The Lightkeepers VR Review: Addictive, But It Has One Big Problem
Updated: 5 days ago
In this The Lightkeepers VR review, I want to start with the thing that kept pulling me back in — just one more run. The Lightkeepers has a problem: I keep telling myself I’m going to do one more run, and then suddenly I’m back on the boat heading towards another island, looking for better weapons and wondering where the last hour went.
The day-and-night gameplay loop is one of the most addictive I’ve played in VR for a while. During the day you explore islands, search ruins, solve small puzzles and grab whatever weapons and resources you can find. Then night arrives, and everything turns into a desperate fight to defend the lighthouse.
I’ve had a brilliant time with it, especially in co-op, but there is one thing stopping me from calling it amazing: the combat still needs work. The foundation is really strong, but the melee feedback, grabbing and occasional weapon problems are noticeable because so much of the rest of the game works so well.
My Testing Details
Game: The Lightkeepers
Modes played: Solo and co-op
Release date: September 10, 2026
Supported headsets: Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S
Main focus: Exploration, day-and-night survival, combat, progression and co-op
The Lightkeepers VR Review: What Is It?
The Lightkeepers is a VR survival game built around a simple but really effective day-and-night cycle. During the day, you head out by boat to different islands, explore ruins and underground areas, solve small puzzles and collect weapons and resources.
Then night falls, and the focus completely changes. You return to the lighthouse, build defences, craft mines and grenades, heal people and prepare for waves of Lovecraftian creatures coming out of the darkness.
That constant pressure of knowing you need to get back before night is what gives every run a real sense of purpose.
The Day-and-Night Loop Is the Best Part
The daytime exploration is what keeps pulling me back in. You sail out, search for better weapons and resources, explore ruins and underground areas, and there is always that pressure in the background because you know night is coming.
If you spend too long looking for one more crate or pushing a little deeper into an island, you can end up paying for it later. That tension gives every run a purpose and makes the whole loop much more addictive than I expected.
Co-op Is Where The Lightkeepers Really Clicks
I’ve played both solo and with other people, and for me co-op wins easily. Solo can become stressful because you are trying to explore, collect resources, get back to the lighthouse and prepare all the defences yourself.
With a team, everyone can take responsibility for something. One person is repairing, somebody else is fighting, and somebody is usually panicking because something enormous has just appeared next to the lighthouse.
That chaos works brilliantly with the 1920s nautical setting, fog and Lovecraftian creatures, and it is where the game feels at its best.
The Big Problem: Combat Needs Work
This is the part that stops The Lightkeepers from being a five-star game for me. The melee weapons just do not have enough weight, and sometimes hitting an enemy feels more like swinging a rubber toy than landing a proper strike.
The feedback could be much stronger, especially the sound and impact when you connect. I also had moments where hitting boxes or other objects did not register properly.
The guns feel better, but I still ran into problems. On one run I inserted the magazine into my rifle and could not pull the mechanism to chamber the next round. Picking things up can also feel awkward at times.
None of this ruins the game, but it stands out because everything around the combat is so good.
Progression Gives You a Reason to Keep Coming Back
There is plenty to work towards in The Lightkeepers, with more than 20 weapons, upgrades, equipment and cosmetics giving you a reason to keep taking contracts and heading back out for another run.
The early weapons can feel deliberately weak, so the first few runs can be rough, but the progression itself is strong enough that I kept wanting to see what I could unlock next.
There is also a social hub where you can fish, drink, mess around and meet people before heading out, which fits the game surprisingly well.
What I Liked About The Lightkeepers
• The day-and-night loop is seriously addictive
• Exploring islands for better weapons and resources gives every run a purpose
• Co-op makes the lighthouse defence much more fun and chaotic
• The 1920s nautical setting, fog and Lovecraftian creatures create a strong VR atmosphere
• There is plenty of progression through weapons, upgrades, equipment and cosmetics
• The social hub adds a nice break between runs
• I kept wanting to go back for one more run
Home Daddy VR Five-Star Verdict
For fun, I’m giving it one full star. The Lightkeepers is seriously addictive. That day-and-night gameplay loop kept pulling me back in, and I constantly found myself wanting to do just one more run.
For gameplay, it gets half a star. I absolutely love the exploration, progression and the whole idea of gathering resources during the day before defending the lighthouse at night. But the combat lets it down. The melee weapons need more weight and better feedback, and some of the weapon interactions can still feel awkward.
For VR immersion, I’m giving it half a star. The atmosphere is good, and the lighthouse, fog and co-op moments definitely help, but overall the immersion is just okay. It works, but it never completely pulled me into the world.
For performance, I’m giving it half a star. The graphics are decent without being anything spectacular, and I ran into a few bugs, some awkward grabbing and a couple of weapon issues. It’s perfectly playable, but technically there’s still room for improvement.
And finally, value gets one full star. At $19.99, I think The Lightkeepers is priced really well for what you’re getting. Yes, it still needs some attention in a few areas, but there’s plenty to unlock, lots of replayability, and enough here to keep you coming back. For $20, I think it offers really good value.
That gives The Lightkeepers a Home Daddy VR score of three and a half stars out of five.
I think that’s a fair score. The core game is really fun, the day-and-night loop is addictive, and for $19.99, you’re getting a lot for your money.
But the combat needs more impact, the immersion is only okay, and there are still a few technical issues that need sorting out.
There’s already a really good game here, and with a bit more work, I can easily see that Home Daddy VR score going up.
Final Verdict: Is The Lightkeepers Worth Playing?
For me, yes — but with some clear reservations. The day-and-night loop is addictive, the co-op is where the game really shines, and there is enough progression and replayability to keep pulling me back in.
The biggest thing holding it back is still the combat. The melee weapons need more weight and feedback, the immersion is only okay rather than brilliant, and there are still a few technical rough edges that need smoothing out.
At $19.99, though, I think The Lightkeepers offers really good value. There is already a very enjoyable game here, and with a bit more work, I can easily see it becoming much better.
Use code HDVR on the Meta Quest Store for an eligible discount. Buying through my affiliate link supports Home Daddy VR at no extra cost to you.
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