Software:Among Us VR

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Short description: 2022 video game
Among Us VR
Cartoon astronauts in colored spacesuits floating in space. Beside them are the words "Among Us VR", with the "A" replaced by a character from the game.
Cover art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Innersloth
SeriesAmong Us
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
Release
  • Quest 2, Windows
  • November 10, 2022
  • December 4, 2023
Genre(s)
  • Party
  • social deduction
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Among Us VR is a social deduction video game developed by Schell Games, Innersloth, and Robot Teddy. The game is a virtual reality version of Among Us. It was published by Innersloth in November 2022 for Quest 2 and Windows via several SteamVR-supported headsets. A PlayStation 5 version via the PlayStation VR2 was released in December 2023.[1]

The gameplay consists of two teams, Crewmates and Impostors. The Crewmates' objective is to either complete all of the given tasks on the map or start meetings to vote out Impostors and eliminate them. The Impostors' objective is to eliminate Crewmates by killing them. Impostors appear identical to Crewmates, so Crewmates must observe behavior from other players to determine who the Impostors are. The game ends once either everyone in a team is eliminated or the Crewmates complete all of their tasks.

The game received positive reviews from critics and has sold over one million copies as of January 24, 2023.

Gameplay

The player faces a pink Crewmate overlooking a dead blue Crewmate near the O2 panel. The normal “report” icon is hidden. Any alive player can report the body (unless reporting is disabled in custom lobbies) and trigger a meeting.

Among Us VR is a multiplayer game with two teams, Crewmates and Impostors. Crewmates must complete a wide variety of tasks in order to meet their win condition. Impostors appear identical in every way to Crewmates, although they can be distinguished by other Impostors. Their goal is to kill all Crewmate players without getting caught, and may utilize tools to aid them, such as sabotaging a part of the ship that the Crewmates must fix or using ventilation shafts to quickly navigate the playing area.[2]

If any player sees a dead body, they will have the choice to start a meeting with other players. They then can discuss who the Impostor may be, and cast a vote towards who they think it is. Unless players choose to skip the vote, one player will be "ejected" from the ship and it will be revealed if they were an Impostor or not. The ejected player and other dead players can continue the game as a ghost, who cannot communicate with living players, kill, or report a dead body. The game ends once a team completes their goal.[2][3]

Lobbies support up to 10 players at a time.[4] Players have the ability to customize their character with different hats and other cosmetics. In-game, proximity chat is used for communication purposes.[5][6] Players can also use the quick chat feature and high five other players.[7] Unlike the original game, Among Us VR is played in a first-person perspective and adds new tasks, such as one styled around Whac-A-Mole. Among Us VR also introduces a new map, known as The Skeld 2.[8][9]

Development and release

The announcement trailer officially premiered at The Game Awards 2021.[10][11] In August 2022, an open beta was announced.[12] Among Us VR was released on November 10, 2022 for the Meta Quest 2 and for Windows via Steam.[13] The Windows version supports the Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality families of headsets via SteamVR.[14] Those who preordered on the Meta Quest Store received a Mini Crewmate hat.[9] The game was planned for release on the PlayStation 5 via the PlayStation VR2 alongside the release of the headset on February 22, 2023,[15][16] before being delayed and eventually releasing on December 4, 2023.[1] During an interview, the developers of the game said that they "had to think carefully about how to adapt kill actions, so that they weren’t too spooky and horror-like for players."[17] A horse hat was released as an in-game cosmetic for April Fools' Day. Schell Games released a video that confirmed the name of a map called Polus Point. The map features a larger area than the Skeld 2, with more tasks for players to complete.[18]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic82/100[19]
Review scores
PublicationScore
IGN8/10[20]
Inverse9/10[21]
SlashGear7/10[22]
Android Central4/5[23]
DualShockers8.5/10[8]

Among Us VR received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[19]

Writing for Digital Trends, Giovanni Colantonio saw Among Us VR as an improvement over the original.[24] Corey Plante from Inverse agreed with Colantonio but felt that some of the areas were bland.[21] Henry Stockdale, a reviewer for IGN, gave Among Us VR an 8/10 review, feeling that there was a lack of content though the polished gameplay had made up for it.[20] In another review, Ian Hamilton of UploadVR gave the game a "recommended" verdict, calling it "an absolute thrill" and "top tier VR design" while noting the "excellent sound, lighting, and interaction design."[25] The game was also praised by Dave McQuilling for its online experience and simple controls. However, he criticized its missing features and bugs.[22] Hamish Hector called the game a must-play title for VR headset owners in his review for TechRadar.[2] In an article from Game Rant, Cameron Swan says the gameplay "absolutely nails what it set out to do".[26] Android Cental's Michael L Hicks liked the game's proximity chat and motion-control tasks saying "The Skeld feels like a real ship crewed by real people" in his verdict.[23] Robert Zak applauded the first person gameplay but hated "The inevitable shrieks" of the players "who don't want to play properly."[8]

Awards

Award Date of ceremony Category Result Ref.
The Game Awards 2022 December 8, 2022 Best VR/AR Nominated [27][28]
The Steam Awards January 3, 2023 VR Game of the Year Nominated [29]
26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards February 24, 2023 Immersive Reality Technical Achievement Nominated [30]
Webby Awards April 26, 2023 Best Social Gaming Experience 2023 Won [31]
People's Voice Winner Won

