This year’s summer sale on PlayStation Store may have come to an end, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still bargains to be had. This week’s round-up of discounted titles looks specifically at PlayStation VR, and we have two AAA titles available at a reduced price for a limited time.
DiRT Rally
The DiRT Rally + PlayStation VR Bundle includes the full DiRT Rally videogame, the DiRT RallyPlayStation VR downloadable content (DLC) add-on and the three Fully Loaded DLC packs: the Ford Pack, the MINI Pack and the Rallycross Pack. Currently reduced by a whopping 72%, down from £57.99 GBP to just £15.99, this discount will be available until 6th September 2017.
The Assembly
A first-person puzzle adventure, The Assembly is a videogame designed specifically for virtual reality (VR) but can also be played without the PlayStation VR head-mounted display (HMD). The Assembly is available at a 50% discount, now priced at £9.99, until 6th September 2017.
In The Assembly, the player takes on the role of two different characters as they operate within a morally challenging organisation. VRFocus delivered a review of The Assembly upon its Oculus Rift debut, stating: “There are a lot of design decisions that have been made purely to cultivate the immersive nature of VR and are hugely successful in that regard, while significantly less successful when played on a traditional monitor; a trait that will offer other developers lessons on how to capitalise on the strengths of VR.”
That wraps up this week’s look at the latest VR discounts. VRFocus will be back next weekend with the latest series of software bargains available for various VR HMDs.
So, you’ve either got your hands on an Oculus Rift or an Oculus Quest with the help of Link, and now you want to know what to download first (besides the free stuff). Here’s our breakdown of the top 10 Rift platform games that you should definitely play. Like right now.
Before we start, don’t forget that your Rift (and Quest with Link) also works with compatible games purchased through Steam. Thanks to Valve’s open SteamVR platform and OpenVR APIs, Steam supports HTC Vive, Windows VR, Valve Index, and Oculus Rift equally, so you can shop around for even more titles that aren’t published on the Oculus Store provided the developer enabled support.
HTC Vive owners can play all of these too with the help of Revive, a software hack that hooks Vive into Oculus Store exclusives. Without further ado, these are our top 10 Rift games in no particular order.
The 10 Best Oculus Rift Games
Stormland
From Insomniac Games comes the open-world adventure Stormland, a real study in good shooting mechanics, excellent locomotion schemes, and not to mention a two-player co-op mode so you and a Rift/Quest-owning buddy can battle all the evil robots the cloud-filled world has to offer. Half of the fun is picking your combat tactics; are you a silent killer, ripping out an unsuspecting enemy’s heath pack and skitter away to safety, or are you the ‘jump from a 200-foot tower like Deadpool’ kind of person with reckless abandon? It’s up to you!
Check out why we gave Stormlanda [9/10] in our review.
Asgard’s Wrath
I don’t know about you, but being a Viking god was always on my list of things to do before leaving this world for Valhalla. It just so happens that Sanzaru Games has produced one of the best VR games to date, as this melee combat adventure has so much story, combat, dungeon crawling, and looting that you’ll easily invest 20 hours on the low side, but come back for at least 40 to get everything out of what has turned out to be one of the funnest and most well-realized VR titles to date
Here we have two halves of the same zero-G coin: first-person action-adventure game Lone Echo (2017) and it’s multiplayer counterpart Echo Arena (2017). As impressive feats of engineering in their own rights, both games feature an undoubtedly comfortable zero-G locomotion system that lets you fly through the air without the slightest hint of motion sickness.
Lone Echo is the sort of cinematic sci-fi narrative that engages the player with its excellent voice acting, impressive visuals, and a deep and memorable story. Combined with its innovative locomotion system, it’s truly a gem of a game worth playing—if only to say you’ve been to the edge of the Universe and back. Check out why we gave Lone Echoa solid [9/10] in our review.
Where Lone Echo isplodding and tactful in its storytelling, Echo VR amps up the speed, throwing you in an online team sport that’s a fun mix of soccer and ultimate Frisbee… in space. The best part? It’s free to own permanently. Echo Combat, the first-person shooter expansion to Echo VR, isn’t here yet, but it’s also shown that the high-flying, zero-G locomotion mechanic is definitely suited to other game genres.
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars Series
This three-part Star Wars cinematic experience arrives from ILMxLabs, Lucas Films’ skunkworks which is known for having churned out some of the highest-quality immersive content to date.
