You might not have heard, but Oculus had a big release this week. Something called the Oculus Touch controllers. I heard it was like a Wii remote for VR. Okay, it’s not really like that at all. Touch is finally here, it’s awesome, and it’s got a whole heap of games ready for day one. Actually it’s got 53 games to be exact, not counting Steam. We value our sanity here at Upload, so we’re not going to list them all here, especially seeing as how we have done that exact thing already. But we will round up some of the ones we’ve reviewed thus far, complete with the typical new Gear VR releases. We’re nice like that.
Also of note is that all of this wee’s new HTC Vive releases also have official Oculus Rift support, adding up to close to 70 or more new games, plus the entire back-catalog of SteamVR releases. That’s a lot of VR games!
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!
Superhot VR, from Superhot
Price: $24.99 (Rift)
Superhot was a pretty great 2D first-person shooter in which time moved only when the player did. The developer has now taken that concept and stuck it in the Rift with Touch control, and the results are pretty spectacular. Fight your way through a series of levels, leaving no enemy alive as you shoot and smash in this beautiful minimalist world.
Recommendation: One of Touch’s best launch games. Get it.
Werewolves Within, from Ubisoft
Price: $29.99 (Rift)
Ubisoft’s second VR game couldn’t be further away from the dreamy Eagle Flight; it’s a social game that puts a virtual spin on a classic party game, casting one player as a werewolf and tasking the others with deciphering exactly who it is. You’ll have to rely on not just the game’s tricks but also your own if you’re to avoid detection, though it’s important to note the game is best played with a group of friends, not strangers.
Recommendation: If you have enough friends willing to pick the game up too, definitely check this out.
Kingspray Graffiti, from Infectious Ape
Price: $14.99 (Rift)
Long-awaited by some members of the VR community, Kingspray has you releasing your creative side by painting virtual street art, all without committing actual crimes like vandalism. Use your Touch controllers to guide your can and make beautiful works. It’s another great away of using VR to express yourself.
Recommendation: Tilt Brush and Quill fans should give this a go.
I Expect You To Die, from Schell Games
Price: $24.99 (Rift)
I Expect You To Die has been a long time coming for many VR fans, but it’s finally here and it doesn’t disappoint. This James Bond-esque escape room game has you using Touch to solve trial and error your way out of deadly traps, often leading to your swift demise in some pretty outlandish ways.
Recommendation: Schell Games have done a good job with this one, but other Touch titles should take priority if you’re picky.
Ripcoil, from Sanzaru Games
Price: $9.99 (Rift)
One of two games Sanzaru has had prepared for Touch launch. Ripcoil is a futuristic sports title in which players try and catch each other out with discs that they throw between each other. It’s one of the coolest multiplayer titles for Oculus’ new controllers so far, and a great way to unleash your inner-Tron.
Recommendation: One for multiplayer fans.
VR Sports Challenge, from Sanzaru Games
Price: $29.99 (Rift, free with Touch pre-orders)
Their next VR game for the Touch is a single-player only affair, but this time it lets you live out your sports fantasies in football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. The action is intense and the controls are accurate. There’s a ton of content here and it’s lots of fun to pass the headset around with friends in mini-games to try and set new scores.
Recommendation: VR Sports Challenge packs surprising depth and has enough content to keep you coming back for more for a long time. Our review.
Toybox, from Oculus
Price: Free
The original Oculus Touch demo is now available for all. Toybox is simply a set of rooms that you can meet up with friends and play with different gagdets and gizmos. Light fireworks together, or take a shrink ray and turn your best pal into an ant. It’s a simple, playful experience, but it shows Touch off very well.
Recommendation: If you have a friend you can spend some time with in this one, then it’s absolutely worth it.
The Unspoken, from Insomniac Games
Price: $29.99 (Rift, free with Touch pre-orders)
The world of The Unspoken is a world overrun with magic and high-flying individuals that want nothing more than to best you in epic 1v1 mage duels. Fight back the forces of evil using the Oculus Touch controllers in this epic competitive multiplayer standoff.
Recommendation: This is one of the best competitive VR games to-date, but to be clear, there is no single player other than practicing. Our review.
Arizona Sunshine, from Vertigo Games
Price: $39.99 (Rift)
Another long-in development shooter. Arizona Sunshine is straight up zombie killing as its position-tracked finest. Team up with a friend as hordes of the undead attempt to take you down, feeling like a badass as you reload in the spot and send brain matter flying. It might sound dated, but it’s a bloody good time.
Recommendation: Love zombie killing? You’ll love this.
Dead and Buried, from Oculus and Gunfire Games
Price: Free (Rift)
A straight up western multiplayer shooter that shows you what Touch can do right off the bat. Have cinematic saloon shootouts with teammates by your side. This one’s free with your purchase of Touch, otherwise we might have told you to skip it due to the strict multiplayer requirements. As it stands, you can’t really argue with free, can you?
Recommendation: Give it a shot, literally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-fTHIeW-_g
Sour Patch Kids: Zombie Invasion, from Lucky Hammers
Price: $2.99 (Gear VR)
What do you mean you weren’t looking for a Sour Patch Kids VR game? I simply don’t believe you. Anyway, this one is a pretty polished shooter for Gear VR, which may pale in comparison to many of the games showing up on Touch this week, but should be good, clean, tasty fun on Gear.
Recommendation: This one’s for Gear owners jonesing for a Touch game right now. Give it a chance.
Hex, from Coplanar Games
Price: $2.99 (Gear VR)
This week isn’t all shooters and such. Gear VR has this pretty intriguing puzzle game in which you must join hexagons and make a line from the top of the grid to the bottom. You’ll just have to struggle against time and space restraints that make this frantic fun.
Recommendation: Definitely worth looking into for puzzle fans. More info.
Chernobyl VR Project, from The Farm 51 Group SA
Price: $4.99 (Gear VR)
Experience Chernobyl and Pripyat from the safety of VR in an interactive tour. It’s gorgeous and downright breathtaking at its best and a bit shallow and buggy at its worst. Honorable attempt with a format that will likely be explored again in the future, but leaves a bit to be desired.
Recommendation: Wait for a sale or price cut.
