The trailer revolves around a mission that Magpie is given to get her hands on an ancient relic that seems to be a major part of the plans of Northcrest. To accomplish this mission, Magpie will have to sneak through the streets and navigate houses that are guarded by patrolling guards before she can ultimately find what she’s looking for.

In the new gameplay trailer, we get a look at the kinds of tools that protagonist Magpie will have access to, which includes a scope that can be used to look out for patrolling guards and find hidden safes in the darkness, as well as other classic Thief-styled tools like an arrow that can be shot to create a quick way to climb up a house, and even water arrows that can be shot into lit lanterns to create areas of darkness.

We also get a good look at the kind of mobility that Magpie will be capable of, which includes being able to scale buildings by making use of loose bricks as footholds. Pipes on the sides of buildings can also be used to gain some verticality in order to reach windows that would be otherwise inaccessible. Along with this, the trailer also shows off how guards can be knocked out by using a blackjack, and how locked doors can be opened up by making use of lockpicks.

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow was originally announced back in June, when it was also confirmed that it will be coming to PlayStation VR2, PC VR, and Meta Quest 2, 3, and 3S. The title was announced with a trailer that also served as an introduction to new protagonist Magpie, who also happens to be the protege of classic Thief franchise protagonist Garrett.

Shortly after the initial announcement, Garrett’s original voice actor Stephen Russell was returning to reprise the role of the character. In a video, he noted that he had been playing the character in just about every Thief-related thing that had come out over the last 30 years aside from the 2014 reboot, where Romano Orzari took on the role.

“We’ve had a long history together, and it is so delightful to be back with him again,” said Russel in the video, which you can check out below. “I’ve missed the old guy! He’s got such a great sense of humour and they have perfectly captured that in this new game.”

“For me, there’s something about the character that… I mean it was how I got my start in games! So I really owe a lot to this guy, and it’s a huge, huge pleasure to be back voicing Garrett again.”

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow is slated to feature a story taking place between the events of the original trilogy and the 2014 reboot, according to lead game designer Richard Bunn.

The Horde mode in Zombie Army VR puts players in the shoes of a soldier as they face unending waves of increasingly-dangerous zombies. If a player finds it too difficult to deal with the ever-escalating threats in the game mode, they can also team up with another player for 2-player co-op. The game mode features four different maps, each with its own quirks that players will have to deal with.

As the new trailer showcases, the Horde mode in Zombie Army VR will feature a good combination of indoors and outdoors environments, giving players different kinds of challenges from having to take on long-distance enemies in an open field to hordes of quick zombies in narrow hallways. Along with the game mode, the update also brings with it other content to Zombie Army VR, including new skins Black Ice and Toxic Hazard.

Zombie Army VR was released on PC (via SteamVR), PlayStation VR2, Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 back in May, and is priced at $29.99. The title servers as a prequel to Zombie Army 4, putting players in the shoes of a Deadhunter – an elite squad that specialises in taking down zombie war criminals. The story of the game revolves around the player trying to fight through a bombed out Nuremberg and helping out legendary Deadhunter Hermann Wolff with finding his family.

The VR title features an impressive arsenal of weapons and tools that players can make use of, from thrown items like grenades, to epic sniper rifles to line-up perfect shots, and even melee weapons in case a zombie manages to get too close. The weapons in the game are all based on real-world World War 2 weaponry, and players can further improve them by making use of upgrade kits.

Zombie Army VR also brings back the X-ray Kill Cams that the series is known for, along with the kind of gameplay that fans of the series can expect, ranging from epic boss fights against Nazi zombies, to an emphasis on exploration, and even co-op gameplay. The title was announced all the way back in March this year.

In May, Zombie Army VR got another trailer that focused on showcasing co-op action, as well as melee and ranged combat with the game’s authentic World War 2-era weaponry. The trailer featured bursts of fast-paced gameplay, giving us a look at progression systems, the iconic kill cams, and the fast-paced and brutal combat that players can partake in as they mow down hordes of zombie war criminals.

