Reality Remake 6/6/25 Reality Remake 6/6/25

The 5 Best Milsim Games You Can Play Right Now

Military simulation games, commonly known as milsims, aim to replicate the intensity, strategy, and realism of real-world warfare. Whether it's the methodical pace of tactical shooters or the sprawling battlegrounds of WWII-era combat, the best milsim games provide players with an unmatched sense of immersion.

Here are the five best milsim games that are dominating the genre right now.

1. Arma Reforger – A Modern Reimagining of the Classic

Arma Reforger is Bohemia Interactive’s latest evolution of the legendary Arma franchise. Set during the Cold War, Arma Reforger strips away some of Arma 3’s notorious complexity while maintaining the franchise’s focus on realism and tactical depth. With lush countryside maps, strategic objectives, and Cold War-era gear, it delivers an immersive sandbox battlefield experience that both new and veteran players can enjoy.

What sets Arma Reforger apart is its accessibility. While older titles like Arma 3 could feel daunting due to their steep learning curves and overwhelming controls, Arma Reforger introduces quality-of-life upgrades that streamline gameplay without sacrificing authenticity. Its support for modding—on both PC and Xbox—is a game-changer, opening up custom campaigns, factions, and even Star Wars-themed servers.

It’s a perfect entry point into the world of the best milsim games, especially with the anticipation of Arma 4 on the horizon, which will build on Arma Reforger’s core systems.

2. Squad – Tactical Coordination at Its Finest

Squad is the gold standard for modern infantry-based milsims. Built as a spiritual successor to the Battlefield 2 mod Project Reality, Squad emphasizes teamwork, communication, and strategy above all else. Matches feature up to 100 players divided into squads over 2 teams, each with distinct roles and objectives.

Squad’s beauty lies in its layered complexity. From transporting supplies to building forward operating bases, every decision impacts the tide of battle. It's not a game for lone wolves—success hinges on cohesive teamwork, smart planning, and clear communication. The authentic sound design, realistic ballistics, and player-driven objectives make it one of the most immersive titles in the genre.

With a thriving modding community, Squad extends far beyond modern warfare. Mods like “Galactic Contention” transform it into a Star Wars battlefield, proving it’s not just one of the best milsim games—it's one of the most versatile.

3. Hell Let Loose – World War II Like You’ve Never Played

Hell Let Loose takes players to the brutal and chaotic frontlines of World War II with massive 50v50 battles. Its highly detailed environments, combined with realistic weapon behavior and a dynamic frontline system, create an incredibly immersive experience. From Normandy beaches to the snowy forests of the Ardennes, Hell Let Loose feels like stepping into a documentary.

While it may not have the modding scale of Arma or Squad, Hell Let Loose makes up for it with brutal authenticity. Artillery strikes shake the ground, gunshots echo with terrifying realism, and death is swift. It’s not about your kill/death ratio—it’s about surviving and helping your team push the line forward.

The learning curve is gentle compared to more complex titles, making it a great gateway for newcomers. For players who want a visceral, historically rich shooter without the technical micromanagement, Hell Let Loose remains one of the best milsim games available today.

4. Insurgency: Sandstorm – Tactical Combat in Tight Quarters

For players looking for a more compact but equally intense milsim experience, Insurgency: Sandstorm delivers. Unlike the sprawling maps of Arma or Hell Let Loose, Insurgency: Sandstorm’s urban firefights are intimate, fast-paced, and deadly serious. With limited HUD, realistic recoil, and time-to-kill measured in milliseconds, the game rewards patience, precision, and tactical positioning.

Despite its relatively smaller scope (maps typically accommodate 28 players), Insurgency: Sandstorm excels in capturing the tension and chaos of modern warfare. The PVE co-op mode, where squads battle AI enemies across challenging scenarios, is a standout feature and a favorite among veterans.

Insurgency: Sandstorm also offers a robust modding system, VR support, and console availability—making it one of the most accessible entries among the best milsim games today. It’s an ideal stepping stone for players transitioning from casual FPS to more hardcore simulations.

5. War Thunder – Combined Arms Warfare at its Best

When it comes to military simulation games that span land, air, and sea, few titles offer the sheer scope and authenticity of War Thunder. Developed by Gaijin Entertainment, War Thunder is a free-to-play combat simulator that delivers large-scale battles using meticulously recreated tanks, aircraft, and naval vessels from multiple eras—from World War II to the modern day.

Unlike many milsim titles that focus purely on infantry combat, War Thunder excels in offering a combined arms experience. Whether you're dogfighting in a MiG-21 at 30,000 feet, commanding a Leopard 2 tank through urban combat zones, or engaging in naval skirmishes with destroyers, the depth and diversity of vehicles make every match a strategic puzzle.

The game's Realistic and Simulator battle modes strip away arcade features like aim assists and HUD indicators, creating a truly immersive and challenging environment. Ballistics, armor penetration, flight physics, and even engine performance are all modeled with painstaking accuracy. This attention to detail is exactly what makes War Thunder one of the best milsim games currently available.

