So Owlchemy Labs’ Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality making this roundup isn’t that surprising but it’s not all big name titles that VRFocus has chosen to include. The next two on the list are aimed at different ends of the virtual reality (VR) spectrum. Indie developer Funktronic Labs released Cosmic Trip a colourful real-time strategy (RTS) title, while Hammerhead VR’s Syren is a far more intense horror experience that has been split into two episodes.
Cosmic Trip
Cosmic Trip got its full release in May after spending time in Steam Early Access. Designed purely to make the best use of VR, the videogame is an intergalactic adventure where you’ll find yourself stranded on a hostile alien world. To survive you must mine resources and build up an contingent of robots to defend yourself as well as venturing out across the planet.
As with any RTS you’re given a few basic options to begin building with. With a simple to pickup gameplay mechanic and menu options, Cosmic Trip doesn’t over burden you with a dizzying selection of choices, rather a finely tuned selection of base units and robots to build.
But its not just about managing a robot force and resources, you can also get stuck into the action. Gun emplacements can be built that have to be manually manned, while you’re also armed with a shield and a couple of interesting weapons, a bubble gun that traps enemies and a disc that can be charged up to kill them.
If you want to know more checkout VRFocus’ review where Cosmic Trip earned five stars, in which we said: “Cosmic Trip is one of those rare little VR treats you come across that suits VR players no matter their skill level. It’s a solidly put together single-player experience that will challenge you to almost controller throwing levels of frustration, but you’ll want to dive back in just to have ‘one more go’.”
Syren
For those that like their VR experiences a lot more atmospheric and spine tingling then there’s Hammerhead VR’s underwater horror Syren. The videogame launched back in February as a stealthy survival experience that places you in an underwater laboratory where some very nasty experiments have gotten lose and run amok.
For the most part these ‘Syrens’ can’t be attacked directly, if they hear or see you they’ll immediately charge and kill you, which you won’t be able to stop. So if you try and charge through levels you’ll find yourself restarting from the last checkpoint until you get it right. It’s one of the reasons VRFocus gave the title four stars in our review.
So why has Syren been included? Well, Hammerhead VR released Episode 2 in May which completely turns the first episodes gameplay on its head going for a far more action orientated experience. It takes place in the same lab but this time you work backwards through the levels, but this time you have guns, lots of them. You’ll need to explore to find weapons, ammo and cash, which can then be spent on more powerful armaments.
It’s because of this – and the fact that the episode 2 DLC is free – that Syren is definitely worth your time.
