The Magician VR: The Cursed Wand is an upcoming fantasy VR action-adventure for Quest available to wishlist now.

Focused around the idea of real wand-gesture spellcasting in VR, The Magician VR: The Cursed Wand is a new fantasy game that can be wishlisted now on the Meta Horizon Store. Tracing wand gestures in the air to form spell patterns, a variety of spells, as shown in the trailer, will be at players’ disposal, from streams of water to remove fire to more offensive-based attacks. Made by Master Crowd Games, their previous work in the virtual reality space was a game called Rock Invasion VR, also for Quest.

Set in an apocalyptic 20th-century city called Crowville under siege by unknowable forces, The Magician VR plans to offer an arcade-based survival mode based on defeating endless waves of enemies. New magic and upgrades to spells will be earned based on performance on each level, offering replayability to try to survive even longer on each round. Based on the images shown, apart from the ghouls hungry for flesh, much bigger boss-type enemies will be confronted at some point.

The game will also have a campaign, with "structured progression" through key locations.

Aiming to please both casual and hardcore fans, the pick-up-and-play mechanics are promised to be backed by deep gameplay features as the magical powers progress. The stylized visuals and ominous original soundtrack neatly tie the package together, which the developer notes is not completely done and could change by the time the full game releases.

The Magician VR: The Cursed Wand is available to wishlist now on Quest.

Dread Meridian is an H.P. Lovecraft-inspired survival horror with a moody atmosphere held back by janky combat at launch.

Scary scenes such as the ones vividly described in H.P. Lovecraft’s “At the Mountains of Madness” can leave readers in a disconcerting mood. Dread Meridian features all the elements of this winning formula, but technical drawbacks ultimately prove its undoing.

It all starts with the story as straightforward as can be. As Daniela, you begin your journey on a boat, narrating your missing sister’s letter indicating she went on a research expedition because of mysterious artifacts they found. A poster of a Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde movie can be seen on the walls of Dani’s room, as well as several books to interact with.

Her one-track mind allows for the game to explore narrative set pieces without much explanation as to why you are there other than to search for your sister. Eventually crashing into a frozen wasteland, a gorgeous aurora borealis lights up the night sky over what is otherwise hell on Earth.

Each of the game’s five chapters is short enough to be finished in about an hour or less. Showing varied environments like a seemingly abandoned research base, a cabin in the woods with a horrifying secret, and the infested cave where mutated monsters abound, the frantic search stays unpredictable throughout. Turns out messing with eldritch horrors beyond human comprehension can mess with researchers’ minds.

The levels are easy to understand for survival horror enthusiasts, with simple puzzles where the solutions can be logically solved or found close by. In that regard, Dread Meridian seems to do everything well, but the crux of the matter is how it plays, and that is where it squanders any goodwill thus far.

Wiggle Fest

A well-known term within VR communities that comes to mind when describing this game’s combat is a “wiggle fest.” While it is possible to use a gun, an SMG, and more firearms, these weapons are flimsy, not to mention the lack of ammo. That leads to only being able to use a knife, which, although extremely effective, has you hacking away at the air with no thought, praying you will defeat every monster without being damaged.

To have the enemy freeze in place at times is more hilarious than alarming. There are no difficulty settings, and the checkpoints are few and far between; this can easily lead to frustration. Being killed by an enemy cheap shot that is unpredictable to register after spending 15 minutes running around a research base is a tough pill to swallow.

There are hints of brilliance in Dani’s journey. When not struggling with the unwieldy combat, exploring the infested areas is quite unsettling. If Dread Meridian excels in something, it is that it is dripping with Lovecraftian atmosphere. Whispers are heard in Dani’s head telling her to complete a forbidden ritual; hallucinations of otherworldly landscapes assault her, and fleshy, grotesquely mutated corpses adorn the halls of every place you visit.

The abundant documents and voice recordings of the researchers’ descent into madness are as intriguing as they are eerie. It is honestly difficult to dismiss what is witnessed on-screen because there was clearly effort put into it, but the issues that creep up in the moment-to-moment gameplay cannot be ignored.

As a seasoned VR player, I seek lasting experiences that go beyond rolling credits. Great horror games have the potential to do that, especially late at night. Media based on H.P. Lovecraft’s work is among the most interesting due to its source material. Dread Meridian comes close to achieving this with its unnerving setting, but imprecise enemy hitboxes, punishing checkpoints, and buggy non-player character behavior ensure it becomes memorable, negatively. Down the line, with patches and the help of player feedback, perhaps it could arrive at the goal the developers had.

Editor's Note: UploadVR is publishing this hands-on writeup based on advance access to Dread Meridian. We are making no immediate plan for a formal review or update to this article, though we'll link to future coverage here if we are able.

CD PROJEKT RED executive Jan Rosner posted on X that the Luke Ross Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod could return as a free release.

After being issued a notice to take down a Cyberpunk 2077 VR mod, the mod on the Luke Ross Patreon was removed and Ross made an announcement that was shared widely. Rosner, a CD PROJEKT RED executive, confirmed that they had issued a strike because it was infringing on their Fan Content Guidelines, which prohibit "monetization" of their work. In other words, according to the developer of Cyberpunk 2077, the critical issue here is that Ross placed the mod behind a subscription paywall.

“We’d be happy to see it return as a free release," Rosner wrote, noting The Witcher 3 publisher is a huge fan of mods.

“I'm sorry, but I don't believe you are within your rights in demanding that my software needs to be free," Ross replied. "That said, I'm all for finding a win-win solution that makes it possible for your fans to keep enjoying Night City from the inside, in VR.”

