Choose Onward
Choose Onward if you want the Online Co-op, SteamVR Collectibles, and Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2025) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 7,203 Steam reviews back the pick.
Onward vs Virtual Warfighter
Onward and Virtual Warfighter both land in Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam. Virtual Warfighter (2016) is 9 years older than Onward (2025). Onward scores higher on Steam reviews (68% positive) than Virtual Warfighter (56.4% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Virtual Warfighter
Choose Virtual Warfighter if you want an Early Access experience. Virtual Warfighter launched in 2016.
Both Onward and Virtual Warfighter sit in Action, Strategy, and Indie on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Onward |  Virtual Warfighter | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025 | 2016 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Action, Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 68% positive (7,203 reviews) | 56.4% positive (39 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online Co-op | Multi-player |
| Developers | Downpour Interactive | MDA Digital |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Virtual Warfighter (2016) is 9 years older than Onward (2025).
- Onward scores higher on Steam reviews (68% positive) than Virtual Warfighter (56.4% positive).
- Onward has co-op; Virtual Warfighter does not.
- Onward is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Virtual Warfighter has no Deck rating yet.
Onward vs Virtual Warfighter — FAQ
- Should I play Onward or Virtual Warfighter first?
- If you want chronology, Virtual Warfighter (2016) came out before Onward (2025). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Onward and Virtual Warfighter similar?
- They overlap on Action, Strategy, Indie on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.