Gadgeteer will receive a big new helping of content on June 11, called the ‘Color and Cubes’ update.
The update adds a coloring feature to the game, so players can make more complex and decorated virtual Rude Goldberg machines that fit to their desired aesthetic.
With colors and cubes, developers have added new gadgets — the ‘Start Cube’ and ‘End Cube’ — and a new ‘Color Toolhead’ to the game, which lets you color your machines in over 60 different colors. Metanaut CEO and Co-Founder Peter Kao said that the feature was developed despite the fact that nobody has actually asked for it. “We trusted our gut and made the risky decision to develop a feature nobody asked for,” he said. “We saw passionate players build these incredible machines—but no matter how different they were mechanically, they all looked the same.”
As an excellent example of what’s possible with the tool, Metanaut posted a new trailer, embedded above, showing a marble race that wouldn’t have been possible without the new additions.
This updates leads into an even larger planned update that will add that ability to share level creations online, allowing users to download and try out other users’ virtual Rude Goldberg machines. The color and cubes update lays the foundation for the next update, ensuring players will be able to design a machine in whatever color scheme and ensuring there are visual differences between each machine.
The colors and cubes update will be available from June 11, and the level sharing update is scheduled for release in August.
Gadgeteer, which released last year for PC VR and Oculus Quest, aims to be VR’s ultimate Rube Goldberg machine. With some new updates and optimizations, the game should get a little bit smoother for users. But that’s not all — it looks like the developers want the game to conquer AR as well, with a Magic Leap release on the horizon.
Gadgeteer is a VR game that is infrequently discussed but incredibly cool in concept. Everyone, at some point in their childhood, probably set up a chain of dominoes to knock over or created elaborate mazes for marble balls to travel through. The problem is that in the real world, you’re limited by how many materials you have and your physical space constraints.
Gadgeteer eliminates these problems — the only limit to your creations is how much the game’s engine can handle. And with a new update, Gadgeteer has made big optimizations that should now allow for much bigger and bolder creations. It’s time to go wild!
In a Reddit post, the developers noted that new optimizations (some of which were made when porting the game over to the Quest) include reducing per-frame computation time, resulting in an 80% reduction in CPU load, and various other optimizations across the game, including GPU performance improvements. Across the board, this will allow players to “build bigger and more complex chain reaction machines” compared to earlier versions of the game.
There are some other non-optimization updates as well, including visual clarification changes on frozen blocks and some other quality of life changes. Additionally, all the different versions of Gadgeteer can now be managed by the development team in one unified Unity project, which will save the team lots of time while developing future updates.
However, perhaps the biggest announcement in the post was that the team is bringing an AR version of Gadgeteer to Magic Leap platforms. While the AR version of the game was only mentioned in passing in the Reddit post, there’s no doubt that Gadgeteer is a perfect fit for augmented reality.
Remember those domino chains or marble mazes from your childhood? Now imagine being able to create and place AR versions of those in a real environment, with far fewer limitations. It sounds like a fantastic idea, but we might be waiting a while — we’ve not got any details on release date for the Magic Leap version yet.
Sometimes, it’s difficult to put your finger on why and how virtual reality (VR) gaming differs to traditional gaming. Of course, there’s the obvious immersion point – in VR you’re actually in the game rather than viewing it – but what about gameplay mechanics? How do they really differ? The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR and Fallout 4 VR are amazingly immersive in VR but, outside of being able to move your weapons in independent directions, is the core gameplay any different from their flatscreen incarnations?
A growing trend in the VR scene has been the rise of titles that attempt to utilise realistic physics-driven interaction systems as core gameplay mechanics. This trend began with games like H3VR and Gorn and has gained momentum recently through titles such as Blade & Sorcery, Boneworks and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. These videogames are based around employing consistent, universal and realistic physics rules to every object in an experience so that when a player manipulates or uses that object it reacts realistically (or at least consistently) to both the player’s input and all other objects and masses in the VR space. It feels very much like the next step on the evolutionary path of VR gaming and one that truly differentiates it from traditional gaming.
