Something For The Weekend: Take a Trip to The Oculus Store

Time for another round of virtual reality (VR) deals this weekend as we take a look around the Oculus Rift and Gear VR store to find you the best offers. Maybe you fancy a spot of table tennis this weekend or maybe living the life of a superhero is more for you. Whatever you are looking for this weekend you are sure to find something from the selection of deals we have put together.

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Puzzle 360

Compatibility: Oculus Rift

If you are looking for a puzzle title that will keep you on your toes then Puzzle 360 is for you. Fill the horizontal voids by firing balls into the gaps, rotating the stage as you go to find the openings. In a VR experience that takes Tetris to a whole new level, Puzzle 360 is a fast paced, quick thinking videogame that will challenge you.

Puzzle 360 is currently available for low price of £0.79 (GBP) down from £1.49.

Viral EX

Compatibility: Oculus Rift

“The pioneering VR game ‘Viral‘ is back in the form of ‘Viral EX‘! Fully revamped for Oculus Rift, it now features Touch support for EX-tra physics-based blasting fun. The supercomputer E.V.E. has had a facelift but is still teeming with infection. So enter this strange world as Ragnarok the Anti-Virus, newly armed with the shiny and deadly dual-wield Blaster and Deflector Shield combo, and get virus-stomping!”

Viral EX is currently on sale for £3.99 (GBP) down from £7.99.

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Crystal Rift

Compatibility: Oculus Rift

If living out your own grid-based dungeon-crawler fantasy is what you are looking for then Crystal Rift can give you just that. Inspired by classic games such as Dungeon Master and Eye of the Beholder, players enter an experiential horror challenge and must explore and fight through 26 levels. Do you have what it takes to explore the whole dungeon and uncover the truth?

Crystal Rift is currently on sale for £3.99 (GBP) down from £7.99.

Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR

Compatibility: Gear VR

If table tennis is your cup of tea then look no further than Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR. This title will immersive you into the sport, now with robots, and put you up against challenge foes that have realistic artificial intelligence and animations. With plenty of stages to play through and physics that make the table tennis experience as real as possible, Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR is ideal for those looking to show off their skills.

Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR is currently on sale for £6.99 (GBP) down from £7.99.

Mervils: A VR Adventure

Compatibility: Oculus Rift

“Mervils: A VR Adventure is an enjoyable and interesting RPG adventure with a good few ideas as to how to overcome the problems of bring traditional videogame genres to a new medium. It’s a lengthy experience, too, which is not all too common amongst the early wave of Oculus Rift videogame titles.” – Read VRFocus’ Editor Kevin Joyce’s preview of Mervils: A VR Adventure here.

Mervils: A VR Adventure is currently available for £8.24 (GBP) down from £14.99.

Justice League VR: The Complete Experience screenshot WW

Justice League VR: The Complete Experience

Compatibility: Oculus Rift, Oculus Touch required

“Warner Bros. invites you to join the Justice League in a thrilling Cinematic Virtual Reality experience that allows you to step into the shoes and master the powers of the iconic DC Super Heroes: Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg.”

Justice League VR: The Complete Experience is available now for £3.99 (GBP) down from the usual £7.99.

Stunt Kite Masters

Compatibility: Gear VR

“Enjoy a beautiful day at the sunny beach, savor a majestic view on a mountain peak or feel the thrilling height of a skyscraper at night. Harness the wind and launch your stunt kite! Practice exciting maneuvers as your kite dances in the sky or leave gravity behind and draw figures in the blue with a smoke trail.”

Stunt Kite Masters is currently £1.49 (GBP) down from £3.99.

Duck Season

Compatibility: Oculus Rift

“Duck Season really is a mixed bag of ideas, trying to build out a core experience that’s reasonably solid, it just didn’t have enough variety to be a sole title in its own right. Stress Level Zero’s additions are really just padding, stretching out the replay factor with seven different endings may only encourage a small number of users to keep going back. Duck Season does have a charm all of its own though, making for a perfectly enjoyable experience.” – Read VRFocus’ Senior Staff Writer Peter Graham’s review of Duck Season here.

Duck Season is avaiable now for £10.99 (GBP) on sale from it’s usual price of £14.99.