Other VR mods from Ross previously released include Doom Eternal, Ghost of Tsushima, Elden Ring, and more. Flat2VR, meanwhile, known for porting flatscreen games to virtual reality, made a passionate plea to CD PROJEKT RED to officially port Cyberpunk 2077 to VR, calling it “a dream game to port.”

Devs United Games said Real VR Fishing sold one million copies across all platforms since its launch in September 2019.

Devs United Games CEO Mark Choi took to X to announce that Real VR Fishing reached one million sales across all platforms. Available on Quest, Steam, Pico, and Galaxy XR, the title sees regular post-launch support, including new events, features, and DLC.

Choi mentioned that a new mastery-based system called Fly Fishing is on the way as well as an expanded campaign with other features requested by the community to add more depth. New leagues and tournaments to increase the game’s longevity are also planned.

Drip-feeding content since release, developers added new maps recreating parts of Mexico, Japan, the United States and Europe. Most recently, the title made its way to Samsung Galaxy XR with hand tracking support late last year, fully supporting cross-play in the latest version of the game. On Apple Vision Pro, the developers explored hand tracking technology on the device with Fishing Haven, but it lacked most of the features of Real VR Fishing that make the game such a standout.

We'll be looking to test out updates to Real VR Fishing in the year ahead and to see what else Devs United Games has in store. Real VR Fishing is out now for Quest, Steam, Pico, and Galaxy XR.

After a launch on December 4, Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow’s developers continue updating with changes to the shadowy adventure.

Out now on all major platforms available, Patch 3.0 in Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow addresses issues raised by the community while improving other aspects of the experience. Developer Maze Theory and publisher Vertigo Games note that the latest changes are built on the foundations of the first patch, released just a week after the game’s release. Graphical improvements aim to balance lighting in the dark environment alongside reduced crashes and bugs.

In Patch 3.0 the game also adds formal support for HTC Vive and Valve Index headsets on the SteamVR version. One of the more immersive mechanics within Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow was the choice to have players’ microphones pick up their sounds, making for unique interactions when luring NPCs from the shadows to their demise. Now players can set the specific mic input source from the options menu.

Our review mentioned “Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow may be a bit modest and rough around the edges, but it's also impressive in the right ways,” and we gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Please share in the comments if you've given the new updates a try.

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow is out now for PlayStation VR 2, Quest, and Steam.

Guardians Frontline released a major update on all platforms offering new tools for players to create their own campaigns.

Almost three years after its release Guardians Frontline recently launched its ninth update, focusing on player-built campaigns. Developer VirtualAge working with Fast Travel Games said the goal is to allow its community to create their own adventures in this core system in a beta state.

Devs say they are open to suggestions with the new tools letting map makers create custom campaigns and even giving the ability to place narrative texts and custom lines for more personalized experiences. The community-focused update also adds a new map reporting system to address any content that does not adhere to their guidelines.

The level editor makes the process of tying them up to full-blown campaigns all the more appealing, and the developer encouraged players to share their campaign creations on the Discord with fellow fans. Other than general bug fixes, the sizable patch also includes the implementation of trophies, a new mission system to guide new players through the main and daily campaigns, and more cosmetic skins to support the studio.

The first-person bug shooter with tinges of Halo, Starcraft, and Helldivers 2 was a hit with UploadVR in our initial review, with "engaging multiplayer modes and the potential for a swathe of community-generated content, Guardians Frontline is easy to recommend."

An upcoming sequel called Guardians Planetfall is planned to release in 2026. Guardians Frontline is out now for Quest and Steam.

Billed as a large-scale VR sci-fi action game inspired by Starship Troopers, a title called Hivefall is available in Early Access through the Patreon of Memoreum’s director.

Access is granted via a Patreon page and SideQuest from Wim Buytaert, the director of Memoreum. Hivefall is the latest creation from the director focused around the concept of base defense. Each mission lets players prepare before a massive assault of alien bugs tears down their walls, culminating in a bombastic final wave with large bosses.

This early build is specifically made with the Quest 3 in mind, with a downloadable file sent to paying subscribers on Google Drive and installable by sideloading through the SideQuest app. The developer mentioned that the sci-fi action shooter is “inspired by everything I always wanted from Starship Troopers in VR.”

As the commander of an Earth-based military corporation, your terraforming efforts to colonize new planets end up waking up an alien organism hellbent on infecting other solar systems. The current build provides access to the first three missions of Hivefall and a fully functional progression tier system with skins. The solo developer aims to update the project every month with new content.

After spending some time with this early build and going through the hassle of setting up SideQuest and uploading the files needed to work correctly, we’ll be curious to see how many people are willing to go through the sideloading process. Hivefall’s dev is basically investigating that very prospect with his offering. Distributing work in VR via Patreon is not unheard of, with Davigo's flat PC vs. VR game running a campaign. I can confirm the game runs in an early alpha state on Quest 3, but a considerable number of the planned pieces are still works in progress or missing. The bugs are still looking pretty pixelated to my eyes in the first build distributed for the game.

“This project may realistically be my final venture in the VR industry if it does not become financially sustainable. That said, VR remains my true passion and the space where I most want to create and innovate,” the developer wrote over email. “This project represents not only a game, but years of experience, dedication, and belief in immersive technology.”

Last year’s survival horror Memoreum from the dev received praise for its ambitious goals while falling short of expectations in other areas, as we said in our review, “there's going to be someone out there who will love Memoreum, even with its rough spots, and they'll have a sizable experience to dig into.”

Regular episodic campaigns and the possibility of an online co-op mode may be in the cards for the game depending on the support it receives.

Hivefall is available now for Quest 3 via Patreon.