Marvel’s Deadpool VR is everything you expect it to be, and that’s not a bad thing. The new VR title from Twisted Pixel Games centers the entire experience on the titular merc with a mouth, a sonic onslaught of jokes and meta commentary as much as it is a bloodbath, slicing and shooting through scores of enemies.
The action is tight and engaging, every new combat encounter a sandbox of blood, body parts, and laughs. The story setup is interesting and works well to showcase some of the lesser-known Marvel roster. The thing is, everything between the action slows things down too much, along with some technical issues that can be frustrating and jarring. Marvel’s Deadpool VR is one of this year’s best VR games, despite its problems, and I looked forward to each session when I wasn’t playing.
Deadpool — The Merc With A Motor Mouth
Marvel’s Deadpool VR puts you behind the mask of Wade Wilson, better known as Deadpool, as he gets captured by Mojo, a galactic nightmare of a TV producer. It’s all about ratings all across the galaxy, and Deadpool is sent out to capture various Marvel characters to bring them back to Mojo World, forced into their own games. It’s a fun story that doesn’t take itself seriously, strengthened by Neil Patrick Harris’ performance.
He does a fantastic job of bringing the merc to life, equal parts sarcastic and playful. For anyone who doesn’t like the MCU’s Deadpool, nothing in the writing here will sway them otherwise, as the jokes and meta commentary are constant. Deadpool is constantly prattling on about everything and anything, and while it is amusing mainly due to the strength of the writing, it can still be a bit much at times. His core relationship with mission handler Spiral is pretty one-note most of the game’s runtime, making the conversations too similar. The villains are all lesser-known antagonists, like Omega Red and Ultimo, that are fun to see in the spotlight, with Mephisto being a particular highlight, his boss battle set on the back of a motorcycle in hell. It’s full of spectacle and feels like a roller coaster ride.
Deadpool is at his best when he’s quipping away mid-battle or during set pieces. These are the moments when the writing really shines, as Deadpool comments on the player, their actions, and everything happening as it does. It falls off during long stretches of conversation, though, and not necessarily because of the writing. Both at the beginning of every level and in between, there are long sections of dialogue where the player is literally just standing there. Usually not an issue when you’re playing on a traditional flat TV, but in VR, these sections left me genuinely standing around waiting for whatever was going on to end. Short, snappy sections of story and dialogue are one thing, but standing around gets tiring, especially when the action is as intense as it is.
Swords, Guns, and Grenades, Oh My!
The combat here is undoubtedly the star of the show, each combat encounter and set piece a visual blast. Deadpool has his trusty dual pistols and blades, along with a finishing move that can be used against enemies when they are sufficiently damaged. Every fight is a ton of fun, grabbing at your waist to draw your pistols and over your shoulders for blades, as you destroy everything in sight. You can also pick up downed enemies’ weapons, ranging from throwable kunai to flaming blades to shotguns, and they’re always satisfying to use. There are also special weapons that can be used once you build up enough bar, each one a tribute to another Marvel hero. There are four possible, ranging from Thor’s hammer to Gambit’s playing cards, and the short sections where you use them are a highlight.
There’s plenty to upgrade and unlock, too. From different weapons, including shotgun pistols and boomerang blades, to new special attacks and grenades, each new unlock can genuinely change combat in some way. There are plenty of new suits to wear, along with colour variants and different characters, like Lady Deadpool, that can be used to replay past levels. You get coins depending on your creativity and performance in every combat encounter, rewarding you more for varied kills and finishers. The combat and set pieces are so strong that it makes the wait in between worth it, as I never got tired of the ridiculous action. It nails the flow of combat, really bringing the player into the fight in a way that you can only do in VR.
Technical Troubles
Marvel’s Deadpool VR does suffer from some technical issues. The frame rate can stutter, especially during intense action, which in VR can be slightly nauseating. I also had the game hard crash on me a few times, along with a couple of moments where I had to reload checkpoints cause the game just got stuck doing nothing. These moments can be frustrating, especially when I have to replay a boss fight a few times because of them. Hopefully, these issues will be ironed out with updates.
Verdict
Marvel’s Deadpool VR is a blast. The combat is engaging and frantic, as you physically whirl around in a digital space, guns drawn and blades at the ready. The performances are fantastic, with some solid writing only let down by the long stretches of dialogue that leave the player standing around. The technical issues here are annoying, but hopefully, they will get fixed over time. Despite the issues, Marvel’s Deadpool VR is so much fun that the problems fade away as you take down another enemy or roll through another crazy set piece.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: Meta Quest 3
