The trailer gives us a glimpse at gameplay across a series of missions. It also provides details about the four playable characters part of a group named the Aces. Players can take on the role of the Ace of Clubs (the ghost), the Ace of Diamonds (the technician), the Ace of Spades (the enforcer), and Ace of Hearts (the mastermind). As you might expect from an entry in the Payday franchise, Aces High offers a mix of stealth and action gameplay. While players will have the option to sneak around, sooner or later, they will trip off an alarm, bringing in hordes of guards that stand between them and their escape routes.

Payday: Aces High will feature an overarching story that revolves around the Aces trying to get revenge on business titan Warren Jupiter, who had previously framed the crew. In their hunt for vengeance, players will have access to plenty of tools and weapons, giving them freedom to plan out their heists in their preferred way. Available weapons will range from pistols and SMGs to shotguns and assault rifles, while equipment will include grappling hooks and sentry guns, among other things.

“For the past 15 years, we’ve admired how Payday lets players jump into scenarios straight out of the wildest Hollywood crime movies and take heists into their own hands,” said Fast Travel Games co-founder and chief creative officer Erik Odeldahl in a press release. “We’re kicking things up to the next level this year with Payday: Aces High – get ready to lock-and-load with up to three other heisters, in the immersion that only VR can bring!”

“Payday is one of the most iconic franchises in gaming, with more than 50 million players worldwide,” said Starbreeze Entertainment CEO Adolf Kristjansson. “Fast Travel Games is a globally respected VR studio with over a decade of VR experience. They are the ideal partner to bring Payday to this platform. With Aces High, we are expanding the Payday universe and inviting players to plan and execute heists together in a fully immersive experience. Under their leadership, Aces High is not just an adaptation. It is a true Payday game built from the ground up for this medium.”

In the meantime, Starbreeze has been facing quite a bit of trouble in its attempts to make Payday 3 more appealing to players. Earlier this year, however, it had been hit by a round of lay-offs, which indicate that these attempts may not be going smoothly. Back in October, the studio had also confirmed that it was no longer working on an offline mode for the co-op shooter. Thankfully, the more popular Payday 2 seems to be largely unaffected, thanks to its development now being handled by Sidetrack Games.

While Meta hasn’t offered a statement on the lay-offs, it confirmed to Kotaku that the studio hasn’t been shut down like Armature Studios, Twisted Pixel and Sanzaru Games, despite its team having been essentially gutted.

Citing anonymous former Meta employees, the report states that Camouflaj has essentially been gutted, with “just a handful of employees” remaining at the studio. The team has been described as working on “the new user experience for upcoming hardware.” The lay-offs have also included heads of the studio, including founder Ryan Payton.

Camouflaj was founded all the way back in 2011, and made a name for itself thanks to its stealth-based action adventure game République. After having brought the game to a variety of platforms from mobile to consoles, the studio would then sign a deal with Marvel Games to work on Iron Man VR, which came out in 2020 on PS4’s PlayStationVR, and Meta’s Quest 2 headsets and above.

Former senior animator at the studio Kaitlin S. took to LinkedIn to talk about being laid off. “I was a part of the recent Meta lay-offs that hit Camouflaj,” wrote Kaitlin. “It’s been an incredible 12+ years with the team, and I am so proud of what we accomplished in that time! I will miss the Camouflaj team a great deal. It was an incredible group of game devs.”

The last major release by Camouflaj was Batman: Arkham Shadow, which was released in 2024 exclusively for the Meta Quest 3 and 3S headsets. The title is a first-person action adventure game that pits players, in the role of Batman, against the Rat King. It features combat systems based on the Batman: Arkham series, and brings in other elements from Rocksteady’s franchise as well, including Detective Vision and stealth sections. Gadgets like batarangs, the grapple gun and smoke bombs also make a comeback.

Camouflaj is one of several studios to have fallen victim to Meta’s decision to shift its investments over from its development on the “Metaverse” to wearable technology. Due to this, around 10,000 workers at Meta have been laid off, the company’s Reality Labs division also being hit quite heavily. “We said last month that we were shifting some of our investment from Metaverse toward Wearables. This is part of that effort, and we plan to reinvest the savings to support the growth of wearables this year,” said a spokesperson for the company.