A-Tech Cybernetic

Compatibility: Oculus Rift, Oculus Touch required

“A-Tech Cybernetic is a first-person shooter built from the ground up for VR. It features two separate game modes: a classic swarm mode to put your shooting and survival skills to the test and a story mode that takes you to a futuristic biomedical company overrun by mutants. Control everything with real-life movements, interact with your surroundings as if they were actually there, experience a new kind of gameplay that’s more immersive than ever before, thanks to VR. Be the badass guy you always wanted to be.”

A-Tech Cybernetic is available now for £10.99 (GBP) down from £18.99.

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality

Compatibility: Oculus Rift

“…you’ll appreciate Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality even if you’ve not seen the cartoon, there’s even sections catering to first-person shooter (FPS) fans. Really though this is a video game for those that love Rick and Morty, and quite frankly that’s no bad thing. Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a madcap, fun filled adventure from start to finish, perfectly suiting VR’s qualities, it should not be missed.” – Read VRFocus’ Senior Staff Writer Peter Graham’s review of Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality here.

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is currently on sale for £17.24 (GBP) down from £22.99.

That is all for this week but remember that VRFocus collates all the best sales and cheap deals every weekend, so check back next weekend at the same time to discover more.

February 16, 2018

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality Released Date Confirmed for PlayStation VR

In December PlayStation VR owners finally received confirmation that popular PC virtual reality (VR) title Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality would be coming to the headset in 2018. At the time no official date was mentioned. Now VRFocus can confirm that not only will the comedy videogame launch in April, it’ll be available as a retail release plus there will be a Collector’s Edition for sale.

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Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality will launch in retail stores on 10th April, 2018 for $29.99 USD. The Collectors Edition version (whose price hasn’t been revealed) includes a copy of the videogame, a Funko Pop! Rick and Morty vinyl figure and an exclusive double-sided poster featuring Rick and Morty comic book cover art.

Built in collaboration between Adult Swim Games, and developers Owlchemy Labs and Other Ocean Group, Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a VR adventure like no other. Combining the humour of much loved cartoon series Rick and Morty, with all the zany interactive elements of Job Simulator, players find themselves in the role of a Morty clone, there to do the duo’s bidding whilst they head of on another adventure. Set predominantly in Ricks garage/lab, players will need to solve puzzles, step through portals into strange dimensions, get yelled at by Rick, fight aliens, drink detergent, press buttons, and much more.

While you don’t need to be a Rick and Morty fan to enjoy the experience it certainly helps if you’ve seen some of the episodes as there are quite a few in jokes and casual references to the cartoon. Needless to say, VRFocus gave the PC-version a thumbs up, awarding it a five-star review, saying: “Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a madcap, fun filled adventure from start to finish, perfectly suiting VR’s qualities, it should not be missed.”

Rick and Morty screenshot

If further details emerge about the PlayStation VR version and whether it’ll include any new additions VRFocus will let you know.

February 16, 2018

‘Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality’ to Land on PSVR April 10th

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (2017) is coming to PSVR April 10th, 2018. Developed by Owlchemy Labs, the studio behind Job Simulator (2016), and voiced by series creator Justin Roiland, this might be the only chance to hang out with the hard-drinking genius scientist Rick and his hapless grandson Morty while you’re wasting away waiting for season 4.

The game, which places you in the shoes of an expendable Morty clone, will be priced at $30, and will be offered both digitally and in retail stores as a physical copy.

A limited Collector’s Edition will also be available, which includes a copy of the game, a Funko Pop! Rick and Morty vinyl figure, and an exclusive double-sided poster featuring Rick and Morty comic book cover art.

Initially released on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive last April, the game is chocked full of all the asinine tasks you’d expect a lowly Morty clone to do—dirty laundry, charging batteries manually, and messing with Rick’s stuff while he’s gone. While there isn’t really much of a point to the game, that at least seems to be the entire underlying theme with the show, so somehow it all fits together. Check out why we gave it a solid [9/10] in our review here.

Something For The Weekend: DOOM VFR, Fallout 4 And Gal*Gun VR, All On Sale Now

The weekend is here again, and once again we’ve got a big bundle of videogames for you to ogle. These are all on sale and you might not see them this cheap again for a while, so if you’re looking for something light on the wallet but with plenty of entertainment value, take a look below.

This week we’ve got Fallout 4 VR, DOOM VFR, Skyfront VR, Gal*Gun VR and a bunch more, so browse below for everything you could’ve ever wanted from your virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD).

