Another typical onslaught of tons of new games and experiences to try on the HTC Vive. Luckily, there are a handful of really solid games in this batch — some simple, some more complex — that we’re confident in proclaiming this as one of the strongest weeks in a while, in terms of variety.
If you missed last week, you can see those new releases here. And don’t forget that UploadVR has a Steam community group, complete with a curated list of recommendations so that you don’t have to waste any money finding out what’s good in the world of VR. Let’s get to it.
Watching Grass Grow in VR – The Game, from Pillow Head Games
Price: $4.99
Don’t let the title fool you: this one’s actually hiding some surprising levels of entertainment. The premise is that the world is ending and you’re watching grass grow, but then rabid dogs and enemies start to attack. Kill them all with a rocket launcher and try not to maniacally laugh too loudly.
Recommendation: Until Justin Roiland injects his sense of humor into the VR fold, we need games like this around to keep us smiling. Check it out.
Duckpocalypse, from Liftoff Labs
Price: $2.99 (Oculus Rift, Gear VR)
We wrote about Duckpocalypse, a gallery shooter inspired by Duck Hunt, earlier this week: “The game surrounding this marketing barrage of amazingness is also really, really fun. Obviously, it’s incredibly simple, but the charming sense of humor and relentlessly hilarious aesthetic sell it more than anything.”
Recommendation: If the trailer above isn’t deserving of your $3 on laugh-out-loud value alone, you’re crazy. Buy this one and show it to friends for a good time.
One Giant Leap, from Sylvan Studios
Price: $3.99
One Giant Leap has both a clever name and an engaging premise. You’ll walk on the moon and use your controllers as boosters to hover around the surface and marvel at the great blue ball of Earth in the distance. More content is planned, but the price is also expected to increase as missions and features are added.
Recommendation: It may be in Early Access, but it’s off to a decent start at a super low price.
The Journey Home, from Michael Chou
Price: Free
Short, experimental stories in VR like this get a bit of a bad rap, but when they’re free, there isn’t much to complain about. The polish and voice acting could be a bit better in The Journey Home, but it’s a short little interactive story about an astronaut trapped in space.
Recommendation: There’s not much to it, but at least it’s free.
Birdtual Reality, from Artificient Games Inc.
Price: $5.99
Take flight as a bird in the game that sounds like you have a mouth full of food when you say its name out loud: Birdtual Reality. You can either flap your hands like a bird or hold them out like Superman to play, but no matter what you choose it doesn’t make the game particularly interesting.
Recommendation: Ugly and shallow, not even in Early Access. Better off just waiting for Eagle Flight to make its way to Vive hopefully.
Maze Roller, from Meerkat Gaming
Price: $9.99 (Oculus Rift, currently discounted)
Optional VR support for a game where you control a mouse in a ball navigating its way through a series of mazes. Played from a third-person perspective and packed with different game modes across over 20 levels.
Recommendation: Hardly inspiring, but an amusing little game for sure.
Island 359, from CloudGate Studio
Price: $19.99
Island 359, an intense and expansive dinosaur hunting game, is easily the best game released on Steam for the HTC Vive this week. In our Early Access review, we gave it an 8 out of 10, praising the freedom of exploration and pulse-pounding combat.
Recommendation: This is a game every Vive owner should have in their library.
SPACE DVRTS, from Laser Fuel Games
Price: $9.99 (Currently Discounted)
You know those games that claim to be the best thing in their respective genre, but then you look up other similar games and realize there aren’t any? SPACE DVRTS is kind of like that. They claim to be the “definitive dart combat game experience set in space for the HTC Vive” which is indisputable because no others exist. That’s like EA labeling Madden NFL 2017 as the “definitive” game based on the NFL this year.
Recommendation: Hardly looks finished and is lacking content, pass. At least for now.
Guardian War VR, from 重庆焱玩网络科技有限公司
Price: $9.99 (Currently Discounted)
There aren’t a whole lot of top-down style action games in VR yet, which is a bit of a surprise. Perhaps once Feral Rites releases, we’ll see the genre take off more. Guardian War VR looks and feels a bit like a Diablo-lite experience and is just begging for co-op to be added.
Recommendation: Wait and see how it develops for now, there is no co-op and not much content yet.
