Category Archives: Oculus Games

Top 5 Oculus Releases – September 9th-15th – Trains and Tanks

September 15, 2017Best Oculus Games, Oculus GamesGear VR games, Oculus Rift games, oculus rift newsinfinitywaltz

There’s a little something for everyone in this week’s Oculus releases, from atmospheric train rides to madcap tank battles, from creepy atmosphere to cartoon violence. Our top picks for the week:

Manifest 99

by Flight School Studio

Innovative in its storyline, its graphical approach and its use of the VR space alike, Manifest 99 is a brief, exploratory experience of a passenger on a train to the land of the dead. With no controllers required, players navigate through gaze alone, looking into the eyes of fellow passengers – or even the ominous crows accompanying them on this eerie voyage – to see things from their perspective. On top of the atmospheric concept and novel control scheme, it looks like something out of a Studio Ghibli film – one of the creepier ones.

While it’s less a game than a 20-minute atmospheric interactive ride through a glass train of emotion, its locomotion (pun intended) mechanic and evocative visuals make it totally worthy of your time.

Oculus Rift | 3 GB | $5.99 from the Oculus Store or from Steam

Duck Season

by Stress Level Zero

Much more than a tribute to the NES light gun classic Duck Hunt, this game from Hover Junkers developers Stress Level Zero is a mix of ‘80s nostalgia and horror a la Stranger Things. Mini-games on a retro console and playable VHS cassettes capture the spirit of the era. As for Duck Hunt, remember the way your hunting dog would laugh at you when you’d miss? In Duck Season he gets to play a more active role…and he’s not happy you keep trying to shoot him.

Oculus Rift | 3 GB | $19.99 from the Oculus Store or from Steam

Bloody Zombies

by Paw Print Games LLC

One genre that hasn’t inundated the VR world yet is the classic brawler. Bloody Zombies aims to fill that void with cross-platform co-op beat-’em-action for VR and standard PC players alike – though the diorama perspective afforded to VR players offers visual access to otherwise-hidden in-game areas. Eye-catching and colorful comic book-inspired characters – as well as British humor – add to the appeal of punching zombies up one side of post-apocalyptic London and down the other.

Oculus Rift | 6.7 GB | $14.99 from the Oculus Store or from Steam

World War Toons: Tank Up!

by Studio Roqovan, Inc.

A single-player prequel to World War Toons, a multi-player FPS for Sony PlayStation 4 and Sony VR, World War Toons: Tank Up! features the same cartoonish action and Axis vs. Allies hi-jinks. We know VR shooters are a dime a dozen, but Studio Roqovan – inspired by classic Looney Toons and Tom and Jerry episodes – gives the genre the comedic kick in the pants it so sorely needs.

Gear VR | 80 MB | $4.99 from the Oculus Store

Seeking Evil: The Wendigo

by Copybugpaste

Stealth and puzzle elements and the use of a monster from Native American folklore look to elevate Seeking Evil: The Wendigo – out of Early Access this week – above the typical VR horror experience. Instead of just wandering through an environment waiting for jump scares, players must find and collect a series of totem objects hidden in the dark woods…but move slowly and carefully, lest they be caught by the fearful Wendigo that stalks them through the forest at night.

Oculus Rift | 4 GB | $9.99 from Steam

Other Noteworthy Oculus Releases:

Masterpiece VR

by Brinx Software

An artistic tool rather than a game or experience, Masterpiece VR might be the biggest Oculus release of the week. Combining 3D painting tools a la Tilt Brush with the sculpting and modeling of Oculus Medium, Masterpiece VR was garnering favorable comparisons to both when it was still in beta. In addition to its numerous graphical tools, this program also allows multiple artists to work together in a single virtual space.

Oculus Rift | 8 GB | $29.99 from the Oculus Store or from Steam

Be sure to check back next week for the latest and best Oculus Rift and Gear VR releases.

