Category Archives: Oculus Rift News

Top 5 Oculus Releases – May 26th-June 1st – Gravity Not Included

Slip the surly bonds of earth in this week’s top Oculus games. Between multi-directional space dogfights, solving mysteries on a space station and hunting down zombies from a heavily armed chopper, gravity turns out to be less a “law” than a “suggestion.”

Overload

from Revival Productions

Overload - screenshot courtesy Steam
Overload – screenshot courtesy Steam

Created by member of the team behind Descent, this release brings the six-degrees-of-freedom shooter into the modern age with VR support. Overload is…well…overloaded with options for multiple preferred play styles, including a story-driven campaign, multi-player matches, tons of ship customization, and a soundtrack the composers who worked on the three original Descent games.

A warning, though: the original Descent series’ portrayal of zero-gravity space ship combat was dizzying, to say the least, so VR players with motion sensitivity might want to avoid this. But in all aspects, this is absolutely the spiritual sequel fans have been waiting for.

Oculus Rift | 8 GB | $29.99 from Steam

Downward Spiral: Horus Station

from 3rd Eye Studios

Downward Spiral: Horus Station - screenshot courtesy Steam
Downward Spiral: Horus Station – screenshot courtesy Steam

The full-length follow-up to 2017’s acclaimed Downward Spiral: Prologue, this game features both an exploration-driven adventure mode and a wave shooter-inspired mode for players more interested in combat.

Both styles of play incorporate an atmospheric and environmental-driven approach to storytelling that borrows from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien: Isolation and any number of terrifying Doctor Who episodes set on abandoned space stations.

Oculus Rift | 10 GB | $19.99 from Steam

Along Together

from Turbo Button

Along Together - screenshot courtesy Steam
Along Together – screenshot courtesy Steam

A puzzle platformer that focus more on charm than extreme challenge, Along Together is a heart-warming tale that puts the player in the role of a child’s imaginary friend as the two work together to rescue a missing dog. Family-friendly but wonderfully executed, this would make a great introduction to new VR users.

Oculus Rift | 850 MB | $19.99 from Oculus or from Steam

Zombie Gunship Raptor

from Limbic Software

Zombie Gunship Raptor - screenshot courtesy Oculus
Zombie Gunship Raptor – screenshot courtesy Oculus

Apart from the obvious zombie-related premise, Zombie Gunship Raptor is an unexpectedly realistic helicopter combat simulator, especially for a mobile VR game. It’s also tons of fun.

Oculus Go | 116 MB | $3.99 from Oculus
Gear VR | 116 MB | $3.99 from Oculus

Nothin’ but Net

from What Up Games

Nothin' but Net - screenshot courtesy Steam
Nothin’ but Net – screenshot courtesy Steam

Less an NBA simulator than a neighborhood basketball game, Nothin’ but Net will have you reliving the days of pick-up games and playing H-O-R-S-E with your friends. Both multi-player and solo modes are available, in case your friends aren’t around but you still want to work on your free throws.

Oculus Rift | 325 MB | $9.99 from Steam

Top 5 Oculus Releases – March 31st-April 6th – Elder Scrolls and Other Amazing Environments

There are quite a few movie tie-ins this week, but after last week’s collection inspired by Ready Player One, we’re focusing on worlds designed originally for games and VR this time around. And thanks in part to VR’s entry into the world of Tamriel, there are plenty of worlds for adventurous Oculus players to explore:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

from Bethesda Game Studios

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR - screenshot courtesy Steam
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR – screenshot courtesy Steam

After an initial release exclusive to Sony PSVR, the most successful game yet in the massively popular Elder Scrolls series makes its way to Oculus, as fellow Bethesda Game Studios series Fallout did several months ago. The VR edition also includes all previously released add-on content, for hundreds of hours of dragon-slaying and quests.

The marvelous thing about Skyrim, though, is that you can ignore the quests altogether and spend hours, as we have, wandering through its verdant glades, mysterious forests and awe-inspiring mountain peaks. And if the original edition is nearly perfect as a fantasy landscape hike simulator, how much better is it in VR?

We recommend playing this with the Oculus Touch controllers because the thumbsticks allow for smoother motion and tighter control, and we were a bit puzzled by the lack of haptic feedback from weapon strikes, but those are minor quibbles for a game that creates this deep a sense of immersion.

Oculus Rift | 15 GB | $59.99 on Steam

Island Time VR

from Flight School Studio

Island Time VR - screenshot courtesy Steam
Island Time VR – screenshot courtesy Steam

With the notable – and wonderful – exception of Don’t Starve, too many survival games opt for such a grim and gritty approach that the actual sense of fun gets left behind.

Not so with Island Time VR, which brings a charming cartoon-inspired aesthetic to the “how would you survive on a desert island” genre. Between its bug-eyed crabs and gulls, buck-toothed fish and a comedic approach to crafting, it reminds us a bit of Robinson Crusoe as done by Aardman Animations.

Oculus Rift | 1 GB | $14.99 from Oculus or from Steam

Kartong – Death by Cardboard!

from SRVIVE Studios

Kartong - Death by Cardboard! - screenshot courtesy Steam
Kartong – Death by Cardboard! – screenshot courtesy Steam

We’ve been following this one for a while. Now out of Early Access, Kartong – Death by Cardboard! is a survival action shooter that stands out for its papercraft environments and its approach to household objects re-imagined as traps and weaponry.