War Thunder’s constant updates, new vehicles, and tech trees from nations around the world keep the gameplay fresh. It also features VR support, customizable loadouts, historical missions, and a massive player base. The experience can be enjoyed solo or with a squad, but success almost always demands teamwork, situational awareness, and precision.

For players seeking a broader and more varied military experience—beyond just boots on the ground—War Thunder delivers some of the most authentic, large-scale combat available in the genre today. It's not only a standout title among the best milsim games but also a true gateway into the complexities of multi-branch warfare.

The world of milsim games is vast, nuanced, and constantly evolving. Whether you’re storming the beaches of Normandy, coordinating airstrikes with your squad, or scavenging through post-apocalyptic ruins, these titles offer something unique for every type of player. The five best milsim games highlighted here—Arma Reforger, Squad, Hell Let Loose, Insurgency: Sandstorm, and War Thunder —represent the pinnacle of military realism in gaming today.

No matter your preference—team-focused coordination, historical authenticity, or raw survival—there’s never been a better time to dive into the best milsim games and experience the virtual battlefield like never before.

Reality Remake 11/22/24 Reality Remake 11/22/24

All Metro Awakening Weapons | All Metro VR Weapons

There are a ton of fantastic weapons to find and use in Metro Awakening: VR, and they’re pretty unique as far as Virtual Reality shooter weapons go. Despite Metro VR having about a fifth as many weapon options as any flatscreen Metro title, there are still some very fun guns and other gadgets to use in the game.

Here I’ll show you all of the Metro Awakening weapons including the order you find them in, how they function, and what each is good at.

As a side note if you’re trying to replace a weapon you currently have with a new one (for instance a different looking variant of the Kalash rifle) then just put your current weapon in off (left) hand, pick up the new one you want in your dominant (right) hand and store it in the storage slot for that weapon (i.e. over your shoulder for a Kalash or by your right hip for a Tokarev.)

The Tokarev (Pistol)

The Tokarev is the one and only pistol available to you in Metro Awakening, and it is the least powerful weapon in the game. It is also the first weapon that you receive.

The Tokarev pistol is a classic World War 2 Soviet sidearm, and Metro Awakening: VR is the first Metro game to include this weapon. Though unfortunately, this comes at the expense of Metro classics such as the Revolver.

The Tokarev doesn’t do much damage per shot, and you’ll have to hit almost all of your shots to take down even weaker enemies without having to reload. This is also because the magazine only holds eight rounds.

Ammunition for the Tokarev Pistol in Metro Awakening: VR

Curiously, you can only carry 28 rounds in reserve for the Tokarev. So if you don’t use it regularly you might find yourself constantly not being able to pick up ammunition that you find for it once you have access to better and more powerful weapons.

Unlike these other weapons the Tokarev is the only one to be stored on the hip of your dominant hand, which is the right side by default. Simply press the grab button with the controller of your dominant hand while it is at your waist and that hand will grab the pistol, seemingly out of thin air.

If the Tokarev is empty press the magazine ejection button on the controller carrying it and the mag will slide out of the bottom. Grab another magazine and slide it in before gripping the slide on the top of the pistol and pull it back to load a round into the chamber.

There is also a silenced variant of the Tokarev that can be found later on in the game. It has no noticeable reduction in power or accuracy, but is quiet and can be used from stealth.

The silenced variant of the Tokarev pistol in Metro Awakening: VR

There are a few different cosmetic variants of the base Tokarev that appear throughout the game, though there are no enemies that use it.

As the only sidearm available in the game, the Tokarev is always quickly available if you run out of ammunition for one of the more powerful two handed weapons. That’s really what it is best used as, a backup that can be used to take down an already injured enemy, or a weapon that can be quickly drawn and used with one hand if you are surprised by an ambush.

The Kalash (AK)

The Kalash is Metro slang for an AK-74 assault rifle, commonly known as an “AK.” You will find a Kalash pretty early on in the game after you acquire the Tokarev, and it will be a reliable companion all the way until the end.

Since the invention and adoption of the AK-47 by the Soviet union, the Kalashnikov series of assault rifles have dominated the small arms market in Russia, abroad, and of course in the post apocalyptic world of the Metro games.

The AK does fairly weak damage per shot, however its strength is in its rate of fire. Being the only automatic weapon in Metro VR that you can carry with you, and having a thirty round magazine makes the Kalash powerful if you stay on target. However, it is easy to waste a lot of ammunition if you simply hold down the trigger and spray, despite the fairly low recoil the AK has even while firing fully automatic.

Ammo for the Kalash aka the AK in Metro Awakening: VR

Rounds for the AK are common throughout the game, but one of the greatest sources of them are human enemies, which predominantly carry the AK as their only weapon through most of the game.

If you’re low on ammunition for this weapon then you can get a lot more by taking down a group of human enemies stealthily, and then taking the magazines out of their guns for yourself.

The AK, like most weapons in Metro Awakening: VR, is stored over your right shoulder. If it is empty take out the old magazine by gripping it with your off hand and pulling it away from the rifle. Then take a new magazine and insert it into the magazine well right in front of the trigger guard. Once the magazine is inserted pull back the charging handle on the side of the AK to load a round into the chamber.

