Stranger Thingshas been one of the most influential TV shows of the past decade, with its 80s aesthetic being one of the primary factors behind the era’s resurgence in the modern day. 80s fashion, hair styles, and music have all made a comeback in recent years, and a lot of that has to do with Netflix’s Sci-Fi coming-of-age dramaStranger Things. Put simply,Stranger Thingsis a phenomenon, and it only continues to grow in popularity with every new season.
With the conclusion ofStranger ThingsSeason 4releasing just a few weeks ago, the fandom has reached all-new heights, encompassing more people than ever before. But whileStranger Thingsmerch flies off the shelf, there’s one tie-in product that’s never really hit the mark, and that’s video games. Over the years, there have been a fewStranger Thingstitles, namely the retro-inspired arcade-likeStranger Things: The Game, but none have really lived up to the acclaim of their source material. But now, with the show being more popular than ever, it’s time for a newStranger Thingsvideo game, and a VR title would fit the bill nicely.
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Stranger Things Is Perfect For a VR Experience
The aesthetic ofStranger Thingshas become one of the most recognizable looks in modern popular culture. The second there’s a neon red light, some dark dust particles, andsome 80s synth, people immediately know what type of experience they’re in for. This instantly recognizable aesthetic is perfectly suited for a VR experience, where fans are able to get up-close and personal with all the show’s iconic imagery.
The Upside Down, Demogorgons, the Mindflayer, and nowVecnahave all become iconic images in pop-culture, and aStranger ThingsVR experience would let fans feel even more connected to the world and its monsters. The 80s aesthetic ofStranger Thingswould also stand out in VR market quite a bit, as there isn’t too many high-budget 80s-inspired VR experiences out there. Similarly, withStranger Thingsprimarily adopting the horror genre, aStranger ThingsVR game already has the potential to do quite well, as horror games tend to be one of VR’s best-selling genres.
For example,Resident Evil 7is still widely considered to be one of the best, and is still one of the most popular VR titles available. AStranger ThingsVR game in a similar vein could be quite the impressive experience, especially if it takes inspiration fromResident Evil’sgeneral gameplay mechanics. AStranger ThingsVR game could drop the player in the Upside Down and task them with trying to escape, all the while running from various monsters and using puzzle mechanics to escape rooms and environments.
Technically, aStranger ThingsVR experience already launched all the way back in 2017, but this experience was essentially a tech demo and offered very little gameplay. Now is the perfect time to release a fully-fledged, high-budgetStranger ThingsVR game.Stranger ThingsSeason 4 has been one of the most viewed seasons ever released on Netflix, and deciding to release the season in two parts only helped to increase the buzz around the show. Thanks to modern social media apps like Tik Tok, the conversation aroundStranger Thingshas continued long after fans have finished watching the season.Stranger ThingsSeason 4 was so popular, in fact, that fans managed to pushKate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” to a number onechart spot, nearly 40 years after it first released.
WithStranger Thingsonly continuing to grow in popularity, now is the ideal time to announce aStranger ThingsVR title. When it comes to releasing the hypothetical game, dropping it just before season 5 would be an incredibly smart decision, with hype undoubtedly reaching an all-time high. Further, considering thatStranger ThingsSeason 5 is supposedly the last, aStranger Thingsvideo game adaptation is running out of time.
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