Publisher VRotein sweeps into releases this week with four new experiences for the Gear VR, some of which use its new controller. On the Rift side there is but one single Oculus Home release of a game that’s been on Steam for a while now, as well as a couple other Steam offerings. Slim pickings, then, but there should be something for you here.
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!
New Rift and Gear VR Releases On Oculus Home
Blue Effect VR, from DIVR Labs
Price: $14.99 (Rift)
This is a horror-survival FPS with impressive visual effects and sound. A wave shooter that keeps you on your toes with some jump-scares in a dark warehouse. Already one of the better wave shooters on the market and it’s just in Early Access.
Recommendation: Give it a shot.
Dead and Buried, from Oculus
Price: Free (Gear)
The Oculus Touch launch game makes its way over to Gear VR with support for the new controller. Take part in fast-fire shootouts with friends or fend off waves of — you guessed it — zombies in a single-player mode.
Recommendation: One of the most polished shooters you’ll likely find on Gear VR right now.
Cranga!, from VRotein
Price: $4.99 (Gear)
Fancy a round of Jenga in VR? Cranga! delivers on a different scale, replacing small wooden blocks with giant shipping containers that will cause quite a scene if they tumble over. Compatible with the new Gear VR controller.
Recommendation: Looks like a fun distraction, ported from Touch.
Slice & Dice, from VRotein
Price: Free (Gear)
Use the Gear VR’s new controller as a Dead Space-style gun to chop through cubes to get a dice to a goal zone. The puzzles are pretty smart and inventive.
Recommendation: Check this one out.
Kingdom Watcher, from VRotein
Price: $2.99 (Gear)
VRotein has other VR games out this week too, but this definitely seems like the more polished and enjoyable of the bunch. It’s a tower defense game in which you chip away at enemy health bars before they reach the castle gates. There’s multiplayer too.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a grab.
Shooting Nightmare, from VRotein
Price: $2.99 (Gear)
Wave shooter madness returns to Gear VR in Shooting Nightmare, which looks like a fairly simple addition to the genre with weapon unlocks and survival mechanics. If you love this type of game though, it might be for you.
Recommendation: Only for big fans of the genre. The rest of us are bored of these.
Kill All Orcs, from Maestro Of VR
Price: $2.99 (Gear)
Despite the awesome name Kill All Orcs looks like it hasn’t been designed by the actual Maestro of VR. The environments in this third-person action game look drab and in need of some polish. It might have fun gameplay, though, but hard to really get into right now.
Recommendation: Not looking worth it as is.
Now You See Me: Back to Macau, from Sidekick
Price: Free (Gear)
We’re not exactly sure who was asking for a tie-in to the Now You See Me film series but here you go. This is a hidden object game with six missions. The description calls it the first of its kind, though I’m fairly sure that’s not the case.
Recommendation: It’s free, but seems like a strange tie-in. Something actually magic related would have fit better.
Samsung PhoneCast, from Samsung
Price: Free (Gear)
Want more than Netflix on your Gear VR to watch stuff? PhoneCast delivers, allowing you to access a range of Android Video on Demand apps like Hulu, Crackle, and YouTube from inside a 360 degree environment. Grab the popcorn.
Recommendation: Read more here. If you want to watch 2D content in VR this is essential.
New Oculus Rift Releases On Steam
Pixvana SPIN Play, from Pixvana, Inc.
Price: Free To Play
The SPIN Play app is an end-to-end solution for VR/360 content in multiple formats. Using Pixvana’s OPF format, users can play multiple types of encoded content in spherical form or a tile format.
Recommendation: Keep an eye on this as it evolves and more content becomes available.
Climbtime, from Saluda Systems
Price: $2.99
Climbtime challenges users to climb, fly, and glide around procedurally generated levels. Move quickly and efficiently to destroy cores as you chase leaderboard times. You can also explore real-world based terrain modeled after the Smoky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, and more.
Recommendation: The motion of climbing isn’t the most accurate but there’s fun to be had flying and gliding around.
VRIQ, from 3DIQ
Price: Free
VRIQ is a quick puzzle experience, challenging your problem-solving abilities within 5 minutes. Act quickly and then see how you match up against other users.
Recommendation: A free test of your ingenuity? Sure.
Conductor, from Overflow
Price: $8.99 (Currently Discounted)
Taking place in a post-industrial apocalypse, Conductor is an action-adventure with puzzle elements. You work through the game on a locomotive and must engage in different activities to clear your path to escape the pursuit of Overcorp.
Recommendation: This one is a moody and interesting looking adventure that is worth your gaze. Read our review and give it a go.
VectorWars, from Red Iron Labs
Price: $2.99 (Currently Discounted)
VectorWars is an arcade style shooter that takes place in 2842 when the aliens finally attack. You play as Andy, an asteroid miner, that must defend humanity and continuously upgrade his ship while taking down the alien threat.
Recommendation: Getting this for VR doesn’t add a great deal to the experience. Pass for now.