There are quite a few variants of the Kalash that can be found throughout the game with slightly different parts, and even a version with no stock at all. Though they are all functionally the same and have the same sights.

The Kalash is a weapon that is reliable in any situation you find yourself in in Metro Awakening, so make sure you don’t waste all of your ammo for it by shooting up a wall. Despite being fully automatic it is much more economical to fire it in bursts at any opponent that is not directly in front of you. Still, the Kalash is capable of taking down any opponent in the game very quickly if you don’t miss.

DShK (Mounted Machinegun)

The DShK aka Dushka machine gun in Metro Awakening: VR

The DShK, also known as the “Dushka”, is a stationary heavy machine gun that has made an appearance in every Metro game, and sees a lot of action in Metro Awakening.

Your first chance to use the DShK is in the Prologue of the game, and it appears periodically throughout. Unlike other weapons in Metro VR you cannot put it behind your shoulder and take it with you, and most commonly you’ll find the DShK attached to rail carts.

So the DShK makes a lot of appearances in rail chase sequences, where you use it to mow down enemies as your rail cart passes through.

Unlike other Metro Awakening weapons, the Dushka doesn’t need to be reloaded and doesn’t have ammunition that you can find. Every DShK has seemingly infinite ammunition and will only stop firing when the heat dial on top of it goes all the way to the right. You can also tell how hot the gun is getting by the color of the barrel. To cool it down simply stop shooting.

The DShK has two handles, and you can fire it by holding down the trigger while grabbing either one. Though attempting to fire this machinegun with only a single hand will cause massive recoil, so make sure to hold it with both. Each round from the DShK is roughly as powerful as a Kalash round.

Since the DShK has infinite ammunition and makes appearances mostly in on the rails cart sections make sure to utilize it as much as possible to conserve ammunition for your portable weapons. Though it is better to fire bursts from the Dushka to prevent it rapidly overheating, and to make sure you stay on target.

The rapid rate of fire and infinite ammo makes the Dushka immensely powerful in Metro Awakening, and when you get the chance to use it make sure to abuse it as much as possible.

Grenade

The grenade is a crude hand made explosive device that can be found fairly early on in Metro VR after you find the Kalash. It appears to be a stick of explosive with a fuse lit by a small battery once the pin is pulled.

Despite its primitive construction, however, the grenade does fantastic damage when it explodes near an enemy. Despite a fairly long fuse time of about 4 or 5 seconds, the grenade has excellent damage potential if used well.

Grenades are also fairly common throughout the game once you start to find them, usually found scattered throughout levels one at a time.

You can carry three grenades, and you can access them by taking out your backpack by grabbing over your left shoulder with your right hand, and then pulling the grenade off of the backpack with your left hand.

Pulling the pin on the Grenade in Metro Awakening: VR

To light the fuse simply pull the pin and then throw the grenade as far away from you as possible. Getting caught by your own grenade is very deadly, and can unfortunately be common when fighting mutants if you aren’t careful. This is because the grenade will still bounce around once you throw it, and a mutant that walks into the grenade may incidentally kick it back towards you.

Grenades are more useful against human opponents, since they will keep their distance and stand in one place while trying to shoot you. Though human opponents will run once they see a lit grenade next to them, so for maximum effectiveness you can “cook” a grenade by pulling the pin and waiting a few seconds before throwing it. This means the fuse won’t burn for very long before detonating on target.

Grenades can be as much a danger to you as to your enemies in Metro Awakening, but are very effective against groups of enemies or enemies without much room to maneuver. If you don’t trust yourself to be fast enough to take one out of your backpack in combat then you can always take one or two out before the fight starts and leave them on the floor, or start off the fight by throwing a grenade and taking out a group of enemies.

The Helsing

An hour or two after you get the Kalash you’ll find yourself with the excellent Helsing, the second two handed weapon you find in Metro Awakening: VR that can be stored behind your right shoulder.

The Helsing is a Metro-made crossbow that takes inspiration from the legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing, who is famous for his use of advanced crossbows in his 2004 film.

Just like in that 2004 film the Helsing is a very impressive weapon, boasting a cylindrical magazine that can hold 6 bolts, and a fast reloading mechanism that gives it a rate of fire far greater than any historical crossbow. Though compared to other weapons in Metro Awakening the Helsing is extremely slow to reload, but very powerful for each shot. It is also completely silent, and can take down human enemies from stealth very easily, though aim for the body and head.

Bolts can be found periodically throughout the game, but are fairly rare. So make sure to hold on to what bolts you do get by pulling them out of the bodies of your defeated adversaries, or out of scenery and walls if you missed your shots. Though keep in mind that some mutants, such as spiders, are very hard to retrieve bolts from once they’ve been hit.

A bolt for the Helsing in Metro Awakening: VR

To load bolts into the Helsing hold it in your dominant hand and press the magazine release button, which will release the cylinder. Then put bolts inside each of the compartments in the cylinder. Once you’ve filled it to contentment either flick your wrist to snap the cylinder back into the crossbow, or push it back in with your off hand.

To load a bolt grab on to the lever on top of the Helsing and pull it all of the way back towards yourself. This will take at least a second, which can be a very long time in the middle of combat.

