With virtual reality starting to become a mainstream gaming platform, it's no surprise that many people are looking for the best VR games to play. One of the sub-genres that you may be interested in are anime-themed games, and this genre extends to both games based entirely on individual animes and games that incorporate anime themes or visuals into the experience.
Related
The Best VR Games For Parties
All the best VR games to play at your next party, from Ruckus Ridge to Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes.
There aren't too many anime VR games, but there are a few that set a high standard for what players have come to expect from virtual reality games. Here are the best anime VR games and every platform they're available on.
Updated May 20, 2024 By Matthew Mckeown: Anime-themed VR games used to be pretty niche. If you were lucky you would find a decent handful here and there, but they were usually idol games or something a little strange. Now however there’s all sorts of unique and very entertaining titles to try out.
From Samurai sword-swinging action games to simple simulators set in cozy cafes, or manga-paneled scenes of comedy all set in a heavily anime-inspired Sushi Restaurant. Even if you’re not a fan of anime, there’s still something worth checking out. For those that are curious, here’s an updated look at the best anime VR games.
Reborn VR
A creative and often chaotic mix of videogame and chat room, Reborn VR from Reborn Inc. is reminiscent of VR Chat, but with a higher focus on gaming together whilst socializing. There’s plenty to do and all you need is a couple of friends, a PC, and a VR headset to join in.
There’s a unique social media system baked into the game that lets you meet, talk, and socialize with all sorts of new folks with their very own custom anime avatars. To keep you occupied, there are plenty of group games and events like concerts, solo jaunts, and a crafting system that will let you add and build to your own little avatar world. If you’re looking for something more social then Reborn VR is worth checking out.
If this piqued your curiosity, Reborn VR is free to play and there’s a fairly active Discord Community.
DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate
An apparent impossible murder case has been laid at your feet in the far-flung future and it’s up to you to get to the bottom of this time-twisting tale from Izanagi Games and MyDearest Inc. Travel across an advanced and sprawling cityscape in virtual reality as Special Supervisor Hal Scion, a Detective with the special ability to rewrite past events.
This is vitally important as the city is set to be destroyed in seven days so time, whilst manipulatable, is not on your side. Gameplay involves using time manipulation, your own observation skills, and an augmented reality that’s filled with shoals of digital fish. Fiendish puzzles, tricky crime scenes, and surprisingly engaging stealth sections await you, so go save the city.
Don’t worry about the seven-day deadline, the game itself is a slow burn at times so it’s mainly plot fluff.
Tokyo Chronos
Another surprisingly great VR anime game from MyDearest Inc. Tokyo Chronos puts you in downtown Shibuya in Tokyo but the city isn’t as busy as it should be. In fact there are only eight people there and you’re one of them. So it’s up to you, Kyosuke Sakurai, and the others to figure out why you’re there, where everyone’s gone, and more concerning, what’s causing this to happen.
It’s a mystery set in a visual novel style that’s a nice and long slow burn of a game with plenty of storytelling and decision-making moments that will twist the story further as it goes along. The characters are all fairly distinct, the voice acting is enjoyable and it’s quite easy to get immersed into the story like a character in an anime episode.
It’s recommended to play this game sitting down as there’s a lot of dialogue scenes that involve the characters just standing around. So spare your legs some pain and grab a chair.
Yuki Space Ranger
A super stylish and slick bullet hell shooter from Arvore, Yuki Space Ranger is pretty simple but it’s very satisfying. It’s a fast-paced arcade game that puts Yuki on one arm and her helpful drone on the other, and all you have to do is wave her around and blast away.
A fun selling point of Yuki Space Ranger is that you can play it fully in VR or in AR with the layout of the rooms in your home. There are a couple of challenging modes to try out, power-ups to collect, and a fun and enjoyable story at the core of the game to keep you up and moving those arms until the end. It’s pretty low stakes with plenty of fun difficulty spikes and it comes recommended for owners of the Meta Quest.
Sadly Yuki Space Ranger is a Meta Quest exclusive.
Attack On Quest
We’ve been promised an Attack On Titan VR game for years by now and unfortunately, the official version has been, and continues to be, continually delayed. But there is a solution in the form of a bit barebones but surprisingly enjoyable fan-made Attack On Titan VR game called Attack On Quest.
It’s a free-to-play game that’s been around for a few years, but it’s been regularly updated to include new content. Such as levels based on locations from the anime and manga, new bosses like the Warhammer, multiplayer for up to eight people, and a fun achievement and cosmetics system. If you need your Titan slaying fix, then Attack On Quest comes highly recommended.
You can’t find Attack On Quest on any of the big storefronts, but you can get to it by clicking here.