Adding weight and mass to thin air!
What does this mean in practice? In the titles mentioned above, not only can almost every item in their worlds be picked up, moved, thrown and manipulated but there is also an attempt to give each item weight and mass. Quite a difficult thing to pull off convincingly when in the real world the player is just pushing air particles around! When I pick up a huge axe in a videogame like Blade & Sorcery there is a realistic approximation of its weight. I can’t just pick up this axe with one hand and waggle it around weightlessly. It has realistic physics and it will droop uselessly if I use it with one hand, greatly diminishing its damage potential if I try to hit an enemy (as would be the case in real life). Rather, I need to pick it up with two hands and mime slow swings like it has actual weight. This sounds unintuitive but it’s anything but. It’s actually a lot of fun and surprisingly effective at making you believe you’re swinging around a hulking great piece of metal. Furthermore, if I swing the axe at a wall it will bounce off it rather than just glide through. If I hit a pot it will smash. If I crunch it into a competitor gladiator’s arm it will (gruesomely) dismember them!
Realistic, advanced physics take VR immersion and gameplay to the next level
When we talk about realistic physics simulation this is what we mean. While it might not seem like the most obvious selling point for VR – “realistic physics” doesn’t exactly scream must play – the benefits are immense. Firstly, it adds hugely to the overall immersion. Visually placing you in an environment is one thing in VR, but when you’re placed in a space and then each object you touch, grab or swing reacts as you expect, and has its own physicality and weight, it’s amazing how your brain can be tricked into believing that what is in front of you is somehow real and actually there. I spent a ridiculous amount of time in the first few areas of Boneworks simply overturning tables, pushing over filing cabinets and picking up and throwing computer screens. It’s just so much fun to simply exist and mess around in a VR space when you can grab and manipulate all the in-game objects around you.
Secondly, and very much in line with the trend we’ve seen in VR gaming during 2019 and early 2020, there are endlessly entertaining ways to incorporate realistic and consistent physics into gameplay mechanics that facilitate player creativity and expression. The most obvious example is through weapons. When your weapons and your enemies have weight and presence it’s remarkable how many ways to tackle combat situations present themselves. Suddenly, every cool move you’ve seen in a sword and shield or gun-based action film is there for you to emulate. A quick search on YouTube for Sword & Sorcery’s best kills will throw up all manner of complicated and convoluted (and, it has to be said, cool) melee combat sequences which show a whole range of sword, axe, knife and pike sequences that are equal parts shocking and thrilling in their brutality and creativity. On the less gruesome side, if that machine gun now has weight and presence in-game (as in Boneworks), not only can you use it to shoot an enemy (as you would in any videogame), but it can become a multi-purpose tool; one you can use to push open doors or hook over a ledge to use as a climbing aid or as a bar on a zip line.
There’s an almost endless amount of ways you can manipulate these believable in-game props to come up with creative and original ways to defeat enemies, overcome puzzles or navigate parts of the environment. This level of interactivity is just not possible in traditional 2D videogames. They are bound by input methods on a gamepad or keyboard and there’s only a limited number of possible combinations. When motion controls are coupled with in-game objects and weapons that have physicality, the combinations of possible manipulations and consequences are nearly endless and don’t have to be pre-programmed.
Advanced physics are more than just realistic gore
So far I’ve focused on combat but physics-based gameplay lends itself equally well to a whole multitude of titles. Gadgeteer is a great example of how consistent and realistic physics can enhance a VR puzzle videogame. Each lego-like piece that you use to create reaction contraptions (think Rube Goldberg machines) revolves around realistic physics and how one piece interacts with another. The fact that in VR all of these pieces can be touched, pushed, lifted and manipulated like you would in real life lends Gadgeteer an incredible tactility while also allowing various tracks to be flexibly laid out in full 3D spaces. Being able to pick up and handle each intricate piece like you would in the real world, while also seeing them react to other objects as you expect and anticipate, based on your inherent understanding of how real-world physics work, makes the game incredibly easy to pick up and play and in no time at all you’re able to create elaborate chain reaction machines that will surprise you with their scope.