For players that might not have a way to play VR titles, the last major release in the Zombie Army franchise was 2020’s Zombie Army 4: Dead War, which is available on a host of platforms – PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Current-gen consoles can also play the shooter thanks to backwards compatibility.

In the video, Russell spoke about the legacy of the Thief games, and how he has been living with the character in some shape or form for 30 years since he first auditioned for the role back in 1995 or 1996.

“We’ve had a long history together, and it is so delightful to be back with him again,” said Russel in the video, which you can check out below. “I’ve missed the old guy! He’s got such a great sense of humour and they have perfectly captured that in this new game.”

“For me, there’s something about the character that… I mean it was how I got my start in games! So I really owe a lot to this guy, and it’s a huge, huge pleasure to be back voicing Garrett again.”

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow features a brand new protagonist, Magpie. However, this character still has some strange relationship with Garrett, which even the former protagonist seems unaware of. The latest video ends with Garrett revealing that he thought he had died, and questioning who Magpie is.

The gameplay for Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow shown in its announcement trailer looks like the gameplay for the original first-person stealth games translated faithfully into VR. The game will have players make use of shadows as they creep around opulent mansions in search of their prize, all while making use of different tools like unique arrow types to, for example, snuff out the light of torches to make sneaking easier.

The title will also seemingly involve other aspects of the classic Thief titles, including the ability to sneak through the rooftops and dark alleys of a Gothic city while also pickpocketing guards to not only get their money, but sometimes even get keys to unique areas.

As for the story, while not too much has been revealed about the upcoming title so far, lead game designer Richard Bunn has confirmed that its events take place between the original trilogy and the reboot from 2014, which was simply titled Thief. As such, the Orwellian level of surveillance from the older titles will still seemingly be present in Thief VR.

“Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow takes place between the original trilogy and the 2014 reboot,” said Bunn, describing the upcoming game, “centuries before the latter. The City is fractured, ruled by fear and surveillance, under the thumb of Baron Northcrest and his obsession with forbidden knowledge. The Keepers are gone, but their secrets linger in hidden glyphs and relics.”

The original Thief trilogy, as well as the reboot from 2014, are still playable on modern systems today. While the reboot can also be played on modern consoles thanks to its release on PS4 and Xbox One, the original trilogy is only playable on PC.

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow, on the other hand, is slated for release on PC VR, PlayStation VR2, Meta Quest 2, 3, and 3S.

Legacy of Shadow returns to the iconic City but as a new thief, Magpie. Growing up on the streets and stealing to make a living, she discovers a strange artifact that connects to the past. Based on the trailer, it could be Garrett from the original trilogy.

As for the gameplay, it features the usual tenets of Thief – sneaking on rooftops and through alleys to sticking to the shadows. You can pickpocket guards and utilize multiple arrow types, and there are numerous paths to explore for each heist.

Naturally, VR makes it all the more immersive. Stay tuned for more details and announcements for Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow in the coming months.

Throughout the list of features showcased in the trailer are bursts of fast-paced gameplay from Zombie Army VR. All of these bits of gameplay showcase the various features of the game, including progression systems, the famous kill cams, and the fast-paced and brutal combat that players will get to take part in with their weapons of choice.

According to a description of Zombie Army VR provided by its developers, the fact that it is a VR game will mean that it will offer a “new level of immersion.” Players will have to learn how to use the various ranged weapons offered by the game. A side-arm can also be used simultaneously as a dual-wielding option in case a player happens to run out of bullets in their primary weapon but doesn’t have the time to reload.

Zombie Army VR was announced for PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3 at the end of March. The game, priced at $29.99, is available for pre-order on all of the digital stores for your platform of choice.

Zombie Army VR is a direct sequel to the previous Zombie Army games. Rather than being a spin-off, the story picks up right after the death of Zombie Hitler. Players take on the role of a Deadhunter that has to take down undead war criminals. In their adventure of taking on the zombie hordes of Nuremberg, the Deadhunter will eventually meet Deadhunter leader Hermann Wolff, and will be tasked with helping him and his family survive.