Lofi Katana
Familiar in style to Beat Sabre, Lofi Katana is a brilliant Eastern rendition of the cult-classic rhythm game with its own unique style. In one hand you have a katana, the other a lovely hand fan. With the two you slice and swat to the rhythm as you shuffle, shimmy, and shake to the beat.
There’s tons of great tracks to pick and you can even load up your own custom tunes to add that personal musical touch. There are a number of difficulty levels to suit different styles and alternate modes of play such as Only Fans and Only Katanas for that added challenge.
Lofi Katana is highly recommended if you’re looking for a simple VR rhythm game with a lot of anime flavor.
Kizuna AI - Touch The Beat!
If you’re looking for a unique anime VR Rhythm game then check out Kizuna AI: Touch The Beat. This odd-sounding game features Kizuna AI, for those not familiar this is a popular AI Ambassador for the Japanese Board of Tourism, and she has her own game.
Wave around the iconic glow sticks as you take part in your own Holo Live-esque concert that features over 15 songs performed by Kizuna AI herself. Plus, if you want a break from all the dancing there’s a special View Mode that lets you hang out with Kizuna whilst enjoying the tracks.
You can learn more about Kizuna AI on her official website (here)
I Am Sakuya VR
A highly energetic and at times very cute anime VR first-person shooter, I Am Sakuya VR is bizarre yet satisfyingly violent to play. Uncover the mysterious origins of Sakuya Izayoi whilst infiltrating a strange macabre Mansion.
Within this abhorrent abode lies the Scarlet Vampires, a monstrous group that needs to be put down for good. Gameplay is surprisingly intense at times, there’s plenty of big boss battles to test your skills and an abundant supply of 3D-modeled weaponry to satiate that hunger for firepower. You’ve also got powerful abilities at your disposal and a long road ahead of you, so start shooting.
By far the most unique and fun-to-use weapon in the game is the quad-barrelled shotgun.
Food Girls - Bubbles’ Drink Stand
Help a poor girl run her shop in Food Girls: Bubbles’ Drink Stand. Available for both PC and VR headset wearers, Food Girls is great at keeping you busy and providing lots of opportunities to customize your shop and your co-workers as you go about your busy day.
Related
Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator Beginner Tips
Running a restaurant is a tough job, and Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator does a great job of simulating those pressures. Here are our tips!
There’s an adorable story that will play out as you go along and there’s lots to do as the shop is always kept filled by its next customer or a new chore to do. It’s a cute, simple VR game that’s perfect for a cozy evening with a few hours to kill.
Sushi Ben
If you’re looking for a VR Restaurant Simulator game with a boatload of style then Sushi Ben comes highly recommended. This manga panel-filled game is both exciting and downright hilarious as it has you manage a Sushi Bar with a cast of colorful and typically wacky characters.
There’s a brilliant narrative worth following as you go through the game and there are tons of great moments brought to life by the team behind Hatoful Boyfriend. So expect lots of pigeons. Though it’s technically not out yet, there is a demo that’s definitely worth checking out. There’s lots to do, fish to cut, people to meet and a business to run in Sushi Ben.
Sushi Ben can be played both in and out of VR. Plus, you can sit or stand so it’s easy on the legs.
Thank You For Sharing Your World
An artsy and heart-string-pulling VR experience from Kodansha, Thank You For Sharing Your World takes a delicate topic and puts a genuinely wholesome and gorgeous twist on it. This short experience attempts to portray what the world is like for those who are blind.
You play as Takashi, a young boy who lost his sight in grade school and recreates the world around him using his imagination. However, it takes a more abstract and stylistic approach as Takashis vivid imagination twists and reimagines ordinary things like encounters with dogs, trains, and more. It’s short, sweet, and well worth experiencing at least once.
The game's direction was guided by Yu Sakudo, a Japanese screenwriter who worked on a number of films, so enjoy a well-written and gorgeous experience.
Behind The Frame: The Finest Scenery VR
If you love Studio Ghibli visuals and enjoy a cozy experience in VR then Behind The Frame by Akupara Games should be at the top of your list. An absolutely gorgeous passion piece, you play as an artist painting their masterpieces made from memories from throughout their life.
There are large, jaw-dropping panoramas to explore and a unique, yet deeply evocative and immersive story laced throughout. The game can be played at any pace, so feel free to just recline and bumble around the studio, or paint however you like. It’s a slow-paced, low-stakes painting game that is easy to wind away a few hours in.
For bonus Ghibli points, try playing the game with your favorite Miyazaki soundtrack in the background.
The Tale of Onogoro
An action-packed VR game that isekai’s you into another world but with lots of lovely violence, the Tale of Onogoro from AMATA is a sprawling puzzler that meets FPS with a lot of visual charm. You’ve been summoned to the island of Onogoro and it’s up to you and your new best friend Haru to defeat the giant monsters called Kami that have been plaguing the land.
