Whoever said VR has no games?
True, the medium isn’t overflowing with 100-hour RPGs and lavishly-produced shooters, but there are absolutely more than enough titles out there now to satisfy a wide variety of gamers whether they like online sports, mind-bending puzzles or walking simulators. The fact is that whether you own an Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PSVR or otherwise, you’ve got plenty to play. But where should you spend your hard-earned cash?
Every day this week we’re going to list a handful of VR games that we believe are absolutely worth playing right here on this page (scroll down!), piling them up until we have 100 mentioned right here by Friday. Note that we’re not talking a ranked ‘Top 100’ list, at least not yet. This is about highlighting games that are fighting the good fight for VR, trying to shine a spotlight on some of the stuff you may have missed and championing the absolute essentials that everyone should play.
And, to be clear, these are strictly games, not experiences. We may or may not be working on another list to cover the latter category for later on and there may or may not be some overlap between the two, but for now we wanted to directly recognize the game developers doing great work in this emerging medium.
Day 3
Apex Construct – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR
Developer: Fast Travel Games
A rock-solid debut from one of VR’s most promising new developers, Apex Construct takes players on a sprawling adventure in a strangely beautiful post-apocalyptic world. The trusty bow and arrow mechanics at the game’s heart provide a fitting template for a full campaign in which you’ll do battle with an army of robot minions. Apex Construct is a game that’s very eager to please those that have been pining for a full gaming experience and, while not perfect, it gets more than enough right to be worth your time.
Dead Effect 2 VR – Read Our Coverage
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: BadFly Interactive
Turns out people still want to fight zombies even when you might believe the zombies are real. Well, if that sounds like you, you need to be playing Dead Effect 2. This is a very capable port of an already-enjoyable zombie shooter that will give fans of everything from Aliens to Night of the Living Dead something to love. Dead Effect 2 is one of a handful of games that makes a great case for developers porting past projects to VR where appropriate, and we’re hoping other studios take note.
The Well – Read Our Coverage
Platforms: Gear VR, Oculus Go
Developer: Turtle Rock Studios
Turtle Rock’s VR efforts have mostly gone into its popular Face Your Fears series, but its the team’s little-known RPG, The Well, that’s truly worthy of VR gamer’s attention. Featuring some of the most gorgeous visuals you’ll find in any headset, The Well is a stylish, deep game with turn-based battles that harken back to gaming’s past to bring this futuristic tech something unlike anything you’ve yet seen. If you want to see VR play with different art styles instead of trying to achieve reality, this is your best bet.
Karnage Chronicles – Read Our Coverage
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR
Developer: Nordic Trolls
Though still in Early Access, Karnage Chronicles has steadily been growing over the past year to offer one of VR’s most robust and enjoyable dungeon crawlers. Now offering full multiplayer support, this is one of the best destinations to fulfill your Lord of the Rings dreams with a friend. Like The Mage’s Tale, the character and environmental design is absolutely fantastic, but the mix of melee and ranged combat offers a deep combat system that lets you cater to your playstyle, too. It’s absolutely worth supporting this game ahead of its full launch.
Minecraft – Read Our Coverage
Platforms: Oculus Rift, Gear VR
Developer: Mojang
Did you know that you could play Mojang’s mega-hit in VR? Yes, the entire Minecraft experience is available to play inside the Rift and Gear headsets, bringing the blocky world to life like never before. Oculus Touch might not be a huge game-changer, but the never-ending amount of updates also applies to both VR versions of the game, as does cross-play support. Also note that, if you’re prone to VR simulation sickness, you can play the game on a virtual screen with a full 3D environment surrounding you.
From Other Suns – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift
Developer: Gunfire Games
Chronos developer Gunfire Games turned to procedural generation to answer the call for long-lasting VR games, and the result is the excellent From Other Suns. In this co-op shooter you and up to three friends journey through a galaxy filled with dangers, managing resources on your own ship before boarding others to take on armies of aliens and robots. From Other Suns has an amazing arsenal of weapons and fun corridor shootouts that you can experience time and again and is one of the best places for friends to hang out in VR.
