GTA fans know the thrill of exploring open worlds, making tough choices, and engaging in fast-paced action. In VR, some games offer similar vibes with immersive worlds, intense missions, and engaging storylines. Here are some of the best VR games that capture the spirit of GTA.
1. L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files
L.A. Noire takes players into the heart of Los Angeles, circa 1947, as Detective Cole Phelps. This VR adaptation puts you in a world filled with crime, mysteries, and gritty realism, much like GTA. In this game, you dive into intricate cases involving everything from arson to homicide. Phelps navigates a city riddled with corruption and hidden agendas, mirroring GTA’s themes of crime and betrayal.
The standout feature in L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is its realistic facial animations. MotionScan technology captures subtle expressions, adding depth to interrogations and investigations. Like GTA’s story-driven approach, L.A. Noire focuses on unraveling complex cases that immerse you in its dark world.
2. The Thrill of the Fight
For fans who enjoy GTA’s gritty fights, The Thrill of the Fight brings the thrill of close combat right to your VR headset. This boxing game is all about realistic mechanics, timing, and tactics, which echo GTA’s up-close combat encounters. Players must rely on skill and reflexes rather than pre-programmed movements, adding a raw, authentic feel.
While not an open-world game, The Thrill of the Fight gives players a satisfying taste of physical action. The freedom of movement and intense combat offer a sense of immersion that parallels GTA’s spontaneous and often brutal fighting scenes.
3. Pavlov VR
Pavlov VR combines tactical shooting with online multiplayer, similar to GTA’s online modes. Set in both modern and WWII eras, Pavlov allows you to play through a range of scenarios, from intense firefights to adrenaline-pumping zombie chases. Its multiplayer focus aligns with GTA’s spirit of collaboration, competition, and chaos.
Pavlov VR also supports extended gameplay, so players can engage in lengthy gaming sessions. In modes like zombie survival, you’ll face waves of relentless undead, creating the kind of high-energy moments that GTA players enjoy. This combination of teamwork, action, and strategy brings a GTA-like experience to VR.
4. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
In Saints & Sinners, you’re in New Orleans fighting for survival against zombies and other survivors. This game takes the tough decisions and complex characters familiar in GTA and mixes them with a haunting survival atmosphere. Players can choose how to handle encounters—whether to fight or avoid conflict, making choices that affect the story’s progression.
What makes Saints & Sinners stand out is the depth of its survival mechanics. Scavenging, crafting, and managing resources are essential, adding an element of strategy that GTA fans will recognize. With tough decisions that affect not only you but other characters, Saints & Sinners offers the gritty, choice-driven gameplay GTA players appreciate.
5. SuperHot VR
SuperHot VR might not be an open-world game, but its fast-paced action, strategy, and unique mechanics make it a worthy mention. In SuperHot VR, time moves only when you do, putting a twist on traditional action sequences. You must carefully plan your movements and decide when to attack or defend, similar to some of the tense missions in GTA.
The simplicity of the graphics contrasts with the intense focus required, allowing you to focus purely on the gameplay. As in GTA, you’ll face numerous enemies and use creative tactics to survive. The experience is a blend of action and puzzle-solving that delivers the thrill of a high-stakes challenge.
6. Population: ONE
Population: ONE is a VR battle royale game where the last squad standing wins. Like GTA’s online modes, teamwork, strategy, and quick reflexes are essential to surviving. The shrinking play area pushes players into closer combat, creating tense encounters reminiscent of GTA’s hectic multiplayer chaos.
Every surface is climbable, allowing players to take advantage of various vantage points, hideouts, and attack strategies. Much like GTA, where players must think on their feet, Population: ONE requires adaptability, offering a GTA-style experience of survival in an unpredictable world.
7. Half-Life: Alyx
Valve’s Half-Life: Alyx introduces players to a sci-fi world filled with intense action and exploration, blending the immersion of VR with a captivating storyline. Set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2, you play as Alyx Vance, part of a resistance fighting an alien force known as the Combine. Although not directly like GTA, Alyx’s immersive environment and combat scenes resemble GTA’s detailed world-building and dynamic gameplay.
Half-Life: Alyx is a story-driven experience where every interaction, from the smallest item to intense firefights, adds to the player’s immersion. The attention to detail and strong narrative drive mirror the type of engaging stories GTA fans enjoy.
8. Mafia: Definitive Edition
Mafia: Definitive Edition brings players into the gritty world of organized crime during Prohibition. Like GTA, you play as a character navigating the dangerous world of crime, rising through the ranks while facing moral dilemmas. The game’s story, filled with loyalty tests, rivalries, and betrayals, strongly resembles the thematic elements found in GTA’s universe.
In VR, Mafia: Definitive Edition offers a unique experience that goes beyond traditional gameplay. While the game has some VR-specific quirks, such as minor graphical glitches, its VR adaptation allows players to experience a detailed, historically rich world from a unique perspective. The thrill of becoming part of the underworld and experiencing the challenges of a criminal’s life is a big part of the game’s appeal.
Recommended Meta Quest Accessories
1. MaeckerVR Quest 3/3S Direct-Charge Controller Grips
2. MaeckerVR Quest 3 Battery Head Strap
3. MaeckerVR Quest 3/3S Extended Handles
Conclusion
For those looking for GTA-like experiences in VR, these games provide thrilling action, tough choices, and expansive worlds to explore. From the detective work in L.A. Noire to the survival horror of Saints & Sinners, each game offers an immersive, high-stakes experience. Whether you enjoy crime-solving, strategy, or straight-up combat, these VR games capture the spirit of GTA in fresh and exciting ways.
