The Best Samsung Gear VR Games of 2018

Samsung’s Gear VR headset was once the dominant mobile head-mounted display (HMD), it featured everywhere, in Samsung’s Unpacked events, standard videogame conferences, and institutions the world over as they looked to entertain visitors with new technology. But that position and stature have slowly faded, Samsung isn’t bundling the device with smartphones as it did and with the arrival of Oculus Go, VR enthusiasts can now go mobile with even more ease. That being said, there are a lot of Gear VR owners out there, and developers are still supporting the HMD. So here are VRFocus’ ten favourite videogames from the latest twelve months.

The Best Samsung Gear VR Games of 2018

Slightly Heroes

Slightly Heroes – Hatrabbit Entertainment

Whilst this isn’t a dedicated Gear VR title that’s no bad thing. In fact that works to Slightly Heroes advantage as the videogame is a one vs one online multiplayer, with cross-platform support, enabling you to battle those on Oculus Go, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Google Daydream, Windows Mixed Reality, Lenovo Mirage Solo, and the non-VR Android app. This should ensure there’s always someone to match against. If not there’s always AI enemies to dispatch.

Arca's Path

Arca’s Path VR – Dream Reality Entertainment

Arca’s Path VR takes the gameplay style of classics like Marble Madness and updates it for VR headsets. Featuring a dark storyline where you play a girl tricked by an evil witch, you’ve been turned into a ball and must navigate 25 labyrinthine levels in a bid to free yourself and return home. To do this, Dream Reality Interactive has employed a gaze-based control mechanism, meaning you just need to look where you want to go.

NARROWS_IMAGE2

Narrows – Resolution Games

Narrows lets you take to the high seas, heading to the Caribbean during the golden age of piracy to make your fortune. Combining real-time crew-management with ship-to-ship combat, there are plenty of customization options to tweak your cannons and crew for battle, plus rogue-like replayability. Gameplay also includes swashbuckling sword fights, charting your own course, and making sure your crew of misfits are healthy and fed.

Covert – White Elk

Covert features asymmetrical gameplay that lets two players work together to pull off a high-profile heist, whether they’re inside or outside of VR. This works by the VR player having to pull off the heist while their mate acts as the hacker accomplice on a mobile device, feeding them vital information. Being the multiplayer title that it is, make sure the mobile device is compatible with the app, Android 7.0 or iOS 6 and above.

Eclipse: Edge of Light – White Elk

Eclipse: Edge of Light’s story finds you crash landing on a sentient planet. Upon discovering the ruins of an ancient civilization, you then come across a device known as The Artifact, allowing you to interact with their technology whilst bestowing seemingly magical powers upon you. In order to uncover the secrets of the planet and this long-lost civilization, eventually hoping to escape, players must recover the pieces of The Artifact that have been scattered across the landscape.

Virtual Virtual Reality

Virtual Virtual Reality – Tender Claws

Virtual Virtual Reality is a narrative-driven comedy adventure about VR and AI. Players use virtual VR headsets to explore over 50 unique virtual realities, delving into the story behind AI service Activitude. As bizarre as this all sounds, Tender Claws’ VR experience is a great introduction to VR.

CatanVR_Screenshot3

Catan VR – Experiment 7

Mixing traditional boardgame gameplay with the immersive online gaming that only VR can provide, Experiment 7’s Catan VR is a polished example of the genre. Featuring both single-player and multiplayer online modes, up to four people can play against one another in cross-platform gameplay, with players taking the role of settlers who need to establish colonies on the islands of Catan, acquiring resources to build infrastructure and roads whilst engaging in trade with other players.

Racket Fury - PSVR

Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR – 10Ants Hill

For those who enjoy a bit of sport, Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR offers a single-player campaign with four Cups to play through. Each of the 16 opponents have their own temper and unique style of play meaing players will have to think on their feet and adjust their strategy with each new opponent they face.

Astraeus Screenshot5

Astraeus – E McNeill

Like E McNeill’s three previous VR videogames, Darknet, Tacteraand SkylightAstraeus is another deviously simple looking real-time strategy (RTS) experience that becomes a lot more complex the longer you play. Astraeus is a VR asteroid mining title where you need to build a mining network from dozens of bases and watch as hundreds of ships swarm around you. Your job is to control these swarms of mining drones, create the bases, and outpace the competition in Campaign, Skirmish, and asynchronous multiplayer modes.