Skyfront VR

Skyfront VR screenshot

VR videogames often need new modes of locomotion, and Skyfront VR tackles that problem while leaving all the others in the dust. Shoot to move, shoot to shoot and hunt down your enemies in a fully 3D environment you can fly around.

Skyfront VR is now only £9.29.

Batman: Arkham VR

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Become the Bat. In this adventure with the caped crusader you really feel like the world’s greatest detective as your piece together crime scenes using his advanced technology.

Batman: Arkham VR is now £8.99.

Gal*Gun VR

Gal*Gun VR screenshot

Bring girls to euphoria and spread your pheromones in one of the most questionable VR titles that will send your heart doki doki over a bunch of waifus.

Gal*Gun VR is now only £15.40.

Eagle Flight

If you haven’t heard of Eagle Flight then you’re in for a world of pure wonder as you feel the adrenaline from swooping through town, cities and forests.

Eagle Flight is now £17.49.

Superhot VR

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Feel your heart beat in your ears in what has to be the most intense shooter in VR. Your movements effect time itself in this high octane gunslinger.

Superhot VR is now £12.72.

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality

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If you’ve been eager to hold a plumbus in your own hand, then this Rick and Morty VR experience is pretty much essential – and somehow, the events are even canon to show. Now that’s schwifty!

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is now £16.09.

Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope

Serious Sam is our last hope. Again. The guy is just never done shooting down alien scum, and in this game they just won’t stop charging at him, leaving you to smash through waves of alien creatures while shooting countless bullets.

Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope is now £14.99.

Fallout 4 VR

Fallout 4 VR screenshot

You’ve already played in the world of Fallout 4, but have you played in VR? Strapping in to the HTC Vive gives Fallout 4 a completely different vibe from what you’ve experienced before, as you shoot down mutants in the most immersive way yet.

Fallout 4 VR is now £27.99.

DOOM VFR

DOOM VFR screenshot

DOOM VFR might look familiar, but it’s not just the game you’ve already played. A brand new campaign built just for VR, with incredible new movement options and some massive weapons. If you need more demon slaying, this is the best place for it.

DOOM VFR is now £13.99.

To The Top

This game is all explained in the title. Use your hands to climb and bounce yourself through a variety of stages that’ll see you inside volcanoes and hovering over massive gaps. Not one for vertigo sufferers.

To The Top is now £11.39.

We collate all the best sales and cheap videogames every weekend here on VRFocus, so make sure to check back for even more offers next week at the same time!

December 21, 2017

The Best Oculus Rift Games of 2017

2017 has almost drawn to a close and what a year its been for Oculus Rift and Touch. Not only has the hardware seen a dramatic reduction in price but there’s been plenty of content for consumers to get their hands on. With so much available VRFocus has decided to compile a short list of the best ten videogames that you should own for the device.

The following list – which is in no particular order – aims to cover the the length and breadth of VR content for Oculus Rift. Whether you prefer a big AAA experience from a well known developer or enjoy sampling the delights of the indie community, there’s so many good videogames it can be hard to chose from, meaning there’s always something decent to play.

Oculus Touch

Lone Echo – Ready at Dawn

An Oculus Rift exclusive, Ready at Dawn’s Lone Echo was one of the biggest summer releases for the headset. Combining a compelling story alongside stunning visuals, the experience also managed to achieve what few had before it, comfortable movement in a zero-gravity environment.

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The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart Of The Emberstone – Cloudhead Games

The long awaited second installment to The Gallery: Call of the Starseed, The Gallery: Episode 2 – Heart Of The Emberstone went even bigger and better than before, offering more puzzles, grander settings, and more insight into the sci-fi/fantasy story.

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ARKTIKA.1 – 4A Games

4A Games, the studio behind the popular Metro 2033 series brought its knowledge of post-apocalyptic first-person shooters (FPS) to Oculus Rift this October. Featuring a point-to-point teleportation system rather than freeroaming, ARKTIKA.1 has AAA visuals combined with intense FPS action for on of the best story driven shooters on the platform.