Despite being a VR-only game, Zombie Army VR won’t be skimping on the arsenal that the franchise has been known for. Along with a variety of assault rifles and sniper rifles, players will also get access to pistols, submachine guns, and even melee weapons for some brutal up-close action. There are also upgrade kits that can be used to further upgrade and modify weapons.

The previous mainline game in the Zombie Army series was 2020’s Zombie Army 4: Dead War. Originally released for PC, PS4 and Xbox One, the game also eventually got updated to make better use of the more powerful hardware offered by the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Along with the other games in the series in the form of the Zombie Army Trilogy, Zombie Army 4: Dead War has also since been brought over to the Nintendo Switch. A trailer released for the game leading up to its Switch release revealed the various features of the port. It also revealed that the title would run at 30 FPS at up to 1080p on the console.

Zombie Army VR is a continuation of the story set forth by the Zombie Army franchise. In the game, players take on the role of a Deadhunter tasked with taking down zombie war criminals. Players will have to take on undead hordes near the bombed-out city of Nuremberg, and in the process, help Deadhunter leader Hermann Wolff find his family.

As the game’s own store description puts it, the story of Zombie Army VR will ultimately revolve around bringing peace back to Europe, which still remains ravaged by war and zombies even after the death of Zombie Hitler.

In Zombie Army VR, players will be able to make use both of their hands for an immersive experience. The use of both hands carries over to a number of gameplay options, including aiming down a gun’s sights, dual-wielding pistols and submachine guns, and even reloading when you run out of bullets.

Among the vast arsenal players will have access to in Zombie Army VR are various kinds of sniper rifles, submachine guns, pistols, and other tools. All of these will be based on real-world World War 2 weaponry. Players will also be able to get their hands on upgrade kits to further make their guns more powerful, as well as earn experience to level up in order to get better accuracy.

The traditional X-ray Kill Cams from the Zombie Army series will also be returning in Zombie Army VR, along with the kind of gameplay that fans of the series expect. Check out the trailer below for more details.

The most recent title in the franchise was Zombie Army 4: Dead War, which was originally released back in 2020 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. The game has since also been brought over to the Nintendo Switch. For PS5 and Xbox Series X/S players, Zombie Army 4: Dead War also got updated to make use of the most powerful hardware on current-gen consoles, allowing for better frame rates and higher resolutions.

Check out our review of Zombie Army 4: Dead War from back in 2020 for more details.

The trailer showcases what seems to be the whole Farming Simulator experience in VR. These include cleaning and fixing up equipment to more complex tasks like picking and selling your harvest or refuelling your tractor to better plough your farm.

Like its mainline releases, Farming Simulator VR also features machinery from manufacturers like Case IH, CLASS, John Deere and Fendt, among others. Alongside the farm, players will have a greenhouse to plant crops like eggplants and tomatoes.

While there is no word yet on whether Farming Simulator VR will be coming to PC through SteamVR or PlayStation VR2, it will be available on Meta Quest 2, 3, 3S and Pro. For more details of the latest mainline entry in the Farming Simulator franchise, check out our review of Farming Simulator 25.

Out now for Meta Quest 2 and 3, PS VR2, and SteamVR, the first-person shooter has obviously turned a few heads, and to learn more about it and how it translates the Metro formula to the VR medium, we recently had the chance to send across some of our questions about the game to its developers. Below, you can read our interview with game director Samar Louwe.

NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.

"The Metro series has always thrived on immersion, and immersion is also at the core of VR, so it was a natural fit."

As a franchise, Metro has always been focused on immersing players in their settings while delivering top notch graphical presentation. Was that what led to exploring making a VR game in the series, given how well suited that sort of an experience could potentially be to virtual reality?

Definitely. As you said, the Metro series has always thrived on immersion, and immersion is also at the core of VR, so it was a natural fit. VR can take this to a whole new level—putting players right in the heart of the Metro tunnels, surrounded by the eerie atmosphere and the threats lurking in the dark. The combination of VR’s unique capabilities and the storytelling depth of Metro really excited us.