While Camouflaj remains open to function in some capacity, Sanzaru Games, Armature Studio, and Twisted Pixel have been officially shut down. These studios had worked on a number of major projects for Meta’s Quest headsets, including the Asgard’s Wrath series, the VR port of the classic Resident Evil 4, and Marvel’s Deadpool VR. The three studios had a history of working on a number of smaller projects before they started making VR games, with Armature Studios and Sanzaru Games even having worked with Sony on bringing over some of its older titles to at-the-time modern platforms like the PS3 and PS Vita.

Interestingly, the studio closure comes in light of a recent Bloomberg report that reveals that Meta is also making larger cuts throughout its Reality Labs division. These lay-offs are set to affect more than 1,000 employees at the company. Reality Labs is the main division for Meta’s various VR efforts, including the Quest headsets and the company’s game development studios.

It is worth noting that Meta had initially acquired Armature Studios and Twisted Pixel, along with Camouflaj, all the way back in 2022. The company had acquired Sanzaru Games back in 2020. While Armature Studios hadn’t released a game since 2019’s Quest port of Resident Evil 4, Twisted Pixel had released the Quest 3 and Quest 3S-exclusive Marvel’s Deadpool VR just last year.

It’s currently unknown what these studio closures mean for Meta’s Reality Labs division, be it the fate of future Quest headsets or exclusive titles. In a statement, the company noted that this was part of a move to focus more of its investments on wearable technology.

“We said last month that we were shifting some of our investment from Metaverse toward Wearables. This is part of that effort, and we plan to reinvest the savings to support the growth of wearables this year,” said a spokesperson for Meta.

Armature Studios had done quite a bit of prolific work with various major companies before it started focusing its efforts on VR games. It was known for its partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment, having worked on ports for Sony’s platforms. These include the PlayStation Vita ports for Metal Gear Solid HD Collection and Injustice: Gods Among Us, and multiplatform ports for Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate. The studio has also previously worked with Microsoft on the 2016 adventure game ReCore for PC and Xbox One.

Sanzaru Games, on the other hand, is known for many projects over the years. Before VR, the studio had worked on titles like the PS3 remastered release The Sly Collection and PS Vita ports for games like God of War Collection and The Sly Collection. It had even worked on spin-off titles like Secret Agent Clank on PS2, and even the fourth game in the Sly Cooper franchise, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, back in 2013.

The studio first began a relationship with Meta when it worked on titles like Ripcoil, VR Sports Challenge and Tron RUN/r back in 2016. The studio would catch Meta’s attention in a major way thanks to its VR-based action RPG Asgard’s Wrath, which was released on the Oculus Rift in 2019. A couple of years after its acquisition, the studio would release Asgard’s Wrath 2, which is considered by many to be one of the most ambitious VR titles released on Meta’s Quest headsets.

Twisted Pixel wasn’t as prolific with releases before its extensive VR work. However, the studio was well-known for its action platforming game ‘Splosion Man, as well as unique titles like LocoCycle and The Gunstringer. Its final release before being shut down was Marvel’s Deadpool VR.

Following the release of Myst, however, and the rise of other genres in the West, its appeal began to die out. As more games incorporated the same elements – Valve’s Half-Life, for one – dedicated point-and-click adventures that focused purely on narrative, characterization, and puzzle-solving were in decline.

However, just like their contemporary resurgence, there were a few notable releases in the late 90s and early 2000s that managed to shine. The Longest Journey is one, and 2002’s Syberia from Microïds, directed by the late Benoît Sokal, is another. The latter stood out for its absolutely gorgeous art style and unorthodox narrative, even as its gameplay mechanics felt like a throwback. Whether one enjoyed it or not at the time, it made its mark and would carry on over the years, including with 2022’s Syberia: The World Before.

"Unfortunately, the overall appeal can be hit or miss when it comes to the dialogue. The voice performances are a product of their time, both in cadence and quality, and they’ve seemingly remained untouched, so take that as you will."