Obduction – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR
Developer: Cyan
Myst developer Cyan once paved the way for gaming’s future with its narrative-driven adventure game, and now it’s doing the same for VR. Obduction is a ridiculously detailed exploration game that revels in giving the player stunning locations to explore to their hearts’ content. Support for motion controllers also brings a new dimension to the game and further demonstrates the amazing progress the gaming industry has made in the last 25 years. We can’t wait to see Cyan’s next project in VR too.
Rez Infinite – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Google Daydream
Developer: Enhance
Who would have thought that Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s cult favorite action game would find new life inside VR? Rez’s mix of soothing and exciting musical levels can be a little intense to experience inside a headset, but if you’ve got the resolve they make for an absolutely hypnotic world to explore. Not to mention that the new Area X mode is an absolute joy to explore in VR, letting you off the reigns for the first time to discover a seemingly unending amount of fantastical sights and sounds. Special shout out goes to the super-capable Daydream port, too.
How We Soar – Read Our Review
Platforms: PlayStation VR
Developer: Penny Black Studios
It’s a shame that How We Soar flew under the radar when it should have, well, soared. In this elating adventure you ride upon the back of a phoenix that tours the life of a struggling writer. This is as majestic as VR gaming gets, letting you elegantly glide across beautiful paper-made levels, swooping through rings. Its slow pace and story-driven focus won’t be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of any kind of narrative-first gaming then this is one experience that you really need to dig up.
Moss – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR
Developer: Polyarc
In our review we called Quill the little mouse that could, and that still stands. Moss is an enduring VR adventure that seems to delight even the most hardcore of VR fans. You control a tiny little mouse that takes on an adventure that leads her into ancient temples and across forgotten ruins. The game’s clever mix of puzzles that utilize the player’s own presence in a miniature world really stands out, and marveling at the lavish environments is a real treat. Moss is one of VR’s most instantly playable games and utterly essential for any headset owner.
Chronos – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift
Developer: Gunfire Games
Further proof that third person VR games can not only work but flourish on the platform, Chronos is a brilliantly moody action game that fuses the present day with fantastical elements. There are plenty of amazing sights to behold as you journey through an ancient dungeon, solving puzzles and fighting with orcs. It’s as close to a traditional Zelda game you’re going to get in VR right now, but stands up on its own terms too. We’re still holding out hope that a sequel to Chronos is on the cards at Gunfire.
Job Simulator – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR
Developer: Owlchemy Labs
Job Simulator is likely to forever remain a staple of introducing people to VR, making full use of the room-scale capabilities of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive but also effectively scaling down the experience for those that don’t have space. You have to complete seemingly menial tasks like cooking food and making repairs, but are given complete freedom to essentially trash the environment around you, leading to all kinds of chaotic fun. It’s one of the most accessible expressions of the power of the platform and still one of the most significant releases for it.
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood – Read Our Review
Platforms: PlayStation VR
Developer: Supermassive Games
There probably isn’t a bigger dare in all of VR gaming than Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. This VR horror game has no concerns about making its players pee themselves, shoving all manner of nasties in your face as it takes you on a literal rollercoaster ride through the mind of one of the original PS4 game’s characters. This is a shouty, screamy popcorn horror game that is responsible for a lot of embarrassing YouTube videos, but the on-rails shooter action is a lot of fun in its own right too.
The Lab – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR
Developer: Valve
We’re still waiting for Valve to bring the goods when it comes to a full VR game, but its free minigame compilation launched alongside the HTC Vive is still one of the most polished and fascinating showcases for headsets thus far. Whether you’re fixing robots from Portal 2, petting virtual robo-dogs or fending off attackers with a bow and arrow, The Lab sets the standard for a wide range of VR mechanics whilst also providing the immersive moments of wonder that really make this platform shine.
Blasters of the Universe – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Playstation VR
Developer: Secret Location
You might not think VR is suited for the bullet hell genre, but Blasters of the Universe is here to prove you wrong. Secret Location added a welcome new layer to the well-worn wave shooter genre by making players perform virtual acrobatics to avoid swarms of incoming bullets. It makes for a much more intense and alarming survival game. Highly customizable weapons and a brilliant Saturday morning cartoon presentation make this one of the most polished and fun single-player shooters you can find in VR today.