Vader Immortal is more of a VR ‘experience’ than it is a outright game, presenting the user with a 45-minute adventure for each episode, however each comes with its own game area that lets you practice all of your Jedi skills in what’s called the ‘Lightsaber Dojo’. In other, less capable hands, this would be a hokey add-on, but here it actually works and makes sense. All in all, it definitely deserves to be on the list however you slice it.
Beat Saber
Created by Prague-based indie team Beat Studio, Beat Saber(2018) is a funky and incredibly stylish rhythm game that will have you slicing blocks to the beat of high-BPM dance music. While the idea is simple, the execution is magnificent. Beat Saber gives you a mess of songs to play, each with four difficulty levels to master, the highest being expert which will have you feeling like a 21st century techno-Jedi.
If you haven’t played the PC or console version of SUPERHOT (2016) before, get ready for a new take on the FPS genre with its strategy-based shooting missions. Designed from the ground-up for VR headsets, SUPERHOT VR (2016) is an entirely separate game in the same vein as its flatscreen counterpart. The iconic red baddies (and their bullets) move only when you do, so you can line up your shot, punch a guy in the face, dodge a bullet, and toss a bottle across the room, shattering their red-glass heads in what feels intensely immersive and satisfying—because you’re doing it all with your own two hands. That and you’ll feel like a badass no matter whose basement you live in.
People used to think that fast-paced, high-action games would be too disorienting for new virtual reality users, but in Epic Games’ Robo Recall (2017), you can teleport around at full speed as you blast away at the game’s evil (and hilarious) robot army. If being able to tear your enemies literally limb from limb and beat a robot over the head with their own dismembered arm isn’t astounding enough, the level of detail and polish put into this game will make you reassess what’s possible in VR.
Find out why we gave Robo Recall [8.5/10] in our review.
Trover Saves the Universe
From the co-creator of Rick and Morty comes the 3D platformer Trover Saves the Universe. Your dogs have been dognapped by a beaked lunatic who stuffed them into his eye holes and is using their life essence to destroy the universe. You’re partnered with Trover, a little purple eye-hole monster who isn’t a huge fan of working or being put in the position of having to save the universe.
We haven’t had a chance to review Trover Saves the Universe, although it’s currently sitting at a very respectable [4.76/5] on the Oculus Store.
I Expect You to Die
Schell Games has only just pushed out the last DLC installment of the hit spy-themed puzzler I Expect You to Die (2016). It’s on basically every platform now, and for good reason: it’s incredibly clever, well-built, and easy enough to pick up while being hard enough not to want to put down.
I Expect You to Die is currently sitting at a good [4.66/5] on the Oculus Store.
Moss
Once a PSVR exclusive, Moss (2017) has now made its way to PC VR headsets, letting you control your cute little mouse buddy, Quill, on your adventures through a large and dangerous world. Stylistically, Moss hits a home run with its impressive diorama-style visuals and interactive elements that lets you, the player (aka ‘The Reader’) move puzzle pieces around and also take over the minds of enemies as Quill slashes through the world to recover her lost uncle. Puzzles may not be the most difficult, but Moss has effectively set up a universe begging for more sequels to further flesh out the enticing world Polyarc Games has created.
See why we gave it a [7.9/10] in our review on PSVR.
Honorable Mentions
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR: While not an Oculus Store game, Bethesda’s Steam version of Skyrim VR fully supports Oculus Rift, letting you engage in multiple tens of hours of exploring the beautifully realized open world environment. What else is there to say? It’s Skyrim in VR.
No Man’s Sky: Unlike Skyrim VR, this is a free update to the game, which you can grab on Steam. It’s a bit flawed, but it’s an infinite galaxy of opportunities, so it always has that going for it.
Job Simulator: Tongue in cheek madness as you enter a far off future where robots rule the world, and consequently also have no idea how the past actually was. Smash stuff. Silly Robots. Hilarity ensues.
Vacation Simulator: Owlchemy Labs’s followup to Job Simulator. More story, a more open environment to traverse (albeit node teleportation) and a ton of vacation-style activities to explore and play. Arguably better than the first.
Arizona Sunshine: Offering you a chance to explore, collect real-world guns and indiscriminately shoot them at every moving thing (in this case zombies), Arizona Sunshine fills a very special place in many people’s hearts. The story mode does offer some thrills, but isn’t really groundbreaking as such.