The challenges of implementing realistic physics
So why don’t all VR games incorporate advanced physics simulations and why haven’t they since VR first appeared? Well, for one thing, these physics are difficult and complicated to bake into a videogame. It takes developers many, many hours of development time to understand how to implement these physics and to work through all the various permutations of how each object in a game reacts to another.
The second consideration when implementing realistic physics is how far to take them. Just because a VR title has astonishingly realistic physics doesn’t necessarily make it a fun videogame. Arguably, Boneworks has the best recreation of realistic physics we’ve yet seen but there are moments when it can be annoying from a design perspective. There have been numerous times when I’m running through a level only to find that my character’s foot is stuck on a pavement curb and so I can’t move. Likewise, my gun has often smashed into a corner as I try to round it quickly or a limb gets stuck in a large grating. This also points to another issue with implementing realistic physics in VR: ’jank’. All VR physics titles that I’ve played so far have janky moments and you’ll often see an object react strangely or an enemy contorted into bizarre positions or tripping over the smallest item. Glitches and bugs are part and parcel for implementing these complex systems but it can still be immersion breaking to see some of the ridiculous scenarios thrown up.
Will Half-Life: Alyx find the perfect balance?
So, there are clearly some steps that need to be taken to find the right balance between implementing realistic physics-driven gameplay while keeping a videogame fun, accessible and polished. We’ve already seen this happen to some extent with The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners, which provided a slightly watered down physics simulation when compared to Boneworks or Blade & Sorcery, but still made sure that key object iteration and combat had that immersive physicality and weight. More excitingly though, Half-Life: Alyx, which is only weeks away from launch, seems to elegantly combine detailed, realistic object interaction and physics simulations with immense polish and accessibility. If it nails that balance we really could be on the cusp of a VR gaming revolution – one heavily based around realistic physics that will provide unheard of levels of player interaction and will be hard for a mainstream gaming audience to resist.
Oculus Quest has been the standout success of 2019, with consumers eager to buy the headset and developers equally eager to supply the standalone device with content. Not only does the device have its own dedicated store but thanks to Oculus Link all of Oculus Rift’s content is also available. For this roundup of the best Oculus Quest videogames, VRFocus is purely going to concentrate on those made for the headset, allowing you to enjoy untethered VR gaming freedom.
Oculus Quest may have only been available for seven months but it has already made an impact on the VR scene. The store may be highly curated but there are plenty of videogames worth your time across a range of genres and skill levels.
The Best Oculus Quest Games of 2019:
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series
You could almost say this is three videogames in one, but as each is roughly around 45 minutes long and you need to play all of them to unravel the full story. While Star Wars fans will certainly get the greatest joy out of playing Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Seriesthanks to its story being canon material, even those that aren’t bothered about the franchise should still have fun playing with lightsabers and using the force.
Beat Saber
While the popular rhythm-action title couldn’t be included in VRFocus’ PlayStation VR ‘Best of 2019’ list, Beat Saber can most certainly be included here, as it was a launch title for Oculus Quest. Leading its genre Beat Saber needs little introduction as its simple yet addictive gameplay cutting cubes with a sword has struck a chord with VR gamers across the world.
There’s a reasonable selection of included songs plus a load of DLC tracks available to expand the selection. Beat Saber is one of those titles which has become a de facto addition to most gamers libraries no matter the platform and the Oculus Quest version is no different.
Pistol Whip
Another rhythm-action videogame, this time from the studio behind The Gallery puzzle series, Cloudhead Games. Only released in November, Pistol Whiphas already garnered quite the reputation as a non-stop action shooter inspired by the likes of John Wick.