Day 2
Beat Saber – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR (soon)
Developer: Beat Games
Who could have predicted that, with all the possibilities of VR, a rhythm action game would become one of the scene’s biggest sensations? But Beat Saber really is that good; not only does it feel great to wield two knock-off lightsabers in hand but the game has razor-sharp mechanics that make slashing and dodging your way through any one of its tracks a real thrill. Impending launches for multiplayer and level editing are only set to sweeten the deal. Don’t turn your nose up at what’s fast becoming one of VR’s all-around best games.
The American Dream – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR
Developer: Samurai Punk
At a divisive time in American history comes this hilariously biting commentary on gun culture that’s not to be missed. The American Dream depicts a world in which day-to-day tasks are carried out with the help of guns. Shoot holes in bagels, paint cars and, uh, deliver newborn babies with the help of your sidearms. The American Dream is a bold VR game that dares to provoke as it strives to make a statement about the dangers of society today. This is something that demonstrates the real power of VR and the direction we want to see gaming head in going forward.
Augmented Empire – Read Our Review
Platforms: Gear VR, Oculus Go
Developer: Coatsink
Who says mobile VR is for casual games? Certainly not Coatsink, which last year released one of the industry’s deepest titles on a Gear VR. Augmented Empire combines the strategic gameplay of XCOM with the team-building story of a Mass Effect game to wonderful effect, then throws in VR support for good measure. It’s one of the rare games on any VR platform that will find you caring about its characters and itching to get back to every night. If you’re looking for a full, hardcore gaming experience in VR, this provides everything you’d ever need.
Polybius
Platforms: PlayStation VR
Developer: Llamasoft
If you’re looking for an acid trip without harming your body then Jeff Minter’s latest arcade excursion — itself based on an elusive cabinet game — is the game for you. You pilot a small ship that shoots down a course, destroying obstacles and trying to pass through tiny gates in order to rack up points. The gameplay is hugely addictive, but we have to warn you that Polybius is a true assault on the senses and not always in the best way. This is only for the readiest and most caffeine-fuelled of VR gamers.
The Talos Principle VR – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR
Developer: Croteam
Croteam is best known in the VR industry for its Serious Sam games and ports, but did you know the studio also brought the entirety of its existential puzzler to headsets last year too? Everything that made The Talos Principle’s environmental puzzling such a joy is alive and well here, and the game’s stunning world is a treat to explore in VR. Even if you’ve solved your way through Talos Principle’s generous amount of puzzles before, VR support makes it worth doing all over again. The DLC content is included as a bonus, too.
Vanishing Realms – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: Indimo Labs
It may be nearly two and a half years old now but Vanishing Realms arguably still remains undefeated when it comes to VR melee combat. Making great use of your motion controllers and pitting you against smart enemies that block your attacks, this captures the intensity of a sword fight better than any of its imitators, elegantly avoiding the awkward reality of no haptic feedback. Throw in a bit of archery and some spells and you have a versatile combat system. Early Access progress might be slow, but Vanishing Realms still offers some of the best time you can spend in VR.
Wipeout: The Omega Collection – Read Our Review
Platforms: PlayStation VR
Developer: Sony XDev
How lucky we were to get not just a game that bundles the last three fantastic Wipeout racers in one collection, but then to also have industry-leading VR support thrown into the mix too. Wipeout VR is the real deal, really rooting you in the fast-paced sci-fi races like never before. Few games can capture the hair-raising speed and cornering that you’ll experience here. It can be an intense ride but there are plenty of comfort options and the sheer amount of content makes this too good to miss.
Sprint Vector – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR
Developer: Survios
You might not have thought that a game about on-foot races could really work in VR, but Sprint Vector defies all odds. Survios spent time creating one of the industry’s best locomotion systems, which basically has you skating around huge obstacle courses, then mixes in climbing and flying mechanics that make you feel like an athletic Superman. Add to that extensive online support that’s growing a competitive community and you have one of VR’s best multiplayer games. Sprint Vector is Mario Kart for the VR age, and it’s a real blast to play.
