Arken Age feels like a statement piece, a demonstration of what VR can be when developers fully embrace the medium's strengths
You know that instant feeling when you start a VR game and realize the people who made it genuinely get VR? That they're not just developers, but real fans who understand what makes the medium special? That's exactly what hit me the moment I launched Arken Age. Within minutes, I was swinging a sword, flicking my wrists to summon climbing axes, and watching the world respond to my every move — and I just knew this was something different. The deeper I went, the more it proved itself. Honestly, this isn't just one of my favorite VR games of the year, it's one of my favorites, period.
Arken Age is the rare kind of project that fully embraces what virtual reality can do. It doesn't try to mimic flat-screen games or shoehorn traditional mechanics into VR. Everything here — from the combat and exploration to the climbing and physics — has been designed from the ground up to feel tactile, intuitive, and deeply immersive. It's constantly rewarding, always fun, and it nails that “only possible in VR” magic.
The story keeps things simple, and that works in its favor. You play as The Untethered One, a warrior called upon to cleanse a dying world choked by corruption and machines. Your journey takes you through dense forests, forgotten ruins, shadowy caves, and colossal structures, each step uncovering fragments of what went wrong. It all builds toward one final confrontation with the Great Arborist — a towering, awe-inspiring foe that perfectly caps off an unforgettable adventure.
Arken Age doesn't waste your time with endless cutscenes or long stretches of dialogue. The story is there to give meaning to what you're doing, not to hold your hand through it. You're dropped into its world and left to piece things together as you explore, fight, and uncover ancient relics. The bits of lore scattered around are just enough to spark your curiosity, but this is a game that wants you to live the story through action, not just watch it unfold.
Combat is where Arken Age truly shines. From the moment you grip your first sword, the weight and feedback feel spot-on. Every swing lands with a satisfying impact, and enemies respond believably, blocking, staggering, or countering when you least expect it. The AI is surprisingly smart — they don't just charge blindly. Shielded soldiers will press the attack when you're too close, others will hang back to toss grenades or take shots from cover, and the heavier brutes, armed with clubs or even miniguns, will push you to rethink your strategy on the fly. It's a combat system that keeps you on your toes and rewards skill as much as instinct.
At first glance, the weapon selection in Arken Age might seem smaller than what you'd expect from other big action games, but that illusion fades fast. You begin with a simple sword, yet as you unlock mods, everything changes. Each modification twists the weapon's behavior in clever and surprising ways. Take the God Axe, for instance — you can hurl just the head of it and watch it rip through enemies, dismembering them in ways that are both shockingly violent and absurdly satisfying.
Then there's the Gravity Mace, easily one of the most creative weapons I've ever used in VR. It gives off serious Halo Gravity Hammer vibes. You can smack enemies around with it if you want, but the real magic happens when you charge it up. Tap an enemy lightly and they'll go flying into the sky. Sneak up behind one, give them a little poke, and they'll rocket upward like a ragdoll firework. Slam it into your shield and you'll send out a shockwave that blasts everything nearby off its feet. It's over-the-top, hilarious, and endlessly fun — the kind of weapon you never get tired of using.
On the ranged side, the pistol and shotgun are anything but ordinary. Once you start experimenting with mods, they transform into entirely new weapons. Your sidearm might evolve into a rapid-fire SMG or a crystal-shooting Needler straight out of a sci-fi fever dream, while the shotgun can shift roles completely, turning into a sniper rifle, an assault weapon, or even a massive crossbow that fires explosive bolts. Each upgrade pushes you to try something different, and the game's combat system rewards that curiosity. Throw in grenades and mines, and you end up with an arsenal that constantly surprises you.
But Arken Age isn't just about tearing things apart, it's also about discovering what's possible in its world. Exploration and movement are a joy thanks to the climbing axes, which might be some of the most satisfying tools I've ever used in VR. A quick flick of your wrists brings them to life, letting you dig into wooden walls, swing across gaps, or even slash at enemies if things get close. Climbing shattered bridges, scaling trees, or carving your own route upward feels completely natural. It's one of those mechanics that makes you stop and think, yeah, this could only happen in VR.