You can choose to shoot or melee enemies whilst dodging incoming bullets like a badass, all to a thumping soundtrack and some intense visuals. Modifiers help to change the gameplay, adding dual-wield weapons or removing the aim assist to increase the score multiplier. If Beat Saber isn’t quite your thing then Pistol Whip could well scratch that gaming itch, a first-person shooter (FPS) with flair.
The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets
A small side project by Apex Construct developer Fast Travel Games, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is a cute puzzler with light challenges designed for all ages.
It may have only got three-stars in VRFocus’review but that does mean to say its not worthy to be on this list. While The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is a little short, the design and ideas employed are definitely worth a look, each level a small diorama to be spun around, peered into and investigated. Charming and cute, The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets will put a smile on your face.
Gadgeteer
Another puzzle-based experience, Gadgeteer is a far more elaborate affair than others on this list. Gameplay mechanics revolve around Rube Goldberg machines, using a series of gadgets to build elaborate contraptions. Offering a single-player campaign to teach you the ropes, the sandbox mode is where most players will spend their time, offering free rein to create whatever machines you so please with the 50+ items available.
VRFocussaid in its review: “Gadgeteer isn’t going to be for everyone, much like being a watchmaker. It’s finicky, time-consuming and puzzling all at the same time. They’re also the reasons why Gadgeteer is a puzzle gem for Oculus Quest.”
Acron: Attack of the Squirrels
So far this list has purely been about single-player VR videogames so let’s change that with Acron: Attack of the Squirrels by Resolution Games. Multiplayer only, Acron: Attack of the Squirrelsis at its best with a few friends and family over, all playing locally.
The Oculus Quest player takes the role of a tree trying to protect several golden acorns while everyone else is a mischevious squirrel trying to steal them. The non-VR players join in via a free mobile app and up to eight can team up at once, offering some highly entertaining gameplay, with everyone laughing and shouting as they succeed and fail.
Shadow Point
More puzzling escapades, this time from Coatsink with Shadow Point. With a story narration by the legendary Sir Patrick Stewart, this British studio has previously released some excellent VR videogames and Shadow Point continues that trend.
Trying to unravel the mystery of a missing schoolgirl you head to Shadow Point observatory before being whisked to the heavens, tasked with solving evermore elaborate puzzles which play with light and shadows.
If you’ve tried The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets and want greater depth and difficulty then Shadow Point is a good step to take, providing a solid few hours of entertainment (depending on whether you get stuck of course).
Journey of the Gods
If you’re looking for a Legend of Zelda-like VR experience on Oculus Quest then Journey of the Gods is worth a look. With a bold cel-shaded style, there are big monsters to fight, people to save, weapons to upgrade and lands to explore. Everything that you could want or need in a VR adventure.
VRFocus noted in its review of Journey of the Gods: “Showcasing what’s best about VR adventuring, the title is ideal for those who want to make the most of their new headset purchase, with decent gameplay, narrative and fantasy feel.” Not one to be missed this festive season.
Thrill of the Fight
There are quite a few ways to burn calories in VR as this list very well proves and Thrill of the Fightoffers the most intensive workout here. Boxing fans will find a barebones experience with training and career modes available. There are no flashy gimmicks here, you need to block, watch your footwork and time those punches for maximum effect – no waving your arms wildly hoping for success.
Do a couple of fights back to back and you’ll soon start to notice if you don’t work out much. Thrill of the Fight is very much a videogame which relies on roomscale, as you’ll need a minimum of 2m x 2m to play. More is preferable, otherwise, during the heat of a match, you’re likely to hit a wall.
Originally a PC VR title released in 2016, Thrill of the Fight has translated well for those wishing for an energetic experience.
Synth Riders
Noticing a theme here? Yes, here’s another rhythm-action videogame for those that love to expel some energy. Synth Ridersdifferentiates itself from Beat Saber and Pistol Whip with Synth Wave tunes for that retro 80s feel.