Rec Room – See Our Stream
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR
Developer: Against Gravity
We wouldn’t consider most social VR platforms to have a place upon this list, but Rec Room’s focus on activities and its generous amount of free content mean it more than earns its place. Whether you’re meeting up with friends for a game of dodgeball or taking on cooperative quests together, Rec Room has some of VR’s most thoughtfully-developed content that you’ll want to play time and again. This is also the best cross-play game on the market right now, meaning you’ll have a much easier time finding your friends.
Fated: The Silent Oath Episode 1 – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR
Developer: Firma Studio
We may never get a second episode in the Fated series, but the impressive world-building and genuine sense of adventure found in the first installment still make it worth a look. This is as close to a Game of Thrones VR game you’ll yet find, though its the interactions with the game’s NPCs using simple head-nodding and skaing that really stand out, including one incredible moment towards the end that stands as one of VR’s most heart-breaking sequences. It’s a little old now, but Fated still offers a glimpse of the future.
Elite Dangerous – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: Frontier Developments
One of the earliest games to support VR headsets is still easily the biggest. Elite features endless hours of space exploration and combat with incredibly deep systems that give you full agency over your sci-fi adventures. Forge your own path in a massive galaxy to explore, meeting up with freinds and making a few enemies in the process. Regular expansions to the game have only increased the sheer amount of things you can do, including exploring the surface of planets. Elite is that rare game that truly lets you live out your childhood fantasies in VR.
Fallout 4 VR – Read Our Review
Platforms: HTC Vive
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Somehow Bethesda really managed to squeeze all of its massive 2015 role-playing game into a VR headset. Fallout 4 gives you an entire wasteland to explore and an endless amount of choices to make. Use motion controllers to wield the game’s expansive arsenal of weapons, getting into fights with Deathclaws and robots. Then, if you want to take a step back from the survivng, build your own space and hang out with everyone’s favorite dog companion. There aren’t many more VR games out there right now that will offer you this kind of bang for your buck.
Payday 2 – Read Our Coverage
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: Overkill
Robbing a bank in real life is not a good idea (unless you can get away with it). Fortunately, Payday 2 lets you execute the explosive heist of your dreams with none of the legal ramifications (though also none of the payoff). Team up with up to three friends either in or out of VR and take on a huge number of heists that will often end with your gunning your way to freedom. It goes for Heat, though often ends up feeling like a war. It’s not a game for those with reservations about using VR to kill people, that’s for sure.
Astraeus
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, Gear VR, Oculus Go
E McNeill has made a name for himself developing some of VR’s most thoughtful and strategic games. His latest, Astraeus, is easily his most accomplished yet, achieving a surprisingly accessible control scheme in which you select asteroids to mine and compete to create the largest and best network of bases in the galaxy. This is a game that shows true vision in its futuristic user interface and also demonstrates a welcome strand of humor with commentary from your robotic companion too.
Tethered – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR
Developer: Secret Sorcery
Tethered is a wonderful little god game in which you instruct peeps to build their own towns and do what they do best, worship you. Enemies attack by night and resources must be carefully managed to ensure that peeps remain happy, otherwise they’ll literally jump off of a cliff. I know! Grim! You’ll find yourself replaying levels to grab the best results and losing time admiring the tiny villages below you. If you’re looking for a decent challenge and a game with plenty of content, Tethered more than fits the bill.
The Mage’s Tale – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: inXile Entertainment
If you’ve been craving a rock solid VR dungeon crawler with hours of content and a vast library of spells to cast, The Mage’s Tale more than fits the bill. The veterans at inXile have brought to life the worlds they’ve been imagining for decades for the first time in VR and the result is an unmissable adventure that will have you mixing potions and shooting fireballs. Giant boss battles, meanwhile, are some of the most thrilling you can have in VR and the character design is second to none. This is a must for fantasy fans.
