Generally speaking, VR developers are a very responsible lot. They’re keen to avoid anything that will churn the stomach and, for the most part, steer clear of the hyper-violent gameplay seen in a lot of more traditional games. Those people deserve a hearty pat on the back.
But this post is not about those people.
Not everyone has taken the burden of VR development quite so seriously. Whether intentional or not, some have made apps that go against pretty much every rule in that precious VR guidebook so many adhere to. It might be an app that’s guaranteed to make you sick, or is simply so ridiculous we can’t quite believe it really exists. So here’s five VR apps that are simply so bad… they’re good.
Drunkn Bar Fight (Steam Page)
If you’re looking for the Goat Simulator of VR then Drunkn Bar Fight fits the bill — for lack of a better term — quite nicely. There’s really nothing more to this shamelessly ugly app than aggressively shoving and then punching other people. Talk about a responsible use of VR!
In all honesty we’ve had a lot of fun watching various YouTubers stumble around in this ridiculous experience. We can’t deny the guilty pleasure that comes from a sudden outburst of uncalled for violence. It’s basically the safest way to be an alcoholic, and the next best thing to anger management therapy.
Rich Life Simulator (Steam Page)
A VR experience coming from the same developer that made amazing bundles such as 3,3000 + achievements and the dramatic follow-up, 26000 + achievements was probably never going to turn out okay and, well, Rich Life Simulator doesn’t.
This is an app that’s literally about sitting on a sunbed and reminding yourself of your obscene decadence. Surrounding you is a pool, luxury apartment, tank (?!), and women with character models so terrible we can’t tell if we’re in a dream or a nightmare. One of them is either dancing for your enjoyment or practicing dark arts to summon the witch doctor. We can’t tell which.
Weeping Doll (Our Review) (PSN Page)
Unlike most other games on this list, Weeping Doll is actually a very comfortable VR experience, which doesn’t do anything to make you feel even the slightest bit queasy. It is, however, wonderfully terrible, consisting of about 40 minutes of gameplay (which could be run through in about five minutes if you knew what to do) that drums up a few laughs with its atrocious voice acting.
You often wonder if you’re meant to be scared or amused as you walk upstairs, walk downstairs, walk back upstairs, and then watch the credits roll.
Hold My Beer (Steam Page)
A person that enjoys a quick scroll through r/holdmybeer every hour or so is a person that I can appreciate. A man that makes a shambolic VR game based around the premise of doing something inherently stupid while a companion makes sure they don’t spill their delicious beverage is one I can appreciate even more. Hold My Beer breaks a lot of the golden rules of VR.
If you don’t want to throw up from travelling down a ramp at high speeds on a skateboard then you will when a car smashes into you, sending the camera toppling to the ground while you remain upright. This has absolutely no right to be as funny as it is, but who are we not to laugh when we accidentally shoot our friend in the head?
Rollercoaster Dreams (Our Thoughts) (PSN Page)
This is the holy grail of ‘WTF’ VR experiences, the grand daddy of “I can’t believe you’ve done this” apps. Rollercoaster Dreams seems to be a sequel to an old PS2 game, just with practically no updates in the visual department and, as far as we can tell, very little going on in the gameplay scene either.
One major addition, though, is a VR mode that allows you to try out many of the rides in first-person. Sounds fun, right? Well how do you think jumping up and down in an inflatable castle really feels in VR? That’s right, downright awful. Combine that with the multiple hilarious typos and graphics so bad they’re genuinely haunting and we’re left wondering how Sony ever approved this thing for PSVR. Oh, and then there’s the roller coasters that can literally kill people. Fun!