Sales

As of January 24, 2023, Among Us VR has sold over one million copies. According to Innersloth, the game has been played more than 4 million times averaging 44,000 matches a day with players.[32]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tailby, Stephen (4 December 2023). "Among Us VR Has Just Vented onto the US PS Store for PSVR2". https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/12/among-us-vr-has-just-vented-onto-the-us-ps-store-for-psvr2. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hector, Hamish (2022-11-10). "In Among Us VR, everybody can hear me scream". https://www.techradar.com/news/in-among-us-vr-everybody-can-hear-me-scream. 
  3. Lennox, Jesse (2022-10-19). "Among Us VR: release date, trailers, gameplay, and more". https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/among-us-vr-release-date-trailer-gameplay-news/. 
  4. Belcher, Sara (2022-11-10). "'Among Us VR' Is Here — Here's How to Play". https://www.distractify.com/p/how-to-play-among-us-vr. 
  5. Newell, Adam (2022-11-10). "Hands-on: Among Us VR's proximity voice chat takes the series to a new level". https://dotesports.com/among-us/news/hands-on-among-us-vrs-proximity-voice-chat-takes-series-new-level. 
  6. Hector, Hamish (2022-11-13). "The Oculus Quest 2 games and apps I've been playing in November 2022". https://www.techradar.com/features/the-oculus-quest-2-games-and-apps-ive-been-playing-in-november-2022. 
  7. Kaser, Rachel (2022-06-09). "Among Us VR set to launch during holiday season, gets new trailer". https://venturebeat.com/games/among-us-vr-set-to-launch-during-holiday-season-gets-new-trailer/. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Zak, Robert (2022-11-10). "Among Us VR Review" (in en). https://www.dualshockers.com/among-us-vr-review/. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 Nightingale, Ed (2022-10-11). "Among Us VR out next month" (in en-gb). Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/among-us-vr-out-next-month. 
  10. Robertson, Adi (2021-12-10). "Among Us is getting a VR version". https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/9/22826077/among-us-vr-schell-games-meta-quest-playstation-vr-steamvr-game-awards-trailer. 
  11. Gerblick, Jordan (2022-04-20). "Among Us VR releases holiday 2022, Innersloth announces". https://www.gamesradar.com/among-us-releases-holiday-2022-innersloth-announces/. 
  12. Holt, Kris (2022-08-04). "'Among Us VR' beta signups are now open". https://www.engadget.com/among-us-vr-beta-test-signups-163952272.html. 
  13. Feltham, Jamie (2021-12-09). "Among Us VR Announced For Quest, PSVR And PC VR". https://uploadvr.com/among-us-vr-announced-quest-psvr-pc-vr/. 
  14. Woods, Sam (November 10, 2022). "Among Us VR PC Release Date, Time and Compatibility Information". https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/11/10/among-us-vr-pc-release-date-time-and-compatibility/. 
  15. Baker, Harry (2022-04-22). "Among Us VR Will Come To PSVR 2 'When The Headset Is Released'". https://uploadvr.com/among-us-vr-psvr-2/. 
  16. Baker, Harry (2023-02-07). "Among Us VR Teases New Polus Map Coming Soon" (in en-US). https://uploadvr.com/among-us-vr-polus-map/. 
  17. Liao, Shannon (December 16, 2022). "Among Us' could have been too scary in virtual reality, developers say". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/12/16/among-us-vr-game-awards/. 
  18. "We finally know the name of the new Among Us VR map" (in en). 2023-04-06. https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/among-us-vr-polus-point-map-update. 
  19. 19.0 19.1 "Among Us VR for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/among-us-vr/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  20. 20.0 20.1 Stockdale, Henry (2022-11-10). "Among Us VR Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/among-us-vr-review. 
  21. 21.0 21.1 Plante, Corey (2022-11-10). "'Among Us VR' review: A frantic masterpiece that's far better than the original". https://www.inverse.com/gaming/among-us-vr-review. 
  22. 22.0 22.1 McQuilling, Dave (2022-11-14). "Among Us VR Review: Buggy, But Not Bad". https://www.slashgear.com/1100767/among-us-vr-review-buggy-but-not-bad/. 
  23. 23.0 23.1 "Among Us VR review: A fantastic port for social mayhem, with some caveats" (in en). 2022-11-10. https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/among-us-vr-review. 
  24. Colantonio, Giovanni (2022-11-10). "Among Us VR is the best version of the multiplayer hit". https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/among-us-vr-hands-on-impressions/. 
  25. Hamilton, Ian (10 November 2022). "Among Us VR Review: Deception & Detection In A New Dimension". https://uploadvr.com/among-us-vr-review/. 
  26. Swan, Cameron (December 4, 2022). "The Game Awards 2022: Predicting the Best VR/AR Winner". https://gamerant.com/game-awards-2022-best-vr-ar-prediction-moss-among-us/. 
  27. Harte, Charles (November 14, 2022). "The Full List of the 2022 Game Awards Nominees". Game Informer (GameStop Corp.). https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/11/14/the-full-list-of-the-2022-game-awards-nominees. Retrieved December 6, 2022. 
  28. Stockdale, Henry (2022-11-15). "Among Us VR, Bonelab & More Nominated For Best VR At The Game Awards 2022". https://uploadvr.com/the-game-awards-vr-nominations-2022/. 
  29. Fragen, Jordan (January 3, 2023). "The Steam Awards 2022 announces winners". VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/games/the-steam-awards-2022-announces-winners/. 
  30. "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Title: Among Us VR". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2023&idGame=1900. 
  31. "Among Us VR - The Webby Awards". April 26, 2023. https://winners.webbyawards.com/2023/games/features/best-social-gaming-experience/249825/among-us-vr. 
  32. Stockdale, Henry (2023-01-24). "Among Us VR Hits Major Milestone: One Million Copies Sold". https://uploadvr.com/among-us-vr-one-million-sales/. 

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