Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot

Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot is a 2019 virtual reality first-person action game developed by MachineGames and Arkane Studios, and published by Bethesda Softworks. Released on July 25, 2019 (launching alongside Wolfenstein: Youngblood), for PC VR and PlayStation 4 (PSVR), it marks the franchise’s first foray into virtual reality. Rather than playing as a traditional run-and-gun soldier, this VR-exclusive spin-off puts players directly into the cockpit of the regime’s most devastating robotic war machines.

Core Story

Set in 1980 Neu-Paris, the events of Cyberpilot take place about a week before Jess and Soph Blazkowicz arrive in Youngblood. You play as the titular “Cyberpilot,” an unnamed, mute hacker working from a secret bunker deep within the Parisian catacombs. Guided by a French Resistance handler named Maria (nicknamed Juju), your mission is to intercept, hack, and commandeer advanced Nazi hardware. By turning the regime’s own terrifying mechanical beasts against them, you pave the way for the resistance to strike back and reclaim the city.

Gameplay and Features

Cyberpilot shifts the traditional fast-paced infantry combat of the series into a seated, vehicle-based VR power fantasy:

• VR-Exclusive Cockpit Action: The game is played entirely from a first-person, seated perspective inside various mechanical cockpits. You physically reach out with your motion controllers to pull levers, press buttons, and activate weapons.
• Commanding War Machines: Throughout the campaign, you get to pilot three distinct Nazi machines:
  • The Drone: Used for stealth sections, capable of zapping enemies and slipping through vents.
  • The Panzerhund: The iconic robotic fire-breathing dog, allowing you to charge through the streets and incinerate infantry.
  • The Zitadelle: A towering, heavily armored bipedal mech equipped with a Gatling gun and rocket launchers for maximum destruction.
• Hub and Hacking: Between combat missions, you return to the resistance bunker. Here, you engage in tactile VR minigames—using futuristic tools to repair, rewire, and hack the neuro-chips of captured machines to bend them to your will.
• Panic Button: A literal physical “panic button” in your cockpit that you can slam to unleash an ultimate, screen-clearing attack once it’s fully charged.

PC Version

The PC VR version is compatible with major headsets like the HTC Vive, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality. It offers the highest visual fidelity and the most accurate tracking for your hand movements inside the cockpit. The game provides various comfort settings, including smooth locomotion or snap turning, to help mitigate motion sickness while stomping through the streets of Paris.

Console Versions

On consoles, the game is exclusive to the PlayStation 4 via the PlayStation VR (PSVR) headset. It can be played using either a standard DualShock 4 controller or two PlayStation Move motion controllers. While the DualShock works fine, using the Move controllers is highly recommended, as they allow you to actually reach out and interact with the cockpit’s dashboard manually. While visually softer than the PC version due to hardware limitations, the sense of scale remains excellent.

Quick Note

Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot is an experimental, bite-sized spin-off rather than a full-fledged mainline game, and its campaign can easily be completed in about two hours.

In short: It’s a short, straightforward VR experience. If you’ve ever stared at the franchise’s terrifying robotic attack dogs and towering mechs and thought, “I want to drive that,” this game delivers exactly that explosive power fantasy.