The Helsing is a very strong weapon if you hit your shots with it, so accuracy is key, and so is keeping your distance. Getting caught trying to reload this crossbow while taking fire or the claws of a mutant is a bad idea. The Helsing is best used from stealth, or when you can duck back into cover, or when you have the time to reload it before being hit in return.

Make sure to retrieve your bolts since ammunition for the Helsing is scarce.

The Shambler (Shotgun)

About six hours into the game you’ll get your hands on the Shambler, which is stored just like your Kalash and Helsing over your right shoulder.

The Shambler is another Metro classic. A homemade shotgun that fires buckshot shells, and has been present in each Metro game since Metro 2033.

The Shambler works like a shotgun revolver that can be loaded externally. There are five slots for shells and an extra one in the central chamber for a total of six shells that can be loaded at one time.

Once you get your hands on the Shambler ammunition for it is fairly plentiful and can be found regularly, though generally just one or two shells at a time. After you acquire the Shambler you can also find some human enemies that use it, and you can take the shells from their weapons by just pulling back the lever on top until all the shells pop out.

Like shotguns in most games the Shambler is most effective up close, and while it does extremely high damage at close ranges, the effectiveness of its shells drops off sharply at even medium range. Though despite being semi-automatic the Shambler has a very good rate of fire, meaning that it is very effective against mutants who charge towards you.

Shells for the Shambler in Metro Awakening: VR

To load the Shambler place shells into the empty shell slots on the exterior of the weapon, and then pull back the handle on top to load a shell into the chamber. If there is a single shell loaded on the exterior the cylinder will spin until that shell ends up in the center and is loaded.

Since the Shambler does incredible damage at close range and is easy to aim due to the wide spread of the buckshot shells it fires it is recommended to primarily use it against large mutants where it is the most effective. Make sure to use lulls in fighting to reload shells on the exterior of the shotgun so that you don’t run out of ammo.

The Blowpipe

The Blowpipe is the final weapon that you acquire in Metro Awakening and is also stored over your right shoulder.

The Blowpipe, aka the Blowgun, is a primitive but deadly weapon that fires poisoned darts with complete silence. In Metro VR it is heavily ornamented, but in the end is basically just a tube with a wide end and a shorter end with a crude sight mounted on top of it.

Despite its crudeness the poison in the darts used in the Blowpipe is very deadly and each shot does very high damage. While loading the blowgun can take some getting used to with some practice you can load and fire it extremely quickly, making it a very potent but very skill based weapon. It is quite hard to aim.

The power of the Blowpipe weapon in Metro Awakening: VR is also diminished by how rare ammunition for it can be throughout most of the game. Unlike other ammunition types it isn’t usually found just lying around, but rather in the necks of victims of its use, who you will find during the story of Metro Awakening.

Luckily used Blowgun darts can be retrieved much like used Helsing bolts. So make sure to retrieve the darts when you can.

Finding a dart for the Blowpipe on a body in Metro Awakening: VR

To use the blowpipe put a dart inside the wide end of it and then raise it up to your mouth before pressing the trigger to fire the dart out. The darts actually come out with a surprising amount of force and stay on target pretty well at even medium range. However the very rudimentary sight makes aiming the blowgun sort of hard, and so does the slow travelling speed of the dart when compared to other weapons in Metro Awakening.

That being said the blowgun can be fired even more rapidly than the Helsing if you are good with it, and the massive damage that it does makes it useful in any situation as long as you manage to actually fire it accurately. This can be tough against fast moving enemies, but if you hit your shots the Blowgun is amazing.

Well those are all of the Metro Awakening weapons that you will find in the game. Enjoy yourself in the Metro!

Reality Remake 8/7/24 Reality Remake 8/7/24

17 Amazing Half-Life: Alyx Mods That Give You More Of The Game For Free

Half-Life: Alyx is widely recognized as one of the best VR games out there, and is a prime example of what a well designed AAA quality game can look like on Virtual Reality.

Unfortunately, Half-Life: Alyx was released years ago and hasn’t received any new official content for quite a while. So once you’ve mastered the main campaign of the game you might get bored with it.

So here are 17 Amazing Half-Life: Alyx Mods that will add more levels and content to the game for you to play through. These Half-Life: Alyx custom campaigns are some of the best around and will surely give you more good times in this fantastic VR game.

You’re guaranteed to have a good time with any of these HL:A Campaign-Likes.

Half-Life: Alyx is widely recognized as one of the best VR games out there, and is a prime example of what a well designed AAA quality game can look like on Virtual Reality.

Unfortunately, Half-Life: Alyx was released years ago and hasn’t received any new official content for quite a while. So once you’ve mastered the main campaign of the game you might get bored with it.

Luckily the developers at Valve also released fantastic modding and level creation tools along with the main game, and many talented and dedicated modders are here to fill the content gap for Half-Life: Alyx.

So here are 17 Amazing Half-Life: Alyx Mods that will add more levels and content to the game for you to play through. These Half-Life: Alyx custom campaigns are some of the best around and will surely give you more good times in this fantastic VR game.

You’re guaranteed to have a good time with any of these HL:A Campaign-Likes.