The Wizards: Trials of Meliora

The Wizards: Trials of Meliora – Carbon Studio

The Wizards: Trials of Meliora is the next step in Carbon Studio’s spellbinding adventure. Designed specifically for mobile devices, the videogame enables players to wield powerful spells as they defend the realm. There are five levels to complete with four gesture-based spells to master. You’ll also be able to upgrade the spells to inflict greater damage and cause more chaos. One for those who enjoy a good magical fight.

Something for the Weekend: PlayStation VR Discounts

It’s Christmas season so it’s time to decorate the house in gaudy decorations, eat too much and have a snooze on the sofa – or maybe go out for a snowball fight if the white stuff has fallen. Or just relax, grab the PlayStation VR and enjoy some cosy gaming, maybe even switch on the TV to activate the social screen and enjoy some local multiplayer. If the game library is a bit lacking then how about taking a look at the latest digital software deals for the headset.

PlayStation VR Group shot

These offers come from both the US PlayStation Store and the EU PlayStation Store, and will be indicated accordingly.

  • Arca’s Path VR – £12.59 (was £13.99 GBP) PS Plus Members Only (EU)
  • Arca’s Path VR$17.99 (was $19.99 USD) PS Plus Members Only (US)
  • Space Pirate Trainer – £9.27 (was £11.59) (EU)
  • Space Pirate Trainer – $11.99 (was $14.99) (US)
  • Rush VR – £15.99 (was £19.99) (EU)
  • Rush VR – $19.99 (was $24.99) (US)
  • David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef Dive – £3.74 (was £5.53) PS Plus Members Only (EU)
  • Sparc – £6.39 (was £15.99) (EU)
  • Moss + Soundtrack Bundle – $23.09 (was $34.99) (US)
  • Kona VR – $7.99 (was $19.99) (US)

That’s your lot for this week, come back next Sunday for another discount selection when VRFocus will be looking at what Steam has to offer PC VR players.

Relaxing Maze Game ‘Arca’s Path’ Launches on All Major VR Headsets, Trailer Here

Arca’s Path VR, a single-player VR maze game produced by Rebellion and developed by Dream Reality Interactive, is launching today on all major VR platforms including HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows VR, PSVR, Oculus Go, Gear VR, and HTC Vive Focus.

As a controller-free game, you guide a curious sphere along its dangerous path using gaze controls. The physics-based world of Arca offers 25 levels, all dripping with a futuristic, geometric vibe with a chill soundtrack created by experimental electro music artist Raffertie.

Here’s Dream Reality Interactive’s summary of the title:

Tricked by a wicked android witch, you must seek a path home and escape the simulated world of Arca. Fully integrated across all major VR platforms, with intuitive hands-free gameplay. Arca’s Path VR is an atmospheric VR gaming experience

We got a chance to go hands-on with an early version of Arca’s Path at E3 this summer, and it really aims to dial you into the deceptively simple task of leading the ball from point A to point B. With its ambient soundtrack to underscore its slow, but deliberate gameplay, it decidedly presents a critical change of pace in VR for those moments when you just want to sit down and zone out.

SEE ALSO
'Borderlands 2 VR' Could Come to PC Headsets Five Months After PSVR

Arca’s Path is now available for $18 (10% off) on the Oculus Store (Rift), Steam (Vive, Rift, Windows VR), the PlayStation Store (PSVR).

A mobile version is available for $9 (10% off) on the Oculus Store for Oculus Go and Gear VR.

The post Relaxing Maze Game ‘Arca’s Path’ Launches on All Major VR Headsets, Trailer Here appeared first on Road to VR.

Arca’s Path Arrives Tomorrow so VRFocus Went Behind-the-Scenes at Dream Reality Interactive

Tomorrow, Dream Reality Interactive will launch virtual reality (VR) title Arca’s Path for HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift. While the studio is relatively new the team running it are videogame veterans, so there’s a lot of anticipation around the title. Ahead of launch, VRFocus caught up with the team to find out more about the experience and its development.

Arca's Path

While Arca’s Path will be Dream Reality Interactive’s debut VR title, it’ll be the studio’s second release since forming in 2017, the first being augmented reality (AR) videogame Orbu, created using ARKit.