This might be another arm swinger but its still great fun, and there are several modes and modifiers to change the gameplay mechanics. There’s a little more of a cheese factor with Synth Riders which is fine by VRFocusas the tunes just make you want to bop along.
Synth Riders might not be as well known as the other two but that’s no reason to dismiss it, plus its the cheapest of the three.
I’ve been a little lapse on my articles here on VRFocus of late (mostly due to the time involved in setting up my own business over the last few months) but I didn’t want to miss the chance to offer up my Top 10 VR Education Apps of 2019 (PS you can read my Top 10 of 2018 here).
I have only selected apps which released in 2019 and I have decided to exclude ports of older apps (e.g. Tilt Brush on Oculus Quest). As with last year’s list, I would like to highlight the fact that every app was personally selected by me and this list does not represent the views of VRFocus as a whole. 2019 saw some excellent releases in the world of VR Education so before we dive into the main list, let’s give a few honourable mentions:
Honourable Mentions
Jigspace VR – One of my favourite educational AR apps is now in beta on Oculus. One to watch!
Mondly VR – This excellent language-learning platform came to PCVR this year.
Adam Savage’s Tested VR – Based on the TV show. Could offer some inspiration for future designers
The Rome Reborn series – I do like these apps… they just always seem like they could have done more.
Newton’s House of Forces – A fun little physics playground from the team at Victory XR
Ok, so now on to the actual Top 10 for 2019. In no particular order:
Mona Lisa Beyond the Glass
HTC Vive has continued to show genuine dedication to both the arts and education in terms of their projects and this collaboration with The Louvre is a real benchmark experience. Originally launched in situ, the app subsequently launched for free via Steam and Viveport and is simply stellar. Ultimately every single art student in the world deserves the opportunity to try this wonderful experience that brings one of the world’s most famous works of art to life like never before.
Dissection Simulator Pig/Cat Editions
After the award-winning success of their frog dissection app, Victory XR returned with multiple new iterations in 2019, offering fresh dissection experiences (no pun intended) to students. Once again these are hosted by the brilliant Wendy Martin (a national award-winning science teacher) and offer students a mess-free way to hone their dissection skills and develop their understanding of anatomy. The original frog app was notably excellent and Victory have clearly built upon what they learnt from that experience to refine and augment their new offerings significantly.
My Africa: Elephant Keeper
My Africa: Elephant Keeper pairs the original (and wonderful) Conservation International 360° film with an immersive, interactive elephant veterinary simulation experience in this Viveport app. It’s a great idea – pairing the 360° media with a hands-on companion piece and I’d like to see this approach used more by educational VR content developers. Even better still is the fact that every purchase of My Africa: Elephant Keeper helps support Conservation International’s work protecting elephants and other wildlife around the world.
Trash Rage
This little gem from Giant LaZer gamifies learning about recycling in a really fantastic way. Set in the near future, Trash Rage explores the impact of humans on the planet as you sort and recycle various types of garbage. Easy to pick up and hugely fun to play, this could really help students get a better understanding of the varying types of recyclables as well as the importance of recycling as a whole.
Gadgeteer
Gadgeteer is a physics-based puzzle app that definitely harkens back to the classic Rube Goldberg machines. Essentially you can build all kinds of crazy machines and contraptions using a huge range of parts and tools. The sandbox mode is where it’s really at for the classroom as it means students can have the freedom to really experiment and explore ideas. It’s a great example of something that would take a lot of time and physical resources to do in the real world whereas in VR, the imagination can run a little wilder! A great addition to a school’s STEM lab.
Raid on the Ruhr
A spiritual sequel to 1943 Berlin Blitz, the Raid on the Ruhr experience from Immersive VR Education showed once again that history really can be brought to life using virtual reality. Students get to experience first-hand the events of the RAF’s Operation Chastise and the bombing of the Mohne Dam. It’s more hands-on and interactive than its predecessor, with the user able to adopt multiple roles within the aircraft, but the historical accuracy and wonderful use of original audio recordings once again frame this as a genuine slice of history brought into the present through VR.