Gunman Contracts Chapters 1 And 2

The logo for the first chapter of the Gunman Contracts *Half-Life: Alyx* mod.

No list of Half-Life: Alyx mods or Half-Life: Alyx custom levels can be complete without Gunman Contracts Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.

You might have seen this game referred to as a “John Wick” game, and that is an extremely accurate description for it. The Gunman Contracts mods pits you and your custom pistol against armed human goons, henchmen, and thugs just like John Wick in the movies.

You’ve got a mission to complete, and a ton of enemies in your way that you’ll have to fight through. Gunman Contracts does a great job of using Half-Life: Alyx’s Source 2 engine in a more true to life setting, and staging interesting, fast paced, dynamic, and intense firefights for you to enjoy.

Instead of fighting through alien infested ruins and ancient metro tunnels, Gunman Contracts has you blasting through windows in high rises and bottles of booze in bars. It’s great, and makes you feel faster and more powerful than you do in the base game, but also throws many more enemies at you.

If you want some fast paced urban shooting action in a Half-Life: Alyx mod, then give Gunman Contracts a try. The author of this mod is even working on a standalone VR game as well.

Half-Life: Incursion

Half-Life: Incursion places you in a small area of the Quarantine Zone surrounding City 17 and throws waves of combine soldiers at you.

You’ve only got so much time to scrounge of ammo and prepare your defenses, like placing tripwire mines, before another attack comes. They start out easily enough, but get harder and harder.

Luckily you won’t only get more supplies, but better weaponry as the waves get tougher. Survive them all and you’ll win. Half-Life: Incursion lets you get really crafty with your defense. You can lure soldiers into traps or try to evade and confuse them in the narrow alleys and city streets.

The attack waves are very well designed and varied, and there is even some excellent voiceover work to enjoy as well in Half-Life: Incursion.

Return To Rapture

Remember Rapture from the first two Bioshock games? Well now you can return to it in Virtual Reality in Return To Rapture.

That’s right, the combine have invaded Rapture and so now so will you. What is absolutely fantastic about this mod is how it transfers so much of the environment, gameplay, and vibe of Bioshock into Half-Life: Alyx.

There are all sorts of old favorites to enjoy from Vita Chambers to Plasmids. So if you want to experience Bioshock VR then try this mod. It is incredibly expansive, well made, and a creative combination of two game worlds.

Levitation

Half-Life: Alyx - Levitation feels like a continuation of the main campaign of Half-Life: Alyx both in terms of tone and quality.

Set right after the events of the main game, the story really kicks off when Alyx looks for two fellow resistance members investigating a mysterious floating building. Things escalate from there, and you’ll find yourself facing new challenges, seeing new fantastic sights, and enjoying yourself immensely.

Levitation is huge for a mod project at easily four hours in length, and is visually stunning in places, while also being a fun challenge for those who have already completed Half-Life: Alyx. It really feels like a continuation of the main campaign, despite being a mod.

Goldeneye Alyx 007

Remember the Nintendo 64 classic Goldeneye? Well the authors of Goldeneye Alyx 007 certainly do, and they’ve been busy recreating maps from the classic James Bond Goldeneye game in Half-Life: Alyx.

As far as Half-Life: Alyx mod ideas go, this is pretty ambitious considering the scale and detail of the maps recreated here, but the mod authors pulled off recreating those old areas with detail very well. Not to mention they’ve managed to fill them with great combat and exploration challenges.

Whether you want to relive some Goldeneye nostalgia or just want a fun series of James Bond themed maps to play through, check out this mod.

Hotline Alyx

If you’ve ever heard of the top down shooter Hotline Miami then you probably recognize the reference in the title of Hotline Alyx.

Everything, the masks, the music, the gritty 80s easthetic, and of course the fast and frantic combat of Hotline Miami are recreated here in Virtual Reality in this Half-Life: Alyx mod. There’s even a story, just like in Hotline Miami.

Each level is challenging, packed with enemies, fast paced, and a true challenge of your reflexes and tactics. You’ll also have to be very careful with your ammunition usage, so precision is key. Though you can always use melee weapons.

That’s right, this mod has melee weapons and they’re… okay. Still, it’s very impressive that they work at all. Hotline Alyx is impressive from how it includes such unique features and ties them together into a frantic package of VR close quarters shooting carnage.

From Here To There

If you want an entirely new story set in the Half-Life universe with a long campaign, new enemies, and new mechanics, then you’ve got to give From Here To There a try.

This is a very long Half-Life: Alyx mod that can run you up to 8 hours. It is fantastic, and you’re also a different character, Dr. Smithers from Half-Life 1.

After the Black Mesa incident Dr. Smithers works as a custodian and has a secret laboratory underground. In case you’re wondering, yes the secret lab is amazing, and there are a ton of experiments to play with. In fact there are a ton of new toys to interact with in From Here To There.

It’s got new weapons, a new story, and so much creativity on display for such a long run time. There are even some sections that will require puzzle solving skills and creativity. There is a ton of additional content in this mod, and it is all of very high quality.

Re-Education

Re-Education is a more slow paced mod that focuses on exploration, environmental storytelling, and taking things slowly.