Top 5 Oculus Releases – September 2nd-8th – Knock Howl Crash Shoot

September 8, 2017Best Oculus Games, Oculus GamesOculus Rift games, oculus rift news, Shoot 'em Upinfinitywaltz

Lots of shooters out for the Oculus Rift this week (even more than usual) and some horror offerings, too, but if you’re worn out by jump scares and the old ultra-violence, there are also some all-ages offerings and a couple of games ideal for VR newcomers. These are our top picks for Oculus games released this week:

Don’t Knock Twice

by Wales Interactive

A first-person horror game tied in with the movie of the same name – starring Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Galactica fame – Don’t Knock Twice looks legitimately terrifying. Players explore an authentic Welsh house to discover the terrible truth behind an urban legend. The game supports multiple control options, and nearly every object in the house – itself modeled entirely on the one used in the film – can be interacted with.

Developers Wales Interactive have already proven their ability to evoke creepy atmosphere and first-person horror with PC games like Master Reboot, itself set within a VR environment of sorts. Admittedly, there’s no shortage of VR horror experiences, but between the dev team’s track record, the details in the haunted house and the Bloody Mary-esque monster, this one looks better than most.

Oculus Rift | 1.8 GB | $19.99 from the Oculus Store or from Steam

Crashimals

by Rogue Earth LLC

Drawing obvious inspiration from Angry Birds, this game brings cute animals and destructible environmental puzzles into 3D. Crashimals also adds the challenge of steering – instead of just aiming a slingshot, players use guide animals in RC airplanes like cute, fuzzy little kamikaze pilots. With 72 levels and added challenges – destroy cakes while leaving presents behind, for example – this is a lot less simple than it appears at first glance.

Oculus Rift | 1 GB | $29.99 from the Oculus Store or from Steam

Wolf Must Die

by FuntaVR

Wolf Must Die – screenshot courtesy Steam

Wolf Must Die is a wave-based shooter with a fairy tale twist: instead of guns against robots, it’s bows and arrows against cartoon wolves as players defend their village. Wolf Must Die aims at being fun for all ages, so this might be a good entry point for VR newcomers.

Oculus Rift | 50 MB | $7.99 from Steam

MINE!

by Tantrum Lab

Sometimes all you want is a simple wave shooter, and MINE! delivers on that front. Defend your mine from waves of aliens out to steal or blow up your precious crystals in this static-view wave shooter. Using simplified controls, MINE! is meant for VR newcomers and conference demos. It’s also totally free – a bit basic, maybe, but you can’t argue with the price.

Oculus Rift | 50 MB | FREE from Steam

Hell Dimension VR

by Third Door Studio

Another shooter, but this one definitely isn’t for kids or beginners. Instead, Hell Dimension VR pays tribute to the gore and horror-themed FPS games of yesteryear – think Painkiller and Blood – with copious blood-splatters and bullets a-plenty. For added blood, gore and deformed monstrosities, try multi-player mode.

Oculus Rift | 1 GB | $8.49 from Steam

Other Noteworthy Oculus Releases:

Gappo’s Legacy

by Odysseus

Yes, it’s another shooter wherein players blast oncoming waves of robots, but Gappo’s Legacy, still in Early Access, is attempting to push the boundaries of the VR shooter glut. Besides the story-driven tie-ins – apparently there are both TV and comics series in the works – Gappo’s Legacy adds multiple mechanics like shields and bullet time as well as mixed reality green screen gaming for arcades and festivals. Odysseus look like they’re trying to create a real virtual reality “experience” with this one as opposed to another wave shooter VR cash-in. Time will tell whether or not they’re successful.

Oculus Rift | 3 GB | $8.99 from Steam

VirtuGO

by Surreal Games

Remember Klax? Arcade game with tiles falling off a conveyor belt that you had to stack for combos? A bit like a Connect 4 crossed with Tetris? Well, VirtuGO is that, basically (but in VR). Though not particularly original, this could be a lot of fun if Surreal Games gets the input and sound effects right so that the tiles combine with properly satisfying clanks.

Oculus Rift | 1 GB | $1.99 from Steam

Be sure to check back next week for more Oculus Rift and Gear VR releases!

Top 5 Oculus Releases – August 26th-September 1st – A Heavenly Week for Bullet Hells

August 31, 2017Best Oculus Games, Oculus GamesGear VR games, Oculus Rift games, oculus rift news, Secret Location, Shoot 'em Upinfinitywaltz

Lots of new shoot-’em-ups for the Oculus Rift this week, but don’t worry. If a voyage to bullet hell doesn’t sound like heaven, there’s also soccer (or football, if you prefer) and sailing:

Headmaster

by Frame Interactive Studio

Ostensibly a game about heading soccer balls – in other words, bouncing them off your head – Headmaster combines VR sports action with puzzles. Honestly, we’d have been satisfied with a well-designed sports game (and since it’s VR, there’s no worry of repetitive brain trauma), but we’re extra intrigued by the menacing yet comedic wrapping of a prison-like “Football Improvement Camp.”

