Marvel’s Deadpool VR [REVIEW] – Virtual Reality Just Got a Lot More… Stabby

Marvel’s Deadpool VR wastes no time in reminding you that subtlety has never been part of the job description. Slip on the headset and suddenly you’re inhabiting Marvel’s most unhinged motor-mouth, ricocheting through a comic-book fever dream stuffed with bad decisions, worse manners, an alarming number of sharp objects, more bad decisions, and plenty of blood and limbs. Yeah, it’s big, it’s brash, and it’s fully committed to the sort of cartoon violence and meta-jokes that most superheroes wouldn’t even dare to dream of. Whether you’re a diehard Deadpool fan who has been itching to don the red suit or just VR-curious, Marvel’s Deadpool VR brings the perfect sort of virtual reality madness to live up to the appeal of the hero.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Let’s get the obvious out of the way immediately: Neil Patrick Harris absolutely crushes it as Deadpool. Yeah, maybe you’ll miss Ryan Reynolds for a small time, but as soon as Neil Patrick Harris starts running his mouth, you’ll realize he’s fully locked into Wade Wilson’s deranged wave-length. He rattles off more jokes, references, and insults per minute than most stand-up comics manage in an hour, and whilst the hit rate varies (some lines are genuinely hysterical, others a little… meh), the sheer volume of chatter will keep you chuckling throughout. And hey, it’s part of the charm of Deadpool, right?

The setup of Marvel’s Deadpool VR is pretty simple: you’re kidnapped by Mojo, the universe’s least subtle TV producer, and thrown into a cosmic talent-scouting mission to round up Marvel’s C-list villains. This is mostly an excuse to bounce between wildly different locales, slice enemies in half, and listen to Deadpool yell about everything from old TV shows to underrated video games, which he does… a lot. I mean, nobody comes into a Deadpool game expecting it to be dripping in narrative context, and thankfully Marvel’s Deadpool VR knows it. What is there of the storytelling is fast, loose, and fun though, so it’s easy to find yourself entertained.

Then you’ve got the combat, which is a beautiful mess (and I mean that in all of the right ways). At first, it feels like the greatest virtual reality action movie ever made: dual pistols blazing, swords slicing through hordes of foes, grenades flying, and a grappling gun that lets you yank enemies around like aggressive party streamers… you can juggle enemies midair, pull off ridiculous slow-motion kills, and occasionally fling your own weapons at someone just because you can. It’s bat-shit crazy, whilst the special weapons that you unlock along the way add delightful bursts of absurdity (especially when a licensed needle drop suddenly erupts to cheer you on… you’ll see what I mean when playing). It’s packed to the brim with wonderful set pieces that’ll constantly excite you, and with the game not holding back when it comes to the spectacle of violence, it’s easy to find a menacing grin on your face when playing.

“Marvel’s Deadpool VR is a gloriously violent, ridiculous, comical, thrilling, and, perhaps most importantly, entertaining ride through the Marvel universe as seen through Deadpool’s blood-covered mask.”

It’s chaotic and a whole ton of fun, though it is a little guilty of having a few issues that similar virtual reality releases have shown in the past. Melee attacks rarely feels like they carry a weight to them at times thanks to your swords clipping through foes, and whilst this is something you’d probably expect given the motion controls, it can still be a little immersion-breaking in some sequences. Some enemies can feel a little too much like bullet-sponges too, and whilst you are encouraged to experiment with creative combos to take foes out, trying to keep it simple can drag kills out a little longer than they need to be. It doesn’t help that there are a few arena-like moments in the game where this repetitive nature can really kick in, and whilst they’re never boring, they do highlight some of the weaknesses of the game. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a ton of fun and I’m probably nit-picking a little bit, but it would’ve been nice if the core combat mechanics brought with them that extra bit of pizzazz to complement the sheer absurdity of the brilliant set pieces.

Still, Marvel’s Deadpool VR throws in just enough variety to avoid becoming a repetitive murder treadmill, with each level packed with their own gimmicks, personality, and tone – sometimes even abandoning combat entirely for mini-games or set pieces that change up the vibe of the experience completely. They’re genuinely a ton of fun, and whilst some are more befitting of the Deadpool experience than others, they all do a good job of breaking up the action and playing into the anarchic antics of the merc with the mouth.

Another area in which Marvel’s Deadpool VR shines is the visuals, with the cel-shaded comic-book aesthetic vibrant, stylish, and easily one of the best uses of that look in virtual reality. I’ve always believed that colourful visuals like this look better in virtual reality and Marvel’s Deadpool VR proves it, with environments popping and action sequences bursting with personality – and hey, the character designs are top notch too (whilst some of the cameos from Marvel deep cuts will be a real treat for long-time fans). The technical performance is also solid across the board, and whilst there are one or two wobbles during some of the more chaotic moments, there was never anything drastically noticeable.

Check out some screenshots down below:

I think the thing that Marvel’s Deadpool VR does the best is simply making you feel like you’re Deadpool. The jokes come fast, the violence comes faster, and that sense of authenticity comes fastest of all – there’s a real immature joke to be made here but I won’t swoop down to Wade Wilson’s level, especially since I’ve already had a brilliant fix of feeling like him in the game. This feels like the genuine article, and whilst it’d have been easy for the team at Twisted Pixel Games to play it safe, they’ve really hit it out of the park in capturing what makes the hero so damn special to begin with.

Developer: Twisted Pixel Games
Publisher: Oculus Studios
Platform(s): Meta Quest 3 (Reviewed)
Website: https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/marvels-deadpool-vr/3240283705987790/