In it you, as Alyx once more, make your way through an abandoned school in order to get to the safe house on the other side of it. Things start off inauspiciously at first, but as you get further into the Zen infested school things get more dangerous.

Why? There’s yet another Jeff inside of the school, but as far as Jeff encounters go this one was a much more creative use of the monster. Re-Education is a solid 45 minutes to hour of Half-Life: Alyx modded gameplay for when you want to do more careful exploring than shooting.

Cornered

In Cornered Alyx is laying low inside of an Apartment building. You wake up to an alarm and poke around your temporary apartment.

There you’ve got plenty of weapons and supplies, that you should definitely gather up quickly, but soon the combine find you and blast through the walls and front door to attack you.

This mod is extremely difficult, and the combine throw everything they’ve got at you. Though at the same time you’ve got a lot of weaponry and ammunition to fight them with. While you might die a lot, this mod is a real test of your close quarters combat skills in Alyx, and the feeling of relief when you fight your way out is fantastic.

Goon Squad

Want to be a combine soldier in Half-Life: Alyx? Well now you can in the Goon Squad mod.

You and the other members of your squad are exploring an old underground sewer within the Quarantine Zone when things suddenly go very wrong.

Can you survive as a lone combine soldier cut off and without support?

The Undertow

So you’re going to a nightclub with a briefcase, and you’ve got to deliver it to the owner. Unfortunately, things won’t end up being that straightforward in The Undertow.

This Half-Life: Alyx mod features a very fun setting with its neon saturated nightclub, though things do change up from there, and take a strangely horrifying turn.

There are more engaging combat challenges and puzzles in an hour long package. Not to mention the vodka is now drinkable!

Half-Life: Zheptics

Half-Life: Zheptics is another long story campaign that you can enjoy for Half-Life: Alyx that puts you in the shoes of a Resistance member that is investigating a strange old facility with their brother.

This facility is called Zheptics, and is related to the original Black Mesa from the first Half-Life game. You’ll find a really surprising breath of fresh air in Half-Life: Zheptics, and it almost feels like a whole new game than the original.

There are new puzzles that take very surprising turns, new gameplay mechanics, new puzzles, and even new enemies. All of these fantastic surprises in this mod keep coming and are all of very high quality.

If you’re looking for a fresh new experience with a great playtime then of all Half-Life: Alyx mods none delivers more new content than Half-Life: Zheptics.

Euphoria

Goon Squad isn’t the only mod that lets you play as a combine soldier.

Euphoria differentiates itself just as Incursion does in the world of Half-Life: Alyx mods by being more of a wave defense campaign than an actual set of linear levels you play through. Also it heavily features allied combine soldiers. You feel more like part of a squad than a lone survivor this time.

In Euphoria you and your squad of combine buddies are in a ruined nightclub that is heavily infested with zombies. The zombies keep coming, you and your buddies keep blasting, and fantastic music keeps playing. It’s a good time.

Buckshot Bugs

If you’re bummed that you don’t get to use the shotgun enough in Half-Life: Alyx then the Buckshot Bugs mod is for you.

In this mod the shotgun is your only weapon. Once more you need to fight your way out of an infested area and make it to a train to escape. There are a ton of enemies, and more importantly a ton of shotgun shells.

That is, if you know where to find them. Constantly being on the lookout for ammunition is very important here, but the satisfaction of shotgun blasting your enemies is fantastic. It’s surprising how intricate the combat can get with just a single weapon, and how great the upgrades for it are.

Abduction

In Abudction you wake up in a combine prison and escape, gather some weapons, and fight your way out while avoiding being recaptured.

This map is also short, but very tightly designed and well made. The premise is solid, and while nothing was truly surprising in this mod it was an overall solid experience. Nothing groundbreaking, but just a ton of fun that uses the mechanics of the original Half-Life: Alyx campaign well.

C17YSCAPE

In C17SCAPE you are once more in prison, except you’re no hero, just a normal citizen.

Luckily your cell malfunctions and you can escape. Unluckily the combine are after you and you are unarmed.

You’ll have to find a weapon and fight your way to, hopefully, safety. It’s hard out there for most in the Half-Life universe, and C17SCAPE is an old but great example of a solid hourlong map, and its been updated since then.

Overcharge

Saving arguably the best for last we have Overcharge, a mod that early on in the life of the Half-Life: Alyx modding community revealed just how great Half-Life: Alyx mods can be. It is the #1 rated mod for this VR game.

In Overcharge you are a rebel soldier tasked with the near suicidal objective of disabling a combine substation in the area before it is built.

Overcharge is an absolute classic and a must try for anybody who really wants to get into Half-Life: Alyx mods. While it isn’t the longest, it is the highest rated for good reasons.

Anyhow those are 17 amazing Half-Life: Alyx custom campaign mods that give you more amazing Half-Life: Alyx gameplay for free!

Reality Remake 7/27/24 Reality Remake 7/27/24

11 Ways Into The Radius 2 Is Better Than The First Game

So Into the Radius 2 (aka Into The Diameter) has finally released into early access!