What other VR games, if any, did you draw inspiration from?

Even though it’s almost 5 years old, Half-Life: Alyx is still very relevant. At the time it showed the VR industry how it was done. Now, it’s still what new games will be compared to when they are released. But we also have a pool of knowledge to draw from in-house. When the team was done with Arizona Sunshine 2 they were able to jump in and help us out with all the lessons they had learned.

Metro Awakening is the first game in the series not developed by 4A Games. How connected to those other titles is it? Did you get the chance to collaborate with them on this title?

We collaborated with 4A Games throughout development. They provided us with assets and references from the mainline series, which helped ensure that we stayed true to the essence of the games.

What has the experience of working with Metro author Dmitry Glukhovsky been like? How heavily has been involved with the game’s development?

Working with Dmitry Glukhovsky has been an invaluable experience. Right from the start, we reached out to him to make sure the story would feel authentic to the Metro series. He ended up surprising us by crafting something really personal and emotional. That direction pushed us to go all in on a story-driven approach, putting character development right up there with atmosphere and gameplay. Dmitry brought such depth to Metro Awakening, helping us create something that feels true to the Metro world but also fresh and introspective in a way we hadn’t initially expected.

"We collaborated with 4A Games throughout development. They provided us with assets and references from the mainline series, which helped ensure that we stayed true to the essence of the games."

How easy was it to translate a complex console FPS to the different input and controls of VR?

It definitely required a shift in thinking. In VR, players aren’t just pressing buttons—they’re physically interacting with the world, which meant reimagining core actions like aiming, shooting, and even putting on a gas mask to feel natural and immersive. We worked closely with our gameplay team from the start to fine-tune these interactions until everything felt responsive and true to the Metro universe. It was challenging, but the result is an experience where every action feels immediate and engaging, making the world come to life in a whole new way.

Will Metro Awakening be a largely linear experience like the series’ earlier entries, or can players expect some elements of open-ended exploration similar to Metro Exodus?

The way Exodus ventured into new territory with its open world structure was a great step for the mainline games, it elevated the game to new heights. As a player I thoroughly enjoyed playing through it. But the story in Exodus is also about Artyom venturing out, escaping the Moscow metro system, on a quest to see what more is out there. Whereas the story Dmitry wrote for Metro Awakening is much more targeted: you must find your wife. So, it was only logical not to distract our players (and protagonist) with open-ended areas. Additionally, since this is a story that’s set before the events of 2033, it made a lot more sense to stick to the original setting.

The charm of the earlier games is also a very good fit for the immersive nature of VR. The confined spaces in the Moscow underground allowed for the pressing and inescapable atmosphere that we knew was going to be successful for our medium.

The Metro franchise has always been particularly effective at delivering its own brand of unique, post-apocalyptic horror. How have you approached translating that to a VR experience with Metro Awakening?

Our approach has been to amplify Metro’s unique sense of tension and dread through VR’s immersive capabilities. Spatial audio, dynamic lighting, and physical interactivity are all key to creating an atmosphere that keeps players on edge. VR lets players engage directly with the environment, whether it’s wiping fog off their gas masks or navigating through dark, claustrophobic tunnels. By bringing players directly into these intense moments, we’re creating an experience that feels immediate and visceral heightening both the fear and the wonder that Metro is known for. This is Metro at its most intimate.

"We worked closely with our gameplay team from the start to fine-tune these interactions until everything felt responsive and true to the Metro universe. It was challenging, but the result is an experience where every action feels immediate and engaging, making the world come to life in a whole new way."

Roughly how long will an average playthrough of the game be?

It varies depending on the player’s approach and style—something we’re already seeing with players who have access to the Deluxe Edition—but on average, a playthrough should take around 10 hours.

Metro Awakening is targeting all major VR platforms at launch. How has the experience been working on these three very different takes on VR at the same time?