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Robo Recall – Epic Games

Launched near the start of the year, Epic Games’ first proper VR title was Robo Recall and should be part of every Oculus Rift owners library. Not only for the fact that it’s completely free, but also that it’s one of the most polished titles on the platform. Essentially a wave shooter, Robo Recall allows you to dash around beautifully rendered city streets, destroying an army of walking and flying robots, dispatching them however you wish. Choose the pistols for a more ranged approach, or just forget about guns and go in bare handed, ripping apart metallic bodies at whim.

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Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-Ality – Owlchemy Labs

If there’s one title that bound to appear on these ‘Best of’ kind of lists then Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-Ality will be a front runner. Created by Owlchemy Labs (Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives) alongside Adult Swim Games, this VR version of the popular cartoon series hit all the right notes with its combination of adult humour and immersive VR gameplay. While you don’t need to be a fan of the series it certainly doesn’t hurt to have seen a few episodes to get some of the awaiting in jokes.

Rick and Morty screenshot

The Mage’s Tale – inXile Entertainment

While PlayStation VR may have The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, Oculus Rift owners don’t have to miss out on the fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) thanks to inXile Entertainment’s The Mage’s Tale. You play a wizards apprentice who must save their master from an evil force. The Mage’s Tale offers the ability to craft hundreds of spells, both defensive and offensive, helping you solve puzzles and vanquish foes with a wave of your hand.

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REZ Infinite – Enhance Games

Originally exclusive to PlayStation VR, Enhance Games eventually decided to bring psychedelic shooter REZ Infinite to PC headsets this summer. Featuring reworked levels from the Dreamcast original, the studio also decided to embrace VR further by creating a dedicated level called Area X. While it may not fall into the parameters of many genres, REZ Infinite is one of those titles that once experienced in VR you couldn’t imagine any other way.

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Skyworld – Vertigo Games

Featuring both single-player and multiplayer modes, Skyworld mixes turn-based strategy with real-time battles in which you play a king looking over their battle map. From here armies and buildings can be created to storm enemy strongholds, whether that’s in the campaign, skirmish mode or the online cross-platform multiplayer. A proper table-top experience, Skyworld perfectly personifies ‘the easy to pickup but hard to master’ adage, seemingly unforgiving if your strategy isn’t right. Yet highly satisfying when it is.

Battlezone – Rebellion Studios

Another cross-platform multiplayer to make the list, Rebellion’s Battlezone has been made available for all three major headsets, and that’s a good thing as you wouldn’t want to miss out on this arcade-shooter. This is one of VRFocus’ favourite VR titles thanks to that balance between procedurally generated levels, customisation options and retro design nostalgia.

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Killing Floor: Incursion – Tripwire Interactive

Originally released as an exclusive for Oculus Rift, Tripwire Interactive’s Killing Floor: Incursion is a horror shooter based on the company’s Killing Floor franchise. Players can choose to go it alone or team up with a friend in co-op mode and explore several environments, such as dilapidated farmhouses to cold, creepy high-tech facilities, all of which contain hordes of horrific ‘Zed’ monsters, which players will need to terminate with extreme prejudice. The entire experience provides a visceral slice of VR action that’s not very festive but enjoyable none the less.

Killing Floor: Incursion screenshot

December 20, 2017

The Best HTC Vive Games of 2017

The HTC Vive will soon be approaching the second anniversary of its consumer launch, and as such there’s been a practically literal flood of software made available for the head-mounted display (HMD) over the past 12 months. Sifting through Steam and Viveport to find the best videogames available can be a tiresome task, and so VRFocus has compiled a list of the movers-and-shakers from 2017.

The below selection of videogames, in no particular order, represents the best that the HTC Vive has to offer. From AAA releases to indie titles that managed to latch onto a unique facet of virtual reality (VR), offer a huge and diverse playscape or a compelling, immersive experience, the HTC Vive’s portfolio of videogames has never looked better.

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Fallout 4 VR – Bethesda Game Studios

While many have found the control systems and graphical quality of Fallout 4 VR questionable, there’s no denying that Bethesda Game Studios has delivered one of the most enduringly compelling virtual worlds. The wealth of exploration and interaction opportunities offered in Fallout 4 VR is second-to-none, including Bethesda Game Studios’ own The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR, which launched on PlayStation VR in November 2017.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files – Rockstar Games

The most recently released title in this selection – and the last AAA VR release of 2017 – L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is the antithesis of Fallout 4 VR. While it’s true that L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files features a free-roaming open world, the substance in the videogame isn’t about your interaction therein, but rather with the characters you meet along the way. Not quite to the point of developing relationships, but arguably one of the greatest role-playing experiences as the player is cast as a detective and must interrogate both witnesses and suspects to solve each of the included seven cases.

