Amidst the swirl of chaos that is a major tech event such as Google IO, it’s easy to overlook some of the more mundane headlines from the week. While the tech giant was bust making its Daydream a reality, tons of solid stuff was dropping for the HTC Vive this week and it’d be a real travesty if you missed out on any of it. That’s why we’re here!
Check out these new games and apps that released for the HTC Vive this week! And if you missed them, check out last week’s releases right here.
Ad Exitum, from Since Idea Games –
Release Date: 05/13/16, Price: $14.99
Okay so this one released late in the day last week, meaning we missed it off of our round-up. Judging by Steam user reviews that might not have been such a big mistake, but we’ll let you make your mind up for yourself. This is a first-person game set in a maze, the exit to which you must unlock by gathering blood stones. The puzzles will become increasingly dangerous as you do this, though, so tread carefully.
Catlateral Damage VR, from Fire Hose Games –
Release Date: 05/16/2016, Price: Free (If you own the original game)
Have you ever dreamed of what it would be like to be a cat, wreaking havoc on the house of your poor, innocent owners? If the answer is yes, then Catlateral Damage VR may be just for you – as long as you have the original Catlateral Damage ($9.99), that is. It’s also a great substitute if you just can’t stand waiting for The Secret Life of Pets to release in theaters.
Disney Movies VR, from Disney Interactive –
Release Date: 05/16/2016, Price: Free
Earlier this week we covered the release of Disney Movies VR: “Judging from the released videos and screenshots, Disney Movies VR seems to first place you into a central hub that resembles one of the company’s many iconic theme parks. From this central point you can choose which “world” to explore and interact with.”
While the interface is gorgeous, the content leaves a lot to be desired. Worth a download just to see the attractions themselves in the main menu.
Portal Stories: VR, from Prism Studios –
Release Date: 05/16/2016, Price: Free (If you own Portal 2)
Earlier this week we went hands-on with Portal Stories: VR and even recorded a full playthrough, which you can see at the video above: “If you have Portal 2 ($19.99), which you likely do if you own a gaming PC and enjoy fun things, then you owe it to yourself to download Portal Stories: VR and give it a try.”
Sketchfab VR, from Sketchfab –
Release Date: 05/16/2016, Price: Free
Following the trend we’ve established here, we also previously covered Sketchfab VR over the course of this past week: “Sketchfab, however, is offering something new and different. If everyone becomes a creator of 3D objects the same way practically everyone started capturing video, Sketchfab appears better positioned than anyone to become a service people need to share those creations with the world.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4hPbkqNwqM
Periodonica Demo, from Jumping Llamas –
Release Date: 05/16/2016, Price: Free
Two weeks ago Periodonica launched on Steam in Early Access. We wrote it about in that week’s list of releases, but now the sport game sample pack luckily has a free demo to try things out before you drop $29.99 on the piece of software.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmLJCG1exMU
Dolphin Defense, from Tanner Thayer –
Release Date: 05/16/2016, Price: $14.99 (Currently 10% Off)
I can’t really think of any other way to describe Dolphin Defense other than simply pasting the Steam description directly into this article. Let’s let it speak for itself: “Take on the role of a Dolphin Defense Department staffer by dropping, dripping, throwing, and shooting balls containing jetpacks through time and space. With a lot of skill and a little bit of luck, these jetpacks will help dolphins get out of sticky situations.”
I have no other words.
Eclipse — Defending the Motherland Demo –
Release Date: 05/17/2016, Price: Free
Thankfully the trend to offer demos seems to be picking up a lot of steam (pun intended) as of late, since more and more developers are releasing demos for their VR experiences. The upcoming sci-fi shooter, Eclipse — Defending the Motherland, isn’t exclusive to VR by any means, but it appears to offer some truly intense FPS action, even if the textures look a bit muddy. Worth a look as a free demo!
Time Machine VR, from Minority Media –
Release Date: 05/19/16 Price, $29.99
There’s a lot we can see the developers of the incredibly emotive Papo & Yo doing with VR, but for its first project it’s chosen something quite different. This first-person adventure has you travelling back in time to the prehistoric age to learn about aquatic dinosaurs in order to save a future in which an ancient virus is melting Earth’s ice caps. It’s a crazy plot, but Time Machine VR‘s real magic is in getting up close with some long-extinct creatures, some of which may not be so friendly.
Holodaze, from Sysdia Games –
Release Date: 05/19/2016, Price: $2.99
Screenshots and descriptions don’t really do a very good job of actually capturing Holodaze, it’s much easier if you just watch the video above. But to summarize, it’s a fast-paced action game that involves lots of teleporting around and shooting robots with “powerballs.” As is the case with so many Vive games on Steam right now, it feels like a decent tech demo of a gameplay mechanic, but it’s a tough sell as a full game. At least it’s cheap!
bloxyz, from Svution –
Release Date: 05/19/16, Price: $6.99
bloxyz boldly crowns itself “the ultimate VR puzzler.” Granted it doesn’t have much competition yet, but it’s nice to see developer Svution tout itself so confidently. That said, the team doesn’t actually explain how to play what looks like a sort of 3D, VR take on Tetris. It seems that players have to clear a 3 x 3 grid by filling each space up with falling blocks that arrive in different shapes and sizes. Okay, so maybe exactly like a VR Tetris, then.
VR Karts SteamVR, from Viewpoint Games –
Release Date: 05/20/2016, Price: $14.99
After rising to popularity on the Gear VR as one of the premiere multiplayer titles on the platform, VR Karts is finally on SteamVR. With tons of powerups to use, customization items to deploy, and more – this kart racer does a surprisingly good job of capturing the old-school charm and excitement of Mario Kart, with full VR-integration. In the Vive version of the game, you can even steer and control your kart using the motion controllers.
