‘Phantom: Covert Ops’ Gets Exploding Heads, Infinite Grenades & More in New Challenges Update

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Phantom: Covert Ops (2020), the stealth action game for Oculus Rift & Quest, got its first ‘Challenge’ pack today, bringing a host of new content to get you back into the seat of the game’s tactical kayak.

The free update lands today on Rift and Quest, bringing with it five new Challenge Maps. Developers nDreams also say the so-dubbed ‘Challenge Pack 1’ also features bug fixes and some quality of life updates too.

The extra content is certainly welcome, because if you’re like us, you probably completed the campaign mode in around four hours and then played a bit around with the mini-game-style Challenges and Free Play mode before hanging up your oars for another title.

Anyway, here’s all of the new Challenges coming to Phantom: Covert Ops:

  • Loose Cannon brings an infinite ammunition grenade launcher.
  • Powder Keg makes high-value targets have exploding heads.
  • Unfathomable introduces a difficult time trial which reverses kayak controls.
  • Target Hunt sees you paddle around the levels finding and shooting pop-up cut-outs of enemies, like a shooting range on the river.
  • Broadside gives you the chance to take the SV-54 Assault rifle out to the watery shooting range for some target practice.

If you haven’t played yet, you’d be surprised at how immersive being tied to a military-grade kayak really is in VR. It’s not the brainiest of games out there, but shooting, paddling sneakily through shadowy waterways, and liberally exploding baddies was definitely a fun and well-crafted enough experience to earn a respectable [7/10] in our review.

Considering this is only Challenge Pack 1, we’re expecting a few more in the pipeline from nDreams. How many packs the studio has planned, we’re still not sure, but if they sound as fun as these (minus the reverse time trial because we’re not sadists), then we should be looking forward to plenty of mini-game content on the horizon.

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Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 3,500 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • John

    Love this game. I am having a problem finding the audio file boxes. I cannot find the second box to mission 1 or the boxes for missions 4 and 5. I’ve used the view find to look around and I cannot see any stars that mark the audio boxes. Where are they?

    • Ja

      They are post themed and not rooted on purpose.

      • John

        What do you mean? I found some, they are marked with a star when you look through the view finder? Are they others hidden or just not there?