The studio was founded by Dave Ranyard, the former head of Sony London Studio, alongside former Sony London teammates Richard Bates, Artemis Tsouflidou, Albert Bentall and John Foster. They all help to create the mini-titles in PlayStation VR Worlds, the videogame primarily bundled with most PlayStation VR’s. Once that was completed Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) announced there would be some major redundancies at London Studio.

In May this year Battlezone developer Rebellion was revealed to be publishing the title, unveiling the project ahead of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018, where it would be playable for the first time. That’s where VRFocus got its first look, saying in our first preview: “Arca’s Path VR is by no means a revolutionary experience; a question remains over whether or not the videogame benefits from VR at all. However, it does appear to have the potential to deliver a satisfying platform experience which the player can take at their own pace.”

Arca's Path Launch (7)

Upon our second preview last month things were certainly looking up, finding that: “while Arca’s Path will most definitely be enjoyed by the core videogame demographic it’s clearly positioned as an experience that anyone can enjoy.”

So what more is there to know about the Marble Madness-style puzzle platformer? To find out you’ll need to watch VRFocus’ video below, featuring several interviews, one with Ranyard himself. And don’t forget to check back for a full review of Arca’s Path soon.

Listen to an Exclusive Arca’s Path Track for Free, Plus New Screenshots and Dev Diary

Dream Reality Interactive’s Arca’s Path VR is less than a week away, so with that in mind Rebellion has unleashed a trio of goodies for eager fans to enjoy. There’s free music, new screenshots, and the last in the series of developer diaries.

Arca's Path Launch (7)

From today, Rebellion has released an exclusive free music track from Arca’s Path VR composer and Ninja Tune artist Raffertie.

Titled ARCA: Prelude, Raffertie’s track is described by the developer as an: “electro-infused soundtrack is an enthralling collection of fluctuating, shifting tunes, accentuating the magnificent but unreal world of Arca, a landscape shrouded in mystery.”

Arca’s Path VR is a dark fairytale set within crystalline landscapes, where players control a ball through 25 labyrinthine levels, using only their gaze to intuitively lead the character’s sphere through the maze and out the other side. The new screenshots (found above and below) showcase some of these levels which haven’t been seen before.

Arca's Path

And then there’s Dev Diary number 4, which just so happens to be focused on the art and music of Arca’s Path VR. “In this developer diary, find out how much of an impact having Raffertie’s music in Arca’s Path has not only inspired the sounds but also influenced the sound design for the entire game,” notes the team. “The key colours used are soft and compliment the visual identity throughout the levels, environments, characters, and the overall art style.”

Download the free track from the Arca’s Path VR website. The title will be coming to PlayStation Store, SteamVR, Viveport and Oculus Store on 4th December 2018. For any further updates ahead of launch, keep reading VRFocus.

Arca's Path
Arca's Path
Arca's Path
Arca's Path
Arca's Path

 

Rebellion Release the First Dev Diary for Arca’s Path VR Ahead of Launch

Battlezone developer Rebellion and Dream Reality Interactive are due to launch relaxed, hands-free puzzle title Arca’s Path VR on 4th December for multiple headsets. With less than a month to go, the studio’s are taking gamers behind the scenes of its development with what will be the first in a four-part series of Dev Diaries. 

Arca's Path - Screenshot (E3 2018)

In this first Dev Diary you can find out what Arca’s Path VR is all about, what inspired Dream Reality Interactive to create such a relaxing experience, clips showcasing the gameplay in action, how the title evolves as progression is made and an overview of the story.

A dark fairytale set within crystalline landscapes, Arca’s Path VR is an enchanting, platform-style experience where players control a ball through 25 labyrinthine levels, using only their gaze to intuitively lead the character’s sphere through the maze and out the other side.

Obstacles in the way include lifts, bridges and high-speed descents. Along the way, there are a number of collectables to pick up, some of which are cunningly hidden away in nooks and crannies for the player to seek out.

Arca's Path - Screenshot (E3 2018)

This will be the first virtual reality (VR) title released by Dream Reality Interactive, an indie studio founded by former Sony London Studio head, Dave Ranyard. Having released its first augmented reality (AR) title Orbu in December 2017, the company has developed key technology and design for Hold the World, a VR project featuring Sir David Attenborough, in conjunction with Factory 42 for Sky and the London Natural History Museum.