DOOM VFR – Bethesda Game Studios

Bethesda Game Studios’ other big VR title for HTC Vive, DOOM VFR proposes the exact opposite first-person shooter (FPS) gameplay formula to Fallout 4 VR. While Fallout 4 VR is based entirely around its open world setting, DOOM VFR presents tight-knit corridors and a linear path to its gunplay. In accordance with that tighter construct however, DOOM VFR is arguably the best FPS yet seen in VR, holding strong against Epic Games’ Robo Recall.

Manifest 99 – Flight School Studio

A surprisingly successful experience that blurs the line between videogame and interactive film, the heavily stylistic approach to Manifest 99’s visual design is as intriguing as the story it tells. The player interacts with the world through variable teleportation options, each offering a unique perspective of the events unfolding. This results in an adventure that can be experienced at your own pace; Manifest 99 isn’t a film that continues when you look away, it’s a story in which you are a key character.

Bloody Zombies – Paw Print Games

Bloody Zombies broke out of the mould by forcing old school videogame mechanics headfirst into a brand new medium. A side-scrolling beat-‘em-up akin to Final Fight or Streets of Rage, Bloody Zombies offers four-player co-operative gameplay regardless of how many players own a VR HMD. The added advantage of playing a 2D videogame in VR is depth – both in terms of gameplay and into the world – as using a HMD allows players to cast their view around the landscape, finding additional paths or hidden secrets not visible on a 2D monitor.

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Blasters of the Universe – Secret Location

Wave shooters in VR are two-a-penny, so what makes Blasters of the Universe any different? Well, it has a storyline – an actual, genuine story with plot twists – behind the frantic shooting action. It also features a huge variety of customisable weaponry, noted as one of the videogame’s best features in VRFocus’ review of Blasters of the Universe, which is based on an inventory built from unlockable components. Thus, there’s also a progression system accompanying that storyline. Blasters of the Universe isn’t just a highscore chase; it’s a videogame with genuine depth.

Blasters of the Universe

REZ Infinite – Enhance Games

REZ Infinite is simply the way REZ was always meant to be played. Enhance Games looked back at the much loved Dreamcast classic and decided that modern technology could bring something new to the experience; and they weren’t wrong. REZ Infinite redefines the rhythm-action genre and even – according to designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi – holds a key to what could be coming next from Enhance Games.

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Cosmic Trip – Funktronic Labs

Funktronic Labs has taken the real-time strategy (RTS) genre and turned it on its head. Conducting all of the action from a first-person perspective, Cosmic Trip makes the player feel like less of a god and more a commander on the battlefield lining-up with the grunts and cannons. According to the RTS mainstays, players must balance the gathering of resources with the development of new aggression properties, and Cosmic Trip places you at the centre of all your survey.

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Battlezone – Rebellion Studios

Originally a PlayStation VR exclusive, Battlezone came to HTC Vive in good form. Arguably still one of the best action videogames in VR, UK-based Rebellion Studios positioned a steep learning curve next to an open campaign progression system, customisable inventory and four-player co-operative gameplay. Piloting a neon tank has never been more fun, and rarely has modern VR.

Battlezone screenshot

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality – Owlchemy Labs

Rick and Morty is an irreverent commentary on many of the ills of modern society and alternative culture. Adapting this to a videogame could’ve proven a difficult task – VR or otherwise – as there’s a depth in the humour that could be irreparably lost in trying to make a linear, passive experience more open to player interpretation. So who better to adapt the franchise than Owlchemy Labs, a studio which had already proven its ability to achieve the exact same goals with the hugely popular Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives? Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a videogame that’s hard to define by genre, and instead argues to be defined by experience; and in that Owlchemy Labs has crafted a VR compelling slice of VR.

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December 9, 2017

Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality Is Finally Coming To PSVR

Justin Roiland and co are fully embracing Sony’s PlayStation VR (PSVR) this weekend. Following the reveal of Accouting+, Rick and Morty’s VR adventure is coming to the platform, too.