Onward – A fan favorite with a hardcore playerbase, the OD green of mil-sim shooters Onward gives you that VR battle you’ve always wanted, including tactical team-based gameplay and plenty of guns.
The Mage’s Tale: Touch – Crafting elemental magic, exploring foreboding dungeons, battling giants and stealing their treasure. There’s all of this and more in The Mage’s Tale. Althoughstory-wise the game comes too close to campy and played out for its own good, it’s still a solid investment for the enterprising young wizard among you.
DiRT Rally: Gamepad/steering wheel – Driving through the forest with a beer in your hand isn’t ok…in reality. But in DiRT Rally you’ll need all the soothing ethanol you can get as you stomach the twists and turns of an exciting car simulator, that while rated ‘intense’ on the Oculus Store, is ultimately a fun and exciting way to burn some time perfecting your Initial D drifting skills. Ok. Better leave out the alcohol anyway.
Edge of Nowhere (2016) Gamepad – A third-person VR survival horror game created by Insomniac Games that strands you in the icy wasteland of Antarctica, Edge of Nowhere leaves you with only a pick-axe, a shotgun, and some rocks to defend yourself against a bloodthirsty ancient species that lurk inside the snowy caverns.
Chronos (2016): Gamepad – A third-person adventure by Gunfire Games, Chronos will have you slashing at enemies with the long-trained penchant for beat-em-ups will get you exactly nowhere in this Zelda-inspired, Dark Souls-ish-level of difficulty game where dying in the game physically ages your character.
If the list doesn’t have the game you’ve been eyeing for months, definitely check out our reviews for some more gaming greats on Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PSVR.
Update (November 19th, 2019): We’ve done a long-due overhaul of the list, expanding it from five to 10 games. We’ve also done away with the ranking system. If you’re looking for a more quantified list by user review rankings, check out The Top 20 Best & Most Rated Rift Games & Apps.
With Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) now sorting out the supply issues that dogged the launch of PlayStation VR, more PlayStation 4 owners are now getting the hands on the headset. This month also saw a major videogame release in the form of Farpoint, which raced into second spot in the UK charts. But there are further deals to be had for those wanting to expand their collection with several discounts now available on the PlayStation Store.
Mainly for the UK market – with a couple of US discounts for good measure – there a five new titles on sale until June. If you’re quick there are also four available which end tonight at midnight GMT.
YouTube user machkun1 has shared footage of an amazing gaming setup that combines an Oculus Rift headset, a motion simulator, and several driving peripherals for the ultimate VR racing experience.
What do you do when you want to push VR racing simulation to the limit of immersion? This.
Played with just a headset and a controller, Dirt Rally in VR is a pretty awesome experience. But if you veer off of down the path of Sim Racing at the corner where it intersects with VR, you’ll end up being able to push the envelope significantly further with the help of some accessories. And while a racing wheel is a great starting point for immersion, if money is no object, there’s plenty to spend it on.
YouTube user machkun1 posted a video this week (heading this article) showing what it looks like to race Dirt Rally VR with a top notch system consisting of the following:
You can find the same user with a similar rig playing Eve: Valkyrie (2016). In this video you can hear how load the motion simulator actually is, in which case we’d definitely recommend the use of the noise-blocking Oculus Rift earphones.
Let’s be clear about this: Dirt Rally on PlayStation VR (PSVR) is brilliant. It’s pretty much identical to the Oculus Rift version of the game; a rock solid racer that roots you in the experience, piling on the life-risking rush of putting your foot down and sliding a car through a muddy Welsh forest as if you were intent on smashing into something. It’s one of the few VR experiences that can completely immerse you and makes you forget you’re sitting in your living room.
Its cooperative multiplayer mode, however, is a little different.
This mode is exclusive to PSVR, and makes use of the social screen functionality. In concept, it’s actually rather brilliant; a friend takes on the role of the co-driver and alerts you to incoming turns, bumps and obstructions. Rather than simply reading out commands to the VR user, however, or learning tracks and actually issuing commands as they would in real life, the second player simply hits button prompts in time as they scroll down the screen. It’s a little like Guitar Hero.
Yes, Guitar Hero, that game about being a rock legend on stage, not guiding your friend through a perilous track of death as he catapults you towards the finish line.
