2020 has been a difficult and a very tragic year for many. For those who have survived through it and continue to do so and stay strong despite the trying circumstances the whole world is affected with, a big Kudos to all of you. As emotionally difficult as it may be (especially for those severely affected), life must go on and the human race must continue its mutual struggle for survival and evolution. This can be seen not only in the varied sectors and industries around the globe but in the gaming industry as well. In defense of computer, video, and VR/AR gaming, the industry has provided a means to relieve stress if not keep people occupied in an alternative way to prevent much larger damage caused by the current pandemic.

The gaming industry has proved to be resilient amidst the current world situation and even registering considerable growth during the year. With the pandemic threat continuing, the demand for the alternative entertainment and stress relief it provides would likely continue to grow. This has made the VR gaming industry quite busy as it continues to churn out new content experiences for both the new and not-so-new VR devices currently being used today.

Thus, these are five of the most popularly anticipated VR games for 2021.

Wraith: The Oblivion-Afterlife VR

We do know that horror (scare the pants outta you) games are a big hit in VR. Somehow, being virtually in the middle of the spooky place with the spooks all around you triples the amount of fear pumping through your heart and veins. But then, what if you happen to be the spook in the first place? This is what Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife intends to let you experience. According to the developers at Fast Travel Games, there are five good reasons to play the game.

You are a Wraith ghost with supernatural abilities. You're dead but not helpless. As a wraith ghost, you have powers like Wraithgrasp allowing you to grab and manipulate objects. Sharpened Senses that allow you to detect and hear whispers and other ghosts and Insubstantiality that allows you to pass through solid walls.

The Barclay Mansion is an ultra haunted house as the mansion has many secrets both physical and supernatural.

There is a horrific mystery to solve. You are photographer Ed Miller. You and your wife visit the mansion to photo-shoot a séance. But something goes wrong and you get killed. You have to find out as a wraith why and how you died and what happened to your wife. However, you're going to be in for a way lot more.

You have ghost enemies called Specters. You are not the only ghost. There are other Spectral ghosts who are not friendly and have become evil. It would be best to avoid them at all costs. However, they are connected to the mystery and that which you have to find out.

You traverse the World of Darkness. The World of Darkness is the sort of limbo between life and Heaven or Hell. This is where beings that exist all around us yet not manifested in the third-density move through and fro. Some are good and a lot is bad. You may not only find people but other sorts of beings as well.

The game looks very interesting with its supernatural "who done it?" scenario with awesome graphics and sound. If you like being jump-scared while solving a mystery, the game is coming to Steam this year.

After The Fall VR (co-op FPS)

After The Fall is a multi-player VR co-op shooter game in the spirit of the hit VR shooter Arizona Sunshine. Under development by Vertigo Games as well, the game promises lots of seamless action and Adrenaline pumping shoot-outs and teamwork for those who want to play it as a group. The premise takes place on an alternate Earth in the ice-covered ruins of LA nearly 20 years after the apocalypse which took place in the 1980s. Apparently, a designer drug was created which affected humanity in very unpleasant ways causing the collapse of civilization and the global environment. You play one of the immune survivors with the mission to take back the city from monstrous mutants known as Snowbreeds using every weapon at your disposal. Playing it with a squad or solo will be up to you and if you've enjoyed Arizona Sunshine, this upcoming game may be something you've been waiting for.

Blunt Force VR

This is a game in VR that many a WW2 aficionado has been patiently waiting for. Based on the game's current demo, the game looks awesome though unfortunately at its current state in development has a lot of performance issues to iron out. The game takes place in both pre and WW2 Europe which involves the Nazi's, SS, secret agents, and a detective mystery. The storyline promises to be good and intriguing bringing the player back and forward in time through the different locations in the game. Apparently, the protagonist (you), was in the process of sleuthing before the war and finally completes his detective work during the war. A different twist in storyline in a game that if done well is bound to immerse players and WW2 junkies alike. Now, let's just hope Monad Rock can iron out the flaws and get the game up and running this 2021.

Sam & Max: This Time It's Virtual

The favorite and popular comical rabbit and dog detective duo is finally coming to VR. Scheduled for release this 2021 by developer/publisher HappyGiant, the game continues on with the laughable and loveable antics of the legendary cartoon duo where you get to play a newbie recruit to the Freelance Police to be unfortunately trained by them. There are around 10 tasks or sub-games that you have to complete in order to graduate and become a full-fledged operative of the farce...errr, force. Lot's of tongue-in-cheek laughter and awesome comic-cartoon graphics and sounds with interesting laughable characters and beings to interact with. If you want a great time in VR laughing yourself out loud, let Sam and Max accompany you in this adventure filled with laughter!
Coming on Steam.

MYST VR

When MYST came out for the Mac and PC in 1993, it created a gaming world sensation. Though a puzzle-solving fantasy mystery steam-punk adventure, the graphics, ambient sound, and the super intriguing storyline were able to captivate a huge audience of PC adventurers that a sequel to the game Riven was released in 1997 and more sequels in the succeeding years to come. Almost anyone who was playing with a PC during those times has either encountered or played the game. (Still do have my CD copy along with the playbook stashed for propriety's sake.) After almost three decades, Cyan Worlds Inc. finally brings their legendary game to VR.

If you've played the original game, imagine it rebuilt all the way for VR where instead of just point and click, you are able to interact with the game from within when using a VR headset. This makes exploration and puzzle-solving a much more enjoyable experience than its limited monitor screen version back then. Also, a few things have been added or modified from the original to make the game more acclimated to the present day. Again, you start with the book which transports you to the island and so on and so forth. If you missed playing MYST back then and you've got a compatible VR headset or amenable to just playing it on current day PCs, try not to miss it when it comes out. Hopefully, you'll also get the kick out of it as we did way back in the 1990s.

These are only five of the many much-awaited games scheduled to come out this coming year. As the VR gaming scenes continue to progress and evolve, more new ideas and old game re-makes will be coming forth to continue making VR an interesting and enjoyable experience.