Arca’s Path VR will be coming to PlayStation Store, SteamVR, Viveport and Oculus Store on 4th December, 2018. There’s also a chance to win yourself a copy by heading to the Arca’s Path VR official website and signing up.

Check out the Dev Diary below, and for further updates ahead of launch, keep reading VRFocus.

New Speakers, New Panellists, New Games – Last Chance To Get Tickets For The Post Gamescom XR Review!

We are but a day away from our Post Gamescom XR Review, which is taking place in London this Thursday at The Realities Centre’s venue at Huckletree West. The review is, among all things, a chance for people to get together, try some virtual reality (VR) and discuss with those working with VR what they are doing and VR’s videogaming path coming out of Gamescom and all that happened there.

You can sign up here incidentally and get a ticket.

Huckletree West (1)[2]Of course you’re like as not aware of things already mentioned on the site which will be in attendence, but as with all events some things change so we have some changes to the card (as it were) to inform you of. The bad news is that Firesprite and their VR videogame The Persistence will no longer be able to attend which is a great shame. Don’t worry though as we’ve some new items to announce as well!

First up is confirmation of one of our talks for the event. Dave Raynard, the CEO of Dream Reality Interactive (DRI) will be talking to attendees about the life of a young development studio in The Terrible Twos: The DRI Story So Far.

“Dream Reality Interactive is two years old. DRI have had the opportunity to work on some amazing projects – and still be in business! In this talk, Dave will speak about their journey and reflect on what went well and where they could have improved.”

DRI will also be at the event showing of their VR title Arca’s Path VR of course, and Dave Raynard will also be contributing to the panel at the end of the evening.
Arca's Path keyArt

Also taking part in the panel will be Sam Watts of Brighton-based developer make[REAL], a familiar face to the VR talk circuit and to VRFocus readers with his recent developer diaries about the studio’s project Pastimes for Pirates. Watts will also be showing off the studio’s hit party game title Loco Dojo at the event. Attendees will be able to adventure into a whimsical world overseen by the mysterious Grand Sensei. Can you stand up to his ‘Table of Trials’?

LocoDojo Screenshot 3_RockyDesertOne more member of the Post Gamescom panel has also been announced: Kish Hirani. The CTO of Terra Virtua, Hirani has undertaken roles at Acclaim, BBC Multimedia, THQ, Microsoft and at Sony as their Head of Developer Services, running the PlayStation developer technology services division. Hirani is also a former Chair of BAME in Games and a Board member of Women in Games, so will no doubt have much to say on VR’s direction as we begin to look past 2018 and into 2019.

Our final announcement for now is that we will also be joined on the day by Tara Reddy and Sam Weekes, the co-Founders of LoveShark. Who will be showing off their forthcoming augmented reality (AR) drawing-based videogame LaserDRAW. Look out for them on the day.

LaserDraw - ScreenshotWe’re still awaiting the confirmation of more developers and speakers so look out for more news. But before that act fast if you want to check out everything at the event tomorrow!

Join VRFocus For A Post Gamescom XR Review This September

Events are tricky, sometimes there’s just only so much you can do to get to them or see everything there when you do. The next major event on the horizon is, of course, Gamescom next month and after a somewhat lackluster feeling E3 earlier this year, there’s a lot of expectation going in to it. 

Realities Centre Huckletree WestFor those not able to get to this year’s Gamescom event, taking place from August 21st 2018 through to the 25th in Cologne Germany, VRFocus is giving members of the UK XR community an extra opportunity to check out in person some of the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences that will be shown.  We’ve teamed up once again with the team at Realities Centre to present what is being called “The Post Gamescom #XR Review” – a chance to demo, connect and discuss everything to do with immersive technology that Gamescom reveals.

Amongst those currently confirmed as attending are Cherry Pop Games with Football Nation VR, Dream Reality Interactive and Rebellion’s physics-based platform title Arca’s Path VR and The Persistence,  Firesprite’s roguelike horror for PlayStation VR. Along with the opportunity to play the videogames on show there will also be a number of speakers and a panel discussing VR and AR’s role at this year’s Gamescom event and the latest in immersive technology news. Led by VRFocus‘ Editor and CEO Kevin Joyce and Nina Salomons who’ll be familiar to regular VRFocus readers from our regular interview videos.

