Grave Rush, Arm Cutter, Skull Hunt: The Three Arcade Modes of HAUNTED in a Value Check

The short answer: Yes, the three arcade modes carry their own value. They are different enough, share a motivating progression system, and turn a short story game into one you return to. However, if you’re only looking for scares without combat, you’ll likely see the arcade as an add-on.

What we looked at

For this part of the report, we looked at the arcade separately from the story and checked it against the following points:

• Variety: How different are the three modes?
• Progression: What motivates the next round?
• Difficulty: How does the challenge increase?
• Comfort: What do the modes demand physically?

The details on rules, shop prices, and unlocks come from the manufacturer’s description. We don’t give our own record scores or play hours.

What all three modes share

You reach the arcade via “Games” in the main menu. Each mode turns a monster from the story into an endless wave survival game, played in your real room. Shared elements are:

System	How it works
Points and combo	Fast kills build a multiplier up to ×8; each completed wave gives a bonus
Hearts	You have three; each hit costs one
Coins	Earned for kills and waves, spent in the shop
High scores	A top 5 per mode
Bone Market	Unlock weapons and upgrade them in 5 tiers, plus armor plate (extra heart) and Second Wind (one revive)

Unlocks are the shotgun for 450, the sword for 600, and the assault rifle for 900 coins. Upgrades affect damage, fire rate, reload, magazine, or range depending on the weapon. Important: the shop and these additional weapons belong only to the arcade, not the story.

The modes individually

Grave Rush: the zombie shooter

According to the manufacturer, Grave Rush is the main arcade mode and comes from the fifth story chapter. One of your walls collapses, behind it lies a moonlit graveyard, and the dead come through the hole: first slow ones, and from wave two also fast ones. You start with the pistol; unlocked weapons lie ready on the floor. Headshots give bonus points, special kills play in slow motion. A tutorial on first start shows reloading via wrist flick or magazine change.

Our take: The most accessible mode and the best entry into the arcade. If you like classic wave shooters, you’ll find the most familiar feel here.

Arm Cutter: read, then cut

Arm Cutter comes from the second chapter. Ghostly fists knock on your walls and announce where the next arm will break through, then it reaches for your head. You cut with the axe or, once unlocked, with the sword. From wave three, arms also come from the ceiling. Each wave brings more and faster arms with shorter warning time. If you sever a hand only when it’s less than 0.7 meters from your face, you get a “CLOSE CALL” bonus.

Our take: The most physical mode. It rewards hearing and reaction rather than aiming and is a good choice for anyone who prefers melee to shooting. But it requires a lot of swing room.

Skull Hunt: light as a tool

Skull Hunt comes from the fourth chapter. The room goes dark, skulls circle and dive at you and are only clearly visible in the flashlight cone. You hold the lamp on the left, a revolver with a laser point on the right. If you hold the light beam on a skull, it freezes in midair. Large skulls split into three; from wave four, fuse skulls line up on a wall and explode after a countdown. Now and then the battery dies, then you shake the lamp awake again. Hits during a dive count double.

Our take: The most tactical mode, because light and shot must be coordinated. One note: the manufacturer doesn’t mention an option for left-handers that swaps lamp and revolver.

Price and value

The arcade costs nothing extra; it’s included in the purchase price. According to the UK store listing, HAUNTED cost £3.99 on October 10, 2026. Coins are earned by playing; the manufacturer’s description doesn’t mention real-money purchases for coins. Because the modes are endless, the value depends on how much high scores motivate you. For players who like beating their own record, that’s a big plus compared to many short VR experiences that offer nothing after the credits.

Who the arcade is a reason to buy for

Main reason to buy if you: - like wave shooters and point chasing, - want to play short rounds in between, - want to show friends a mode in turns (the game itself is single-player).

More of an add-on if you: - are buying HAUNTED mainly for the story, - prefer horror with little combat, - have only a little room to swing.

Pros and cons

On the positive side are the genuine differences among the three modes and the shared shop system that makes every round meaningful. We see it as a drawback that neither the store nor the manufacturer mentions an online leaderboard, so high scores only count against yourself, and that each mode remains limited to one location.

Alternatives

If you’re mainly looking for wave action in VR, you’ll find well-known titles on Quest like Arizona Sunshine (zombie shooter) or rhythm games like Beat Saber, which also motivate strongly through high scores. However, these are fully virtual or oriented differently; HAUNTED plays out in your real room. Please check availability and prices in the store.

Bottom line

The arcade is the part of HAUNTED that provides replay value. Three distinct modes, a coin system fed by playing, and clear goals make it more than a bonus. Our assessment as publisher: 8.6 out of 10. You can find the store listing in the Meta Horizon Store.