The Climb

The Climb is a climbing action game from studio Crytek that arrived on Quest as one of the platform's early titles, bringing to a standalone headset an experience previously tied to powerful PC VR rigs. The player climbs rock faces, cliffs, and cranes above deep chasms, having to make every grip physically with their hands and monitor their own stamina in order to pause for a moment and shake out their fingers. The routes run through several distinct locations, from mountain peaks to Asian cities, and the game offers both free time-attack runs and a calmer exploratory mode in which players can admire the views of the landscape without pressure and discover hidden paths off the main route.

Technically it was a remarkable achievement, since Crytek managed to preserve long-distance views and the sense of height that is key to the game even on Quest's mobile chip — the vertigo and tension of looking down work almost as convincingly in the lightened version as on PC. The atmosphere is supported by minimalist ambient sound and wind, which heighten the feeling of solitude high above the landscape, while unlockable costumes and time leaderboards motivate replaying routes and searching for faster paths between holds. The stamina system also forces the player to plan their route ahead of time and choose between a faster but riskier approach and more cautious climbing with regular rests.

At its PC VR release, The Climb was among the titles that convincingly showed VR can trigger a physiological reaction to height, and its Quest port made this experience accessible without the need for cables and a powerful computer. It still ranks among the headset's favorite showcase titles today, because it combines simple controls, adrenaline, and a pleasantly undemanding game loop that can be played in short bursts, and it remains a popular choice for introducing VR to new players who are still learning to move in space and judge distances.

Why play: For introducing VR to new players still learning to move in space, thanks to simple controls, adrenaline, and an undemanding game loop playable in short bursts.