In fairness, I can understand what developer Codemasters was going for here. Pressing buttons on time amidst the roar of your car’s engine as the screen travels at 100 mph puts a heavy amount of stress on you, which I can only imagine anyone insane enough to jump into a rally car would experience too. You have to press face buttons, swipe on the DualShock 4’s touchpad, shake the controller and waggle the sticks at different times (I may have had some PTSD-infused Wii flashbacks occasionally). If you miss an input, the player simply won’t get the command and, depending on how much they’re relying on those guidelines, it can disrupt the race.
I can also appreciate that the team has tried to come up with a system that keeps the VR user fully immersed in their surroundings, rather than having their friends voice pulling them out every few seconds. Dirt Rally is at its best with a VR headset on and a pair of headphones over your ears to completely cut you off from the outside world.
At the same time, however, I just can’t help feeling like there’s a better solution than the one here. This feels like a music rhythm game has been awkwardly jammed into an experience where the only rhythm you’ll find is the dip between switching gears and breaking for corners. While you might be helping the player in VR to some degree, your own actions don’t feel related to the Dirt franchise at all.
I wish Codemasters had at least included the option for a second player to actually call out commands rather than pressing these inputs. As non-immersive as it may have been, I suspect it still would have felt closer to the real thing. This could have been the VR racing alternative to Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes but, instead, it’s likely to go unused. I know I’d rather just sit and watch someone play, calling out stuff verbally on my own.
Still, don’t let my words sway you from picking up Dirt Rally on PSVR. I promise you the main game alone is worth the price of entry for anyone with even a passing interest in VR racing games — there’s a reason we awarded it the best VR racing game of 2016. Just don’t expect to be playing it with anyone other than your old Rock Band mates.
Having launched initially with VR on the Oculus Rift in 2016, new DiRT Rally DLC adds PSVR support to the acclaimed racing game. The $13 DLC also brings a new ‘Co-Driver Mode’ that lets one player act as the navigator. A $43 Dirt Rally bundle for PS4 includes the base game, three mini DLC packs and the PSVR add-on together, making it a significant value over the $60 Oculus and Steam versions of the game.
PSVR support for Dirt Rally is finally here. Considered one of the best VR racing sims thus far, PlayStation VR nabs a solid new piece of content which comes with a unique Co-driver Mode that’s not available elsewhere. In the new mode, two players work together with one player wearing the headset for immersive driving and the other player using the TV to call out pace notes—vital information about the track ahead which lets the driver go as fast as possible while maintaining control. The Dirt Rally PSVR upgrade is $13 in the PlayStation Store.
If you don’t already own Dirt Rally but want to buy it for the new PSVR support, you’ll want to nab the Dirt Rally PlayStation VR Bundle. Priced at $43, this includes the full Dirt Rally game, three ‘Fully Loaded’ mini DLC packs, and the PSVR upgrade, all in one package. The bundle deal expires on February 28th.
With Dirt Rally on Oculus Home and Steam both priced at $60 (and missing the Co-driver Mode), the PSVR version presently offers the best value you’ll find if you’re looking to play the game in VR.
While Dirt Rally is available on Steam, it presently only supports the Rift. There’s no word yet on whether or not Vive support will follow the new PSVR support, but our fingers are definitely crossed.
PlayStation VR fans rejoice! After a few weeks of waiting this week finally has some big new releases for you to get sucked into. We’ve got one of gaming’s biggest racing franchises sliding into the headset, as well as more terror from the world of Resident Evil, and a game to get fit with. That’s more like it.
If you missed last week, you can see those new releases here. Also, UploadVR has launched the ‘UploadVR PS VR Community’ on PlayStation 4! Join up, find other gamers to play with, and engage in discussions with them.
Also, don’t forget to check out our list of the 9 Best PlayStation VR Games if you need any extra inspiration.
VirZOOM Arcade, from VirZOOM
Price: Free, but it requires the VirZOOM Bike (~$400) – Game now available in EU
VirZOOM Arcade isn’t quite like anything else you’ve seen on PlayStation VR. It’s really a set of minigames meant to be played with the company’s own fitness bike, which connects to your PS4 to use as a controller. The idea is to get you going on virtual bike rides and playing fun games to keep you fit. It’s a great idea, you just need the bike first.