Time is a flat circle, and as is often the case in an industry that’s driven by remasters and remakes as much as new IPs, we return to the beginning with Syberia Remastered. But does going back really mean returning home? It’s a complicated question, and time isn’t the most forgiving.

From the outset, the narrative core remains the same. You play as Kate Walker, an American attorney sent to Valadilèn to facilitate the sale of a factory owned by the Voralbergs. Her arrival amid a funeral procession, carried out by automatons no less, is the first hint that things won’t go as smoothly as planned.

Once a bustling town, at least according to its citizens, Valadilèn has fallen by the wayside following the death of Anna Voralberg, the last remaining member of the family. Or so it would seem, as Kate discovers that her brother Hans, previously reported to be deceased, is actually alive, which means getting his approval for the sale. After investigating the factory and assisting the automaton, Oscar, the unlikely duo begin their journey to locate him.

The set-up is delightfully mid-90s. A harried member of the corporate world, Kate finds herself out of her element in this seemingly cold, standoffish world. But her boss is demanding and disrespectful; her husband cares more about social obligations; her mom is in her own world; and so on. So while this task blindsides her beyond belief, it’s also an escape in many ways. A chance to see the world, such as it is, in a greater light and maybe grow in the process.

Unfortunately, the overall appeal can be hit or miss when it comes to the dialogue. The voice performances are a product of their time, both in cadence and quality, and they’ve seemingly remained untouched, so take that as you will. However, the dialogue means that some interactions come off as unnatural and, at times, awkward. That being said, the camaraderie between Kate and Oscar still comes across well, transitioning naturally from curiosity to annoyance in a manner that feels naturally comedic and endearing.

"Speaking of which, while Microïds Paris and Virtuallyz Gaming streamline the UI and revamped the puzzles, you’ll still need to operate on adventure gaming logic to make your way through (at least without a guide)."

Of course, the biggest change with Syberia Remastered is the visuals. Are they competing with today’s fidelity-driven triple-A masterpieces? Well, no, and they don’t have to. The aesthetic is mostly faithful to the original’s vision, but with fully 3D environments instead of pre-rendered backgrounds with baked shadows and the like. Real-time reflections are nearly everywhere, especially when running down the streets, and settings like the factory and the cave where you discover the Mammoth doll are simply brimming with astounding details. That being said, even while the atmosphere feels much in line, some things are seemingly lost in the translation – as bizarre as it sounds, the buildings looking more detailed and natural takes away much of the surrealism of the surroundings and overall set-up.

It honestly boils down to preference, but it’s also interesting how much Syberia Remastered changes the original’s cinematography. Cutscenes with more dramatic angles and cuts are notable, making certain exchanges feel more lively (like Kate checking into the hotel or encountering Oscar for the first time). However, with its emphasis on fixed camera angles during gameplay, it’s surprising to see some sections feel outright different as a result.

It doesn’t cause much gameplay hindrance, though the angle and lighting in the factory when venturing up the stairs and catwalk feel bizarre compared to the original’s clean look. Long story short, I like it in some places but can’t see the reason for doing it in others, outside of making these sequences “look” different despite presenting the same gameplay.

Speaking of which, while Microïds Paris and Virtuallyz Gaming streamline the UI and revamped the puzzles, you’ll still need to operate on adventure gaming logic to make your way through (at least without a guide). Those cogwheels needed to enable the elevator in the cemetery? Why, of course, you need to go back to the hotel and pick them up from the table that Momo was sitting at before he stormed off (or picked them up in the beginning). The release papers required to operate the train? Of course you need to go to the Notary Office to get them stamped with the ink obtained from the attic obtained from the Varlberg family’s attic.

And as inviting as the UI feels now, it was baffling that details like the model number of Oscar’s legs weren’t noted down in Kate’s journal or even reiterated when speaking to him again. Granted, the solutions aren’t too off-kilter like the most devious adventure games could be, but there’s more than a bit of backtracking and re-examination required.

