It’s a healthy week of new releases across both Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear, with a combination of free and premium experiences you shouldn’t pass up. It goes beyond gaming with new comic books, travel experiences and, of course, more horror. Who could live without VR horror?
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.
Plus — check out our list of the best Oculus Rift games and best Gear VR games for more suggestions!
Technolust Extended Format, from IRIS VR
Price: $24.99 (Rift)
Dive back into the cyberpunk dystopian world of Technolust with this Touch-enhanced update. It adds brand new endings, lots of new content, and support for the Oculus Touch motion controllers, leveling this up to one of the best overall VR adventure titles thus far.
Recommendation: Re-download it if you played it already and definitely buy it if you haven’t yet. More info.
Nanite Fulcrum: Issue One, from The Spiraloid Workshop Company
Price: Free (Rift)
This might be the most ambitious stab at the VR comic book yet. Fulcrum is a Touch-enabled experience in which you can grab moving panels and move them around in an immersive environment. Paying tribute to the comic book fans’ love of collecting there are also 3D statues to pick up and interactive elements too.
Recommendation: Definitely worth checking out if you’re a comic book fan.
EVEREST VR, from Solfar Studios
Price: $14.99 (Rift)
Solfar’s mountain climbing experience finally moves from Vive to Rift, complete with Touch support, a lower price, and new features. EVEREST VR features a story experience in which you’ll witness some of the most crucial parts of climbing the world’s highest mountain. There’s also a Google Earth-style God Mode that allows you to explore every inch of it.
Recommendation: A great showcase of the scale and wonder of VR, but it’s not as deep and interactive as we’d hope. The lower price helps, though.
Syren, from Hammerhead VR
Price: $19.99 (Rift)
Syren is the debut horror game from a UK studio, offering a brief but brutal campaign of terror. You are alone in an underwater research facility, hunted by twisted monsters with very little to defend yourself with. You’ll need to search for a means of escape as you hide from enemies.
Recommendation: Touch owners with a taste for horror shouldn’t miss out on this one. Here’s our review.
The Harbinger Trial, from Wolf & Wood
Price: Free (Gear)
The developer of A Chair in a Room returns with a new episodic horror series on Gear VR, the first episode of which is free. You’ll explore the minds of disturbed mental patients, looking for evidence in criminal cases. It’s a chance for the developer to tell shorter, twisted horror stories that anyone can sample.
Recommendation: This is one developer you should show your support for. More info here.
Mondly Languages VR, from ATi Studios
Price: Free (Gear)
Another look into how VR can be used to help you learn new languages. You’ll have conversations with virtual characters that will correct you on things like pronunciation. There are 28 different languages to learn here including English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese and many more.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a look for those wanting to learn, plus it’s free.
Nuvision, from Retina Inc.
Price: Free (Gear)
The first installment in an intriguing new interactive 360 degree video series, Nuvision tells the tale of a future in which augmented reality has become an essential part of our every day lives. It’s an interesting concept, showing an interaction with futuristic AI.
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of Black Mirror, we recommend checking this out.
2017 VR, from Tungsten Game
Price: $14.99 (Rift)
Another day of existence on planet Earth means another day with a new VR zombie shooter. This time around, in the case of 2017 VR, you can take the fight to the undead with friends by your side in a cooperative affair with a litany of weapons and a nifty skill system.
Recommendation: If you’re bored of existing coop shooters, or want more zombies, then 2017 VR isn’t a bad bet. It’s also not exactly an original idea at this point.
InMind 2 VR
Price: $4.99 (Rift, Currently Discounted)
Have you ever wondered what the inside of a brain looks like? InMind 2 VR isn’t exactly a simulation of a brain’s activity, but it gives a psychedelic glimpse at what that might look like as you witness a teenager’s evolution to adulthood. It’s a charming adventure inspired by Disney Pixar’s Inside Out from the creators of InMind and InCell.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a download for fans of InMind, InCell, or other cerebral adventure games.
The Art of Fight, from Raptor-Lab
Price: $24.99 (Rift)
This one has been around in Early Access for a while but is finally getting the full release treatment this week. It’s a super fast-paced 4v4 shooter with some light parkour and melee combat elements. It channels inspiration from games like Counter-Strike to deliver one of the most intense VR multiplayer shooters around.
Recommendation: If you’re fan of intense VR shooters like Onward and Battle Dome, you should add this to your library.
CuVRball – Unlimited Play DLC, from Hypergolic Games
Price: $14.99 (Rift)
In a strange move, this DLC is priced just as high as the core CuVRball game itself and all it does is allow you to play for as long as you want. The regular game is a decent take on a racquetball-style VR game in Early Access, so it’s not a bad concept in and of itself.
Recommendation: This should have been a free update to the base game, not something that asks players to pay double overall.
Munch VR, from Mostly Harmless Games
Price: $14.99 (Rift, Currently Discounted)
The moment you’ve all been waiting for is finally here: you can now finally control a fish in VR as you force it to eat other fish and grow larger over time. Explore the ocean to become as large as possible, but avoid the bigger fish or else you’re someone else’s dinner.
Recommendation: Cute and fun, but we’d recommend waiting on a bigger sale.
TRESPASS – Episode 2, from vROTEIN Inc.
Price: $15.99 (Rift, Currently Discounted)
Assist Samuel Rodriguez through a collection of environments and puzzles as you seek clues and complete tasks in TRESPASS – Episode 2. You’ll work through calm moments and exciting scenes as you try to escape your predicament.
Recommendation: An action intense escape experience that improves on the previous episode. A bit pricey, but worth it if you tried Episode 1.
Bocce Beach, from Funly, LLC
Price: $6.29 (Currently Discounted)
In Bocce Beach, you can transport yourself to your own island paradise and play a game of Bocce. The game also features real-time commentary of your experience and Bocce rankings.
Recommendation: Unless you just absolutely need that Bocce fix, pass on this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAL_4mAZ3kk
HOMEBOUND, from Quixel
Price: $7.19 (Currently Discounted)
HOMEBOUND puts you into a chaotic and seemingly hopeless situation as you careen through the cold void of space toward Earth. Take on a time-attack across three levels or just enjoy the free-roam mode and take in the sights.
Recommendation: Visually appealing but can be uncomfortable for some. Approach with caution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgpr2bjt-o4
Treehouse Basketball, from Treehouse
Price: Free
In this minimalist casual experience, shoot a few free throws or play a time challenge to test your basketball skill.
Recommendation: Disappointing lack of net physics, but otherwise a pretty and free shoot-around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uny7Ant6uVo
THOSE DAMN ALIENS! VR, from Deceptive Games Ltd.
Price: $6.39 (Currently Discounted)
Grab your weapons and get ready to fight off the alien invaders of your space ship in THOSE DAMN ALIENS! Take on waves of enemies in either a campaign or survival mode with multiple weapon types and climb up the competitive leaderboards.
Recommendation: Inexpensive wave shooter but there are better options. Pass on this one unless you really want to shoot aliens.
Emmerholt: Prologue, from Oneiric Entertainment LLC
Price: Free To Play
The free experience serves as the gateway to the upcoming open world, story driven world of Emmerholt. As Eli, you will wield magic, ride horses, and take on minions as you get a taste of what the full game will be.
Recommendation: Very solid already and free. Worth checking out.
