Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
The phenomenon of Among Us’ success as a whodunnit wolf-among-sheep social deductive game has been an ongoing story for years, but Schell Games and Innersloth really took it to a new level in 2022. The release of Among Us VR gave us all new ways to doubt our friends and try to sift out the imposter among them. You might find this all very sus, but it’s a big part of what made Among Us VR the Shacknews Best VR Game of 2022.
Among Us VR was a late bloomer in 2022, but ever since it landed, it’s been a refreshing take on the usual Among Us formula. The basic characteristics of the game are the same. One or several players among the bunch are secretly murderous imposter and nobody knows who, except the imposters. These players go around trying to discreetly murder the other astronauts and sabotage the ship while playing it coy when a body is discovered and a meeting is called. The other players have to figure out who the imposters are and get rid of them while also trying to complete tasks around the ship.
Where Among Us VR sets itself apart as an even zanier experience is in its VR handling of mechanics. Players now have full control of their hands in this game, which makes for some tactile fun when it comes to handling ship tasks like turning cranks, pressing buttons, and lining up ship coordinates on a digital map.
However, when it comes time to debate, Among Us VR’s hand motion controls also add the fun of body language and emotes. You’d better keep track of how fidgety you look or how much you’re pointing the finger at others. You might find yourself on the wrong end of an accusation if your body language makes you look threatening. Among Us VR also takes on a bit more of a scary element since the game is in first-person. You try keeping calm when the lights go out, the door locks, and you see a space friend suddenly pop out of the vents.
Among Us VR excels in how much immersion it brings to the social deductive smash hit, and we’d argue that if you can get some friends together in VR, it’s the optimal way to play. That’s why it’s the Shacknews Best VR Game of 2022.
Check out our Year of the Games: 2022 article to see all of the other Shacknews Awards that have been announced so far.