I Expect You To Die – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR
Developer: Schell Games
Being a super secret agent is hard. That’s why, as the name suggests, you die a lot in I Expect You To Die. This is a trial and error VR puzzler that often ends in hilarious tragedy and requires quick wits that take full advantage of the platform. This shows VR gaming as its most inventive and erratic, giving you something new to see and do around every corner from dodging lasers to disarming bombs and mixing test tubes. Schell Games has made a lot of great contributions to VR over the years, but this is one of their best.
Fantastic Contraption – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR
Developer: Northway Games, Radial Games
Get the pink ball to the pink goal. That’s all you have to do in Fantastic Contraption, but it’s how you pull it off that really makes the game shine. You’re given the tools to build your very own walking, wheeling vehicle which will carry the ball to its goal. This is one of VR’s most creative games, letting you build mechanical Frankenstein monsters that you’ll grow to love as you send them off to navigate challenging courses. The rock solid physics system provides endless hours of experimental engineering that’s great to share with friends. Fantastic Contraption is just waiting to fill your brain with ideas.
The Climb – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift
Developer: Crytek
Still one of VR’s most visually-impressive games, The Climb remains a great way to introduce anyone to this new medium, despite the fact you keep your feet on the floor. It’s a rock climbing experience in which you use the Oculus Touch controllers to scale massive mountains in some ridiculously beautiful locations. Motion controls make this one of VR’s most intuitive locomotion systems (don’t play it with the gamepad) and it’s as good a workout as you’d want from a game. Just don’t play it if you suffer from vertigo.
Bound – Read Our Review
Platforms: PlayStation VR
Developer: Plastic
Bound is an enthralling delight of a VR experience in which you control a ballet dancer weaving her way through intricate levels. It first released on standard displays, but the move to PSVR really brought the game’s beautiful world to life. Vivid colors and bar-setting animation are given hypnotic new meaning, as is the game’s touching story. If you’re into a much more experiential strand of VR then Bound is definitely something you should check out.
Day 1
Land’s End
Platforms: Gear VR, Oculus Go
Developer: Ustwo Games
One of VR’s first true games also remains one of its best. Developed by the minds behind Monument Valley, Land’s End is a visually arresting adventure in which you explore the remains of an ancient civilization. The game does a terrific job of immersing you in its world, making you marvel at the sheer scale of a cliff face one moment and then cower as you stand atop it in the next. The stunning art direction, meanwhile, still makes this one of the most convincing VR worlds to visit. Don’t sleep on lands end if you have access to Oculus’ mobile VR suite.
To The Top – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR
Developer: Electric Hat Games
Many people can’t spend more than a few minutes moving inside a VR headset without starting to feel sick. Amazingly, though, To The Top combines a fast, fluid locomotion system with intuitive tricks to not only enable you to move in VR but also run, jump, glide and climb across massive obstacle courses. By using motion controllers to essentially gallop through levels, Electric Hat has created one of the most liberating games in VR, in which negotiating your way through virtual jungle gyms feels hugely rewarding.
A Chair in A Room: Greenwater – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: Wolf & Wood Interactive
Getting a jump scare out of you in VR is easy. There’s a lot of cheap experiences out there that have earned YouTube stardom using lackluster techniques. That makes the restraint Wolf & Wood shows in slowly building the intense, dread-filled horror of A Chair in a Room all the more impressive. This a chilling, intelligent psychological experience that is more interested in playing with your mind than it is screaming in your face at the most unexpected moment. It also makes great use of room-scale technology, if you have space. This is the thinking man’s horror game.
Archangel: Hellfire – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: Skydance Interactive
VR loves mechs, and it’s not hard to see why. The experience of sitting inside a cockpit, realistically interacting with your controls and unleashing a barrage of missiles or lasers is unbeatable. Nowhere is that more evident than with Skydance’s multiplayer expansion to Archangel, which gives you full control over a war machine of your choosing. An intuitive control scheme that makes great use of motion controllers and expansive maps that allow you to play out cinematic battles make this a blockbuster VR game you shouldn’t miss.
