Axegend VR Demo is a free action virtual reality video game wherein you get to fight off hordes of monsters and live out the glory of being a knight. Developed by Subversion Squad Studio, this indie VR game was inspired by Orcs Must Die and Archero and offers similar gameplay mechanics. Like the full version, this demo is designed for the Oculus Quest and thus, should be installed with SideQuest.

The art of the ax

In Axegend VR, you play as a newbie ax-wielding knight who finally gets the chance at a promotion when you’re assigned to save the princess from the enemy orcs. However, you eventually encounter stranger things as you journey to find her—making you start to question what’s really going on in your kingdom. This game is of the rogue-lite action strategy genre with tower defense mechanics, wherein you must defeat waves of enemies to clear levels. 

The gameplay here is fairly similar to its inspiration, Orcs Must Die. Enemy orcs will slowly enter your field and you must stop them from reaching the portal by defeating them. You can place different kinds of traps to block them or slow them down as you manually attack. However, the battles will happen in real-time so you need to be quick in setting up your defenses. For every win, you can get one more useful item.

Compared to the full version, this demo only features 13 items, three maps, and one boss to face off against. However, it showcases what you can expect from the whole game well enough. The combat physics of your weapons is quite smooth—you can even throw some if you don’t have a proper ranged weapon. Placing traps can be a hassle, however, as you access them with a pop-up menu that can block your left-side view.

A great teaser 

All in all, Axegend VR Demo is a nice trial version for anyone who’s interested in purchasing the full version of the game. While the pop-up menus may prove to be a nuisance as you hurry to set up your traps and strategies, its gameplay mechanics are still fun to challenge and master. The game is also in active development with its early access release, so you can contribute to its growth by leaving feedback.