Stranger Things has been one of the most influential TV shows of the past decade, with its 80s aesthetic being one of the primary factors behind the era's resurgence in the modern day. 80s fashion, hair styles, and music have all made a comeback in recent years, and a lot of that has to do with Netflix's Sci-Fi coming-of-age drama Stranger Things. Put simply, Stranger Things is a phenomenon, and it only continues to grow in popularity with every new season.
With the conclusion of Stranger Things Season 4 releasing just a few weeks ago, the fandom has reached all-new heights, encompassing more people than ever before. But while Stranger Things merch flies off the shelf, there's one tie-in product that's never really hit the mark, and that's video games. Over the years, there have been a few Stranger Things titles, namely the retro-inspired arcade-like Stranger Things: The Game, but none have really lived up to the acclaim of their source material. But now, with the show being more popular than ever, it's time for a new Stranger Things video game, and a VR title would fit the bill nicely.
Stranger Things Is Perfect For a VR Experience
The aesthetic of Stranger Things has become one of the most recognizable looks in modern popular culture. The second there's a neon red light, some dark dust particles, and some 80s synth, people immediately know what type of experience they're in for. This instantly recognizable aesthetic is perfectly suited for a VR experience, where fans are able to get up-close and personal with all the show's iconic imagery.
The Upside Down, Demogorgons, the Mindflayer, and now Vecna have all become iconic images in pop-culture, and a Stranger Things VR experience would let fans feel even more connected to the world and its monsters. The 80s aesthetic of Stranger Things would also stand out in VR market quite a bit, as there isn't too many high-budget 80s-inspired VR experiences out there. Similarly, with Stranger Things primarily adopting the horror genre, a Stranger Things VR game already has the potential to do quite well, as horror games tend to be one of VR's best-selling genres.
For example, Resident Evil 7 is still widely considered to be one of the best, and is still one of the most popular VR titles available. A Stranger Things VR game in a similar vein could be quite the impressive experience, especially if it takes inspiration from Resident Evil's general gameplay mechanics. A Stranger Things VR game could drop the player in the Upside Down and task them with trying to escape, all the while running from various monsters and using puzzle mechanics to escape rooms and environments.
Technically, a Stranger Things VR experience already launched all the way back in 2017, but this experience was essentially a tech demo and offered very little gameplay. Now is the perfect time to release a fully-fledged, high-budget Stranger Things VR game. Stranger Things Season 4 has been one of the most viewed seasons ever released on Netflix, and deciding to release the season in two parts only helped to increase the buzz around the show. Thanks to modern social media apps like Tik Tok, the conversation around Stranger Things has continued long after fans have finished watching the season. Stranger Things Season 4 was so popular, in fact, that fans managed to push Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" to a number one chart spot, nearly 40 years after it first released.
With Stranger Things only continuing to grow in popularity, now is the ideal time to announce a Stranger Things VR title. When it comes to releasing the hypothetical game, dropping it just before season 5 would be an incredibly smart decision, with hype undoubtedly reaching an all-time high. Further, considering that Stranger Things Season 5 is supposedly the last, a Stranger Things video game adaptation is running out of time.