It’s a quick week but a good week for Rift owners, while it might be the emptiest update yet for Gear VR fans. Three interesting new titles are hitting Oculus VR’s primary platform, though only one measly demo is launching on its little sister headset. Is this a sign that support for Gear VR is slowing down? Or is it merely a short break before we’re flung back into the world of 360 apps and experiences?
If you missed last week, you can see those new releases here. And don’t forget that UploadVR 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.
Baskhead, from VRLINES
Release Date: 07/19/16 Price: $4.99 (Oculus Rift)
Baskhead promises basketball as you’ve never played it before. Instead of the player, you take on the role of the hoop, and must catch balls thrown at you. You can build combos across an Arcade mode that lasts 45 seconds, a no strike allowed Ultimate mode, a Survival mode against the clock and even a multiplayer option in which 9 friends switch between using the same headset.
Recommendation: This one has been out on Gear VR for a while and it’s a lot of fun, especially to pass around and take turns. We approve.
The Assembly, from nDreams
Release Date: 07/19/16 Price: $29.99 (Oculus Rift)
It’s been a long time coming, but nDreams’ The Assembly is finally available this week. This is an engrossing first-person adventure in which you’ll control two different protagonists as you explore a secret underground layer belonging to the titular organization. There are puzzles and choices aplenty to be made as you study lab experiments and surreal setups.
Recommendation: We reviewed The Assembly and quite liked it. $30 is a little steep, but it’s an interesting experience.
Cityscape Repairman 2.0, from Khora ApS
Release Date: 07/20/16 Price: $7.99 (Oculus Rift)
Cityscape Repairman first lived as an entry into last year’s Oculus Mobile Jam for Gear VR, but now it’s been reborn for Oculus Rift. As the name suggests, you’ll be tasked with maintaining a city. The trouble is that city is under something of a dictatorship; individualism is banned and opinion is forbidden. How that plays into the gameplay? That could be one of Cityscape‘s most interesting factors.
Recommendation: It’s certainly a cheaper option over The Assembly, but isn’t the most incredible thing out there either.
CoLabs – Trial Rooms demo, from Pixel Federation
Release Date: 07/21/16 Price: Free (Gear VR)
Were it a busier week we might not even mention this free demo but it’s pretty much all Gear VR owners have to go on for the next seven days. This is a taster of a fictional VR reality show in which you’ll become a contestant on CoLab. You’ll face trial by puzzle, solving challenges in hopes of becoming a star. It’s designed as a first-time experience for many VR users.
Recommendation: Well if you’re a Gear VR owner there’s not much else to choose from this week. It’s pretty polished, though!