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is coming to PSVR, as confirmed at the 2017 PlayStation Experience. Developed by Job Simulator developer Owlchemy Labs (which also announced its latest game, Vacation Simulator, this weekend), the full adventure that debuted on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive earlier this year will be making its way over. Check out the trailer below.

We were big fans of the PC version of Rick and Morty when it launched back in April. “There’s never a moment that felt uncomfortable or unnatural, even as you step through portals into new spaces,” we said in our review. “With all eyes on Owlchemy after the success of Job Simulator. the team executed in a big way and will continue forward as one of the premier developers of VR games.”

Right now there’s no specific date beyond the 2018 window, but we’re hoping that it’s sooner rather than later.

Tagged with: Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-Ality

December 9, 2017

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is Coming to PlayStation VR in 2018

The main PlayStation Experience livestream is now over and there was a bunch of virtual reality (VR) titles revealed for PlayStation VR. Shockingly, one videogame that didn’t make to the stage or any of the video show reels was Owlchemy Labs’ Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, which has just appeared on PlayStation Blog confirming a launch for PlayStation VR in 2018.

This is major news as Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality was one of the biggest VR releases in the first half of 2017, originally supporting just Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Created in collaboration between Job Simulator developer Owlchemy Labs and Adult Swim Games, Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality combines the humour of much loved cartoon series Rick and Morty, with all the zany interactive elements of Job Simulator.

Rick and Morty screenshot

You don’t actually get to play as either Rick and Morty, instead you’re a Morty clone who’s instructed to carry out all manner of tasks by Rick to help him with his adventures. While the majority of the experience is based inside Rick’s lab/garage, there’s far more to the surroundings than meets the eye, taking you on a journey that’ll take you across multiple dimensions and to places like Purgatory and even the Smiths’ bathroom.

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality will be coming to PlayStation VR next year, but for those attending PlayStation Experience there will be a chance to demo the title.

While you don’t need to be a Rick and Morty fan to enjoy the experience it certainly helps if you’ve seen some of the episodes as there are quite a few in jokes and casual references to the cartoon. Needless to say, VRFocus gave the PC-version a thumbs up, awarding it five stars in the review, saying: “Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is a madcap, fun filled adventure from start to finish, perfectly suiting VR’s qualities, it should not be missed.”

As further details are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.

November 26, 2017

Something for the Weekend: A Veritable VR Pick ‘n’ Mix

Usually on Something for the Weekend, VRFocus tends to pick a selection of discounts from a single store, alternating between them on a weekly basis where possible. As you should be very well aware of by now, this week is somewhat different due to the massive amount of deals on offer thanks to Black Friday. Originally confined to one day, Black Friday has expanded to include the entirety of this weekend and most of the week before it. And VRFocus has covered many, many, many offers relating to VR, so for today decided to do a roundup of the best videogames currently on sale.

Gran Turismo Sport

Compatibility: PlayStation VR

One of the most revered racing franchises finally came to VR, albeit in a slightly cut down fashion with just one-on-one races. For PlayStation VR owners looking to get their racing fix, Gran Turismo Sport has to be up there as one of the best, and it’s already on sale. You’ll find it on the PlayStation Store for half price, retailing for £24.99 GBP rather than £50.

Arizona Sunshine

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift

Vertigo Games and Jaywalkers Interactive’s first-person zombie shooter needs no introduction, as one of the best examples of a free-roaming (FPS) where the dead have risen. Available on all the major VR platforms, Arizona Sunshine is currently discounted for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, found in their respective stores for £20.99 instead of £29.99.

I Expect You to Die

Compatibility: PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift

A VR puzzle title where you find yourself in the role of a secret agent, I Expect You to Die is one of those videogames that shouldn’t be missed, especially as Schell Games added the ‘First Class’ update last month.

I Expect You to Die is available on PlayStation Store for £11.99, while Oculus Rift and HTC Vive owners can find it on Steam for £11.39, saving themselves 40 percent. Oculus Rift owners will also find it included in the Dynamic Pack 1 on Oculus Store.

Battlezone

Compatibility: PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift

Originally released for PlayStation VR’s launch, Rebellion’s Battlezone is one of those videogames everyone should have, and if you don’t own it the only reasonable excuse is that you’ve just bought your first VR headset this very instance.