It’s reminiscent of Portal but with massive boss fights and a lot of cooperation with your buddy to get through the various challenges that lie ahead. There’s a lot of classic Japanese architecture to enjoy, big bosses to gawk at, and a surprising amount of lateral thinking required with some of the puzzles.
Swarm
A fast-paced swinging shooter from Greensky Games, Swarm is advertised as Spiderman with guns and that’s exactly what you’re getting. This adrenaline-spiking FPS game is great for those who have the space to swing their arms wild and soar over bots whilst dual-wield blasting from above is incredibly satisfying.
Related
The Best VR Games You Can Play While Sitting Down
You can enjoy these VR games from the comfort of your couch.
Swarm wears its arcade inspirations on its sleeves as all you have is a grappling hook and a set of pistols of your choice. Perfect for quick sessions or long winding workouts, Swarm can be surprisingly challenging at times and just simply reacting without thinking won’t get you far. Plan your swings, build up momentum, and avoid those bullets with this intense VR Anime action game.
Last Labyrinth
A haunting and at times deeply horrifying Anime VR game, Last Labyrinth is another surprising sleeper hit from the AMATA team. Described by the developers as “SAW meets ICO”, it’s a pretty challenging escort quest through a horrific mansion filled with traps, pitfalls, puzzles, and all sorts of otherworldly nightmares.
Work with Katia, a girl who speaks in a fictional unknown language as the two of you complete puzzles using non-verbal communication and gestures as the two of you try to stay alive as you attempt to escape. The game runs at around ten hours in total, so you’re getting quite a long runtime for your investment, and it can be deeply unsettling in some of its horror sections.
There are a lot of surprisingly gruesome ways for Katia to die, so try your best to keep her alive.
Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner
Revisit a cult favorite from a new perspective with Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner. This Konami classic lets you climb onboard the godlike mech JEHUTY once again but this time you get to see all the action from inside the co*ckpit.
Gameplay is still the same and you can go through the entire story again from the new perspective so it’s ideal for fans of the originals that were looking for a bit more immersion. However, make sure you can handle the potential motion sickness from zipping around at full burn in the mech, especially in some of the more chaotic later levels.
Laid-Back Camp-Virtual-Fumoto
Another satisfying installment in the Laid-Back Camp games, this time your partner in the great outdoors is different as you’re taking a pink-haired, adorable friend called Nadeshiko with you into the wilderness.
Featuring a range of unique situations the two of you can tackle whilst exploring, this short adventure game is about the length of an average anime episode. So you can blow through it fairly quickly if you’re looking for a quick relaxing session. Plus, all the roles have stellar voice acting and you can quickly lose yourself in this anime-inspired adventure game.
Samurai Slaughter House
Show off your sword-spinning skills with Samurai Slaughter House from Tab Games. This stylish VR game lets you become the ultimate warrior as you wander around an edo-inspired open world. To encourage exploration there's also a Metroidvania-inspired approach to your game loop, and it's unobtrusive as each area is absolutely gorgeous.
To keep you on your toes, throughout this samurai sandbox are wandering ronin, bandits, and demonic legions all waiting to take their own slice out of your skin. There's helpful gear to gain from vendors, companions that will provide backup in brawls, and a range of pointy-edged weapons that will let you get intimate with your enemy's insides. If you like stylish VR sword games, Samurai Slaughter House should be on your list.
Make sure to clear a play space as this game is very physically intense.
Zenith: The Last City
Channel your inner Sword Art Online protagonist energy with Zenith: The Last City. This VR MMO puts a wide world at your fingertips and there are plenty of activities to keep you busy and above all, immersed.
Related
10 VR Games That Don't Give You Motion Sickness
VR games are notorious for inducing motion sickness, but these titles are reputed to avoid nauseating their players.
From action-packed quests to unique combat, player housing, tameable animals to catch and collect, plus multiple methods of causing mayhem including magic, Zenith: Last City has a lot of toys in its box. Whether alone or with friends, there's always an adventure waiting just around the corner.
DEEMO -Reborn-
A remake of the original by Rayark, DEEMO -Reborn- is a VR Adventure rhythm game that’s wrapped up in a fascinatingly bleak art style. You control a small girl trapped in a huge house, your only way out is to play the piano to reveal more of the story.
With each new track mastered by you and your dark companion, the tree at the heart of the house grows a little more. There are over 60 songs to unlock and play with some being more challenging than others. It’s a pretty relaxing experience that also has quite the challenge if you decide to go looking for it. A rare oddity, DEEMO -Reborn- is an Early Access title with a lot of room to grow.
