Deadpool VR is the much-needed shot in the arm for virtual reality gaming I've been waiting for

Deadpool VR delivers a chaotic and hilarious experience that blends inventive combat, fourth-wall-breaking humor, and slick traversal, all tailored to the strengths of the Meta Quest 3. With Neil Patrick Harris voicing the Merc with a Mouth and gameplay that includes swordplay, gun-fu, and absurd executions, it’s a bold and polished reminder of VR’s untapped potential.

Despite ongoing debates about virtual reality’s place in gaming, Meta continues to make compelling strides, delivering standout experiences like Asgard’s Wrath 2 launching with the Quest 3 and last year’s critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Shadow accompanying the Quest 3S. Clearly, the house that Facebook built is pushing the needle even further with the surprise announcement of Deadpool VR during the Summer Game Fest showcase.

Developed by Path of the Warrior creator Twisted Pixel alongside Oculus Studios, the game starring everyone’s favorite Marvel oddball makes another valid case for the VR gaming medium through some wildly inventive combat, clever visuals, and the character’s hallmark sense of humor. I discovered just that during my roughly 30-minute playthrough of Deadpool VR, and I came away with quite the impression.

Dual-wielding mayhem

The demo kicks off with classic Deadpool absurdity - your perspective is from our anti-hero’s disembodied head, sitting on a lab table as a scientist tinkers with equipment. Across the room, his headless body lies motionless on a platform. Using the left controller’s analog stick, you guide the body to sneak up on the unsuspecting scientist. Then, with a tap of the A button on the right controller, you grab him, spin him around to face Deadpool’s head, and hilariously bash his face into the counter—all while watching through Wade’s own eyes.

After reattaching Wade’s body to his head, the demo transitions into a quick tutorial on basic movement. Before that, though, you’re given the choice of three VR control schemes outside of initial calibration - tailored for beginners, casual players, and more experienced users.

Each setting is fully customizable, too, allowing you to fine-tune your experience. Once you’re free to explore the lab, Deadpool quickly discovers he can’t exit the room without a hand scan. This leads to uncovering a lever that unlocks a container holding his iconic dual pistols and katanas. To equip them, you reach behind your back for the swords and to your hips for the guns, with the added option of grabbing each weapon individually.

In true Deadpool fashion, you slice off the scientist’s hand with a katana and use it to unlock the exit. Once through the door, the gameplay opens up with mechanics like jumping, wall-running, and sliding. The slide function also serves double duty, acting as a quick dodge or side-step and triggering brutal execution moves when timed right. The Y button on the left controller brings up the objectives for those who may need help knowing what to do next. This is important because the game actually lacks a full heads-up display.

Bloody ballet

Then players will fight the first grunt enemies to understand the basic flow of combat. Shooting feels fantastic and punchy, while guns also have unlimited ammo (though you’ll still need to reload them).

Later on, once other guns and enemies with firearms come into play, these weapons can run out of bullets. To reload, players throw their guns at enemies which not only stuns them but your gun pops back to you with full ammo. It’s a goofy mechanic that feels so spot on with the source material.

Your swords are then used when dealing with one particular enemy that has a shield and a baton. Crossing Deadpool’s katanas in an ‘X’ shape in front of you provides an automatic parry that leaves the shielded enemy open to be sliced up even further or shot at. Though hit detection with the swords was slightly wonky by not registering slashes consistently, players can slash enemies up like Devil May Cry and either slice them into many pieces or juggle them with bullets like Dante himself.

Similar to modern Doom entries, enemies can enter a stun state that opens them up to quick executions by pressing the B button. Some of these include hopping on the enemy’s chest and blowing their brains out or hopping off them, where time will slow, giving players more time to attack mid-air. During my time with Deadpool VR, I must admit I never got tired of these. Later in the demo, players can equip grenades to take out multiple enemies or use them for progression purposes by, say, lobbing one into a vent.

Cel-shaded supremacy

Later, there's an incredibly cool turret section as well, and a grappling gun that feels a lot like the quick zip abilities one would see in the Batman Arkham games or Marvel’s Spider-Man. The grappling gun can even be used on enemies. Using it is simple, too; simply equip a pistol in one hand and click the corresponding analog stick.

All of this is made more convincing thanks to the presentation that so far shines in the audio and visual departments. Though it wasn’t specifically mentioned which engine is being used, the cel-shaded visuals lead to some overwhelmingly strong art direction. There’s even a cool touch where Wade’s health is determined by how much his hand is deteriorating.

If he stays out of harm's way long enough, his healing capabilities will kick in, and you can visually see his hands and gloves come back together. Performance felt great as well, with plenty of explosions and body part dismemberment without a single noticeable dip in frame rate. Compared to other VR games from Meta’s first-party lineup like Asgard’s Wrath 2 and Batman: Arkham Shadow, this feels the fastest. Then there’s Neil Patrick Harris voicing the star, which might sound a tad different from Ryan Reynolds but still offers the right amount of campiness.

Deadpool VR is a chaotic, hilarious, and surprisingly polished showcase of what the Quest 3 is capable of compared to its flat-game rivals. With inventive mechanics, sharp humor, and breakneck pacing, it proves Meta’s commitment to VR isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

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