Cleanse the Demon Horde in ‘Hellsweeper VR,’ Out Now on Meta Quest 2 + Pro

A Hellsweeper’s job is simple: descend into the depths of hell and decimate its demonic armies—and most importantly, you have to look awesome while doing it. Hellsweeper VR is an intense first-person action game where you can perform gravity-defying movements while wielding a huge number of weapons and powers. And you can start your hellish journey today by picking the game up on Meta Quest 2 + Pro for $29.99 USD.

You can check out the full launch trailer here.

Hellsweeper VR improves on the freeform combat gameplay Mixed Realms first pioneered in Sairento VR: Untethered. The limitless movement system lets you perform all sorts of acrobatic feats, like slicing demons from mid-air while you’re upside down, shooting enemies while running along walls, doing backflips, and much more. As an immortal warrior, you have swords, axes, guns, telekinesis, and elemental spells at your disposal. If you want, you can even just master the art of using your fists—it’s up to you on how you want to fight.

As the demons’ body count rises, so will your proficiency in combat. You’ll earn points that you can use to improve your weapons and abilities, further customizing your Hellsweeper to your liking. But you don’t have to face hell’s monstrosities alone: In addition to the single-player campaign, you’ll also be able to play with a friend in two-player co-op, unlocking new teamwork strategies and opportunities (hint: try combining your different elemental spells together for some explosive results).

To celebrate Hellsweeper VR’s launch, we spoke to Creative Director Edi Torres about their three-year development process, coming up with the brutal combat gameplay, and some basic tips to arm yourself with before you dive into the game.

Edi Torres: We’re Mixed Realms, an indie game studio hailing from the small city-island of Singapore. We’re best known for developing titles such as Sairento VR, Gordian Quest, and the upcoming Hellsweeper VR.

Back in 2015, when virtual reality began to gain traction, we were captivated by its potential. However, we noticed many action games either anchored players in one place or restricted them to specific teleportation points. We believed this limited the full immersion and potential of VR. So instead of sticking to the “safe” and conventional standards, we thought, why not push the boundaries? While the general sentiment was to tread cautiously with VR movement, we decided to throw caution to the wind! We rolled out intense mechanics like somersaulting, double jumping, sliding, and wall-running, just to mention a few. That bold move led to the creation of our debut game, Sairento VR, and that's how our studio came about.

ET: Working on Sairento VR taught us a lot, especially on the technical and production side of things—optimizations, workflows, etc. But perhaps more fascinating was learning from the innovative ways players interacted with our game. Their creativity inspired us to design new movesets, weapons, and skills for Hellsweeper VR.

Hellsweeper enhances Sairento's limitless movement mechanics, introducing a more layered progression system. For example, players can evolve from casting basic spells to unleashing formidable ones like the Fire Vortex. While Sairento’s melee combat is purely arcade and fast-paced, Hellsweeper blends semi-realistic physics with more fantastical moves like being able to air-juggle enemies, inspired by movesets from the Devil May Cry series.

ET: Retaining Sairento VR’s hallmark movement mechanics, Hellsweeper VR introduces new ones like air-dashing and being able to land on enemies to use them as surfboards. To cater to varying player comfort levels, we’ve also incorporated more granular accessibility options.

ET: Our aim was to create a combat system that would challenge the veterans while ensuring beginners weren’t overwhelmed. After ample testing and tweaking, we think we've found that sweet spot in Hellsweeper VR, thanks to its range of difficulty options and customization features—and tons of feedback from the community!

Players have the flexibility to adjust settings based on their comfort level, from vision tunneling to locomotion preferences. For instance, VR newcomers might opt for the simpler teleportation movement, which lets them delve into their combat style of choice without feeling overwhelmed.

ET: At its core, single-player focuses on optimizing one’s build, while co-op emphasizes strategic teamwork for two. While the foundational gameplay remains the same, co-op introduces unique variations. Players might discover their blessings, boons, or weapons differ from their teammate’s. This allows for collaborative strategies where teammates can leverage each other’s strengths. For instance, they can merge abilities, like combining frost and bolt magic, to unleash combined laser attacks.

ET: That’s a good question! It’s hard to pick favorites but I go for the shotgun. It takes a bit to get used to, especially compared to the pistol. But once you get the hang of it, the rhythm becomes quite addictive. It’s satisfying to flip it to unload the shells in between rounds. It’s also really fun to cast advanced Volt magic—you can levitate like Storm while frying enemies with a chain of lightning!

ET: Dive into the tutorial! While the allure of immediate gameplay is tempting, it’s wise to hone your skills first. If the intensity overwhelms you, tweak the settings and master the moves at your own pace. We envision Hellsweeper VR as a rite of passage for those who are looking for intense VR experiences, much like how many of Sairento VR’s original fans credit it for nurturing their VR legs.

ET: A heartfelt thank you to our community that’s been cheering us on since our Sairento VR days. Your feedback and unwavering support have been instrumental in shaping Hellsweeper VR. We would also like to give a big shout-out to our publisher, Vertigo Games, for their guidance throughout this journey.

After dedicating over three years to its development, we’re a mix of nerves and excitement. We hope players will enjoy Hellsweeper VR and share the experience with their friends. We have more exciting plans post launch and with the community’s continued support, we look forward to expanding Hellsweeper VR!

Unleash the full powers of your demon hunter in Hellsweeper VR, out now for Meta Quest 2 + Pro.