The world of Arken Age feels wide open, filled with secrets and side paths that constantly tempt you to explore. Each area connects seamlessly to the next, hiding relics, resources, and clever surprises around every corner. Sometimes you'll need to stray from the main route to gather materials, which can be broken down and traded for new mods. Other times you'll stumble upon powerful upgrades tucked away in old chests, just waiting to be discovered. This constant cycle of exploration, reward, and progression keeps the adventure exciting from start to finish.
If the game stumbles anywhere, it's with its map system. It can be a little awkward to read, making navigation more confusing than it should be. Thankfully, the directional arrow that guides you toward your objectives helps smooth things out. And honestly, even getting lost isn't much of a problem when the scenery looks this good. Half the fun is just wandering around and soaking it all in.
Designing great boss fights in VR is no easy task, yet Arken Age absolutely pulls it off. There's really just one major encounter, the final clash with the Great Arborist, but it's so good it sets a new bar for the genre. The fight unfolds across several stages, forcing you to switch between ground combat and climbing onto the enormous creature itself, smashing weak spots while dodging its furious attacks.
The sense of scale is jaw-dropping, and every phase feels handcrafted to make you feel powerful and completely immersed. By the time it's over, you'll pull off the headset with a smile, still buzzing from the chaos and adrenaline of what just happened. It's the kind of VR moment that sticks with you, one that reminds you why we play these games in the first place.
Arken Age looks absolutely breathtaking on the Quest 3. Every environment bursts with color and life — dense forests sway gently in the breeze, ancient ruins feel heavy with history, and the mechanical foes look right at home in this twisted world. The scale of it all is remarkable, and the lighting ties everything together, creating a mood that constantly pulls you in.
What really blew me away, though, is how flawlessly it performs. Despite its sprawling maps, physics-heavy combat, and clever enemy behavior, the frame rate never stutters. You can play for hours without a hint of discomfort. Whatever optimization magic the team pulled off here, it deserves to be studied — seriously, other VR devs could learn a thing or two from this.
The sound design matches the visuals step for step. Every swing, explosion, and robotic screech lands perfectly, while the music rises and fades with cinematic precision. It's the kind of audio work that makes you forget you're standing in your living room and not actually inside the world of Arken Age.
When I try to sum up Arken Age, one word keeps echoing in my mind: sublime. Every piece of it just clicks. From the satisfying swing of its weapons to the thrill of scaling massive structures, from tense combat encounters to the grand finale — it all fits together in a way that feels deliberately built for virtual reality.
Sure, it's not flawless. The map could use a little more clarity, and some might crave a broader selection of basic weapons. But those are tiny blemishes on an otherwise brilliant experience. Few games can match the rush of slicing through a swarm of machines with a customized blade, sending enemies flying with the Gravity Mace, or clinging to the side of a towering boss while smashing its weak points. Arken Age doesn't just entertain, it keeps surprising you — moment after moment.
Arken Age isn't just another entry in the growing list of VR titles. It feels more like a declaration of intent — proof of what happens when a studio really understands the language of virtual reality. From the opening moments to the closing credits, it's engaging, inventive, and polished in a way few VR games manage to be.
Every part of its connected world feels alive. One moment you're scaling impossible heights, the next you're locked in fast, smart combat, and then you're wandering off to see what's hiding just around the corner. The weapons hit hard and feel weighty, enemies think on their feet, and the upgrade system lets you shape your own approach. Visually it's stunning, and on the Quest 3 it runs buttery-smooth from start to finish.
If you've got a Quest 3, this is one of those games you simply have to experience. It's the kind you hand to a friend to show them why VR is worth caring about — and the kind that stays in your head long after you've finished. This isn't just good VR. This is VR at its absolute best. Thanks for reading!
The game was reviewed on a Quest 3 via a promo copy provided by the developer. Arken Age is available on Meta Quest, PSVR2 and PCVR.