Greenland Melting
I try to avoid including 360° film content in this list but I have included Greenland Melting as it’s use of volumetric capture really does add to the sense of presence, despite the limited interactions that the user is afforded during this 12-minute documentary piece. The subject is a timely one and students will get a first-hand look at Greenland – from the sky, the ground and even under the surface of the water as they learn more about why Greenland’s glaciers are melting and the ramifications of this.
Golden Loft
This one is very unique – an immersive experience inside an attic to help you learn more about the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence! As you interact with various elements within the whimsical space, the mathematical concepts come to life before your eyes. This free experience is a definitely worth a look and a worthy addition to the frankly quite limited range of math-based VR apps.
National Geographic Explore VR
I really wanted to include something for the Oculus Quest as I’ve already seen the power of this great HMD in classrooms first-hand. That being said, I also didn’t want to include ports or this list would have been taken over by the likes of Tilt Brush and Apollo 11. There are a couple of brand new titles that launched directly for the Quest in 2019 though and this one from National Geographic is an excellent example of VR breaking down geographical boundaries and letting students explore the far corners of the Earth. In this case – Antarctica and Machu Pichu.
T-Rex: Skeleton Crew
Come on – there had to be a dinosaur one on here eventually didn’t there? It’s a good one though – an app that was developed for the American Museum of Natural History in New York by Immersion VR in association with Vive as a part of a special “T rex: The Ultimate Predator” exhibition. Much like the Mona Lisa app, this was then released for free via Viveport. It’s an engaging experience where students can build a T-Rex skeleton bone by bone and eventually witness it come to life! A great option in particular for anyone who loved Hold The World in 2018.
As a kid, if it was raining and the thought of getting sodden wasn’t really that appealing then there were always a couple of go-to activities. The first was always videogames, of course, while the rest was about building stuff. Lego was always great, Scalextric got rather competitive and then there was Domino Rally, a game that required oodles of patience to perfect whilst providing genuine excitement when the entire contraption worked – or a look of horror when vibration from a car outside or a sibling running down the stairs caused everything to topple. Fast forward to 2019 and those memories suddenly come flooding back with Gadgeteer, a chain reaction machine builder from Metanaut.
Thankfully this time there are no worries about a finely created machine toppling over as it’s all in VR! Metanaut has created a little sanctum of an apartment where the entire experience takes place, allowing you to build and experiment to your heart’s content.
A videogame crafted solely for the purpose of creating Rube Goldberg-style machinations, Gadgeteer is split into two main parts, a campaign mode with a brief story attached and then the sandbox mode. The latter is most certainly the core of the experience and while it can be fun diving straight in the number of options available can be a little overwhelming to begin with. There’s a tutorial to start things off but it’s the puzzle campaign which is the true tutorial, building up slowly, introducing more items to learn how they interact and what role they can play in future machines.
These 60 puzzles snake around the apartment, intertwining with the furniture to look like one giant experiment. The difficulty curve isn’t so great that you’ll be stuck right away but even by the halfway stages Gadgeteer challenges you to really think about how each piece contributes to the entire setup and the various routes that can be taken. Puzzles evolve from knocking each one over – dominos-style – to transporting marbles all over the place.
To make this all happen the studio has created a wonderfully simple system of tools and movement, easy to use and comfortable to play. There are three tools available, all selectable on one controller and swappable between right and left hands. The pincers are the defacto tool, picking out and moving the gadgets from the inventory found on the opposite controller. Next is the replication tool. Rather than going back to the inventory each time if there’s a piece you need multiple times then just replicate it. In the campaign mode, this will automatically take an item out of the inventory. Lastly, there’s the vacuum. Which operates exactly as you’d expect, sucking up any pieces you don’t want. For some reason, however, you can’t put any item right back into the inventory it just drops on the floor waiting to be vacuumed up, which can be a little annoying when grabbing the wrong piece.
