Raw Data

Raw Data is a virtual reality action shooter that helped establish what full-scale VR combat experiences could look like during the early years of consumer VR gaming. Rather than feeling like a short experimental demo or limited tech showcase, the game delivers a complete sci-fi shooter experience built entirely around physical interaction, fast reflexes, and immersive combat mechanics. Combining futuristic environments, wave-based survival encounters, cooperative multiplayer, and multiple playable heroes, Raw Data succeeds because it fully embraces the strengths of virtual reality instead of trying to imitate traditional flat-screen shooters.
Set in a cyberpunk-inspired future dominated by a powerful corporation known as Eden Corp, the game follows a resistance movement attempting to expose dangerous experiments and artificial intelligence projects hidden behind the company’s public image. The narrative itself is relatively straightforward science fiction, but it provides enough context to support the action-heavy gameplay and futuristic atmosphere. The world is filled with neon lighting, robotic enemies, holographic technology, and sleek industrial environments that feel highly immersive when experienced inside VR.
The biggest strength of Raw Data is its combat system. Every weapon interaction feels physical and immediate because players are actively aiming, reloading, blocking, and attacking with motion controls rather than pressing simple buttons. Gunfights become intense because enemies attack from multiple directions while players physically dodge incoming fire and reposition themselves in real time. The game constantly keeps players moving, making every encounter feel energetic and physically engaging. Few early VR games captured the excitement of full-body action as effectively as Raw Data.
The variety of playable characters adds a huge amount of replay value. Each operative has a completely unique combat style and set of abilities that dramatically change how the game feels. Bishop specializes in fast-paced dual-pistol gunplay, Saija focuses on sword combat and telekinetic abilities, Boss uses heavy weapons and explosive firepower, while Elder fights with a futuristic bow designed around precision attacks. Switching between characters significantly changes the pacing and strategy of missions, making repeated playthroughs feel fresh instead of repetitive.
The gunplay remains one of the game’s most satisfying features. Weapons feel powerful and responsive, especially during chaotic firefights where players are surrounded by robotic enemies and forced to react quickly under pressure. Physically aiming and reloading weapons in VR adds a level of immersion traditional shooters simply cannot replicate. Every successful headshot or desperate close-range encounter feels far more intense because the player is directly performing the actions rather than watching animations unfold automatically.
Melee combat is another major component of the experience, especially when playing sword-focused characters. Swinging energy blades and blocking enemy attacks physically creates exciting moments that highlight the strengths of VR interaction. While the melee systems occasionally lack the weight and precision found in newer VR combat games, they still provide an enjoyable sense of physical involvement that was extremely impressive when the game originally launched.
Cooperative multiplayer significantly improves the experience as well. Playing alongside another person creates far more chaotic and entertaining combat situations where teamwork becomes essential. Coordinating abilities, reviving teammates, and surviving massive enemy waves together captures the excitement of cooperative action games remarkably well. The multiplayer mode adds substantial replay value because missions become more dynamic and unpredictable when experienced with another player.
The level design works effectively within the wave-based structure. Missions gradually introduce stronger enemies, larger combat arenas, and more difficult encounters that encourage players to constantly improve their positioning and combat skills. Although the game fundamentally revolves around defending areas and surviving enemy waves, the pacing remains entertaining because the combat itself feels so physically engaging.
Visually, Raw Data still holds up surprisingly well for an older VR title. The futuristic environments are detailed and colorful, with strong lighting effects and polished sci-fi aesthetics that help create a convincing cyberpunk atmosphere. Enemy designs, weapon effects, and environmental presentation all contribute to making the world feel immersive without sacrificing performance during intense action sequences. The clean visual design is particularly important in VR where clarity and responsiveness directly affect gameplay comfort.
Sound design is another area where the game performs extremely well. Weapons sound powerful, robotic enemies create constant audio pressure, and the soundtrack adds energy during major encounters without becoming distracting. Positional audio also plays an important role because players constantly rely on sound cues to detect enemy movement and incoming attacks around them.
Despite its strengths, Raw Data is not without flaws. Beneath the polished VR mechanics, the gameplay structure is still heavily built around wave-based combat arenas. While the combat itself remains entertaining, some players may eventually notice repetition during longer sessions because the overall mission objectives rarely evolve dramatically beyond surviving enemy attacks and defending positions.
Technical roughness occasionally appears as well, particularly during multiplayer sessions where connection stability and synchronization problems can sometimes interrupt immersion. Although the game generally performs well, it still shows signs of being part of the earlier generation of VR development.
The physical intensity of the gameplay may also be exhausting for some players. Raw Data demands constant movement, quick reactions, and physical interaction throughout most combat encounters. Longer sessions can become surprisingly tiring, especially for players not fully accustomed to active VR games. While this physical involvement is one of the game’s greatest strengths, it may also limit accessibility for certain audiences.
What ultimately makes Raw Data memorable is how effectively it demonstrated the potential of VR action gaming. The game proved that virtual reality could support full-length campaigns, cooperative multiplayer, and satisfying combat systems capable of standing alongside traditional action games rather than existing as simple experimental experiences.
Raw Data remains one of the stronger VR shooters available because of its immersive combat, excellent character variety, and energetic pacing. Even years after release, it still succeeds as an exciting and highly physical sci-fi action experience that showcases why virtual reality can make combat feel far more intense and personal than standard shooters.
Rating: 8/10

It crashes on start with UE4 Error - solution is not to use steamlink on Oculus 2, launch it from Air Link.
In tutorial it was the mist awkward teleport inputs (you need to click the trigger to teleport), I was thinking that teleport don't work. And why you can't choose to walk from the start and not after tutorial?
1 hour of trying to start it so far, I hope that I'll can play now.
It's a fun shooter game if you managed to get it work. Few arenas was bad.

So long as this game doesn't crash for you, definitely pick it up on a sale. Fun from what i've played so far, visuals are pretty nice, too. Story seems nice from what i've played, too.

This game is 8 years old and still one of the better VR experiences. Very enjoyable.

I have this game on PlaystaionVR and yes PCVR is the better game. add me for CO-0P olz
2025

Really good combat system. Level design is awesome. Enough variety of gameplay. I highly recommend this game if you're in the mood for a wave combat game.

Surprisingly good shooter with some nice weapons (the most powerful is the shotgun imo). Commonly you are on small playground with 5 phases of enemies coming, but still the combat is good feeling. Can be frustrating to try beat the game on hard difficulty since if you fail to defend the orange cube - you're going to start over the whole level again which is annoying af. Normal can be pretty challenging to get enjoyment. Plot is blank though, but that's fine for the genre.
Was playing on PSVR2 and the compatibility is excellent.