It was a conscious decision to ensure we delivered a consistent experience across PC VR, Meta Quest and PlayStation VR2, while still allowing for certain areas to shine on higher-end platforms like PC and PlayStation. So, it has been both a challenge and an opportunity. Higher-end systems let us implement advanced rendering and lighting for enhanced visuals, while Meta Quest pushed us to innovate in performance optimization. Our technical teams have collaborated closely, balancing fidelity and performance, and ensuring the game looks and plays its best on every platform. It’s been a rewarding journey that’s pushed us to be creative and adapt, making the most of what each platform has to offer.

VR-ONLY

As mentioned, Metro Awakening is a VR game- which means it is exclusively a VR game. Fans of the series who have been hoping for a new instalment for years might be disappointed that what’s looking like a promising new entry is locked to VR platforms, but it is looking like it’s using the virtual reality medium in interesting ways, so there’s that. Specifically, the game is available for PS VR2, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, SteamVR, and Viveport.

STORY DETAILS

We know that Metro’s main story will be continuing with the game that 4A Games currently has in the works, so where exactly does Metro Awakening fit in the timeline? The VR title serves as a prequel to the trilogy, being set before Metro 2033. Starring a new protagonist in Dr. Serdar, who embarks on a deadly quest to rescue his wife. The game tells the origin story of Khan, an enigmatic recurring character than fans of the series will be familiar with.

WRITTEN BY ORIGINAL METRO AUTHOR

Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky, who penned the Metro novels that 4A Games’ shooters are based on, has always been heavily involved in the creation of the games as well, and even though Awakening isn’t developed by 4A Games, Glukhovsky has still had a major role to play. He is credited as the game’s writer, with the story being an original one penned by Glukhovsky himself- which means fans of the series can expect an authentic Metro experience that slots nicely into the series’ larger lore. 

RETAINING THE LOOK OF THE MAIN SERIES

Developer Vertigo Games has obviously made some fundamental changes to the game design in Metro Awakening, given that its a VR game, but it is still a Metro game also. As such, the studio has ensured that it retains the look and feel of the main series as well, for which it worked directly with 4A Games. Speaking with the PlayStation Blog, creative director Martin de Ronde explained, “We were very happy that 4A helped us fantastically well with supplying all the assets that they have from those games. We were able to either use some of those assets directly or use them as a reference for most of the stuff that we built in the game… it’s helped ensure that the game looks the way it looks.

“There are assets that we looked at, and we wanted to use them specifically because they play a role on the mainland series, we wanted to reuse them again. In our game, you want to also make sure that fans recognise those elements. And then there was obviously stuff that serves the purposes as reference. And then there’s stuff that we’re almost regressing in terms of what would have looked like, X number of years before the events in the mainline series.”

SIMILAR STEALTH-COMBAT LOOP

Another area where Metro Awakening isn’t looking to deviate from the norm too much is the balance that the series has generally struck between combat and stealth, even if you can obviously expect the moment-to-moment mechanics to feel different, being an entirely different medium. That, in fact, was something that the team at Vertigo Games identified early one as a core component of any Metro experience, as per game director Samar Louwe. He said, “Some of the things that we noticed is the dynamic that they have between stealth and combat. And always making sure that you’re on your toes, and that you are never really sure when people are going to spot you. That’s something that works very, very well in VR. There’s just something about creeping up on enemies, listening to what they’re talking about. Of course the nature of VR, you can physically sit behind cover, maybe you can peer through a hole in the cover, and then you can spy on your enemies.

“But rest assured for everybody that is a little bit more trigger happy, there’s plenty of classic Metro action in the game.”

SLOWER COMBAT

Though Metro Awakening’s core loop will hew closely to the main series’ gameplay foundations, Vertigo Games has said that where combat is concerned, players should expect a slower-paced game. You’d expect that anyway in a VR experience, but as per the developers, the reason for that is that, unlike Artyom, who is the main series’ protagonist, Awakening’s protagonist isn’t a trained combat expert, which is why a slower pace makes more sense.

