Back when we started doing these release roundup lists, I don’t think anyone at UploadVR fully understood what we were getting ourselves into, particularly on the HTC Vive side of things. There are so many VR games releasing each week on the Vive, it’s a bit ridiculous. So, here we are again, with more Vive games.
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.
Malazard: The Master of Magic, from Invictus Games
Price: $7.99
If I were a master of magic, I seriously doubt I would call myself Malazard, but to each his own. This is a tower defense game where you’ll use your powers to blast away fantastical beasts that surround you. Take note that it’s only an Early Access release right now.
Recommendation: As usual with Early Access, it might be best to wait a while.
Pane in the Glass, from Rewind:VR
Price: $4.99 (currently discounted)
Pane in the Glass is a pretty fun minigame from a UK studio that might remind PS2 EyeToy fans of a certain window washing game. You’ve got to clean windows on a building as fast as possible while also making sure birds don’t get your lunch. Not earth-shattering, but something different at least.
Recommendation: A cheap and fun distraction. Thumbs up from us.
Endless Labyrinth, from Mike Prosser
Price: $4.99 (currently discounted)
Like mazes? Well now you have your very own randomly generated maze sitting inside your Vive. Endless Labyrinth is littered with collectibles too, though it’s a bit of a shame it has to use a teleport mechanic when paired with roomscale, not that there’s much of a better solution right now.
Recommendation: If you love getting lost, then this one’s for you.
Tails, from Dreamcave Studio
Price: $7.99 (Currently Discounted)
If you ever owned an old-school Nokia phone, or played flash games, web games, or any old simplistic games, then you probably played some variation of the concept of Snake. In Tails, it’s the same premise, as you control a flying dragon that slowly grows over time.
Recommendation: Well-made and solid, but a little bare bones for the price. Wait for a bigger sale.
AM Model Viewer, from Ao Mariko 2016
Price: $9.99
You can pretty much work out what AM Model Viewer is about from the name. Build 3D models or environments in other software and then bring it over to view in this experience. Support for Roomscale will let you inspect elements in fine detail.
Recommendation: For a specific type of customer, but probably worth it for those people.
PolyDome, from Plan8
Price: Free
Bizarre, crazy, and trippy are the best ways I can think of to describe PolyDome. It’s an experimental music game that changes and adapts over time while you’re playing. Pretty neat.
Recommendation: It’s free, it’s simple.
Wake Up, from Black Cell OG
Price: Free
A lot of VR puzzle games involve moving objects around and simple tricks, but Wake Up actually sports some relatively tricky mind puzzles. Truly surreal experience.
Recommendation: It’s a brief and free experimental puzzle game for free, totally worth checking out.
Armor Clash VR, from Windforce
Price: $14.99 (Currently Discounted)
Why don’t we have more RTS games in VR? Honestly. AirMech is great and Armor Clash VR shows that there is a ton of growth left for the genre to expand into.
Recommendation: There aren’t many VR RTS games to pick from, so if you’re a fan of the genre jump on this one.
VR Ultimate Paintball: Heartbreak, Regret & Painbots, from Robert Potter
Price: $4.99 (Currently Discounted)
This may be the longest VR game name we’ve seen so far. Let’s break it down. The prefix VR Ultimate Paintball wasn’t enough to describe it, so they added the subtitle that includes two emotions and one thing that isn’t real. I don’t know how to address this without ranting.
Recommendation: The single player intro is clever enough, but just play Rec Room paintball instead.
Fancy Skiing VR, from 哈视奇科技
Price: $9.99
For this week’s case of, “Duh, why hasn’t anyone done this yet?” we have Fancy Skiing VR. It just makes sense. Use the Vive controllers as your ski poles and speed down mountains.
Recommendation: It can be a bit intense, so beware if you’re prone to sickness. Otherwise, we recommend it.
Thirst, from RLTY CHK
Price: $2.99
On-rails shooters are making a comeback with the advent of VR. Thirst isn’t the greatest example in the world, but it gets the job done for the most part.
Recommendation: Maybe pass on this if you’ve already got stuff to play, otherwise it’s pretty cheap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b_US9KjTyY
Cogs and Cowboys, from MostWanted Game Development
Price: $5.99 (Currently Discounted)
You’re in a western shootout in Cogs and Cowboys, except your adversaries are robots instead of other cowboys. We’d love to see a multiplayer mode added to this, similar to Dead and Buried.
Recommendation: A unique take on the wave-shooter genre. Worth checking out.
MSI Electric City, from Metanaut
Price: Free
There’s brief, futuristic fun to be had in this immersive new experience from the company behind VR’s first gaming laptop. In MSI Electric City, you’re taken on a ride of a sci-fi city that has plenty of sights and sounds to take in. It’s certainly flashy, but doesn’t seem to offer anything long-lasting.
Recommendation: You can live without it, but it’s worth a quick look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oWoCvITUas
Worldy Cup, from Tommosaur
Price: $9.99
Usually with VR sports we get simulation. Worldly Cup is not that. Calling back to the days of Sensible Soccer, this is an endearing arcade-esque game where you face off against another team on pitches like, uh, the moon. It’s only Early Access right now, but it seems pretty interesting.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a look for soccer fans.
Tesla VR, from Lex Dreitser
Price: Free
We don’t see a whole lot of VR games based on individual people, or inventors, yet, but here we go. Tesla VR was commissioned by the Tesla Science Foundation and lets you experiment with gravity and cool physics in outer space.
Recommendation: It’s Tesla, it’s free, so it’s worth checking out.
LooWarVR, from CrystalGame
Price: $3.99
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: You go to grandpa’s house and when you stop off at the restroom to use the toilet, you’re greeted with vicious cartoon flies that attack you. No? Yeah, me neither, but that’s what LooWarVR is all about!
Recommendation: Super weird, but funny and nice looking. Also cheap. It’s worth the price.
Acan’s Call: Act 1, from Cyberith GmbH
Price: Free
Acan’s Call may be the standout surprise from this week’s list of new Vive releases. Not only is it free, but it’s gorgeous and features solid sword-and-shield combat that reminds us of Vanishing Realms. Not a bad comparison at all. It’s just a proof of concept right now, but it has a ton of potential.
Recommendation: Incredibly fun and polished for a free proof of concept demo.
Space Jones VR, from VikingVR Studio
Price: $15.99
Space Jones VR is a flight-based sci-fi action game where you control your ship by tilting your head and aim your guns with motion controls or a gamepad. It boasts a single-player story mode and a full upgrade system that might be worth digging your teeth into.
Recommendation: Unlikely to set the world on fire, but could be an amusing distraction.
VR Gallery, from HolmCom
Price: Free
VR Gallery, like the name suggests, is a nifty and simple way to check out pictures in a virtual environment. This won’t do any magic to transform anything, but it lets you teleport around like you’re in a museum.
Recommendation: Free and intuitive way to view your photos.
Quanero, from LaserBoys3000
Price: Free
Exploratory crime mytsteries aren’t really a genre in gaming traditionally, but with VR they might become one. In Quanero you can manipulate time as you zoom around and explore an are to uncover the mystery of what happened. It’s super inventive and unique.
Recommendation: Quanero is one of the most creative uses of VR we’ve seen in a while and it’s free. Download it.
Trickster VR, from Trickster Games
Price: $9.99 (Currently Discounted)
Trickster VR has its fair share of issues, but it’s surprisingly fun and polished for an Early Access title. The combat is fun and the visuals look really, really nice. We’re entering the timeframe where more polished VR games are starting to come out.
Recommendation: There is a ton of potential here, but it’s just a snippet right now. May be best to wait unless you love being involved in the development process.