As for movement, Metanaut has employed a drag mechanic of sorts. You don’t (and can’t) grab any of the furniture or walls, instead, holding down the grip buttons allows you to move the entire world however you please, in whatever direction is most suitable to continue building. There is a vignette option just in case you do feel a little uneasy but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue as you’re directly controlling the speed, pulling through the world. There’s no smooth locomotion that VRFocus could find.
This fine movement control is most certainly needed, especially when delving into the sandbox mode. Here you’re given a blank apartment as your canvas and an unlimited inventory with which to create. It’s here where you can spend hours and hours building elaborate contraptions which bend and twist all over the place. And when it works there’s a definite feeling of satisfaction.
However, before that satisfaction, you need patience, lots and lots of patience. As mentioned nothing is suddenly going to fall over and collapse. There’s a handy play and reset feature enabling each design change to be tested before moving on yet there’s no snap functionality.
On the one hand, it’s understandable not having one, Gadgeteer uses a freeze option to place items mid-air rather than having to build framework up, enabling placement of items to be finely tuned. This does mean that it can become a little laborious placing multiples of the same item, for example, a long run for the marble. As each needs to be perfectly lined up, rather than snapping a few together quickly.
It would also be nice to have some music options. Currently, the standard background music can be switched on or off, that’s it. Sure you could have a stereo playing outside of VR but for those long building sessions some other tunes would help elevate the experience.
Gadgeteer isn’t going to be for everyone, much like being a watchmaker. It’s finicky, time-consuming and puzzling all at the same time. They’re also the reasons why Gadgeteer is a puzzle gem for Oculus Quest. The gameplay becomes engrossing as you beaver away, one idea forming and then morphing, splitting into tangents the more time is spent. All it’s missing is a way to share and view these crazy creations with the world.
VRFocus brings you another roundup of exciting new virtual reality (VR) titles. Make sure to check out our accompanying video roundup at the bottom of the article, freshly made for YouTube. Make sure to also check out VRFocus’ coverage of the Augmented World Expo (AWE) EU 2019 happening this week. We will be posting a series of interviews and exclusive insights into VR & AR announcements taking place over the event.
Borderlands 2 VR – Gearbox Software
First released in 2012, immerse yourself in this VR updating of an iconic modern shooter as you once again take on the role of a Vault Hunter. Your mission and run, climb and teleport through this stylish world to rescue Pandora from the evil Handsome Jack.
In Bonfire, you take on the role of Space Scout 817 who is exploring the universe on a mission to find a new home for the human race. You soon find yourself crash landed three-hundred lightyears from Earth on an unknown planet. Along with your robot sidekick, Debbie, your only source of light is a the flickering makeshift bonfire light. What dangers lurks around you? Find out in this new VR experience from Baobab Studios and from the director of Madagascar and Antz.
Supported platform(s): PlayStation VR
Launch date: 22nd October
A Dragon’s Tale VR – Spillage Games
Set on a fantasy volcanic island, you play as a dragon and explore this volcanic island. You will encounter a host of both dangerous and friendly mystical creatures as you perfect your flying abilities in this high-paced VR experience. Featuring three minigames, known as: Cow Drop, Burning Spree & Time Trials. Developer & publisher Spillage games say they want the user to “feel like a force of nature, to rain destruction on the landscape around you as you see fit.”
Pirates of the Asteroid Belt VR – Garden Horse Studio
The year is 2273, as captain of a small cargo ship, your mission takes an unexpected turn. You find yourself encountering a mixture of friendly inhabitants and scheming enemies in this in this space-themed VR shooting adventure. Interact with objects such as airlocks and consoles while utilising a series of upgradable weapons and tools. The outcome of the whole story is down to your own decisions made over the course of the game.
