Platform: Meta Quest 3/3S
In Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds tempted religious ire by having Deadpool declare himself “Marvel Jesus”. The film ended up revitalising the MCU, so he was probably onto something — but can the foul-mouthed antihero be VR gaming’s messiah too?
Well, Deadpool VR probably isn’t going to gross $1.4bn like the regenerating degenerate’s Logan love-in did, but it is the biggest swing the medium has taken in years — and with its big IP, stylish action gameplay, and zippily anarchic plot, the game lands more hits than misses along the course of its 8-10 hour campaign.
While VR action games are often simple, here there’s actual skill involved.
The game kicks off with Deadpool (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris, on fine snarky form) on a mission for S.H.I.E.L.D., before getting roped into gathering “talent” for evil extra-dimensional TV producer Mojo (John Leguizamo). Drawing on the original comics more than the movies — though referencing both with nerdy, fourth-wall-breaking glee — it’s an excuse for Deadpool to hack, slash, and parkour his way through thousands of goons while hunting deep-cut villains like Flag Smasher, Ultimo, and Omega Red.
Wielding Deadpool’s katanas, paired pistols (named Romy and Michele, of course), and even a grappling gun that can be put to brutal alternate uses, all in first person VR, makes for an extraordinarily violent time. Deadpool’s healing factor is put to visceral use — lose a limb, and you can use it as a bludgeon until a new one grows back — but it’s all cartoonishly gory, thanks to the cel-shaded approach developer Twisted Pixel takes.
While VR action games are often simple, here there’s actual skill involved. While you can dial the difficulty right down and just wave your arms around to slash at enemies, you’re rewarded for style. Mix up your executions and you’ll attract eyeballs from Mojo’s eternally plugged-in audience, and high ratings unlock bonuses, like extra costumes and ridiculous weapons (one sniper rifle fires teensy people).
For VR newbies tempted by the Marvel of it all, comfort and content settings help ease you in. Movement can be tailored to mitigate nausea, and trickier on-rails sections can be reduced to a theatrical cutscene — literally, Deadpool watches it from a cinema. Ridiculously, there’s even a “Kidpool” setting to turn off the prolific swearing, which has to be a joke given the game still lets you slice people in half and see the gizzards up close — ultra-violence is fine, but no %$&%in’ cursing!
Linearity and a degree of repetition does holds it back slightly, but if you’re a Deadpool fan, this is reason enough to pick up a Quest headset.