Statik – Read Our Review
Platform: PlayStation VR
Developer: Tarsier Studios
Making puzzle games that take full advantage of VR is hard, but Tarsier sets the bar with Statik. This is an adorably odd game in which your virtual hands are bound to various contraptions that need to be tampered with in order to progress. There’s some gloriously inventive brain-teasing in the mix that will see you controlling RC cars, surveying CCTV footage and more, though it’s sharing scenes with the game’s world-weary scientist, Dr. Ingen, that really stands out. Even if you don’t like puzzles, exploring this mad world of ambiguity makes Statik worth a look.
Superhot VR – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR
Developer: Superhot
Few action games have demonstrated such an impressive grasp on what makes VR tick like Superhot. This spin-off of the first-person shooter in which time moves only when you move has you doing your best Neo-impression as you methodically pick off enemies using whatever’s at hand. Superhot understands that fast-paced action can often be overwhelming in VR, and slows things down to the point that you can perfectly capture your inner-Hollywood hero. Every level is a nerve-shredding exercise in fast-thinking and slick execution. If there’s one game that proves VR can elevate one of the industry’s most popular genres, it’s this.
Tiny Trax – Read Our Review
Platforms: PlayStation VR
Developer: FuturLab
Did you know the developers of the incredible Velocity series made a PSVR game? Well they did, and it successfully captures the devilishly dense finger-knotting gameplay of its arcade tributes and applies it to… a Scalextric game? This is a miniature racer with a strong learning curve that rewards the time and effort you put into it with one of VR’s most refined gameplay systems. Not to mention you can share it all with friends to bring your playdates back to virtual life. Tiny Trax was criminally underlooked when it first launched. If you can get a friend to try it out with you, it’s well worth picking up.
Eclipse: Edge of Light – Read Our Review
Platforms: Google Daydream
Developer: White Elk Studios
When it first released last year we confidently proclaimed Eclipse was Daydream’s best game. That still stands; this is a rich, immersive exploration game that leads you on a compelling tale of a doomed planet. The game uses environmental storytelling to unearth some genuinely memorable moments that make great use of VR. Amazing environments, enlightening jet pack traversal and well-paced platforming also help to establish this as an utterly engrossing journey from start to finish. If you have a Daydream-ready phone, it’s worth getting a View headset to play this alone.
Sparc – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR
Developer: CCP Games
A lot of people compare jumping into a VR headset to when the characters of the Tron series lose themselves in their own virtual worlds. CCP Games’ Sparc takes that comparison a little more literally, creating a VR eSport that’s an actual sport, much like what can be seen in the classic movies. It’s as much fun to play as it is to watch; Sparc will have friends working up a sweat as they try to best each other in futuristic competitions in which you need to tag the other player with projectiles. It’s playing games like Sparc that really remind you this is the future of entertainment. What a shame CCP itself has pulled out of it for now.
Island 359 – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: CloudGate Studio
We might not have a full-fledged Jurassic Park for the VR age just yet (sorry, Ark Park), but CloudGate Studios’ Island 359 comes close enough for now. This is a hugely entertaining survival game that lets you live out your dino dreams (that is if your dino dreams including shooting a t-rex in the head). Not to mention Island 359 has become an impressive hotbed for VR experimentation, being one of the few games to embrace Vive’s Trackers peripherals to bring full-body tracking into VR.
Brass Tactics – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift
Developer: Hidden Path Entertainment
Leave it to the developers that brought us games like Age of Empires II to deliver probably the best real-time strategy game seen in VR thus far. Brass Tactics takes a delightful twist on the genre by fusing fully animated battles with a tabletop gaming arena that’s best shared with friends in multiplayer. Motion controls make the game incredibly accessible and the ability to drag yourself over the board can really lose you in its miniature battles. Brass Tactics delivers on the strategy dreams many of us have had for years now.
Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV – Read Our Review
Platforms: PlayStation VR
Developer: Square Enix
Whilst E3 2016’s action-oriented FFXV VR demo never materialized for PSVR owners, we did get, uh, a spin-off fishing game. But wait! It’s actually a good fishing game, making clever use of the massive JRPG’s expansive world and pitting you in stand-off challenges with massive monsters that you’re definitely not going to find in this year’s Fishing Simulator game. Not to mention the game’s cast puts in another appearance here, and the chance to feel like you’re really hanging out with Noctis and co is worth a look for any fan.