Battlezone is a tank-based cross-platform multiplayer with a single-player campaign as well. It’s currently 70 percent off on PlayStation Store, retailing for £10.49. On Steam it’s got a 50 percent discount, bringing the cost down to £14.99.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

Compatibility: PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift

There are probably hundreds of Star Trek videogames out there, all offering the opportunity to ‘boldly go where no one has gone before’, but with Star Trek: Bridge Crew you get to feel like you’re actually there, as only VR can. Whilst there is a single-player element, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is all about the multiplayer, working as a group of four to complete missions.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew can be found on PlayStation Store for £19.99, Oculus Store for £22.99, and on Steam for £23.99.

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality

Time for a bit of comedy on this list with Owlchemy Labs’ Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality. While you don’t have to be a fan of the Adult Swim cartoon series to enjoy the experience, if you have watched at least a few episodes then it’ll certainly help with all the references made throughout the videogame.

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is currently discounted on Steam for all three headsets, selling for £16.01, saving 30 percent off the normal price of £22.99.

Skyworld

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality

Another title from Vertigo Games, this time in collaboration with Wolfdog Interactive, Skyworld only launched last month across all three headsets bringing a mixture of turn-based and real-time strategy elements together.

Skyworld is available on Steam for £23.24, or via Oculus Store for £22.99.

Duck Season

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift

Duck Season is Stress Level Zero’s second VR title, taking inspiration from the 80’s, Nintendo classic Duck Hunt whilst adding a light dusting of horror. You’ll find it on Oculus Store for £10.99 or via Steam for £11.99.

The Talos Principle VR

Compatibility: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality

Croteam is well known for bringing the Serious Sam series to VR, with four titles already released. Last month the studio brought another of its well known franchises to VR, puzzle title The Talos Principle VR, which also included the Road to Gehenna DLC.

The Talos Principle VR can be purchased through Steam for £22.49, saving 25 percent off the regular price.

September 29, 2017

Rick And Morty VR Dev: ‘This IP Is Almost Anti-Canon And Was So Fun’

Rick and Morty is comedic gold. It’s one of the funniest shows currently running and is featured on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim nighttime segment. Co-created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, the show follows it’s titular characters (Rick and Morty) on intergalactic sci-fi adventures through time and space. The humor is smart, sometimes subtle, and always on-point.

Last week at VRDC in San Francisco, CA the folks at Google-owned Owlchemy Labs (developers of Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality and Job Simulator) hosted a postmortem discussion panel about the game’s development. During the discussion they talked about not only how they went about adapting a 2D cartoon IP for 3D VR worlds, but also general VR design principles to take note of for future designers and developers.

We previously spoke with Schwartz and several other members of Owlchemy, as well as Justin Roiland himself, about the game’s creation and what went into the process (video embedded above). For the most part it sounds like it was a typical cross-studio collaboration, with a few caveats.

For starters, Rick and Morty isn’t your everyday normal cartoon. “This IP is almost anti-canon and was so fun to work on,” Schwartz said during the VRDC panel. “We got a massive IP bible from Adult Swim to reference during the process, though.”

Schwartz described how loose the company was with regards to following things from the show as closely as possible. For example, the show is a flat 2D cartoon that never shows its characters or environments in three dimensions which means the team at Owlchemy had to take some creative license with adding that extra dimension.

On top of that are the everyday challenges that all VR designers face when making games like player comfort, locomotion, exploration, and even death. “Death in a VR game is very strange,” said Schwartz. “We didn’t want anything to feel punishing or take control away from the player.”

Their solution was to have the screen immediately cut to black and to present a single phone in the middle of a black and red room labeled as “Purgatory” for players to navigate. This way they have to physically pick up the phone and choose to return to the game world.

One of my favorite excerpts that was shared during the panel is the story of how Roiland recorded his voice work for both Rick and Morty in the game. The team at Owlchemy would write out dialog and record mock-up examples of the voice lines that Roiland would then listen to and re-record adding his own flavor and “off book” stylings.

Whether it be Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, Job Simulator, or whatever the team at Owlchemy is working on next, the team clearly has a firm grasp on what works and what doesn’t in VR. Now that they have an infusion of capital from their new owners, Google, we’re excited to see what the company releases next.

Let us know what you think of Owlchemy Labs and Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality down in the comments below!

Tagged with: owlchemy labs, Rick and Morty, Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-Ality