Hellsweeper VR Review Summary

A highly fun, best-in-class VR combat game with huge weapon and spell variety, though combat lacks impact, performance and comfort are poor, and motion controls frustrate.

Highly fun and satisfying gameplay: Reviewers repeatedly call the game fun, satisfying, and a breath of fresh air in VR. It is considered one of the most fun VR experiences and a high-production-value title.

Best-in-class VR combat game: Reviewers consistently rank this among the best VR games and specifically praise its combat as the best in VR. It is described as a true VR action game with epic combat and high ambition.

Huge weapon and spell variety: The game offers an extensive arsenal of weapons, spells, and abilities, each with distinct uses and secondary functions. Players highlight the ability to combine magic, ranged, and melee styles in creative ways.

Fluid parkour and wall-running: Wall running, backflips, sliding, jumping, and air-dashing are well-implemented and essential to survival. The movement is fluid, accurate, and exhilarating, often described as badass.

Top-tier VR roguelike: Many consider it one of the best roguelike VR games available, with solid roguelite characteristics and frequent free updates from the developer. The co-op mode is a fun addition that enhances the experience.

Combat lacks impact and depth: Melee combat feels weak, with poor hit feedback and unsatisfying weapon physics. Guns also lack impact and have unreliable reloads, while many enemies are bullet sponges.

Poor VR performance and comfort: The game causes motion sickness for some players, crashes frequently, and has performance issues like stuttering even on high-end systems. Comfort options are limited and controls can be janky.

Motion controls are frustrating: Motion controls are unreliable and janky, with gestures not registering properly and frequent input errors. This makes combat and movement feel clumsy and unresponsive.

Repetitive and shallow gameplay: Many reviewers find the gameplay repetitive after a few hours, with repetitive stages and a lack of depth. The roguelite loop is criticized for not providing enough variety or meaningful progression.

Multiplayer is broken: Players report that multiplayer is almost unplayable, with bugs, inability to join friends, and failed updates. The co-op experience is riddled with issues and lacks core functionality.

Versatile Weapon and Magic Combos: Players can combine magic, guns, melee, and even a dog companion in varied ways. This allows for deep, customizable combat styles that mix ranged, magic, and melee attacks.

Advanced Movement: Wallrunning and Flips: Movement mechanics include wall running, backflips, air dashing, sliding, and somersaults that grant bullet time. These traversal options add depth and fluidity to combat and exploration.

VR Action Roguelike Genre: The game is a VR action roguelike/roguelite with hack and slash combat. It features runs, procedural elements, and permanent progression typical of the genre.

VR Battle with Melee and Magic: It is a VR battle game featuring frenetic combat with melee weapons, guns, and magic. Players can engage in fast-paced action using a variety of tools.

Roguelike Progression and Upgrades: There is a roguelike progression system with skill upgrades, random power-ups, and a light leveling system. Players can unlock new abilities and improve their character over runs.

SteamVR and multiplayer crashes: Multiple users report severe crashes including full computer freezes and black screens, particularly when opening the SteamVR menu or starting multiplayer. These issues often require a system restart, indicating critical stability bugs.

Performance and smoothness issues: Several players experience performance problems such as slow gameplay, computer chugging, and juddering on Quest 2 despite stable frame rates. Lowering graphics settings does not always resolve these issues.

Startup and loading failures: Users encounter black screens on startup, hanging on loading screens, and no display output to Quest 2. These issues prevent the game from launching properly.

Control and input problems: Issues with motion controls, weapon equipping, and hand tracking are reported, including problems with button presses not working in Steam Link. These hinder gameplay and user experience.

Freeze on game shutdown: A critical bug causes the computer to freeze when shutting down the game, requiring a system restart. This is a severe stability issue that affects the overall user experience.

Motion Sickness Warning for VR: Many players warn that the game can cause motion sickness, especially for VR beginners, even with accessibility settings. It is not recommended for those prone to VR motion sickness.

Highly Recommended Overall: The game receives strong recommendations from many players who call it a must-have and urge others to try it. It is considered a VR GOTY and indie VR GOAT.

Must-Play for VR Action Fans: The game is a must-play for VR action enthusiasts, offering a gritty action hero experience. It is highly recommended for anyone with a VR headset.

Best for VR Veterans: The game is best suited for experienced VR users who are comfortable with VR systems and can handle intense movement. VR veterans highly recommend it.

Generally Positive Reviews: The game receives very good and great ratings from many players, with overall positive feedback. It is highly recommended by the community.

Community fair range: $20.00 - $30.00.

Game completion: 2.0h.

Session length: 4.5h.

Endgame: 20.0h.

Hellsweeper VR often has a rough onboarding with unclear tutorials and demanding VR controls, but many players report it becomes fun as they learn weapon quirks and progress. Reports conflict, with some finding it immediately fun and others finding it repetitive or never appealing.

Friction: Steep learning curve and advanced VR mechanics; Unclear tutorial and no way to replay tutorial pop-ups; Vital combat mechanics are not explained; Controls constantly get in the way; Somersault and some moves do not work reliably; Tedious looting and repetitive stages.

Unlock drivers: Embracing the steep learning curve; Learning the quirks of every weapon; Playing all 8 tutorial levels; Unlocking powerful/fun abilities during early-game progression; Fast and fair progression.

VR Veteran Acrobat: High-mobility action with frequent flips, bullet-time dodging, dual-wielding, and telekinetic weapon combos. Motivation: Mastering fast, acrobatic VR combat and using movement skills like flips to control the fight. Stance: buy.

Co-op Squad Player: Team-based co-op runs with coordinated playstyles, often wishing for larger parties, better progression, and save support. Motivation: Sharing action runs with friends and coordinating complementary builds in multiplayer. Stance: sale.

Roguelite Build Experimenter: Experiments with weapons, spells, blessings, classes, and support skills; grinds unlocks to test new combinations. Motivation: Discovering synergies and optimizing custom builds through unlocks and class/blessing choices. Stance: buy.

Compared to other VR action games: Reviewers compare the game favorably to Blade and Sorcery, Doom VFR, and other VR roguelites like Until You Fall and In Death. It is often described as one of the best hack-and-slash VR games.

Strong Sairento lineage and improvements: The game is made by the same developers as Sairento and is seen as a worthy successor that improves on it in many ways. However, some note that the movement system is practically identical and feel it's a reskin.

Frequent Devil May Cry comparisons: Many reviewers compare the game to Devil May Cry, calling it a VR version or the closest thing to a roguelike DMC. The stylish action, air combos, and hack-and-slash feel are frequently praised.

Developer support is active: The developers have continued to support the game with updates, balance tweaks, new classes, and weapons. They also respond to reviews and have released a roadmap, showing dedication to improvement.

Limited content and short length: The game is criticized for its short length, limited content, and only three acts. Reviewers suggest that additional acts, DLC, more characters, and achievements would enhance replayability.