Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017 So Far

July 12, 2017

The Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017 So Far – Battlezone & Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality

Now it’s time for the final two videogames every Oculus Rift owner should have. If you owned the headset at the time that they launched then you probably already enjoy shooting futuristic tanks, or creating weird concoctions in a garage laboratory. For those new to the head-mounted display (HMD) then you need to get yourselves Battlezone and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality.

Battlezone

Battlezone is the first virtual reality (VR) title from British developer Rebellion. Originally arriving for Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) PlayStation VR when it launched in October last year, the studio finally brought the tank-based shooter to Oculus Rift (and HTC Vive) in May.

It’s an homage to the original 1980 title by Atari – Rebellion bought the rights – which some class as the first VR title (due to players having to put their face into a scope on the arcade cabinet). Featuring both single-player and multiplayer co-op modes, Battlezone has procedurally generated levels so each play through is different, with maps offering small, medium and large options. There’s also several tanks to chose from with more to be unlocked as players progress. Additionally, there’s a wealth of customisation options available, from decking out the tank in new designs to various weapon loadouts and upgrades for the best destructive capabilities.

To say VRFocus enjoyed Battlezone is an understatement. The review gave it five stars and said: “Battlezone is arcade VR action at its finest, with options galore allowing players to uniquely hone their combat strategies. With both extensive single-player and multiplayer modes there’s enough here for countless hours of gameplay, so you can comfortably sit cocooned inside these rolling machines of destruction and never get bored, because quite frankly, it’s too much fun.”

Battlezone image

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality

For VRFocus’ final videogame it has to be the one and only Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality. From the makers of Job Simulator, Owlchemy Labs, this title is the perfect experience for just having a casual play, with loads of stuff to interact with depending on if you’re feeling creative or destructive.

Based on the hit cartoon show – as if you didn’t know – Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is about helping the duo complete their wacky adventures. Whilst there’s a story to play through, teaching you about some of the weird and wonderful things you can do, you can just experiment to your hearts content, listening to Rick’s one liners.

While you don’t have to be a fan of the cartoon to enjoy the videogame – like Star Trek: Bridge Crew – there are so many little in jokes and references to the TV show that it’s easy to tell this was made for the fans.

It’s all about picking things up and seeing what does what. Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is unique on this list for its lighthearted, hands-on approach to gameplay. Yes Wilson’s Heart allows you pick things up, but it’s far more controlled than Owlchemy Labs’ offering. It’s also one of those perfect videogames for VR newcomers, they can go at their own pace and see why people harp on about VR being so interactive.

If you like a few crude jokes and something that’ll make you smile, then Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality should be on your radar.

Rick and Morty screenshot

July 12, 2017

The Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017 So Far – Star Trek: Bridge Crew & Wilson’s Heart

Continuing VRFocus’ look at the best virtual reality (VR) videogames to have been released over the course of 2017, it’s time to move away from first-person shooters (FPS) and delve into two different worlds, one a sci-fi legend, with a legion of fans around the world who want to ‘boldly go’ on a space adventure, of course it’s Star Trek: Bridge Crew. And the other, a dark psychological horror built in-house at Oculus Studios, Wilson’s Heart.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

For most readers this videogame should need no introduction. The latest release from Ubisoft – created by the publisher’s studio Red Storm Entertainment – Star Trek: Bridge Crew was officially unveiled at the 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) with some of the actors from the films and TV series donning Oculus Rift’s to board a virtual starship called the USS Aegis.

Launched in May, Star Trek: Bridge Crew features both single-player and multiplayer options – although VRFocus did state in its review that the videogame was all about the multiplayer. You get to play in one of four roles, Captain, Helm, Tactical or Engineering, each with its own particular job to do. Once chosen, you and your teammates then head out into space to complete a variety of missions.

While most other multiplayers put you in combat with everyone – or at the very least teams – Star Trek: Bridge Crew really ties four players together in a way other VR experiences don’t. It’s vital that players communicate and work as one to succeed as certain ship functions have to be activated by more than one person.

Fans of Star Trek will love the title, but even those who aren’t will certainly find a unique gameplay experience within.

Star Trek Bridge Crew bridge

Wilson’s Heart

No best of VR would be complete without some sort of horror title in the mix. VR’s unique immersive qualities suit the genre down to the ground, expertly delivering a palpable sense of fear. And so VRFocus would like to introduce Wilson’s Heart, a story driven descent into a psychological thriller by Oculus Studios.

Arriving in April, Wilson’s Heart tells the story of Robert Wilson, a 1940’s hospital patient who makes a grim discovery upon waking up. His heart has been replaced by a mysterious device. Playing as Wilson, you then have to wander the hospital discovering increasingly maddening corridors, environmental hazards, and sinister inhabitants whilst trying to recover Wilson’s heart and the reasons for this craziness.

With film noir feel to proceedings, Wilson’s Heart is completely in black and white, making it seem that much darker and foreboding. It’s one of those videogames that some players might not be to keen on trying but VRFocus would still recommend you do.

