Dream Hackers VR Is The Game I'm Most Excited For In 2027

They say that if you close your eyes and keep them shut, it’s impossible to stay awake for more than seven minutes. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I know it took less time than that for Dream Hackers VR to convince me I was playing something special.

From the very first moments that I stepped into its surreal dreamscape, it was clear that I wasn’t playing just another indie VR shooter. In Dream Hackers VR, the developers at ARVI VR have crafted an experience that feels strikingly polished, a game that blends deft art direction with mesmerizing world design, and punctuates it all with viscerally satisfying gunplay.

After an hour or two with a preview demo provided by the developers, Dream Hackers VR is the VR game I’m most looking forward to in 2027.

What is Dream Hackers VR?

Dream Hackers VR is a made-for-VR action-adventure roguelike that invites players to descend into surreal collective dreams, places where danger lurks around every unusual corner. You’ll equip yourself with an arsenal of kinetic weapons, outlandish tools and powerful potions as you battle through waves of living nightmares and ancient bosses. Throughout your adventure, you’ll make important discoveries, choose your fate, and uncover the mysteries hidden deep within the Dream Layers.

What that means, essentially, is that you enter concise and varied environments, solve puzzles, shoot everything that moves, and explore the subconsciously themed environs of the Dream World.

It’s an intriguing premise made truly engrossing by the game’s exceptional art design and its high level of mechanical polish. Dream Hackers VR feels like it’s knocking on the door of AAA game status (for lack of a more universally understood term), reminding me of something like Expedition 33 in flatscreen gaming.

Each environment feels handcrafted, and while there’s certainly some stock assets being used here, it always feels like a human hand has touched each element of the game. The impossible architecture of the game’s dream worlds, the shifting magic of the places you visit, the variety of colors and theming make each new location feel alive and distinct, while the extremely high degree of interactability places you solidly at the center of these living worlds. It’s the kind of magic that can only exist in VR, done very, very well.

Guns. Lots of Guns.

So, Dream Hackers VR looks stunning. But visuals will only carry a game so far. Thankfully, its gameplay holds up.

The bulk of the game involves exploring surreal environments in sequence, solving relatively simple puzzles, and battling nightmares that come your way. You fight these creatures of the Dream World using energy guns (I’ve used pistols, shotguns and automatic rifles), alongside tools like an energy shield, anomaly absorber, grenades, and more. In addition, you have access to power-ups and tools, such as a magnifying glass, a compass, and more.

Combat feels incredibly satisfying thanks to responsive weapons, great variety of weapon types, and an even greater variety of foes, each with their own behaviors, visual identities, and weaknesses. Every fight felt energetic, fair, and reasonably difficult, while the dual-wield, instant-swapping weapons felt balanced and powerful.

Secondary Designs

The game’s quieter moments are equally engrossing. The environments are dense with detail and dripping with character, and in and amongst the strange vistas are light environmental puzzles. You may need to track down colored keys to unlock the next stage, or use your magnifying glass to reveal hidden secrets. These puzzles never overstay their welcome, and like the best puzzles in more mainstream games, they make you feel smart without ever being truly difficult.

The game also offers a surprising degree of movement options. I played using the smooth turning and joystick locomotion settings, which are recommended for those comfortable in VR. For others, there’s a slew of snap turning and teleport locomotion options.

If there’s one area where the game is lacking, currently, it’s in the audio department. The voice acted dialogue sounds AI-generated, and some of the music during combat sections can be repetitive and a bit silly. Contrasting with the more variable music that plays in exploration segments, which is at least interesting and suitably thematic, the gunplay guitar riffs feel even more out of place. The sound design is otherwise excellent, with great ambient foley and excellent environmental audio.

Dream Machine

What has impressed me most about Dream Hackers VR isn’t any single game mechanic, or one specific area, or any individual aspect of its design, but rather how cohesive the whole experience feels.

Very often, especially with indie titles, a game may excel in one area at the expense of others. But Dream Hackers VR seems to have it all. The art direction complements the mysterious narrative, the polished combat supports the fun factor, the puzzle mechanics spur us on to greater exploration of the game’s wondrous environments while giving breathing room between combat encounters. Nothing here feels underdeveloped. Everything feels, looks, and plays beautifully.

Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give Dream Hackers VR thus far is how excited the demo has left me for the game’s full release. I’ve had the opportunity to play and write about some of the most amazing VR games ever made. If the Dream Hackers VR that releases in 2027 is even just a tiny bit bigger, better, and somehow more polished than what I played today, ARVI VR may have a genuine Game of the Year contender on its hands.