A new trailer for Stranger Things VR premiered at today's Meta Quest Gaming Showcase.
The game marks a major foray into VR for the Stranger Things franchise with development at Tender Claws in collaboration with Netflix. The studio previously built the Virtual Virtual Reality series and The Under Presents.
Tender Claws says Stranger Things VR will be a "psychological horror/action game," launching Fall 2023 for Quest 2 and Quest Pro. It will also support Quest 3, which is also set to launch sometime this fall.
The gameplay looks promising, showing how you'll inhabit Vecna, the antagonist from the fourth series of Stranger Things, to fight off monsters and conquer people's minds. There's even a few brief appearances from series-regular Eleven, played in the show by Millie Bobby Brown.
Tender Claws says you'll be able to "grab, crush and throw your opponents" using telekinesis, as well as relive memories of Vecna pre-transformation and other characters from the show, such as Will and Billy. Spoilers below if you haven't caught up on the series:
Experience the world of Stranger Things from the never-before-seen perspective of Vecna as he explores unknown realities, forms the hive mind, and enacts his plan for revenge against Eleven and Hawkins.
Players will invade the dreams and memories of fan-favorite characters and harness telekinetic powers to possess minds and battle creatures, as Henry Creel’s transformation into Vecna and his influence on the events of prior seasons is revealed.
The trailer is absolutely dripping in style and the footage looks absolutely stunning. It's clear that Tenders Claws' signature visuals are a perfect fit for this 80s-inspired horror-nostalgia franchise. The trailer also comes with the disclaimer that the footage was recorded on PC, but previous Tender Claws releases tend to look pretty equivalent on Quest, so that tracks well for Stranger Things VR.
So far, Stranger Things VR is only confirmed for Quest 2, Quest 3 and Quest Pro later this year. However, last November the studio said it was coming to "major VR platforms," so maybe keep an eye out for more news on potential other platforms soon.