Paddle Up, from Pavel Jamal
Price: $9.99
Paddle Up is another one that we wrote about already with good things to say. It has some of the best physics we’ve seen in VR, offering a relatively realistic ping pong (table tennis) simulation that feels awfully close to the real thing. Multiplayer helps a lot too!
Recommendation: If you like table tennis, this is the best VR rendition we’ve seen so far.
Playthings: VR Music Vacation, from Always & Forever Computer Entertainment
Price: $11.99
For game that’s reportedly designed to “welcome anyone to the world of virtual reality,” according to its Steam page description, Playthings: VR Music Vacation’s price and lack of content is a bit befuddling. The visuals and effects are certainly nice, but you’d expect a bit more for something like this.
Recommendation: It’s pretty to look at but certainly gets old fast. Pass.
Relativity, from TomCGames
Price: $11.99
Mind-bending puzzle games are known to often some of the hardest challenges, but most satisfying victories when completed. Relativity for the HTC Vive appears to be no different. We look forward to seeing if this game receives updates or what the developer does next.
Recommendation: It’s cheap and simple, but the gravity shifting mechanic is a fun concept for a VR title.
Galaxy Golf, from Liftoff Labs
Price: $4.99
Play mini-golf in a massive galaxy. That’s a pretty neat idea, no? Galaxy Golf asks what if the classic sport was mixed with Super Mario Galaxy, and the results look promising. Navigate over lava planets and other hostile terrain as you try to score that all-important hole-in-one.
Recommendation: Cheap, clean fun for your Vive. Go for it.
VR Escape the Space Station, from Joygo.studio
Price: $6.99
While I’ve never been a fan of game’s that have titles that are a bit too literal and specific, I’ve got at least appreciate VR Escape the Space Station’s precision. There are no surprises here and this is exactly what you think it is. Walk around, explore, interact with some objects, and find your way out.
Recommendation: Escape the room games are becoming quite popular in VR, but sci-fi iterations are rare. Worth checking out.
Starship Disco, from Solus Games
Price: $9.99
Import your own music in this rhythm game as you blast away enemies down a brightly pulsing tunnel. VR is not required for this one, but it makes the whole thing a lot better.
Recommendation: VR and music go together very well. Worth giving a look, even in Early Access.
MineSweeper VR, from Funny Twins
Price: $3.99
Here it is, the game you’ve been waiting for your entire life. The (completely unrelated but clearly inspired by) spiritual successor to everyone’s favorite time waster: MineSweeper VR. In this VR iteration, they’ve rendered the entire field in full 3D and tasked you with physically moving around to sweep for the mines.
Recommendation: You already know what to expect, but this is a really nice job recreating the iconic game. Check it out.
Tvori, from Tvori
Price: $39.99
We’ve covered Tvori on a few occasions. First, we wrote about it back when it was first announced, and most recently this week when it released on Steam. It’s one of the pricier VR applications currently available, but if you’ve got an eye for animation and building scenes, this could be what you’ve been waiting for.
Recommendation: Do your research to make sure it’s worth the $40 for you. If you love animation and storyboarding, this could be a great resource.
Puzzling Rooms VR, from Gordon Roberts
Price: $7.99
The game’s Steam page summarizes things well: 12 rooms, 48 puzzles. There are all kinds of puzzles to tackle, from sudoku, to jigsaw, and even sliding tiles. The game has a large space requirement, as it’s actual room-scale movement around the entire environment.
Recommendation: If you love puzzles and want a virtual room full of dozens of them, then check this out. Otherwise, pass.
Quarterback SNAP, from River Studios
Price: $19.99 (Currently Discounted)
This isn’t the fully-fledged football game in VR you’re hoping for. Your best bet for that is still just waiting for VR Sports Challenge to release later this year on Oculus Touch. But in the meantime, Quarterback SNAP lets you toss the pigskin to training dummy targets.
Recommendation: The price is shocking given how shallow it is, so we’d recommend passing or jumping at the current 40% discount if you love football that much.
Daylight’s End VR Edition, from River Studios
Price: Free
Today marks the release of the first ever simultaneous film and tie-in VR experience launch. The VR edition is available for free on Steam and lets you embody the character that’s featured in the movie, but you can also watch the film inside the VR experience itself.
Recommendation: Worth checking out for free, stuff like this could be the future of how we consume movies. Maybe.