"It feels like the truest experience remains with the original, as unwieldy and archaic as it can be in places. Take Syberia Remastered as an introduction to the series’ world, if not a reminder about everything that makes it compelling, and then revisit the classic."

The controls are noted to be more fluid, “tailored to today’s standards” as the blurb goes, but it’s strange to jog at a moderate pace in the open while being completely restricted to walking in some places, even those lacking people. It also felt awkward trying to perfectly position Kate to interact with certain objects. That console near the train? Turn around to line up with the prompt, which is more bizarre than all the goings-on in the story.

It’s also worth noting some technical nags. On PS5, Performance Mode didn’t really seem to offer any real bump in performance while resulting in worse reflections, so I stuck with Quality Mode. It runs at a solid 30 FPS (barring one strange moment where it clearly dropped) with pretty good image quality. However, there’s some noticeable pop-in and a strange outline around Kate. None of this is really a deal-breaker, and it should be emphasized – when Syberia Remastered looks good, it looks very good – but you’ll struggle to ignore that outline when first noticing it.

The timeliness of Syberia’s narrative and characterisation shines through. Despite some misgivings about certain changes, the overall presentation is a nice bump over the original. Yet it feels like the truest experience remains with the original, as unwieldy and archaic as it can be in places. Take Syberia Remastered as an introduction to the series’ world, if not a reminder about everything that makes it compelling, and then revisit the classic.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

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.

Whether that includes new content and features remains to be seen. Other releases in the coming months include subsidiary Broken Mirror Games’ I Hate This Place, a recently delayed isometric survival horror title. It’s now launching on January 29th, 2026.

Broken Mirror has two other projects, Project F and Project M, for release in 2026. Interestingly, the latter is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, but further details are yet to come. There’s also Star Trek: Infection, a VR survival horror developed by Played with Fire and published by Broken Mirror. It launches on December 11th for Meta Quest 3 and SteamVR.

Of course, Bloober Team is working on a remake of Silent Hill 1 alongside Konami, which doesn’t have a release date. The team behind Cronos: The New Dawn also has a new project in the works.

“Embodiment is one of VR’s biggest strengths, allowing for unrivalled expressive roleplay as you step inside a virtual body and experience the world through it,” wrote studio head Glenn Brace in the post. “One of our core goals with Reach was to push embodiment further than ever before through a responsive full-body avatar that gives you a true sense of presence in the world in a way that’s only possible in VR. Whether you’re reaching for a ledge, dangling above a perilous drop, or dodging an enemy attack, your actions feel natural and fully grounded in the world.”

In the post, Brace also emphasises how important traversal is as a core gameplay pillar of Reach. Rather than simply being a way for players to get from one point to another, traversal is an important part of gameplay that takes advantage of Reach’s full-body awareness of the player. This allows for players to pull realistic-looking parkour moves as they explore the game’s underground world.

When it comes to some of the other aspects of gameplay, Brace noted that player agency is “right at the heart of the game.” This comes from giving players plenty of freedom in how they take on the various combat encounters of the game. Each tool and weapon, for instance, has multiple functions that can adapt to the player’s situation, from combat, to traversal, and even puzzle solving.

As for the PS VR2 version of Reach, Brace has noted that the Sense controllers part of Sony’s VR headset allow for haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to offer more immersive gameplay. This, according to Brace, will let the player “feel the weight, and resistance of objects and surfaces” throughout their time with the game. The game will also make use of the PlayStation VR2’s 4K capabilities to offer high-resolution textures and smooth gameplay.

Reach is coming to PC VR (via Steam), Meta Quest 3 and PlayStation VR2 on October 16. Announcing this, nDreams Elevation had released a trailer back in August that also showcased the game’s pre-order bonuses, which include a Traditional Ferran Outfit, an Ornate Bow, a Ferran Guard Shield, Traditional Gauntlets, and an Ornate Drone.

The studio had also released another trailer during PC Gaming Show – Tokyo Direct last week where it showcased the world of the game. The trailer gave us a look at the underground vistas offered up by Reach’s setting of the city of Ferra, as well as some of the enemies that players will get to face. The story in the title will revolve around the protagonist falling into the depths while looking for an important Power Core.