AMMO CONSERVATION

Survival mechanics have always played an important role in Metro, and sure enough, Awakening won’t buck that trend. Specifically, ammo conservation is something players are going to want to keep an eye on, which, again, is very Metro, as fans of the series will tell you. That, in fact, is also what encourages exploration above all else. Speaking to the PS Blog, game director Samar Louwe said, “You’re basically constantly looking for ammo. We have this beautiful environment, we have this beautiful world, our art is made sure that there’s detail to explore. But you also need a reason to explore. And the main reason to explore every nook and cranny is to just find bullets. We figured it would be best to hide those in small packets. So you won’t necessarily find full clips all the time. Instead, you will be finding single bullets out here, a couple of bullets there. And we’ve also made an effort to make sure that in some cases that there’s a bit of environmental storytelling around how that ammo got there, and something that triggers your imagination.

“The philosophy that we’ve taken along for this is also that basically, if you look everywhere, you’re probably going to have enough bullets to get through your combat encounters. If you just look on the critical path, you will probably have to be a better shot. And if you don’t scavenge at all, then you’re gonna have a hard time. Of course, you can always fall back to stealth. If you’re successful at that, then that’s always an option.”

STEALTH DETAILS

Stealth mechanics in Metro Awakening are going to be familiar if you’ve played any other game in the series. Staying hidden in the dark and sneaking up or past enemies will be your bread and butter, as you’d expect, in addition to throwing items to cause distractions, using a crossbow that you get later on in the game for quieter kills, and more. Enemies can also spot you if you keep your flashlight on, which also sounds promising.

UI AND INTERACTIONS

The Metro series loves to keep its UI as diegetic as possible, replacing typically gamified elements and menus with versions that are grounded in the game itself, thus thoroughly immersing players. Metro Awakening is trying something similar, and even takes things further courtesy of the VR medium. To check your bullets, you manually look at your gun’s clip and see how many shots it has left. To put on your mask, you have to first pull your backback off your shoulder and then pull the mask out before equipping it. This is an area where the franchise has always excelled, so it’s heartening to see Awakening leveraging VR hardware exactly as fans would have hoped it would.

LOCOMOTION SETTINGS

Always key in any VR game is its controls and locomotion settings, and Metro Awakening will feature two options on that front, as similar VR games often do. Comfort mode will feature teleportation based movement, while Immersion mode will allow for continuous stick-based movement. Additionally, several additional settings in the settings menu will also allow players to tweak their experience further.

PS VR2 ADAPTIVE TRIGGERS

PS VR2 is one of several platforms that Metro Awakening is hitting, but though it’s not exclusive, it will, of course, leverage the device’s exclusive features. Take its adaptive triggers, for instance, which, according to game director Samar Louwe, have been used liberally across the entire experience, and help heighten the immersion factor that much more. “The adaptive triggers are a great example of how you can boost the immersion even further, because they give you just a tiny little bit of extra feedback as you fire your weapon,” he told the PS Blog. “And our weapon designers actually had a lot of fun implementing it and tweaking it for each weapon. It seems like a really small thing, but it is kind of like those subtle elements that make you forget that you’re playing a game when it’s just there, right? Another example is the haptic feedback. It gives you that little bit of added experience to make the intense things that will happen to you in this game, to make them that bit more visceral.”

LENGTH

Being a VR-exclusive spinoff prequel, Metro Awakening is obviously not meant to be a full-fledged Metro Exodus-sized experience, though that doesn’t mean it’s a bite-sized one either. As per reviews, the game’s main story is roughly 8-10 hours long on Normal difficulty, which is a decent length for a linear, story-driven first-person shooter. That is, in fact, roughly how long the first two games’ main stories were.

Metro Awakening serves as a prequel to Metro 2033, following a doctor named Serdar and telling the origin story of the character Khan. It employs a linear structure similar to the series’ first two instalments, in contrast to Metro Exodus’ semi-open world approach, while also emphasizing slower combat, stealth gameplay, and horror elements, most of which will be very familiar to series fans.

Metro Awakening will launch worldwide on November 7 for PS VR2, Meta Quest 2 and 3, and SteamVR. Check out the game’s first seven minutes through here.