Stranger Things VR Critic Reviews

Stranger Things VR is a commendable effort from Tender Claws and a nice example of VR's potential as a storytelling medium, letting you experience Hawkins and the Upside Down in a brand new way that expands on the Stranger Things universe. Unfortunately, all that is hindered by extremely repetitive gameplay elements and poor combat. If you're a fan of the TV show and can look past the absence of the voice actors for some of your favorite characters, you'll likely enjoy your time exploring Vecna's twisted mind while traversing the Upside Down. Even if you've never seen the Netflix series and simply want enjoy trippy and often spooky VR experiences, you might consider giving Stranger Things VR a look.

The sound is decent and helps to build that classic Stranger Things atmosphere. But the story isn’t all that and, overall, this game is more of a missed opportunity than a breakthrough in the VR horror genre.

Stranger Things VR is basically only for fans of the show who don't mind a four-hour recap of the past two seasons set to some admittedly excellent surrealist art, which deftly nails the nightmarish vibe of the Upside Down. Although there are hints of engaging mechanics at the beginning, none of them come to a satisfying conclusion, positioning Stranger Things VR as more of an extended commercial than a story truly worth telling.

Somewhere between a non-interactive VR experience and a half-baked licensed game, the latest Stranger Things VR experience has neither a coherent storyline nor proper action.