It’s been another huge week for the Rift and Gear VR. On the heels of OC3 last week, there is a solid array of titles to pick from, but none of them quite measure up to the wonder of what is coming soon with Oculus Touch. But here are all the new releases you can download and enjoy today! Let’s dive in.
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.
We also have a top list of the best Rift games and best Gear VR games— both of which are updated every few months with the latest and greatest options.
Kangaroo Dash Demo, from Photon Forge
Price: Free (Gear)
The Kangaroo Dash Demo, as the name suggests, is all about jumping and dodging your way though multiple different levels. This game lets you “dodge cars, ride the rapids and be chased by both fish and foe – and everything is controlled by your body!”
It uses a “physically based” control system that is mostly tied to your head movement but is also an interesting diversion from the usual touchpad fare on the Gear.
Recommendation: Free is free. If you’re feeling like trying out an intriguing control system and enjoying some colorful visuals why not give this one a look?
Orange VR Experience, from Orange
Price: Available Only in France
This is a French exclusive title, and that is the first time I have ever written those words in that order. It is not an experience, but rather a distribution platform for OCS VR content.
Recommendation: If you’re French then this simple content hub may be worth the hard drive space.
The Rabbit Hole, from VRMonkey
Price: $2.99 – Free demo available (Gear)
Solve puzzles to escape with your life.The Rabbit Hole is “a place where everything you ever imagined can come true—even your worst nightmare.”
You’ll need to be smart and creative in order to make your way out of the room and back to safety. Just be careful of what lurks in the dark.
Recommendation: Not many games can combine atmospheric storytelling with interesting puzzles. The Rabbit Hole pulls it off. It’s worth trying it out if you like using your brain in games.
‘Where Am I?’ from Nemesys Games
Price: $1.99 (Gear)
This one is a bit tough to explain so I’ll just let it describe itself.
According to its official description, “In each level of this geo-guessing, hidden object game you are “teleported” to an unknown street or location somewhere on Earth and you need to uncover the mystery: Where am I?”
Recommendation: It’s an interesting use case for 360 photos that we haven’t really seen before. Plus, you just might learn something and what’s more fun than that.
Annie Amber, from Carlos Coronado
Price: $7.99 (Rift)
Experience Annie’s life from start to finish as you unravel the mysteries of the solar system. You’ll once again be solving puzzles and moving around with only head motions as you play through each chapter of this woman’s life.
Recommendation: This seems to be the week of the puzzlers. If the dark or scary narratives surrounding the others didn’t grab you, maybe you’ll enjoy a more narrative driven tale.
Desert Ride Coaster, from INFINITE Production
Price: Free (Rift)
Do you like roller coasters? Good! How about deserts? Great! Than you may have just found your dream VR experience.
This title puts you on a coaster ride through a desert canyon, synced to a music track from Dalphon and Violoee.
Recommendation: Coaster demos are always fun to have when VR virgins come over. If you have the disk space, this could be a great experience to have on hand.
DOPAMINE for Rift, from Synamon
Price: $3.99 (Rift)
The last game on this list is also the strangest. DOPAMINE oddly combines space combat with cutesy Japanese figures to create a truly…unique experience.
Recommendation: After reading that description you already know if you think this one looks amazing or ridiculous. Either way $3.99 is money well spent for a game that is both hilarious to watch and pretty darn fun to play.
Angels and Demigods, from 7 Keys
Price: Free (Gear)
A 360 film that’s all about a far flung future where mankind has created “angels” for protection and power. It plays out like a Japanese manga, with the art style to match, and actually poses a pretty interesting story.
Recommendation: Manga readers or anime watchers should jump for joy that this is here, and completely free.
Audioscape, from Skullcandy
Price: Free (Gear)
Skullcandy is a long time manufacturer of mid-quality headphones. Audioscape is its first foray into the world of VR. The experience “immerses the viewer in music they help create” using a few simple inputs.
Recommendation: This experience is meant to tie in with a new line of Skullcandy headphones and is therefore a sort of extended commercial in essence. This doesn’t make it bad, however, and the musicians of this world will still find this enjoyable.
Slot Tube Pary, from COLOPL
Price: Free (Gear)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT6uvz1BFxE
Slot tub party lets you play virtual slot machine while lounging in a digital hot tub. It really is just as much of a non-sequitur as it sounds.
Recommendation: Even though it’s a bit ridiculous, there’s still something satisfying about hitting triple cherries and hearing a booming voice congratulate you while your new hot tub buddies applaud. It’s worth a download just for the novelty.
Sanza Peso, from Kite and Lightning
Price: Free (Rift)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrq0KRbRk1U
This is the story of a soul transitioning to the afterlife. It combines real video with CG images to create a wonderful sense of other worldliness. It will certainly make you think.
Recommendation: The visuals alone make this short film a must-see.
Allumette, from Penrose Studios
Price: Free for a limited time (Rift)
Allumette is the highly anticipated follow up to Penrose Studios The Rose and I. It is 20 minutes long, making it the longest animated VR film to date, and absolutely stunning.
The story follows a young girl named Allumette as she adventures with her mother in their trusty airship. The art is revolutionary and you will almost assuredly be in tears by the end.
Recommendation: Do not let this one slip by. It is free for now but that will change soon. This is the best experience of the week.
Colonist A514, from Andy Truman
Price: Free (Rift)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_03eu4zwMI
Colonist is a story of a young boy in space learning about the earth of the past. In essence it was designed to “hopefully offer an insight for modern day educators around the world into the immersive advantages that Virtual Reality can bring to the learning process.”
Recommendation: This is basically a tech demo to show teachers how useful VR can be. It’s an awesome idea, but its definitely not for everyone.
The Channel Island Suite
Price: Free (Rift)
Inspired by “dark rides” that you’ll typically find at places like Disney World, The Channel Island Suite is an adventure, “made entirely out of sound and light.”
Each sound in the game was recorded separately and intentionally placed in the environment. It also features music composed with VR specifically in mind.
Recommendation: Channel Island is mostly about showing what’s possible with sound in VR. It’s a tech demo, but its one that anyone with an interest in spatial audio shouldn’t miss.
360 Vision, From Triggar VR
Price: Free (Rift)
360 Vision is Australia’s first VR development suite. It’s another sort of content hub specifically for Australia’s VR creators.
Recommendation: This is targeting a very specific audience but if you fall into that audience you may get a lot of value out of the content.
