The Oculus Rift is still light on new content as its makers fight through shipping issues, but it’s been a big week for Gear VR. Earlier this week it was revealed that Oculus and Samsung’s mobile VR headset had seen one million users in April, and we got confirmation that High Voltage Software’s Dragon Front was on its way to the platform this summer.
In the here and now, though, there are plenty of new releases to check out on the Oculus Rift and Gear VR this week. Let’s take a look.
The Town of Light, from LKA –
Release: Originally 02/26/16, Oculus Rift Support Added 05/09/16, Price: $18.99, Currently 25% Off
We previously covered the announcement of Oculus Rift CV1 support for this game earlier in the week: “The Town of Light is a thoroughly engrossing narrative-driven experience. In it, you’ll play as Renée, a young girl that was incarcerated in a mental asylum at the age of 16. While the character and story is fictional, the building itself is based off of an actual site that was shut down for its cruel practises on patients. Revisiting the facility years on, Renée will come to terms with some of the horrors that she faced during her time inside as players solve some light puzzles.”
Hitman GO: VR Edition, from Square Enix Montreal –
Release Date: 05/11/2016, Price: Oculus Rift ($9.99) Gear VR ($7.99)
If you haven’t already picked up Hitman GO on one of the many, many platforms that Square Enix has already released it on, then you may want to consider the VR version. We’re big fans of this radical take on the franchise, in which the sandbox environments are reimagined as a board game in which you must sneak past enemies, don disguises and eliminate targets. It’s devilishly clever, and a welcome addition to the VR library. We went hands-on with it and had really positive things to say.
Starry, from DJH –
Release Date: 05/11/2016, Price: Gear VR ($2.99)
Fans of the 2015 Oculus Mobile Jam winner, The Night Cafe, might want to check this puzzler out. Not only is this VR’s first actual puzzle game (no more lost pieces!) but the finished pictures resembles the works of Vincent Van Gogh. Okay, so it’s not the most exciting use of the technology but it beats finding the space for a huge project in your own house. The price is hard to argue with, too.
iOMoon, from Headtrip Games –
Release Date: 05/11/2016
Another early access game graces the Oculus Store this week. Headtrip Games’ iOMoon was actually released on Steam a few weeks back, but has now found its way onto Oculus VR’s official storefront. It’s a stunningly beautiful first-person exploration game in which you control a probe, steering them across the Jupiter moon of iO. You’ll be tasked with surviving in the harsh environment and discovering some fantastical alien wildlife. Expect support for the HTC Vive to be implemented later down the line too.
WoofbertVR, from WoofbertVR –
Release Date: 05/12/2016 Price: Free (Oculus Rift, Gear VR)
WoofbertVR‘s intriguing VR art museum has been available on Gear VR for a while, but now comes to the Oculus Rift. Here you’re dropped into an art gallery to view a wide range of pieces at your leisure. Crucially, you can find out more information about any artwork on display through audio descriptions or through a virtual tablet. It’s a little ahead of its time – we want to be completely rid of the screen door effect when touring these halls – but it’s a great indication of where “Vart” could go in the future.
Gravity Compass, from NovaWake Studios –
Release Date: 05/10/2016 Price: Oculus Rift ($2.99, currently 33% off)
If the rest of this week’s releases are too up beat for you then maybe you should turn your attention to Gravity Compass. This is intended to be a thoroughly relaxing VR experience that treats players to memorable sight and sounds as they drift through several galaxies. The experience relies entirely on head-tracking controls to free up the player’s hands. There’s also a 2D mode on offer, for anyone that wants to sample it outside of VR.
Observatory: A VR Variety Pack, from 2DArray –
Release Date: 05/12/2016 Price: Oculus Rift ($9.99, free demo available)
At a time in which we don’t know how many VR experiences that sound good on paper will actually work out, a VR variety pack comes across as quite a good idea. That’s what 2DArray is offering here with three VR games and a music video. There’s a procedurally generated downhill racer, a sci-fi horror game, and an animal-based puzzler to enjoy, whole the video is described as a “musical trip through space”. It’s all in early access right now, though, but you can download the free demo to get a bit of a sneak peek.
Nomads, from Felix and Paul Studios –
Release Date: 05/11/2016 Price: Gear VR (Free)
Felix and Paul Studios has built up a good name for itself in the 360 degree film industry over the past few years, so we should all pay attention when they reveal something new. This week that something new is Nomads, which highlights a number of nomadic cultures including Mongolian yak herders and Sea Gypsies found off the coast of Borneo. Expect this to be just as high quality a production as the studio’s other work.
Cubey Tube, from Alex Brigham –
Release Date: 05/12/2016 Price: Gear VR (Free)
For this week’s Concepts update we have Cubey Tube, boldly described as “the ultimate cube dodging game”. We’re not sure exactly what kind of competition it was up against but at least the developer has confidence on his side. Anyway, this runner-type game has five levels and an Endless mode in which you’ll gather power-ups as you dodge those incoming obstacles.
