A week on from E3 and VR releases are back in full swing. There’s plenty of new titles to check out across Rift and Gear this week, including some pretty significant new games for both. Don’t forget that Oculus also has a new summer sale going on, and other Rift games are also seeing discounts over on Steam. This could be your most expensive week in the VR year.
If you missed last week, you can see those new releases here. And don’t forget that UploadVR now has its own SteamVR 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.
Dark Days, from Parallel Studio
Release Date: 06/22/16 Price: $7.99 (Gear VR)
Parallel Studio previously worked on an underappreciated horror game named White Night, and it’s sticking with the genre for its VR debut. Dark Days is a fully 3D adventure with a fully fleshed out story complete with voice acting. In other words, it’s a scale of game not often seen on Gear VR. We were quite fond of it in our review, though those that don’t like jump scares might want to keep away.
Recommendation: If Gear is still your only headset then this is the biggest release in a while and comes with our recommendation. If not then it you might want to wait one the probably Rift port to clean up the presentation.
https://youtu.be/QgE3uV25tAs
Cosmic Rush, from NirvaniqLabs
Release Date: 06/22/16 Price: $2.99 (Gear VR)
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before; there’s been a massive accident on your spaceship and you’re the only survivor, trying to make it to safety. No, ADR1FT hasn’t been ported to Gear VR, but that is the plot of Cosmic Rush. I’d love to tell you that this means you’re getting a full space adventure on the platform, but this looks to be another endless runner that you control with gaze-based input. Just what you need.
Recommendation: If you somehow haven’t had enough of VR endless runners, then this is a pretty polished contender.
Welcome to Virtual Reality
Release Date: 06/22/16 Price: $1.99 (Gear VR)
Just got a Gear VR? Need to know where to start? Then let the team that brought you Welcome to Oculus take you on a journey. This has previews of some of the kit’s best experiences and proves what’s possible with the help of YouTube personality Boogie2988. It’s even narrated by The Stanley Parable’s Kevan Brighting.
Recommendation: If you need help getting started with your new Gear VR then this is a good place to go.
Anshar Wars 2, from OZWE
Release Date: 06/23/16 Price: $9.99 (Oculus Rift, also available on Gear VR)
Here’s the latest Gear VR hit to make its way over to Rift. Anshar Wars 2 is a space combat title that doesn’t play out from a cockpit view. Instead you’ll steer your ship across 13 levels in third-person, fighting back against the Nergal forces as part of the Ansharian Empire. Crucially, this is one of the first examples of cross-buy in the Oculus ecosystem and has great multiplayer; own it on Gear and it’s yours on Rift for free.
Recommendation: It’s a rock solid space combat game that provides a change of pace to EVE: Valkyrie. Well worth it.
Black Hat Cooperative, from Team Future
Release Date: 06/23/16 Price: $9.99 (Oculus Rift)
VR is bringing about an exciting new era of co-op multiplayer games. Black Hat is another example of this; one player wears the Rift while another has access to the map their ally is standing in. The catch is that the headset user can’t see the map for themself. From there, the map reader must guide the other through a gauntlet of enemies, sneaking past agents to survive. Think Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes mixed with Metal Gear Solid.
Recommendation: If you’re looking for innovative new ways to play co-op games with a friend then this fits the bill.
Daydream Blue, from RalphVR
Release Date: 06/23/16 Price: $4.99 (Oculus Rift)
Another Gear VR game heading to Rift here. Daydream Blue was one of the winners of Oculus’ 2015 Mobile VR Jam, offering a unique social VR experience. Set in a magical valley, you’ll play mini-games, craft items and even grow a bond with a friendly robot. It’s even got cross-play with the original mobile version.
Recommendation: It’s worth checking out based on its award-winning status alone, and worth staying in for just how darn pleasant it is.
Zero-G VR, from Linkus Studio
Release Date: 06/23/16 Price: $4.99 (Oculus Rift)
Zero-G VR actually hit Steam last week, but it’s now found its way over to the Oculus Store. This brief experience grants you a fleeting few moments in space as you fling yourself from one airlock to another. It’s quite a thing to look at and apparently offers the “ultimate VR high-speed game simulation.” Come with a strong stomach, then.
Recommendation: It’s brief but beautiful. If you’re still happy with style over substance then this is for you.
Discovery VR, from Discovery VR
Release Date: Price: Free (Oculus Rift)
Discovery’s VR app will be familiar to mobile headset users, but you can now use it on Rift too. This is essentially a portal to a range of pretty fantastic 360 content, giving you access to incredible sights, exotic wildlife and much more. Apparently it arrives just in time for Shark Week. We were getting worried it wouldn’t.
Recommendation: Free access to great content? Thumbs up from us.
ABE VR, from Hammerhead VR
Release Date:06/23/16 Price: Free (Oculus Rift)
You might have seen some of our coverage of ABE VR in recent weeks. It’s a short film about a robot that seeks the approval of humans, going to shocking lengths to do what it thinks will earn it. Hammerhead VR is doing plenty of interesting work in this space with the help of Unreal Engine 4. It’s also based on another short film from Rob McLellan which is a great watch too.
Recommendation: This is a great example of VR storytelling. Don’t miss it.
Final Approach: Pilot Edition, from Phaser Lock Interactive
Release Date: 06/23/16 Price: $24.99 (Oculus Rift)
We knew that Final Approach would be coming to Oculus Rift with the introduction of the Oculus Touch controllers but we guess Phaser Lock Interactive couldn’t wait that long. Pilot Edition brings controllers support for this popular Vive launch game, letting you pilot planes and play other mini-games. You can still expect full motion control support later down the line, however.
Recommendation: The game itself is great, but we’d still recommend waiting for Touch to provide the full experience.
Final Strike, from Ghost Machine
Release Date: 06/23/16 Price: $9.99 (Currently 15% Off)
It’s not surprising to see Final Strike release around the same time as the new Independence Day movie seeing as the original so heavily inspired it. This is a flight-based action game in which you take on hordes of alien fighters in a jet. It’s designed to provide cinematic moments that you only dreamed of taking part in back in the 90’s.
Recommendation: Ghost Machine doesn’t have the best track record and this has mixed reviews. Maybe wait for the Early Access phase to pass.