A lot of the storyline in Reach will revolve around the underground city of Ferra. The city was created by artificial beings that were created by humans at some point in the past, and as the narrator notes, these beings inherited the brilliance as well as the flaws of humanity. “Vanity gave way to envy,” notes the narrator. “Envy to war. And our once great city turned to ruin.”

Along with showcasing the various underground vistas throughout the city of Ferra, the trailer also shows off some of the different enemies that players will have to face throughout their adventure. These enemies can range from typical melee soldiers all the way up to larger beings capable of using heavy weaponry. The trailer then caps things off by showcasing some of the parkour and action-based gameplay of Reach.

Reach is coming to PC VR (via Steam), Meta Quest 3 and PlayStation VR2 on October 16. The release date was announced with a trailer from last month, which also gave us a look at some gameplay, as well as the story setup for the game that results in the protagonist getting stuck in the underground city of Ferra.

The overarching plot of Reach will have the protagonist – a reluctant adventurer that is trying to get her hands on a “Power Core” that humanity depends on – falling deep into the ruins of Ferra where she will have to face off against long-dormant artificial beings in her bid to survive.

There is a big emphasis on traversal in Reach, with nDreams Elevation noting that the VR game will make use of full-body awareness to make sure that players feel immersed. Gameplay will involve fast-paced parkour, as well as other styles of traversal like rock climbing, using ziplines, and even a grappling hook. There are also other tools at the player’s disposal, like arrows that, when shot into a wall, can act as footholds to then allow the scaling of said wall.

When it comes to combat, the primary weapon at the player’s disposal is a bow that can fire a range of different kinds of arrows. Aside from elemental effects, these arrows also often have other uses, like being able to deal incredible damage when hitting weak spots, or even just setting fire to things. Aside from the bow itself, the player will also be able to make use of guns and a shield.

Guns can also seemingly be stolen off enemy soldiers, and can then be used as a quick distraction when you throw them away after finishing up their ammo. The shield is also set to be a powerful tool, allowing the player to block quite a bit of damage from a given direction.

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.

Along with coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, Microids has also confirmed that a VR version of the title is also coming out this year. Available exclusively on the Meta Quest 3, Syberia Remastered will be coming to the VR headset on November 13.

The original Syberia, created by Benoît Sokal, was released all the way back in 2002 and saw a great critical response. The title puts players in the shoes of New York lawyer Kate Walker who has to set out on a journey in search of Hans Voralberg. The remastered release will feature new visuals, revamped animations, and a more modern interface that will feel more intuitive to players. At the same time, the remaster does not bring any changes to the game’s story.

Syberia Remastered was first announced earlier this year with a host of screenshots. In its announcements, the developers had stated that, while the game’s story will remain unchanged, some gameplay elements, including the environmental puzzles, will be changed in an effort to offer “a smoother and more intuitive experience” to players.

The remaster got its first official trailer back in May, showcasing its classic-styled point-and-click adventure gameplay. The trailer confirmed that, like the original Syberia, Syberia Remastered will also make use of high-resolution pre-rendered backgrounds where players can then move their character around and interact with various objects.

While Syberia Remastered will take players all the way back to where the series first began, the last major game in the franchise was 2022’s Syberia: The World Before. The game puts players in the shoes of two distinct protagonists, with a story spanning almost an entire century. It features two distinct time periods: 1937 and 2004. In the parts of the game taking place in 1937, players will experience the story of Dana Roze. The 2004 parts, on the other hand, see players returning to pick up the story of Kate Walker as she investigates a salt mine while also discovering her connections with Roze.

Syberia: The World Before is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. For more details about the game, you can check out the trailer released to celebrate its PS5 launch that showcased both Roze and Walker as they dealt with intense circumstances around them.

For a quick history lesson, you can also check out our review of Syberia 3, which was released all the way back in 2017. In our review, we gave the adventure game a score of 6 out of 10, praising its world and characters, while criticising its bad lip-sync, stilted dialogue, and overall lacklustre voice acting.