among Us VR, Moss: Book 2, and Red Matter 2.
For a start, Among Us VR has relevancy bias on its side. Clips from the game are still being circulated around social media, and its player-base is still growing steadily. Among Us VR also has immediate brand recognition, which has been proven to work for the Game Awards in previous years. However, at its core, Among UsVR is a pretty simple game, and both Moss: Book 2 and Red Matter 2 have the edge over it when it comes to gameplay and technical features.
Both Moss: Book 2 and Red Matter 2 offer compelling stories, though Red Matter 2's more weighty subject matter could give it the edge. Gameplay-wise, Moss: Book 2 is a little more complex than Red Matter, with its action-puzzle platforming being some of the best in all of VR. And while both games have great visuals, Red Matter 2 clearly takes the cake. It really could go either way, but it would seem as though Moss: Book 2 offers the more complete package of the two games, and is more likely to take home the Game Award for Best VR/AR title this year.