The whole thing reminds us of The Prisoner if Douglas Adams had written it. Needless to say, we’re intrigued.

Oculus Rift | 1.8 GB | $19.99 from the Oculus Store or from Steam

Sea Hero Quest VR

by Glitchers Ltd.

Originally developed for mobile platforms, Sea Hero Quest VR makes its way to Gear VR this week. Ostensibly a free game about exploring the ocean, navigating by ship and tracking down mysterious sea creatures, it was developed in part by Alzheimer’s Research UK and scientists from University College London and the University of East Anglia. Because spatial navigation is one of the first skills to go in Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, Sea Hero Quest VR tracks players’ navigation within the game and uses the data to better understand the way our brains help move us through three-dimensional space.

Not only does this game involve steering a boat and photographing adorable sea monsters – honestly, adorable sea monsters were enough to get us “on board,” so to speak – it also contributes to incredibly important research. Science!

Gear VR | 375 MB | FREE from the Oculus Store

Blasters of the Universe

by The Secret Location

After a long time in Early Access, Blasters of the Universe is an attempt to bring the bullet hell shooter into first-person VR. From The Secret Location, winners of the first Emmy for a VR experience (“Sleepy Hollow”), Blasters of the Universe combines seemingly endless gun customization with high speed bullet-dodging and a late ’80s cyberpunk/vaporwave aesthetic.

It starts off slow enough, but by the time you realize you need to move your entire body to dodge the incoming waves of neon bullets, the wave patterns have changed…and they’re coming in faster – as are the game’s relentless one-liners.

Oculus Rift | 4.9 GB | $12.74 from the Oculus Store or from Steam

Spartaga

by House of How

It must be bullet hell week. Spartaga is a more traditional take on the classic shoot-’em-up, drawing on some obvious Zaxxon influences. Swedish ambient duo Carbon Based Lifeforms provides an electronic score that should go well with the game’s vivid tanks and spaceships.

Oculus Rift | 1 GB | $19.99 from Steam

Remnith

by Chronish Games

Yet another high-octane shooter in a week that’s already filled with them, Remnith provides a slightly different take on things by focusing on accuracy instead of speed – the more missed shots you make, the stronger your enemies get. It’s also got a graphics style that manages to mix dingy industrialized landscapes with flashes of vivid color, reminding us a bit of Blade Runner or the most interesting parts of the Matrix films.

Oculus Rift | 5 GB | $9.99 from Steam

Other Noteworthy Oculus Releases:

ARK: Survival Evolved

by Studio Wildcard, Instinct Games, Efectro Studios and Virtual Basement, LLC

Arguably the biggest – or at least the most publicized – release of the week, ARK: Survival Evolved and its ambitious attempt at a sandbox survival game wherein one can both kill and ride dinosaurs could be amazing. Unfortunately, the game has been plagued by complaints about overpriced DLC, unfinished game elements and poor performance – and that’s just when running it on a regular desktop. We can’t imagine that the game runs any better in VR mode. Hopefully, the VR-exclusive spin-off ARK Park will be better.

Oculus Rift | 60 GB | $59.99 from Steam

Preta: Vendetta Rising

by Ilion Corp

Another ambitious offering, Preta: Vendetta Rising attempts to bring the hack-and-slash fantasy MMORPG into VR space. Between complaints about its reliance on micro-transactions and gameplay that involves more grinding than fun, this one might not be all the way there yet.

Oculus Rift | 12 GB | $9.99 from Steam

ChefU

by Lockem Reality

If you’re looking for an ultra-realistic cooking simulator, this might not be for you, but if a culinary-themed take on Surgeon Simulator or Job Simulator sounds amusing, ChefU might be right up your alley…at least until KFC makes their VR chicken-frying simulator available to the general public.

Oculus Rift | 8 GB | $29.99 from Steam

Be sure to check back next week to see what else is cooking for the Oculus Rift and Gear VR!