It’s also cross-platform compatible, so non-VR players can also try their hands at escaping the sinister cardboard city and the nefarious clutches of the mastermind who created it.

Oculus Rift | 9 GB | $8.99 from Oculus or $13.99 from Steam

La Camila: A VR Story

from Jak Wilmot

La Camila - screenshot courtesy Steam
La Camila – screenshot courtesy Steam

Selected for this year’s Atlanta Film Festival, La Camila: A VR Story is a free interactive film that charmed us equally with its pastoral steampunk imagery, it’s ‘60s folk-rock soundtrack, and its heartwarming tale of a young orphan girl preserving a fantasy world. A brief but lovely work of magical realism.

Oculus Rift | 2 GB | FREE from Steam

Cat ‘S’ Trophy

from Visible Realms

Cat 'S' Tropy - screenshot courtesy Oculus
Cat ‘S’ Tropy – screenshot courtesy Oculus

Loosely inspired by Mario Cart in terms of mechanics and perspective, this cart racing game for Gear VR has a couple of clever innovations. In Cat ‘S’ Trophy, players design their own tracks; that’s not a bonus option but an integral part of the game. For another, instead of go-carts, players race bizarre wheeled cats, which gives new meaning to the phrase “purring engine.”

Gear VR | 521 MB | $4.99 from Oculus

Top 5 Oculus Releases – March 17th-30th – Ready, Players One and All

This week was a little bit of a slow one for new Oculus releases, but large in other ways. Due to this weekend’s surprisingly entertaining new Spielberg film – based on a novel with…fairly mixed reviews – it doesn’t take the cutting edge technology prophets here at Oculus Game Reviewer to predict a spike in the general public’s interest in VR.

Keeping that in mind, we offer you a double-sized, two-week list of top new Oculus releases (ubiquitous ‘80s references not necessarily included):

Catan VR

from Experiment 7

Settlers of Catan - screenshot courtesy Oculus
Settlers of Catan – screenshot courtesy Oculus

A virtual version of a board game might not seem like the most exciting offering compared to a flying Delorean with spray-painted Ghostbuster logos, but this is a great entry point for new players. A calm and well-designed environment prevents shock and motion sickness, guaranteeing VR newcomers without hardcore game experience don’t just bounce right off the medium, never to return.

Plus, it’s Settlers of Catan, one of the most acclaimed board games of all time. And with input on AI opponents from original board game designer Klaus Teuber, cross-platform play for both Rift and Gear VR users, and a fully animated island playing board complete with weather effects, Catan VR is a definite must-have (and not just for VR newcomers, either).

Oculus Rift | 393 MB | $14.99 from Oculus
Gear VR | 254 MB | $9.99 from Oculus

Apex Construct

from Fast Travel Games

Apex Construct - screenshot courtesy Steam
Apex Construct – screenshot courtesy Steam

Aesthetically the most similar offering to Ready Player One, thanks to a futuristic setting and a plot featuring warring AIs, Apex Construct is a story-driven shooter that somehow combines cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic sci-fi with archery-driven combat.

Originally released for Sony PSVR and now available for the Rift, this release from Fast Travel Games offers a solid simulation of archery, plenty of action, and a visually stunning setting.

Oculus Rift | 5 GB | $29.99 from Steam

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files

from Rockstar Games

L.A. Noire: The VR Csae Files - screenshot courtesy Steam
L.A. Noire: The VR Csae Files – screenshot courtesy Steam

The big budget VR film du jour might be all about the ‘80s, but how about a game that transports you to the ‘40s? The VR spin-off of Rockstar Games’ acclaimed detective adventure from 2011, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files offers seven new cases to solve.

Featuring a variety of game mechanics, ranging from puzzle-solving to shooting to fisticuffs, all delivered in a full-color but faithfully film noir setting, this one offers a solid cross-section of experiences for new and experienced VR players alike.

Oculus Rift | 18 GB | $29.99 from Oculus or from Steam

The Steadfast VR Challenge

from LANCLAN LLC

The Steadfast VR Challenge - screenshot courtesy Steam
The Steadfast VR Challenge – screenshot courtesy Steam

Requiring both reflexes and tactical skills, the somewhat bland name of The Steadfast VR Challenge belies this game’s entertainment value. Combining wave shooter and tower defense elements with a comfortable interface that will get pulses racing without stomachs roiling, this one has the added bonus of a graphical presentation that recalls Team Fortress 2 with its charming, cartoonish violence.

Oculus Rift | 750 MB | $19.99 from Oculus

ARK Park

from Snail Games

ARK Park - screenshot courtesy Steam
ARK Park – screenshot courtesy Steam

The VR-exclusive spin-off from the much-hyped but critically mixed ARK: Survival Evolved, this latest entry into the burgeoning genre of VR Jurassic Park simulator offers a mix of crafting, exploration, and above all, dinosaurs. While the game mechanics could use some improvement here and there, the dinosaurs themselves are unparalleled.

Oculus Rift | 25 GB | $39.99 from Oculus or from Steam

Have you seen the movie yet? What did you think of its portrayal of VR? Let us know in the comments!