Recommendation: It may be free to download but you’ll need to pay for the bike. If that seems worth it to you to exercise in a fun way, then go ahead.
For those that haven’t had enough heart attacks after playing through Resident Evil 7 [Review: 9/10] and its first piece of DLC, the second installment releases this week. In terms of PSVR support, you’ll find another two tapes here that continue to provide jump scares and action. You can pick both this and the first episode up as part of a season pass, too, with more on the way soon.
Recommendation: It’s a bit of a mixed bag but if you’re gagging for more VR horrors then scoop it up.
Dirt Rally PSVR Edition DLC, from Codemasters
Price: $12.99 (Requires Base Game)
This is the big one for this week. Earlier in the year Codemasters confirmed that its excellent rally driving game would be getting full PSVR support via a piece of premium DLC, and would all be re-releasing as a PSVR-enabled version. It’s similar to the Oculus Rift support, only comes with an extra co-op mode where friends can use the standard screen to read out directions to the VR user as they drive.
Recommendation: Dirt isn’t the most accessible racer out there, but it’s definitely worth getting to grips with it if you’re looking for a meaty VR game to play right now.
Proton Pulse Plus, from ZEROTRANSFORM
Price: $9.99 (now available in EU)
Described as a love-letter to the 90s, Proton Pulse Plus finally finds its way over to the PlayStation VR in the EU. If you’re a fan of arcade-style games like Breakout and Pong, or found Dangerball on PlayStation VR Worlds particularly satisfying, then this might be right up your alley.
Recommendation: It’s not an entirely fresh concept, but it’s well-made and polished. Good price, too.
Joshua Bell VR Experience, from Sony Interactive Entertainment
Price: Free
In partnership with Grammy award-winning violinist and Sony artist, JoshuaBell, we’ve brought to life a live studio performance in full VR. Complete with adaptive audio and positional tracking, a viewer can now move around the space and immerse themselves in the performance from every direction.
Recommendation: It’s free and it’s a must-download for fans of this style of music.
Last month UK developer Codemasters announced it would be implementing virtual reality (VR) support for its racing title DiRT Rally for PlayStation VR. At the time it didn’t give a specific date on when that would happen, today it’s now arrived.
The studio has ensured PlayStation VR owners get the same experience as the PlayStation 4 version, with every game mode available including rallycross and hill climb. As previously reported, a new Co-driver Mode as also been added so that rally stages can be played with a friend. Using the social screen option for PlayStation VR means the second player can use a DualShock 4 controller to give pace notes directions to the driver.
There are two different options for those that have either bought DiRT Rally or haven’t. A DLC upgrade is available for existing players at £9.99 GBP on the PlayStation Store or as a new ‘DiRT Rally PLUS VR Upgrade’ retail version through Argos or online.
Checkout the new trailer below and for any further updates on DiRT Rally VR, keep reading VRFocus.
Last year Codemasters, a British developer synonymous with racing franchises such as DiRT, Micro Machines, Grid and F1, launched its first foray into virtual reality (VR) with DiRT Rally for Oculus Rift. Then last month it confirmed support for Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) PlayStation VR. Even with this support during a recent interview it would seem as if the studio still has concerns about VR, and its future mainstream appeal.
Talking to GamesIndustry.biz, Codemasters chief game designer Paul Coleman said: “I don’t think suddenly everyone will be playing VR games in the next five years. Those that really love VR will really embrace it and those that struggle with it will never consider spending the amount of money that the hardware costs. It’s not a niche, but there’s definitely work that needs to be done with it as a platform. I think PlayStation VR does a good job of making it more affordable and achievable, but there are still things in the hardware that needs addressing.”
Codemasters most recent unveiling has been Dirt 4 but that’s not going to get the VR treatment judging by Coleman’s comments. Dirt Rally initially launched via Steam Early Access rather than going for a big marketing campaign, for the next release the studio wants much bigger returns: “I don’t want to be somebody that has a cult following but doesn’t sell any units. We have to push the big numbers and that is what this is all about, which is why we’re talking about the game with a more traditional campaign,” he said at the press launch.
The VR version of DiRT Rally showcased how well the franchise works on head-mounted displays (HMDs) with VRFocusgiving it our highest 5 stars saying: “DiRT Rally VR is a sign of very good things still to come.”
If Codemasters do continue supporting VR, VRFocus will keep you updated with the latest announcements.
The Assembly