Set in the apartment of a mad scientist, you must work to complete a series of puzzles and challenges that involve building a series of Rube Goldberg-type chain reaction machines. Previously available on other main headsets in April 2019, Gadgeteer is now coming to Oculus Quest. Featuring both a 60-stage campaign and sandbox modes, this physics-based indie VR puzzler has 50+ gadgets to build with.
Gadgeteer (2019), the physics-based puzzle game from indie studio Metanaut, is officially headed to Oculus Quest on October 24th.
Originally launched on PC VR headsets via Early Access in April on Steam and the Oculus Store for Rift, the Rube Goldberg-inspired puzzler is said to serve up 60 physics puzzles, a sandbox mode, and an all-important sharing function so you can trade creations with the community.
We took a deep dive in our Early Access review of Gadgeteer, with regular Road to VR contributor Gabriel Moss saying it was “supremely satisfying to come up with an idea for a machine, iterate on it until each segment is perfect, and then watch as the chain reaction go off exactly the way you want it to.”
“There’s always a chance that something won’t work completely right; a domino might fall in the wrong direction or a marble won’t land hard enough, making part of the challenge of building the ‘best’ machine a matter of tightening your design for the best probable outcome.”
Metanaut, a Vancouver-based team, began work on the Quest port back in July. Even in its early access state on PC VR, Gadgeteer proves to be a pretty fantastic experience, providing enough open-ended options to keep you building and setting off reactions for longer than the Quest’s battery can last on a single charge.
You can wishlist the Quest version here. There’s no pricing available yet, although if it falls in line with the PC VR version, it should come in around $15.
Originally, the game was named Ruberg as a reference to this, but the Gadgeteer team soon ran into trademarking problems.
“At first, the owners of the trademark were okay with us using the name but after a year into development (and showing off the game publicly!) they changed their minds,”said Kao. “They said Ruberg was too close to Rube Goldberg and that people will be confused by it. So, we had to change the name to something else. We’ve always called the objects in our game ‘gadgets’ and so we landed on calling the game Gadgeteer!”
Last month VRFocus reported on indie developer Metanaut revealing that it was working on an Oculus Quest version of its virtual reality (VR) puzzle experience Gadgeteer. Today, the studio has announced that the launch isn’t too far away, in fact, it’s taking place in just over a week’s time.
Gadgeteer is all about building Rube Goldberg style chain reaction machines in two distinct modes, a story mode and a sandbox mode. The former is great for those new to Gadgeteer, helping teach you about the intricacies of the various building materials and the tools for building these impressive machines. It’s a 60 level puzzle campaign entirely set within a single apartment of a brilliant but mad scientist who has gone missing along with her daughter.
While the campaign is restricted to set challenges the sandbox mode lets you experiment to your heart’s content. Still set in the same location, now you have complete freedom to explore all the various creative options available, with Create, Edit and Destroy tool heads and over 50 items to build the machines.
Even with the Oculus Quest launch, Metanaut has stated Gadgeteer will still be updated with new elements. Future additions will include new tool heads, new gadgets to build with, revised levels to make them more challenging and possibly the most interesting, online sharing. As a solitary single-player experience being able to share your carefully crafted creations with the outside world as well as seeing others should help to create a thriving community of builders.
The studio has endeavoured to make sure Gadgeteer can be played by almost everyone, adding an impressive amount of language support for an indie VR title which includes: French, Danish, Japanese, German, Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), Korean, Spanish and Russian.
VRFocus previewed the initial Early Access version of Gadgeteer, stating that: “This isn’t a videogame for those who don’t have the patience and time. It’s for those that do. And if that sounds like you then Gadgeteer is well worth a look. Plus, Gadgeteer could be on track to be one of the best VR puzzle titles in 2019.”
A growing trend in the VR scene has been the rise of titles that attempt to utilise realistic physics-driven interaction systems as core gameplay mechanics. This trend began with games like H3VR and 
Realistic, advanced physics take VR immersion and gameplay to the next level
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Gadgeteer
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Gadgeteer – Metanaut