“Gamescom is always a highlight in the annual videogames event calendar, and over the years has become one of the biggest showcases for new and exciting hardware and software.” Says Joyce, “Working with UK developers to bring their titles back to UK audiences is exactly the kind of opportunity that VRFocus was always designed to provide.”

“The UK XR community is hugely passionate, and the Realities Centre is keen to enable everyone access to all the latest developments whether or not they have the budget to attend international trade shows. Partnering with VRFocus for the Post Gamescom #XR Review enables Realities Centre further reach into the UK community and to attract the biggest names in XR.” adds Thomas Gere, Realities Centre CEO.

The Persistence
The Persistence

The event takes place on Thursday, 6th September 2018, at the Realities Centre at Huckletree West, Mediaworks, White City in London. Applications for tickets can be made at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vr-gaming-showcase-with-gamescom-review-in-association-with-vrfocus-tickets-45551446603. Regular tickets are free, and demos and talks will begin at 7PM. Those who purchase a VIP ticket however will be able to gain access to the demos an hour earlier. Please see the Eventbrite listing for further details.

VRFocus will, of course, be keeping you fully up to date on all the VR and AR news over the Gamescom period. We also announced another event yesterday, the third VR Diversity Initiative (VRDI) meetup which is taking place at the end of this month. You can find out more details about that, here.

E3 2018: All the VR Games of Day Two

The second day of 2018’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Los Angeles, has come to a close. VRFocus has scoured the show floor looking for the latest and greatest in both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and in the recap video presented here you can find all the hits-and-misses from the show.

ARia's Legacy

Following yesterday’s bombardment from Bethesda Softworks, Ready at Dawn, Twisted Pixel, Squanch Games and more, this second day began in earnest with a deep look at Thrustmaster’s new hardware offerings; the new TPR Rudder and a HOTAS Flight Stick add-on, the Replica F/A 18 Hornet. This was followed by a look at the one and only AR experience seen so far at E3, The Pixel Crushers’ ARia’s Legacy, both located in the Los Angeles Convention Center South Hall.

The new hardware continues with Cybershoes, CaptoGlove and Woojer Ryg, in addition to a fresh look at HTC Vive’s wireless adapter, created in partnership with Display Link and Intel. Back on the videogames side, we have Rebellion and Dream Reality Interactive’s Arca’s Path VR, Multiverse Inc.’s Seeking Dawn, and finally First Contact Entertainment’s Firewall: Zero Hour.

All of these you can find in the video below, while tomorrow brings us to the final day of E3 2018. There’ll be more from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), as well as a first look at XSEED’s Gungrave VR and a fresh update from Kite & Lightning on the team’s progress of Bebylon: Battle Royale.

Gungrave VR screenshot

What else is happening at E3 2018? In terms of AR and VR, not much. It’s a slow year for the emerging medium – and for videogames as a whole, considered to be a mid-cycle year for consoles which are not offering anything particularly new – with eyes on the recently launched Oculus Go as a head-mounted display (HMD) geared more towards the mass market than the core videogames audience and still some way from the upcoming launch of the Santa Cruz HMD. As ever though, VRFocus will be on the ground bringing you all the latest news as it happens.

‘Battlezone VR’ Studio Announces VR Puzzle Game ‘Arca’s Path’, Teaser Trailer Here

Arca’s Path VR is an upcoming puzzle adventure from Dream Reality Interactive and Rebellion, the studio behind Battlezone VR (2016).

The upcoming game, which is developed by Dream Reality and published by Rebellion, is targeting PSVR, Steam VR, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go and Gear VR, with launch slated for later this year.

Rebellion says in a recent blogpost that no controller is needed to play, as the game relies solely on the VR headset for input.

The studios haven’t released much more information around Arca’s Path, only saying it has puzzle elements, and requires “a little bit of skill but not too much, and that it’s incredibly easy to pick up and play.”

Dream Reality Interactive’s core team previously worked at Sony’s London Studio, with titles such as PlayStation VR Worlds and AR games for Wonderbook.

The post ‘Battlezone VR’ Studio Announces VR Puzzle Game ‘Arca’s Path’, Teaser Trailer Here appeared first on Road to VR.