This game is an absolute blast and is a VR survival shooter that is even better than the original Into The Radius, despite some early access jank and bugs.

That's because Into The Radius 2 does exactly what a sequel should do, take what made the first game so enjoyable and refine it. Update things, add new pieces, change up the existing formula, and create something even more fantastic.

So Into the Radius 2 (aka Into The Diameter) has finally released into early access!

This game is an absolute blast and is a VR survival shooter that is even better than the original Into The Radius, despite some early access jank and bugs.

That's because Into The Radius 2 does exactly what a sequel should do, take what made the first game so enjoyable and refine it. Update things, add new pieces, change up the existing formula, and create something even more fantastic.

1 - Improved Visuals

The big orb in the center of the radius looks better than ever in *Into The Radius 2.*

This is the most obvious in the visuals. Into The Radius 2 is gorgeous. As you'll see from these screenshots, the beauty of the game's environments goes beyond the technical details of nice particle effects and textures.

Into The Radius 2 is like fighting to survive inside a surrealist painting. Everything from the mundane objects that you'll find in the oddest places to the deadly red water to the trees both seem entirely strange and out of place, while also being close enough to a real life environment to be somewhat believable as a real place.

It's that classic mixture of Soviet era decay, unknowable horror, and apocalyptic blast, sharper and better than ever before.

2 - New Anomalies

This fantastical aesthetic and artistic direction extends to the new Anomalies, many of which were basically just deadly geometric shapes in the first game. Now they look better, and more like real objects twisted by the radius's phenomena into something otherwordly.

They also have more interesting new mechanics surrounding them. Not all will just hurt you the moment you come into range, and so while anomalies are still very deadly, you'll have to be much more clever to circumvent them.

3 - New Artifacts

Some artifacts float around in containers you need to shoot to open. Others are trickier to get to.

Even when you get past the anomalies to the profitable artifacts that they hide, collecting them isn't as straightforward as just flashing a light on them like in the last game. Nope, now you'll need to figure out and understand the world of the Radius in order to get to the artifacts.

Some you can just grab or shoot to collect, but others... others will take more equipment or more cunning to get your hands on.

4 - New Home Base

Look at the new UNPSC base in *Into The Radius 2*! Very pretty.

Where you'll go to sell these artifacts has been improved on as well. While many lovers of the original Into The Radius will surely always have a soft spot for the dilapidated trainyard of Vanno in their hearts, Into The Radius 2 features a much sleeker and modern looking home base.

It has impressive walls and guard towers which might make you feel safe or trapped, and more buildings and space to store items than ever before. It's like you're on a futuristic military base.

Everything seems new, and even the computers all look much more modern.

5 - Interactive Store

New you can create loadouts before you buy them.

Of course after you sell those items you'll also be buying things in the base, and that's where the new store comes in. Unlike Into The Radius 1, the sequel has a store where you can actually pick up and put on the items you want to buy before you buy them.

This is a fantastic idea, and makes every trip to the store when you're fat with cash and ready to get a major upgrade a ton of fun.

6 - Loadout Options

There are a bunch of different rigs to try out.

This is also especially important because now you have many more options to experiment with before you buy them. Your choice of loadout is now much more personalized, with a variety of backpacks and tactical rigs to customize how you store your weapons and magazines.

There are rigs that store your pistol at your side and a long gun over your shoulder in classic Into The Radius fashion, and others that change things up in intersting ways. There's even a rig with two pistol holsters, or just one long gun holster.

7 - Gun Weight

This Saiga shotgun is VERY heavy and feels like it in this game.

With these new loadout options comes a wide array of firearms, and those firearms feel more impressive in Virtual Reality than ever. Seriously, a surprising amount of VR games, including the first Into The Radius, have weightless and floaty feeling weapons. Not Into The Radius 2, these guns feel like guns.

They're heavy, and if you try to whip a large assault rifle around like you're John Wick then you'll be surprised to find that the heavy weapon you're holding will take a while to catch up to your unencumbered physical hands.

The weight of the weapons makes you move and shoot more carefully, and overall is very immersive.

8 - Weapon Wiggle

Running with even a light weapon out like this pistol makes it incredibly hard to aim in *Into The Radius 2.*

It also helps that every time you run, your weapon will actually wiggle a little bit. Surprising, right? Well, this is a pretty radical change, and an innovation in how a VR game can keep you from just running and gunning all of the time.

You can technically still aim while moving quickly, but it is much harder to hit a target with your sights jiggling all over the place. Kind of like if you were actually trying to run while keeping a gun steady at the same time.

9 - Gun Sounds

The guns sound absolutely tremendous in this game.

The guns in this game don't just feel weighty when you carry and point them, they have a lot of kick to them when you shoot them, and they sound tremendous.

These guns sound absolutely forceful, and feel and sound like firing an actual firearm much more than in Into The Radius 1.

10 - Better AI

The AI is much improved in *Into The Radius 2*. This mimic is running to a new piece of cover after being hit.

The enemies you will face also have powerful sounding weapons, and they aren't afraid to use them. The AI in Into The Radius 2 is much improved over the first game.

