Stranger Things VR has been given a new teaser thanks to Stranger Things Day 2022, revealing some additional details about the title, including that it is on its way in Winter 2023. Considering how a lot of the characters in Stranger Things are deeply embedded in geek culture, playing Dungeons & Dragons and being well versed in a lot of fantasy and sci-fi media, it makes sense that the series would transition into video games. Already, there have been plenty of Stranger Things video games, including another VR title.
There was also a retro beat-em-up style game called Stranger Things 3: The Game released in 2019, coinciding with the show's third season. In 2021, Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales released, giving fans a slightly more narrative-driven puzzle experience. Besides the release of titles tied to the show, Stranger Things characters have also appeared in other games as part of crossover events. Steve and Nancy were made playable as survivors in Dead by Daylight, for example.
Now, Stranger Things VR is looking to create an experience unlike the majority of the other games based on the TV show, as it gives players the chance to take on the role of Vecna. This at first might seem a strange concept, considering Vecna was the antagonist of Stranger Things' fourth season. However, it seems that this game, which is coming from developer Tender Claws, will dive deeper into Vecna's backstory, showing how he survived in the Upside Down.
Tender Claws and Netflix manage to pack a lot into the thirty-second teaser, including a look at the twisted dimension of the Upside Down, featuring iconic Stranger Things creatures such as the Demogorgon and Demodogs. There's also an appearance by a younger version of Eleven, who knocks Vecna into the Upside Down, kicking off his journey into becoming the show's latest villain. From the trailer, there isn't much gameplay shown, but it does seem that players will be able to make use of Vecna's telekinetic abilities.
With a somewhat loose release window of Winter 2023, fans have somewhat of a wait before they can embrace the role of the villain and play as Vecna. It hasn't yet been confirmed what platforms Stranger Things VR is releasing on, but considering the caption for the trailer reads that it's coming to a "VR headset near you," it can be assumed that the game will launch on a lot of platforms. For those who want to find out more about the lore behind Vecna, and have a VR headset, Stranger Things VR might be something to look out for in the future.
Stranger Things VR is looking to release Winter 2023.