We don’t have as many new releases on the HTC Vive this week as we have in recent weeks (thank the Lord, finally some rest for our weary fingers) but there is still good variety. Instead of any big releases to really hang our hats on, we’ve got a solid roundup of indie titles — mostly of the smaller variety — to whet your VR pallette.
If you missed last week’s new HTC Vive releases, you can see those 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.
Dig 4 Destruction from COLOPL, Inc.
Price: $11.99 (Currently Discounted)
Here is an elevator pitch you don’t hear everyday: it’s like Dig Dug, but a competitive multiplayer first-person shooter. That’s the best way to describe it. You’ll dig around a 3D environment searching for guns to lay waste to your foes and it actually works. It’s pretty fun. Shooters on Vive like this, such as Battle Dome, Hover Junkers, and paintball in Rec Room, are just good ol’ fashioned fun.
Recommendation: The silly designs, nice list of unlockables, and solid gameplay premise, are enough to warrant a purchase in our book. More updates will make it even better.
Spaaace from Pillar Space
Price: $3.99 (Currently Discounted)
Spaaace is a game that’s very, very early in development. It’s being described as a skill-based physics platformer. The concept of music existing on each level is listed as a feature, to give you an idea for how early along this one is. There is some promise and it’s cheap, but it may be better to just pass for now.
Recommendation: Very, very early in development. Only advisable for people that like to help and give lots of feedback.
DEADLOCK from DFE
Price: $5.99 (Currently Discounted)
Holy crap is this one pretty to look at. DEADLOCK is a wave shooter, much like [insert 75% of VR games,] but the catch is that this one looks really, really cool visually. The holographic neon aesthetic is matched by a pumping soundtrack. It’s like Far Cry: Blood Dragon and Space Pirate Trainer had a baby, of sorts. Bummer it’s only singleplayer.
Recommendation: Cheap, solid fun, updates to come in Early Access. Worth a buy for the visuals alone.
Kittypocalypse from Bolverk Games
Price: $19.99 (Currently Discounted)
I know what you’re thinking: cute little kittens, how much harm could they really be? As it turns out, in Kittypocalypse, you’ll be murdering the little furballs a whole lot more than you’ll be helping them as you defend Earth from their invasion. Prepare the guns.
Recommendation: While it might be a silly premise, the gameplay is actually pretty solid. Worth a look if you like defense games.
Meteor Crush VR from XIERRA Games
Price: $0.99
If you mixed Missile Command with Asteroids, then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Meteor Crush VR. You’ll be on the frontlines protecting your planet from falling asteroids for less than $1.
Recommendation: Not very exciting, but simple and cheap.
Bank Limit : Advanced Battle Racing, from Tastee Beverage Studios
Price: $24.99
Here’s a new sci-fi racer that’s been a long-time coming, though sadly left us pretty disappointed when we reviewed it earlier this week. It’s a pretty flat experience that pales in comparison to even something like Radial-G, though it does show glimpses of intrigue in places. Still, we’d pass on this one.
Recommendation: Not the best VR racer out there. Give it a miss.
Wrath of the Fire God from Gamaya Inc.
Price: $14.99
We’ve seen a bit of a resurgence of railshooters as of late, especially with the forthcoming Rollerforce, but what we don’t see a lot of is a railshooter that utilizes the bow and arrow rather than a standard gun. Wrath of the Fire God may be in Early Access, but it packs 4 solid levels and a decent amount of fun into that package.
Recommendation: Once completed, the game will increase in price. Could be worth jumping in now, or wait on a sale.
Multiscreens, from Phylliida
Price: $12.99, Currently Discounted
Use multiple desktop screens from within VR, allowing you to multi-task. It’s in early access right now with a lot of features still to add but, really, is there any point trying to catch up to Bigscreen right now?
Recommendation: Bigscreen just got another big update today, with multiple screens coming soon. Go for that instead.
Combat Core, from MABManZ
Price: $15.99, Currently Discounted
Here’s a four-player arena brawler played from a third-person isometric view. It’s a colorful piece with fast-paced combat that allows for strategy in its different environments. It’s one of those games that VR looks like a decent addition to rather than an essential one. Both online and offline multiplayer features are already implemented.
Recommendation: It’s something slightly different, but only in Early Access right now.
Redswood VR, from Patrick Beavers
Price: $3.99, Currently Discounted
Little Red Riding Hood is a classic story that everyone’s heard before. In Redswood VR, you’ll take on the role of both Red and the Huntsman, traveling through a creepy and decrepit forest. It plays out like an interactive adventure game story and shows how VR can show a familiar story in a new light.
Recommendation: Really worth it at this price. It’s very well done considering the small team, albeit quite short.
CyberThreat, from Enigmatic
Price: $24.99, Currently Discounted
You don’t see a whole lot of modern realism in VR games right now, as most developers opt for something a bit more fantastical. CyberThreat takes relatively solid shooting mechanics and puts you into a city overrun with robots. The gun shooting sound is incredibly annoying, though, and this is in Early Access still at a relatively high price.
Recommendation: May want to wait a bit on this one, it’s a bit undercooked.
NIGHTSTAR, from SOLIDMESH
Price: $14.99, Currently Discounted
After I first played Xortex inside Valve’s The Lab, I knew that I wanted more space shoot ’em ups in VR. They were just way too much fun. NIGHTSTAR is certainly a lot of fun, the price isn’t too high, and the visuals nail the right aesthetic.
Recommendation: The price won’t increase as it improves in Early Access, so maybe keep an eye on it and make the purchase when there’s more going on.
Fancy Slingshot VR, from 哈视奇科技
Price: $0.99
Lots of cheap games this week. There are twenty different levels to play and dozens upon dozens of to break and destroy. And they’re not just regular objects — they’re fancy. In a fancy house. Because this is Fancy Slingshot VR.
Recommendation: Simple and worth an hour or so of fun. Can’t beat that for a dollar.
La Peri, from Innerspace VR
Price: $9.99
We loved it. From Ian Hamilton’s article today: “One of the most artfully directed virtual reality experiences we’ve ever had is getting a major update as Innerspace VR formally releases La Péri today. La Péri stands apart from a sea of VR games (it’s not a game and features only light interaction) as a $10 work of art inspired by Disney’s Fantasia.”
Recommendation: This is gorgeous and you should buy it.
Funfair, from TheStonefox
Price: Free
It’s a smaller and more fantastic version of the fair that you know and love. Ride on a few rides, play some silly little games, and enjoy the fair in VR, except you don’t have to worry about pesky tickets or admission prices.
Recommendation: Free, pretty fun, and also did I mention it’s free? Download it and leave some feedback for a new developer.