Where the AI enemies in Into The Radius 1 did a lot of crouch walking around towards you, the enemies in the sequel dash from cover to cover, and will suppress your last known position with withering fire if given the chance.

The AI in Into the Radius 2 is much better at taking cover and exchanging shots with you.

11 - Fantastic Firefights

You’ll be outnumbered all of the time in *Into The Radius 2*, but the gunfights feel fantastic.

All of this adds together to create firefights in Into The Radius 2 that force you to treat them seriously, and don't allow you to just run and jump around through them while firing from the hip like you're in a Call Of Duty lobby.

There is a lot more emphasis on fighting enemies with guns in Into The Radius 2 than in the first game. While that being an improvement is debatable, it is impossible to deny that these firefights feel stunning to take part in on so many levels.

BONUS - Multiplayer

Eh well, that's eleven but let's throw in one more. MULTIPLAYER. Enough said.

Multiplayer in a game like this is tremendous.

That’s all for this list of 11 ways Into The Radius 2 improves on the original game. Enjoy yourself out there in the Radius.

Reality Remake 7/5/24 Reality Remake 7/5/24

4 Awesome VR Space Games on the Oculus Quest 2

Want to experience the dark depths of space? Want to immerse yourself in the final frontier? Well there’s no better way to immerse yourself than with Virtual Reality, and no more convenient platform for VR than the Oculus Quest 2. While there are a lot of Sci Fi games set in the depths of space, this list will focus on non-sci fi games that are about our Solar System, and the technology that we already have. No hyperdrives or laser cannons here.

You Might Also Enjoy:

Interkosmos 2000

Instead of saving the best for last, let’s get to it first. Interkosmos 2000 may be the ultimate space flight simulator available on the Meta Quest 2, and Virtual Reality in general. If you ever wanted to feel like an early astronaut, alone in a metal ship zooming around the earth at over 25000 kilometers per hour, then this is the game for you.

In Interkosmos 2000 you are the sole pilot of an aging spacecraft sent to the ISS to correct its orbit… and a variety of other places and things around the Earth (I won’t spoil it all). The piloting is tough and is pretty accurate to how piloting an actual orbiter would work, and the docking procedure for when you reach your destination is pretty faithful as well.

It’s not all piloting though, you’ll also have to deal with the realities of using aging technology in the harshest environment known to humankind. Manage your power, or your batteries will either go out, or overcharge and blow a fuse. Keep an eye on your CO2 levels and cabin pressure, and so many other malfunctions. Keeping your ship running is just as much a part of this game as piloting it.

If you want a game to sink your teeth into that really makes you feel like you are navigating through space in a (somewhat) modern and realistic craft, then Interkosmos 2000 is the game from this list to get. Nothing else on the market currently beats it.

Apollo 11 VR

Want to experience the moon landing as immersively as you can without going to the moon yourself? (I mean not even Jeff Bezos can afford that) Then Apollo 11 VR is as good as you’re going to get, for now.

It’s sort of a mix between a documentary and space piloting simulator. While you are given control at a few moments, such as docking two modules in space or landing on the moon, generally Apollo 11 VR is a very passive experience for the player. You don’t even have to do any of these things if you don’t want to, and can just have the game do it for you in a cinematic.

Most of Apollo 11 VR is essentially watching really cool cinematics from a perspective external to the craft, or from one of the crewmembers’ views. It’s main draw is that it looks really cool, and is a great passive experience. If you want something interactive though, look elsewhere.

Titans of Space PLUS

Want to explore the Solar System? Well that’s what Titans of Space PLUS does best. In this game you aren’t constrained to a space ship or other craft, or even to earth. Instead you board a sort of magical flying chair and zoom around the Solar System, with everything to scale. Want to feel like a giant? Well then scale everything down, or bask in the huge scale of the planets by keeping yourself in human size.

You can even ditch the chair if you want, but inside it is a whole lot of information. Listen to voiceovers telling you more about the celestial bodies of our Solar System and the space missions that revealed them to us. Titans of space doesn’t have any real any real gameplay to it. All of the interactions with the world are focused around viewing and moving around it. It is a purely exploration and learning based experience, though if you want to learn some interesting facts about the Solar System, it is a great VR experience.

Mission: ISS

Mission: ISS is another experience that is more educational tool than game. There is some interactivity to it. Using the handholds in the walls of the International Space Station to fling yourself down its hallways and modules is really fun. There is a brief spacewalking section, but it doesn’t really seem like an actual spacewalk. You are really light first of all, and they couldn’t even be bothered to change your hand models to look like an EVA suit. It’s disappointing really.

Otherwise using the ISS’s grabber arm (Canadarm) to secure a supply mission is an interesting and novel experience. Unfortunately that is basically where the fun ends. You can always explore the ISS and watch little video clips on the objects found inside, but that’s about it. So the bulk of Mission: ISS is an interactive museum. Still, it is free, and there are some very fun things to learn about humans living in space.

Anyway there you have it, these are the best realism focused VR titles on the Oculus Quest 2, for now. Hopefully one day there will be more interesting games that come out to flesh out this list a little more. For the time being the more realistic spacefaring experiences are mostly educational and dry with little interactivity.

You Might Also Enjoy: