The Best Oculus Quest Games of 2020

Oculus Quest 2

It’s been quite the year for the Oculus Quest platform, both positive and controversial. The standalone headset has gone from strength to strength with a growing catalogue of videogames and let’s not forget about the arrival of Oculus Quest 2. Whether you’re new to VR or not, here are VRFocus’ recommendations from 2020.

Oculus Quest 2

Below you’ll find 10 of the best videogames for Oculus Quest and this list is by no means exhaustive. It really was difficult narrowing down the selection and there are many more great titles on the store.

The Best Oculus Quest Games of 2020

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

For those who love a good zombie apocalypse Skydance Interactive’s The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is worth a look. Having to survive the mean streets of New Orleans, you’ll deal with dangerous humans and walkers alike. Scavenge houses for useful parts to keep you healthy or to craft more weapons, whilst uncovering the underlying storyline.

Go in silent with blades or a bow to avoid attracting attention or make some noise with pistols, rifles and more – just be ready for the horde. Plus in January 2021 a free horde mode ‘The Trial’ will provide wave-based action.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Cubism

Simple, elegant puzzle gaming, Cubism is the work of solo developer Thomas Van Bouwel. Featuring 60 puzzles, twist and turn them to try and fit the various colourful pieces inside. Easy to pick up yet difficult to put down Cubism is an indie gem to enjoy.

Cubism

Blair Witch: Oculus Quest Edition

The horror genre has been well represented in VR and Bloober Team’s Blair Witch: Oculus Quest Edition is a great example why you should avoid the woods at night. Taking the standard 2019 title and giving it a VR twist, you have to explore the creepy woodland looking for a missing lad.

Along the way you have to deal with some strange events as well as your characters own PTSD and panic attacks. Lucky, by your side is your faithful pooch Bullet who can find hidden items as well as alert you to danger. Full of suspense and puzzles to solve, this isn’t for the faint of heart.

Blair Witch Oculus Quest

Until You Fall

When you just want a pure arcade hack-n-slash Schell Games’ Until You Fall is an energetic roguelite which ticks all the right boxes. Set in the neon fantasy world of Rokar you play a Rune Knight tasked with ridding the land of evil.

Gameplay revolves around runs through the world which changes each time due to procedurally generated levels. Combat is melee based, where you buy and upgrade various swords and knives adapt and conquer each run. Die and you return to the beginning a try again. Hectic and brutal, this is one videogame to get your heart pumping.

Until You Fall

Population: One

Mixing the massive battle royale genre with VR’s interactive gameplay is Population: One. Taking place across one giant map which supports 18 players, across six squads with three players each, drop pods launch you onto the battlefield to see who can survive the longest.

Weapons and useful items are littered throughout the world as well as resources to build quick platforms for defensive and offensive capabilities. You can also climb anything you want and then glide across the map to gain an advantage. A relentless first-person shooter (FPS), one to keep you entertained for hours.

Population: One

Phantom: Covert Ops

For a far more subtle shooter where you can be as stealthy or gung-ho as you like then nDreams’ Phantom: Covert Ops is a good choice. Playing as an elite operative infiltrating an enemy base, the unique element here is that you’re entirely confined to a kayak throughout.

So you can silently paddle through waterways, hide in reeds, and then snipe enemies to complete the task. Or with some C4 and the assault rifle tear the place up, your call. Completing mission-specific objectives or finding hidden secrets will unlock levels in the Challenge Mode, so there’s more to keep you entertained after the campaign is over.

Phantom: Covert Ops

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted

The only other horror title on this list, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted goes for the classic jump scare, using it to great effect. A compilation of all the previous Five Nights at Freddy’s plus some made for VR content, all the levels are bite-sized mini-games where you have to survive the night.

With killer animatronics hunting you down encounters can include playing a security guard keeping an eye on monitors or crawling into claustrophobic ventilation systems to repair them. You know they’re coming, but it doesn’t make it any less scary!

Five Nights at Freddys VR

Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale

Pure multiplayer madness for up to four people, Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale is all about preparing delicious lunches for your customers. They all have their own preferences with some more exacting than others, so it’s up to you and your team to deliver, no one person has all the ingredients. Therefore good communication and some speedy chopping skills are in order.

You have access to a fridge full of ingredients as well as a grills to toast (or burn) ingredients. Plus you’ll need to clear and clean plates as no customer wants their sandwich on a dirty plate. There’s also a single-player mode where you can team up with a kitchen robot assistant to tackle the various campaign levels. Good clean/messy fun.

Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale

In Death: Unchained

In a similar roguelite vein to Until They Fall, In Death: Unchained has procedural levels and single run-throughs where death puts you right back at the start, a little wiser and a little stronger. Here though, all you have is a bow – a crossbow can be unlocked – and an assortment of magical arrows to take down Templar Knights, demons, evil monks and other unearthly creatures.

One for those who love a challenge, there’s plenty to keep you entertained as the developer has just released a new gameplay mode called ‘Siege of Heaven’. Plus, like many on this list if you have an Oculus Quest 2 there are visual enhancements which make the world more impressive.

In Death: Unchained

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

Fireproof Games took its hugely popular mobile series The Room and built The Room VR: A Dark Matter specifically for VR gaming. With an original storyline set in London, circa 1908, you play a detective called to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a renown Egyptologist from the British Institute of Archaeology.

Que elaborate puzzles, dark magic and fantastical gadgets to aid the investigation. These are all fully interactive to help engross you in each element plus the gameplay uses specific teleportation points so it should be a very comfortable experience for all players.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

Hold Your Nerve With These Scary VR Horror Titles

Lies Beneath

Halloween is almost upon us and while the events of 2020 may hamper traditional activities such as Trick or Treating, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy the season. You could carve some pumpkins, dress up in some ghoulish face paint or if you’re really really brave play some of the virtual reality (VR) videogames listed below.

Affected: The Manor

AFFECTED: The Manor

This scary title has been doing the rounds for several years now, available on most platforms with recent updates adding a speedrun mode called The Gauntlet whilst The Darkness update upped the intensity by adding just a single candle for illumination. AFFECTED: The Manor isn’t so much a game rather a haunted house experience with multiple routes and endings if you can handle returning.

Five Nights at Freddys VR

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted

The long-running franchise came to VR in 2019 and was all the better for it. Full of bite-sized mini-games that will get your heart racing, the scenes from the previous editions have been updated for VR whilst new ones were added. If you like jump scares (or don’t) it doesn’t get much more intense than this.

In Death: Unchained

In Death/In Death: Unchained

Whether it’s In Death for PC VR and PlayStation VR or In Death: Unchained for Oculus Quest, what you get is a frantic fight against hordes of demons, with only a bow for company. Procedural levels mean that each run is never quite the same and death sees you placed back at the start.

Lies Beneath

Lies Beneath

A good horror game needs to be super creepy, usually with a nice mix of impending doom and some horrible looking monsters. If that’s what you’re looking for then Drifter Entertainment’s Lies Beneath should suffice. With some striking artwork and a comic book style delivery, this should easily keep you on edge.

Layers of Fear

Layers of Fear VR

Set in a hauntingly twisted mansion, Layers of Fear VR is a remake of the pancake original, adding immersive controls for a more intense experience. You play as a painter trying to finish his Magnum Opus yet as you wander his Victorian mansion his mind begins to unravel.

Propagation VR

Propagation VR

Time for one of the newest horror titles on this list, Propagation VR is the work of French team WanadevStudio. Normally creating videogames for VR arcades this is a wave shooter set in a dilapidated subway station after a virus has broken out. With no locomotion the action comes from all sides, creeping out of the darkness for some frightening moments. And the best bit is Propagation VR is completely free!

Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia

The current indie hit on Steam which only arrived into Early Access during September, Phasmophobia is a 4 player online co-op psychological horror. Whether you’re in VR or on PC, you and your team are paranormal investigators searching haunted locations for evidence of ghostly activity.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

For those after an awesome zombie survival experience in VR then look no further than Skydance Interactive’s The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. From the safety of your base where you can craft weapons and useful tools you need to head into the streets of New Orleans, searching houses for resources and finding other survivors to uncover their stories. And of course, removing a few walkers along the way.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

Maybe not everyone’s definition of a horror experience, those that love a good atmospheric puzzle title should take a look at The Room VR: A Dark Matter. Expanding upon the popular mobile series you’re sent back to London circa 1908 to the British Institute of Archaeology where an esteemed Egyptologist has disappeared and a spine-tingling world awaits.

The Exorcist Legion VR screenshot 3

The Exorcist: Legion VR

Pretty much a staple of most VR horror lists, The Exorcist: Legion VR was released back in 2018 by British studio Wolf and Wood. An episodic story spilt across five chapters, you play the role of a detective investigating grisly murders. Needless to say, these all have a paranormal twist.

Blair Witch Oculus Quest

Blair Witch: Oculus Quest Edition

This final is a little extra because it’s not quite out yet. Another standard game port into VR, Blair Witch: Oculus Quest Edition has been redesigned for the headset with lots more interactive features. This probably makes it more terrifying to play as you wander into those haunted woods. It’s set to arrive just in time for Halloween on 29th October 2020.

Competition: Win Yourself a Copy of The Room VR: A Dark Matter on Steam

What a week of virtual reality (VR) videogame releases it has been. First, there was Valve’s Half-Life: Alyx which has pretty much stolen the show, then there was Paper Beast for PlayStation VR and let’s not forget Down the Rabbit HoleAnother exciting launch came from Fireproof Games, bringing it’s puzzle franchise The Room into VR for the first time with The Room VR: A Dark Matter. And as luck would have it, the studio has provided VRFocus with several Steam keys for our readers to win.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

Taking what made the franchise great and giving it an immersive VR spin, The Room VR: A Dark Matter has its own unique storyline set in London, circa 1908, where you play a detective called to investigate a mysterious disappearance. A renown Egyptologist has vanished from the British Institute of Archaeology whilst working on his latest find. As with all The Room  videogames, this has occurred thanks to strange, dark magic.

Players have to scour the locations for clues, solving evermore elaborate puzzles as the campaign progresses. They’ll be able to employ some fantastical gadgets to aid their investigation, which will throw up a few surprises. Built specifically for VR, Fireproof Games has made the puzzles and the experience as a whole nicely interactive, employing the unique features of VR. Additionally, using a node-based teleportation system ensures the locomotion in The Room VR: A Dark Matter is comfortable for all.

Giving The Room VR: A Dark Matter a solid four stars, VRFocus said in its review: “Varied environments filled with detail, rich lore and polished puzzles prove that The Room VR: A Dark Matter is an essential VR puzzler for all fans of the genre.”

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

So onto the competition. Today VRFocus is giving away 5 Steam codes for The Room VR: A Dark Matter. There are multiple ways to enter the giveaway with the standard prize draw entry rules applying: Follow us (or already be following us) on Twitter or alternatively, visit our Facebook page or YouTube channel to get an entry for each. Winners will receive a code for The Room VR: A Dark Matter drawn randomly. The competition will be open until 11.59 pm GMT on Thursday 2nd April 2020. The draw will be made shortly thereafter. Best of luck.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter Steam Code Giveaway

Review: The Room VR: A Dark Matter

In 2012 Fireproof Games launched the first in an award-winning series of puzzle titles for mobile devices called The Room. Offering a fantastical storyline involving magic and a Victorian-era setting, the franchise has gained a legion of fans thanks to the elaborate brainteasers the studio has thought up. Now that gameplay has been transferred into virtual reality (VR), specifically catering to VR mechanics for what is set to be the most immersive entry in the series, The Room VR: A Dark Matter.

The Room VR: A Dark MatterVR is littered with imaginative puzzle titles which range from overwhelmingly difficult to charming and delightful. From bouncing puzzler Glyph’s precision and timing to the recently released Down the Rabbit Hole, there’s no shortage in this genre so to stand out the entire package needs to be special.

Thanks to its pedigree The Room VR: A Dark Matter already benefits but it doesn’t rest on its laurels. It takes what’s best about the franchise and expands into VR with comfortable hands-on gameplay and puzzles that are inventive yet not too overly complicated that you should be stuck for any serious length of time.

The storyline is an important factor in The Room VR: A Dark Matter as it intertwines the puzzles together, making progression feel relevant whilst building a desire to find out what is actually going on. Set in 1908, you play a detective assigned to a missing person case; an esteemed Egyptologist at the British Institute of Archaeology in London has vanished into thin air. As it turns out nothing is what it seems, making for an intriguing plotline.

The Room VR: A Dark MatterSo you start off in a detective’s office with a pleasant view of early 20th century London and this is the smallest area you’re presented with. There are four main locations in The Room VR: A Dark Matter which doesn’t sound like a lot but each one is bigger than the last and more sophisticated, so you do get a good 5+ hours of gameplay. This will also depend on how well acquainted you are with the previous titles, past experience does help with familiar puzzles popping up.

One aspect that will probably divide players is exploration and movement. The Room VR: A Dark Matter goes for node-based teleportation so you don’t have any freedom to wander around the areas. This does make the gameplay feel somewhat restrained considering how much the VR industry has progressed but it does offer several benefits. The first is primarily comfort, so most players shouldn’t have any issue diving straight in.

The other has to do with difficulty and puzzle layout. If you’re given full freedom to wander around frustration can set when you’ve missed something, especially if it’s plainly obvious. With a set number of locations you can move to there’s no worry about blindly overlooking a crucial clue, all you have to do is pay attention to the local vicinity. That doesn’t mean to say The Room VR: A Dark Matter makes things easy, there are some difficult brainteasers to solve which require travelling between several areas.

The Room VR: A Dark MatterA core part of any The Room videogame was the special piece of glass that would allow you to see the unseen. This is where a big part of the magical element comes into play, uncovering hidden symbols and writing on the walls. Its location within the inventory is reminiscent of the other titles but comes off as rather clunky in VR, having to switch back and forth, especially as it turns off when you teleport. Adding the switch to one of the unused controller buttons or physical interaction with the side of your head could’ve been a little more immersive.

If you’re a fan of the franchise then you won’t be disappointed with The Room VR: A Dark Matter as Fireproof Games continues to improve upon the gameplay. For those that have never played The Room before, then its standalone storyline won’t make you feel like you’ve missed out. Varied environments filled with detail, rich lore and polished puzzles prove that The Room VR: A Dark Matter is an essential VR puzzler for all fans of the genre.

80%

Awesome

  • Verdict

The Room VR: A Dark Matter Out Now for Oculus Quest, Valve Index & More

While Half-Life: Alyx has dominated gaming news this week Valve’s sci-fi epic doesn’t support every virtual reality (VR) headset. Today sees the launch of another strong gaming brand, Fireproof Games’ The Room VR: A Dark Matter, making the leap from mobile devices to virtually every major headset.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

If you’ve ever played The Room videogames before you’ll know they’re a mixture of magic and fiendishly elaborate puzzles which tend to revolve around a central puzzle box. As the series expanded these puzzles have expanded to include entire rooms and this is very much how The Room VR: A Dark Matter is laid out.

It wasn’t just the puzzles which were important in the franchise, the storyline also played a crucial role in creating the rich universe fans know and loved. The Room VR: A Dark Matter continues this by taking place in London circa 1908, at the British Institute of Archaeology. An esteemed Egyptologist has disappeared which prompts a police investigation and a step into the unknown.

Thanks to the power of VR, for the first time you’ll be able to directly interact with the puzzles, examining cryptic locations and using some fantastical gadgets in the process. The Room VR: A Dark Matter should also be fairly comfortable for most players as it employs a node-based teleportation system, so there’s no uncomfortable locomotion to worry about.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

The Room VR: A Dark Matter is available now via Steam for Oculus Rift, Oculus Rift S, Valve Index, Vive Cosmos, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets; PlayStation VR and Oculus Quest.

Another one of VRFocus’ Most Anticipated VR Games Coming in 2020 to be released, Paper Beast has also arrived and Phantom: Covert Ops is now scheduled for a June launch. For further updates on The Room VR: A Dark Matter and  Fireproof Games’ continued support of VR, keep reading VRFocus.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter Review – Supernatural Sherlock Holmes

There are some truly great puzzle games in VR. The genre lends itself very well to the interactivity, mystery, and tinkering play style that fits the puzzle genre so the two feel like they were made for one another. The Room VR: A Dark Matter is the latest example of how great a puzzle game built exclusively for VR can truly be.

Many of the best VR puzzle games, such as Transpose and A Fisherman’s Tale, use VR in novel ways to bend your mind and challenge your intellect, so The Room VR is rather muted by comparison. But what it lacks in brain-busting creativity it more than makes up for with a genuinely gripping narrative, excellent production values, and just good old-fashioned puzzles.

Fireproof Games have been making entries in The Room series for eight years now and each of their past games are some of the best you can play on mobile devices, so they’re a studio accustomed to getting the most out of new gaming platforms.

The tricky thing about reviewing a game like The Room is that the sense of continuous discovery is the crux of what makes it so special. You’re more than welcome to watch the gameplay video above, which includes the first segment of the game covering almost 10 minutes (although I’d wager it will take closer to a half hour if you didn’t watch it and went in blind) but I’m hesitant to show anything else. Going in blind is crucial to get the most enjoyment out of The Room VR.

the room vr evidence locker

Everything from the voice acting, environmental designs, object interactivity, and sense of existing in a living, breathing world are top notch here. Many VR puzzle games whisk players away to fantastical settings to sidestep the need to make places look and feel real and lived in, but that grounded nature is what makes The Room VR so good.

You begin the game on a balcony overlooking a very average city in a very average old-timey police station. There’s a projector rattling, a desk with some papers, and a sense of believability that’s missing from lots of VR spaces. This is what makes the paranormal aspects and otherworldly interference feel so intrusive and mysterious: it’s as if the real world itself is getting warped.

In The Room VR you’re tasked with investigating the disappearance of a renowned Egyptologist after a police investigation comes up with nothing. The adventure that follows spans around 5-6 hours, depending on how quickly you solve some of the more intricate puzzles, and spans much more than just the confines of a handful of boring police station offices.

What really sets The Room VR apart from its contemporaries is how effortlessly it melds various other things into its puzzle solving and exploration. Games like Form do a good job of subtly implying its narrative and Transpose is almost entirely esoteric in its delivery, but The Room VR wisely unravels a truly Sherlock Holmes-worthy drama with you at the center.

the room vr book

Visually, The Room VR is a feast for the eyes. Playing on PC with Oculus Rift S revealed great details in the textures, like when reading books such as the one pictured above for clues, and everything in the environments was extremely rich with detail. Obviously the Quest version doesn’t look quite as good, but I’ve played it on that platform as well and have no problems labeling it as one of the best looking games on Quest for sure.

Perhaps the biggest fault with The Room VR overall though is that, like a lot of puzzle games, it does sometimes struggle with pacing and difficulty. As intriguing as much of the story is, it would often feel like I’d go long stretches of time with nothing but my own frustration with getting stuck to keep me company. Getting stuck in a puzzle game in VR feels a bit more aggravating than in non-VR games because taking a break or occupying your mind with something else isn’t as simple as looking away or checking social media on your phone.

Once the headset is on you’re locked in which usually means solving puzzles more quickly since it has your full attention, but sometimes it means your frustration is compounded instead. On the flip side of that, it does give you plenty of time to solve things without holding your hand, which can be refreshing if you enjoy brain teasers.

Another impressive bit is how deftly The Room VR juggles so many different atmospheres and themes. It’s at once a detective mystery, an archaeological adventure, and an otherworldly thriller all wrapped together.

Comfort

Some people will definitely take issue with the movement system, since the game is entirely built upon node-based teleportation and snap turning. But realistically it makes sense for a puzzle game since all of the actual gameplay can be done standing in place interacting with your hands. You don’t really need to sprint around rooms using smooth locomotion at all. Plus, it’s got the added bonus of eliminating the guess work of blindly searching a room for what to do next since you can surmise that important things are probably at each of your teleport nodes. That being said, it would’ve been great to explore areas more freely.

One of the game’s most important mechanics, Spirit Vision, reminded me of the Lens of Truth from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. When you hold the lens up to your eye it lets you peer into the past and look through into another dimension to reveal clues and traces within the world around you. You can see an example of what that looks like in the trailer thumbnail up above.

the room vr release date gif

The Room VR: A Dark Matter Review Final Verdict

The Room VR: A Dark Matter is an exemplary puzzle game that not only serves as a prime example of what makes puzzle games so compelling in the first place, but elevates the genre via VR with supreme interactivity, excellent visuals, and a palpably mysterious atmosphere. It’s only held back slightly by some minor frustrations with pacing and difficulty, but is otherwise one of the best puzzle games available in a VR headset. It carries the torch lit by Myst and demonstrates how engrossing a puzzle game can be when done right.


Final Score: :star: :star: :star: :star: 4/5 Stars | Really Good

the room vr pro con list review

You can read more about our five-star scoring policy here.


The Room VR: A Dark Matter releases today on all major VR platforms including Steam and Rift Home, Quest, and PSVR.

The post The Room VR: A Dark Matter Review – Supernatural Sherlock Holmes appeared first on UploadVR.

The VR Game Launch Roundup: Time to Combine Those Resources

VRFocus compile another list of virtual reality (VR) titles to look forward to over the course of the next week. Make sure to watch the accompanying video at the bottom of this article to preview the gameplay of each one. Be sure to also follow us across our social media accounts to receive further news on each videogame, including full reviews in the near future.

Paper BeastHalf-Life: Alyx – Valve Corporation

Valve’s latest videogame is set between the events of two acclaimed titles: Half-Life and Half-Life 2. In this new epic, the inhabitants of City 17 have been taken over and it’s down to father and daughter team – Dr. Eli Vance and Alyx, to lead a resistance and reclaim the land.

Paper Beast – Pixel Reef

In this unique new title by Pixel Reef, you interact with amazing paper wildlife big and small. From the designer of popular titles Another World and From Dust, Pixel Reef describes Paper Beast as being filled with “decades of lost code.” This wilderness represents the huge memory of a data server “a complete ecosystem, born from the hidden confines of big data” with no text or dialogue throughout.

  • Supported platforms: PlayStation VR
  • Launch date: 24th March

Down The Rabbit HoleDown The Rabbit Hole – Cortopia Studios

Serving as a prequel story to Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, you play through the videogame as a girl who has found herself in Wonderland before Alice herself. In this interactive story, you must find your way home while solving puzzles and encountering a series of familiar faces from the Alice In Wonderland universe. Also featuring a range of hidden collectables and a unique VR locomotion system.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter – Fireproof Studios

Following a police investigation into the disappearance of an Egyptologist from The British Institute of Archaeology, you must use a range of gadgets to explore a range of locations and unearth the truth while encountering otherworldly forces.

The Room VR: A Dark MatterB-Team – Twisted Pixel Games

Finding yourself in the midst of an alien invasion where the world’s greatest forces have already been defeated, it is up to you and your team to sort the mess out. Featuring four different characters with unique abilities to play as, you are tasked with using a range of special weapons to fight through the land, solving puzzles in hope of defeating of this war-hungry alien race.

  • Supported platforms: Oculus Quest
  • Launch date: 26th March

The Room VR: A Dark Matter Coming to Multiple VR Platforms in March

Way back in 2014 not long after VRFocus had first arrived on the virtual reality (VR) scene we spoke to Fireproof Games’ co-founder Barry Meade about bringing its popular mobile franchise The Room to VR, with him saying that: “It would be very, very difficult to port.” Well, six years later that’s soon about to become a reality as the studio has just revealed a March launch date for The Room VR: A Dark Matter.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

As noted in that previous interview the studio knew it couldn’t simply port the title over to VR headsets so The Room VR: A Dark Matter has been built from the ground up for VR and its special capabilities. First showcased at Oculus Connect 6 (OC6), the title stays in the same universe whilst offering its own narrative twist.

“The British Institute of Archaeology, London, 1908: The disappearance of an esteemed Egyptologist prompts a Police investigation into the unknown,” explains the synopsis. Just like the rest of the series players will be sent to cryptic locations to examine and use fantastical gadgets, all the while slowly unearthing an otherworldly element which blurs the line between reality and illusion.

“After 8 years and four games in The Room series on mobile, we felt it was time to take a step back and try something new. We’ve always been big fans of VR, and the opportunity to bring The Room into virtual reality seemed like a great way to do that,” the team has previously said.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

The Room VR: A Dark Matter has been scheduled for release on 26th March, supporting PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, Oculus Rift SValve Index, Vive Cosmos, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

This isn’t Fireproof Games’ first VR title either. Back in 2016, the team release Omega Agent where players could fly a nuclear-powered jetpack as they trained to become a super spy on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR.

One of VRFocus’ Most Anticipated VR Games Coming In 2020, take a look at the latest trailer for The Room VR: A Dark Matter below and for further updates ahead of launch, keep reading VRFocus.

VRFocus’ Most Anticipated VR Games Coming in 2020

It has been quite an incredible year for virtual reality (VR) fans. Headsets like Oculus Quest, Valve Index and Vive Cosmos have arrived while developers have continually surpassed the quality of content available. So now it’s time to look ahead and into 2020. With plenty of exciting content coming in the next 12 months VRFocus looks at some of the most exciting prospects.

Half-Life: Alyx

The one videogame pretty much all VR gamers are looking forward to, Valve’s addition to the Half-Life franchise is going to be a dedicated VR experience. Supporting PC VR headsets – free for those who own Valve Index – Half-Life: Alyx will be set between the events of 1998’s Half-Life and Half-Life 2 (2004).

You take the role of Alyx Vance as she and her father secretly form a resistance against the mysterious alien race known as The Combine currently occupying planet Earth. Set for an official launch in March, Half-Life: Alyx looks stunning from the screenshots released so far and could become the VR game of the year.

Half-Life: AlyxThe Walking Dead: Saint & Sinners

Currently being developed by Skydance Interactive as an official tie-in to AMC’s TV Show, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is going to be a gory, zombie-filled, shooter. With its own unique storyline set within New Orleans, the videogame will task players with having to deal with constant threats of violence, disease, and famine, with threats coming from both the zombie and human population alike.

Being able to wield an assortment of ranged and close-combat weaponry, players will be able to inflict some brutal damage in their bid to survive, whilst also making life and death decisions which affect the narrative. There won’t be too long to wait either, as the launch date of 23rd January has already been confirmed.

The Walking Dead: Saints & SinnersThe Walking Dead Onslaught

Can’t get enough of the undead and using shotguns to decapitate them? Well, you’re in luck as VR specialist Survios (Battlewake, Creed: Rise to Glory, Electronauts) is also working with AMC on a Walking Dead videogame. The Walking Dead Onslaught was originally due for release in 2019 but the studio pushed it back to improve the experience.

Offering a single-player campaign which also has its own unique storyline, VRFocus previewed the title at the Electonic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019, finding that: “The Walking Dead Onslaught looks like it’ll provide a fairly brutal zombie gameplay experience for fans of titles like Arizona Sunshine.” There’s no launch date at the moment but Survios has always produced high-quality VR titles so its one to keep an eye on.

The Walking Dead OnslaughtLone Echo II

Before Half-Life: Alyx was announced, developer Ready at Dawn had the most anticipated sci-fi experience arriving in 2020, Lone Echo II. An Oculus Rift exclusive, the original from 2017 set a new benchmark in both visual and gameplay design for VR experiences. However, the sequel has a lot more competition now and expectations are high.

Lone Echo II was supposed to be a 2019 release, the studio announced in the summer that a Q1 2020 launch window was now taking place. Thus putting it in direct competition with Valve’s epic. The sequel continues the story of Captain Olivia Rhodes and your robot character Jack who’s there to protect her. Having previewed Lone Echo II it looks like fans won’t be disappointed.

Lone Echo 2Medal of Honor: Above & Beyond

One of the surprise announcements from Oculus Connect 6 (OC6) in September 2019, Respawn Entertainment finally revealed its first VR title originally hinted at during OC4. Bringing one of its most popular franchises to VR, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond takes players back to World War II, as an Allied agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

Tasked with completing a tour of duty across Europe to disable the Nazi war machine, the title will feature both single-player and multiplayer modes offering historically accurate settings, weapons and other items. Mixing up both first-person shooter (FPS) action with puzzles, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond proved to be an enjoyable experience when VRFocus previewed the title. There’s no release window during 2020 just yet.

Medal of Honor: Above and BeyondLow-Fi

Coming from the indie team behind Technolust, Low-Fi first emerged on Kickstarter looking to raise $60,000 CAD to fund this cyberpunk adventure. The crowd-funding campaign easily hit the target within four days, raise over $100,000 CAD in the process.

Designed to be a massive open-world sandbox inspired by films such as Blade Runner and Robocop, Low-Fi puts players in the shoes of a police officer recently transferred to a crime-ridden section of city-block 303. Here they can keep law and order, solving crimes and advancing narratives or delve into the seedy underbelly of the city, taking bribes, framing innocent people and hanging out in casinos. A fully finished version is expected to arrive towards the end of 2020.

Low-Fi screenshot2

After the Fall

The next big title from Vertigo Games (Arizona Sunshine, Skyworld), After the Fall is another FPS filled with monsters to shoot and guns to upgrade. Taking place in Los Angeles 20 years after an apocalypse began a new ice age, you need to survive this harsh winter environment scavaging what you can whilst killing as many Snowbreed as possible. These horrible creatures were once human but thanks to designer drugs mutated into foul beasts.

Set to offering both single-player and co-op multiplayer modes, After the Fall will be an action-packed experience where you can build weapons, armour and other gear from found items. Vertigo Games has yet to announce when in 2020 After the Fall will arrive, so in the meantime check out VRFocus‘ preview.

After The FallIron Man VR

One of the first VR videogames announced during Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) State of Play broadcast in March, Iron Man VR is possibly PlayStation VR’s biggest exclusive coming in 2020. Putting players in Tony Stark’s iconic suit whilst playing the character himself, players will be able to fly, shoot and punch just like the Marvel superhero, in what could be the best Iron Man videogame to date.

Marvel’s Iron Man VR is scheduled for worldwide release on 28th February 2020 with pre-orders available.

Iron Man VR

Paper Beast

Another PlayStation VR exclusive, Paper Beast looks set to offer one of the most intriguing and original experiences to come to the headset next year. Created by French studio Pixel Reef, Paper Beast is the work of legendary designer behind  Another World and From Dust, Eric Chahi.

Designed to be a playful exploration videogame, Paper Beast is set in the world of big data, born within the vast memory of data servers.  Here players will find strange creatures and an everchanging landscape, with a non-verbal narrative to follow. Players can not only interact with the creatures they find but also the terrain, solving puzzles in the process. Paper Beast is due out soon, with a Q1 2020 window now in place.

Paper BeastThe Room VR: A Dark Matter

A multiplatform title which was revealed during OC6, The Room VR: A Dark Matter continues Fireproof Games’ award winning series The Room. Designed specifically for VR, this version is set in the British Museum, London, circa 1908. The storyline revolves around the disappearance of an esteemed Egyptologist prompting a police investigation.

Players will be able to explore cryptic locations, examine gadgets and discover an otherworldly element blurring the line between reality and illusion, fantastic for any puzzle fan. A launch will be taking place early 2020 for headsets including Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality.

The Room VR: A Dark MatterPixel Ripped 1995

Having begun with Pixel Ripped 1989, creator Ana Ribeiro and Brazilian studio ARVORE plan to make several sequels with Pixel Ripped 1995 being the next. Each one is a sort of homage to gaming of that era, mixing VR environments with some retro gameplay.

The first title was a delightful experience with Pixel Ripped 1995 promising more of the same, now stepping into the 16-bit gaming era. The narrative continues where players have to fight an evil goblin called the Cyblin Lord. This time players are David, a 9-year-old kid from New Jersey who must defeat the evil villain. Currently, Pixel Ripped 1995 doesn’t have a date or window for launch in 2020, so take a look at VRFocus’ preview from OC6 for a little more info.

Pixel Ripped 1995Phantom: Covert Ops

As is quite often the case videogame launches get pushed back and nDreams’ Phatom: Covert Ops is no different. Another title expected in 2019, the British VR developer announced the decision to delay the release until the new year to polish the experience.

From what VRFocus has seen already Phantom: Covert Ops looks very promising, with the core mechanic being that you’re a stealth operative working solely from a kayak. One of the reasons for this idea was gamer comfort, in a seated position you need to paddle to move anywhere, whilst a range of weaponry including a silenced pistol, rifle and C4 are all close to hand for carrying out missions. Once again there’s no solid date for Phantom: Covert Ops’ launch in 2020 so you’ll have to make do with this preview for a little more detail.

Phantom: Covert Ops

PlayStation VR Marks Third Anniversary With Game Sale & Updates

Next week will be the third anniversary of PlayStation VR’s launch and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) wasn’t going to let that pass by without some sort of celebration. To mark the occasion, SIE has announced a special PlayStation VR Anniversary Sale, updates on some of the titles coming to the headset, as well as the most popular experience in Europe and North America.

PlayStation VR

To start with, players can look forward to some interesting new videogames while some others have been given launch dates/windows:

  • Bonfire – Baobob Studios – 22nd October
  • Audica – Harmonix – 5th November
  • Paper Beast – Pixel Reef – Early 2020
  • Pixel Ripped 1995 – ARVORE – Spring 2020
  • The Room VR: A Dark Matter – Fireproof Games – Spring 2020

As for the top ten PlayStation VR experiences from each region, they are:

North America Europe
The Playroom VR The Playroom VR
PlayStation VR Worlds PlayStation VR Worlds
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
Resident Evil 7 biohazard Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR Gran Turismo Sport
Beat Saber Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Jackal Assault VR Experience
Job Simulator The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
Batman: Arkham VR Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Superhot VR Farpoint
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Jackal Assault VR Experience Driveclub VR

 

PlayStation VR Group shot

Last but not least is the PlayStation VR Anniversary Sale. For Europe the sale starts tomorrow 9th – 23rd October, while in North America the sale has already begun, ending 22nd October: With savings up to 60 percent off, here are the EU titles on sale:

PlayStation VR’s actual anniversary is on 13th October, so there could be some other surprises in store this weekend. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.