Oculus has had a rough week – issues with time stamping meant that every Rift out in the wild was essentially bricked on Wednesday and the company had to work fast to issue a patch that would let people enter VR again. As an apology, the company is giving every Rift user $15 in Store credit to make up for the lost hours.
So, what should you spend it on?
$15 might not get you the latest, greatest releases free of charge, but it can still be put to good use, especially if you’re in the market for some VR apps you might not have otherwise tried out. We’ve got plenty of ideas.
Discounts Off Of Rift’s Newest And Biggest Games
There have been some great releases for Rift so far this year, so much so that you’re likely waiting for a few to drop in price before you grab them. Well wait no more; the free store credit brings big price drops for all of 2018’s biggest titles. Might we recommend the excellent Brass Tactics, for example, which drops from $40 to $25, a price it isn’t likely to reach until sales later in the year (if not next).
Outside of Oculus’ own efforts we’ve also given big thumbs up to Island 359 ($10), Knockout League ($15) and Sprint Vector ($15) over the past month or so. Any of them were worth your money at full price, so this puts them at quite the bargain.
Or maybe save your credit for what’s to come. Apex Construct hits Rift on March 20th and would be well worth waiting for along with a bunch of other games coming in the next few months.
Savings Upon Savings
We can’t predict what sales will be up and running by the time the credit gets into your account, but one smart way to spend if to pick up some already-discounted titles. If the cash were to arrive this weekend, for example, you could get Insomniac Games’ spell-binding The Unspoken for free, or Solfar Studios’ In Death for the same amount.
Oculus also has its own bundles designed to save you a bit of cash with a selection of Rift’s best titles (and it showcases the Store’s new dynamic bundle pricing, which detracts the price of any games you already own). Grab the Adrenaline pack, for example, and you can get hits like The Climb, Arktika.1, Space Pirate Trainer and Chronos for $85.
Indie Gems, Obscure Hits And Early Adopters
Here’s the important bit. Yes, you could grab $15 off of Lone Echo if you wanted, but free money gives you a great chance to experience some great VR experiences you might never have seen otherwise and support developers that are risking it all on VR. For example, if you followed last month’s news that the developers of the delightful Xing: The Land Beyond were struggling to sell the fantasy adventure, this is a great chance to give them a leg up and you only have to spend $5 to do so (which the game is more than worth).
The same goes for Sigtrap Games and its joyous 6DOF shooter, Sublevel Zero (which would be free), or enjoyable god sim, Tethered ($10). Some of last year’s best apps fall under this banner too; I’ll never pass up an opportunity to praise Tequila Works’ The Invisible Hours ($15) or Charm Games’ Form (Free)
Another great developer that’s done a lot in VR is Minority Media, and the great gamepad-based Time Machine VR is still worth checking out at $15. The same goes for Fated: The Silent Oath, which features one of our favorite VR moments ever that’s well worth the $10 admission fee (and we want them to make a second episode!). If you’re a puzzle fan then I can’t recommend Neverout enough, and you’ll have $5 leftover.
Finally, a nice little pairing that would set you back just $1 – Schell Games’ hilarious Orion Trail and the emotional adventure that is Annie Amber, both $8.
Pick and Mix
Why not pick and mix? There are plenty of great VR apps well under the $15 mark that could mean you choose two or even free to take home. Everyone seems to love wave shooters, for example, and Hangry Bunnies from Mars gives you all the explosive action you could ask for $6. One the puzzle side, the wonderfully wacky Floor Plan is $6 too, while $8 for Oddbug’s cutesy platformer, The Lost Bear, is a steal.
With any money you have left over from those games, you could go exploring in the snowy wilderness with Storm for $1.99. Or, if you’re a horror fan, then you should definitely check out the episodic terror of Wolf & Wood’s The Exorcist: Legion VR. Each chapter costs $5 so you can catch up with the series’ most recent release (Episode 3) for free.
Oh and Climax Studios’ enjoyable Contra tribute, Gun Sight, is just $1, which you can’t really argue with.
Outside of Gaming
Of course, VR isn’t just about gaming, and you might want to spend your $15 on some of the other creative and narrative experiences that we’re so fond of. I mean, if you haven’t picked up Tilt Brush yet, then $5 is a steal that you legally have to take advantage of. Also free of charge would be the cinematic Everest VR, which lets you climb the world’s biggest mountain without leaving your bedroom.
Most other cinematic VR experiences are free but there are couple you could pick up with the cash. Future Lighthouse’s Melita is worth a look and leaves you with $10 as does the first episode of Kingdom City Drowning and VR comic book experiment, Nanite Fulcrum.