Being such a story driven experience, you’re not given free reign to just wander where you please. You can only teleport to certain locations – in front of a door, next to a desk, for example – in a effort to move you through the story. When VRFocus reviewed the title we said: “Wilson’s Heart is good, even very good at points. Expertly mixing its story, sound and visual aesthetics into a solid experience that’ll draw you in and keep you engrossed for hours.”

Wilson's Heart

Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017 So Far

July 12, 2017

The Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017 So Far – Robo Recall

For VRFocus’ first videogame lets head back to the start of the year, to a title that quite frankly should be part of every Oculus Rift users library, and that’s the fantastic Robo Recall from Epic Games. For the majority of the time Epic Games grace the pages of VRFocus because of the company’s middleware development software, Unreal Engine, which is used by virtual reality (VR) developers around the world. While Epic Games has made plenty of standard PC titles, it had never released a fully fledged VR experience until Robo Recall came along.

Naturally before Robo Recall was launched Epic Games had tried out a multitude of different ideas, with a public tech demo coming in the form of Bullet Train. This laid the groundwork for what would become Robo Recall, a frantic first-person shooter (FPS) that encourages players to mix and match between ranged and melee combat.

Robo_Recall_OC3_A4_screenshot_02 (1)

There are a few simple reasons why Robo Recall should be downloaded as soon as you have an Oculus Rift. The first is easy, it’s a AAA quality title that’s free. Yeah, it’s free, you pay nothing for Epic Games’ first VR experience – which is exclusive to Oculus Rift. Then there’s the fact that it was well received by the industry and press. VRFocus reviewed it for launch day back in March, giving it a full five stars, saying: “Robo Recall elicits such a high standard that future FPS titles will be measured by it, and should be considered a killer app for Oculus Touch.”

Set in a world where robots are part of everyday life, something goes wrong and they all start going on a destructive rampage. So its down to you to bring order to this chaos by unleashing some violent payback of your own. Specifically designed for the Oculus Touch, players can dual wield pistols, shotguns, revolvers, or just as easily get up close to rip a robots arm off and batter it into submission.

There are three main areas to play through, each divided into further subsections. The aim of the game is to score as many points as possible with the enemies or time available to you. So while you can just shoot them in the face and move on, that won’t really up the multiplier that much. So instead you have to get creative for those highscores. Mix and match between weapons, juggle enemies in the air with well timed shots, take out one robot with another’s head and so on.

Teleportation is the movement of choice in Robo Recall. While certainly not the favourite choice for experienced VR players, it means that anyone can dive right in without having to worry about any VR nausea. When the title first arrived it only supported Oculus Touch’s two sensor setup that comes supplied in the box. That was updated at the end of March so that players who’ve bought a third sensor could enjoy full 360-degree tracking.

And lets not forget about community mod support. The studio actively encourages modders to play and tinker with the videogame, creating new options to further enhance Robo Recall. Epic Games has released several mods with community ones including a Star Wars theme.

Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017 So Far

July 12, 2017

The Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017 So Far

It’s already halfway through 2017 and what a year it’s been for Oculus Rift. There’s been highs and lows for the company and Facebook, restructuring, people leaving, lawsuits and so much more. But where you, the customer, are concerned it’s all about playing great videogames on the first high-end head-mounted display (HMD) to come to market. Last year saw some amazing experiences launch, whether you’re into titles that offer multiplayer, puzzles, strategy, scares, engaging story lines or anything else, there’s been something for everyone. So looking at what’s been released over the course of 2017, VRFocus has decided to compile a roundup of the five best videogames that have made their way to the headset.

Recently virtual reality (VR) fans who already own an Oculus Rift have been able to stock up on discounted videogames with both the Oculus Store and Steam having run their usual summer sales, offering some hefty discounts on a wide selection of titles. If you didn’t take advantage this time there’s always the winter sales to grab a few choice bargains.

Oculus Touch

But you maybe new to the VR world. Oculus is in the process of running a massive hardware discount which started this week. When the headset originally launched it was $599 USD. Then in December 2016 Oculus Touch arrived for $200, making it the same price as HTC Vive. Then in March Oculus slashed the price to $598 for the headset and wireless motion controllers. This week’s unprecedented offer saw the company drop that price down to $399 for a limited time.

This now makes the Oculus Touch with Rift the cheapest headset out of HTC Vive and Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) PlayStation VR (previously the cheapest), making it a far more attractive proposition for consumers waiting for a decent deal. With that in mind there’s more than likely going to be an influx of new Oculus Rift owners who’ll be keen to know what videogames they should be looking at purchasing.

That’s where VRFocus has got you covered, picking the best of the latest titles to come to the headset over the last few months. If you’re new to the platform there are many great experiences to also play from 2016, but for now lets concentrate on 2017. These sort of lists will always be divisive, players will of course have their favourites which they spend many an hour in, but not everything can be included.

So this roundup not only covers the best titles available for Oculus Rift, but also a wide selection of the genres and gameplay options available to owners no matter what takes their fancy. As always VRFocus encourages you add your own personal favourites in the comments below if it’s not listed here.