Wayward Sky – Read Our Review
Platforms: PlayStation VR
Developer: Uber Entertainment
Wayward Sky’s whimsical mix of third-person diorama-style gameplay and first-person interactive moments still make for one of the most comfortable, active experiences in VR. You explore a floating fortress, solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles as you search for your captured father. Examining the gorgeous visuals from third-person is a pure delight, but it’s the more intimate moments of first-person interaction that really make the game sing. This is one of VR’s most underrated adventures for sure.
Edge of Nowhere – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift
Developer: Insomniac Games
Ratchet and Clank creator Insomniac Games took us to dark places with its first VR game, which remains as close to Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 as you’ll yet find in the Rift. Edge of Nowhere takes you on both an Arctic expedition gone wrong and a descent into madness as you journey through frozen wastes in search of a lost team. This isn’t necessarily the type of game that couldn’t be done outside of VR, but that doesn’t change the fact that playing it inside a headset amplifies the pulse-pounding scraps. A treat of a more traditional game.
Knockout League – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR
Developer: Grab Games
Boxing is one of the most immeadiately-obvious things to do with VR’s motion controllers. Fortunately, Knockout League understands that it helps to go beyond reality, too. The game’s rock solid mechanics are a great foundation for some truly whacky battles that aren’t just intended for sports fans. As such, it’s Knockout League achieves that rare thing for a sports game, appealing to more than just a core audience. This is something any fan of VR action should look into. Did I mention you fight an octopus?
Gorn – Read Our Impressions
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: Free Lives
There are those of us that believe VR is a force for good in this world and that it should be used for the betterment of mankind. We couldn’t agree more, and Gorn is a shining example of that. Okay, really this ultra-bloody gladiator game probably isn’t something you should be showing to any classrooms anytime soon but it does legitimately boast some of VR’s best melee combat, with slapstick battles that have a surprisingly low tolerance for any panic on the player’s part. Gorn is frantic, freeing fun and we wouldn’t change a single drop of its silly bloodshed.
Onward – Read Our Coverage
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: Downpour Interactive
What’s even more amazing than Onward’s overnight, solo-developer success story is how Downpour Interactive has maintained its lead since. Onward still delivers one of the best multiplayer military combat experiences in all of VR, pitting players in realistic battles in which teamwork and communication is a must. Update-by-update Downpour manages to bring something new to the game that keeps many of its competitors a step behind. If you’re looking for VR’s most intense multiplayer firefights, this is your one-stop shop.
Floor Plan – Read Our Review
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows VR, PlayStation VR, Oculus Go, Gear VR, Google Daydream
Developer: Turbo Button
Arguably the best game from one of VR’s best new developers, Floor Plan is an eccentric mix of multi-floored puzzling that sees you interacting with a colorful cast of characters. It’s a glorious throwback to the LucasArts heyday of adventure gaming, with outlandish solutions to bizarre puzzles that will often leave you laughing just as much as scratching your brain. It’s a little on the short side, but Floor Plan captures the random delights that VR can provide.
Sacralith: The Archer’s Tale – Read Our Impressions
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
Developer: Odd Meter
Who doesn’t like using a bow and arrow in VR? The answer must be no one because practically every game out there lets you unleash your inner-Legolas. Sacralith: The Archer’s Tale is one of the better archery games on the market, though, with a full campaign that gradually teaches you mastery of your techniques. We’re particularly impressed with the game’s emphasis on story, which puts you in direct contact with a lot of NPCs characters. That’s not something many developers are brave enough to do in VR’s early days.
Tagged with: gear vr, google daydream, htc vive, Oculus Go, oculus rift, PlayStation VR
The post 100 VR Games That You Should Absolutely Be Playing: Day 3 appeared first on UploadVR.
Source: 100 VR Games That You Should Absolutely Be Playing: Day 3
