Top 5 Oculus Releases – February 17th-23rd – Steam-Powered Sharks and Nuclear Kittens

February 25, 2018Oculus Rift NewsGear VR games, Oculus Rift, Oculus Rift gamesinfinitywaltz

Getting past the obvious hype of steampunk strategy, this week’s most intriguing new Oculus releases offer an array of educational experiences, from exploring the ocean to gaining a better understanding of nuclear disasters:

Brass Tactics

from Hidden Path Entertainment

After last week’s free multi-player preview – Brass Tactics: Arena – the long-awaited full version is out at last, and all reports indicate that it actually lives up to the hype.

With a single-player campaign lasting up to six hours, plus over a dozen maps, multiple units and a variety of single and multi-player game modes and an interface somewhere between a high-end tabletop war game and a retro-futuristic general’s war room, Brass Tactics is the latest and greatest in VR strategy.

The detailed backgrounds and well-executed steampunk unit designs don’t hurt, either.

Oculus Rift | 8.7 GB | $39.99 from Oculus

Operation Apex

from Curiscope

Games like Subnautica and Ocean Rift have highlighted particular suitability of VR for experiencing underwater environments – no SCUBA certification necessary and no risk of nitrogen narcosis.

Operation Apex is more realistic than the former and more story-driven than the latter, with players taking on the role of oceanographic researchers in search of the legendary great white shark. That appeals to our scientific side, as does the promise of simulated marine life reacting to us as we enter its native ecosystem.

Oculus Rift | 3.8 GB | $19.99 from Oculus

FukushimaRMI

from Michael Vallance

A free interactive experience intended as an educational tool, FukushimaRMI is a fascinating glimpse into the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Players guide a robot gathering radioactive bins, and the presence of wandering animals and birdsong in the otherwise eerie quiet is a juxtaposition that better conveys the dangers of radiation than any Fallout knock-off.

Oculus Rift | FREE from WEARVR

Konrad the Kitten

from FusionPlay

Essentially a virtual pet, the simplicity of the concept belies the innovative nature of Konrad the Kitten. Now out of Early Access, this game offers a “plush toy” mode combining real world tactile feedback with virtual pet antics (just strap your controller to your favorite stuffed animal) – and highlights the potential of VR to create meaningful experiences for audiences well outside the gaming and technological community.

Oculus Rift | 500 MB | $14.99 from Oculus or from Steam

Tomb Raider: Lara’s Escape VR

from Warner Bros.

Tomb Raider: Lara's Escape - screenshot courtesy Steam — Tomb Raider: Lara’s Escape – screenshot courtesy Steam

For a free movie promotion, Tomb Raider: Lara’s Escape is a surprisingly solid little experience for mobile VR, offering an amuse bouche of all the signature Lara Croft experiences, from shooting arrows to rappelling down walls to being impaled by spikes.

Gear VR | 704 MB | FREE from Oculus

Top 5 Oculus Releases – February 10th-16th 2018 – Unreal and Surreal, for Real!

February 16, 2018Best Oculus Games, Oculus Gamesfree VR games, Oculus Rift games, VR game reviewinfinitywaltz

The central thread connecting our top Oculus releases this year is realism – or rather the lack thereof. If you’re here for ultra-realistic combat or vehicle simulations, you’ve picked the wrong week. Instead, we offer you a handful of delightfully unrealistic offerings, ranging from cartoonish boxing to hot air balloon battles to realism’s very weird cousin, Surrealism:

Knockout League – Arcade VR Boxing

from Grab Games

Knockout League - screenshot courtesy Steam — Knockout League – screenshot courtesy Steam

Delivering exercise and amusement in a one-two punch, Knockout League – Arcade VR Boxing is virtual reality’s upgrade of NES classic Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, so expect campy, arcade-style boxing, not realistic pugilism. Your opponents might be cartoonish – our favourite being the moustachioed octopus, of course – but the work-out is real. And please, don’t play this around glass coffee tables or your prone grandma.

Knockout League is finally out of Early Access, complete with new opponents, new training mini-games and an additional difficulty mode.

Oculus Rift | 3.6 GB | $29.99 from Oculus or from Steam

Dreams of Dali

from Half Full Nelson, Goodby Silverstein and Partners

Originally featured at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, Dreams of Dali is more “walking simulator” than a proper game, but who wouldn’t jump at the chance to experience legendary surrealist painter Salvador Dali’s work from the inside?

Though based primarily on the lonely, looming towers of “Archaeological Reminiscence of Millet’s ‘Angelus,’” this VR experience also includes visions of his spindly-legged, misshapen elephants.

Oculus Rift | 1.4 GB | FREE from Oculus or from Steam

Balloonatics

from BitCutter Studios, Inc.

Though still in Early Access, this game of hot air balloon combat is already getting rave reviews for its fast-paced, multi-player action – some have gone so far as to compare it to Rocket League – and its incredibly smooth locomotion and controls.

In a scenario that also summons up memories of Steampunk Zeppelin arena Guns of Icarus, players fly hot air balloons, using a massive slingshot to launch projectiles – ranging from rockets to boxes full of bees – at one another. And since it’s cross-platform compatible, you can even play Balloonatics with your VR-deficient friends!

Oculus Rift | 3 GB | $14.99 from Steam

Brass Tactics: Arena

from Hidden Path Entertainment

Perhaps the most hyped release of 2018 so far, steampunk RTS game Brass Tactics isn’t out for another week, but as a teaser, Hidden Path Entertainment has released Brass Tactics: Arena, offering multi-player and AI matches on a single map.

It’s also totally free, so even if you’re one of the few VR players that hasn’t already heard about this game, it’s worth checking out before you make a decision on purchasing the full version.

Oculus Rift | 3.5 GB | FREE from Oculus

RPG Merchant

from Skyward Digital

A little like a cross between Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale and Job Simulator, this release from Skyward Digital offers a comedic take on the stereotypical fantasy RPG item shop, complete with shoplifters and angry customers.

Oculus Rift | 4 GB | $14.99 from Steam

Be sure to check back next week for the latest and best releases in Oculus-based virtual reality – and unreality.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY OCULUS RELEASES

The Cathedral: Allison’s Diary

from KR Games

The follow-up to last year’s The Hospital: Allison’s Diary, the second game in the series takes place two years after the first and expands upon the original’s atmospheric horror.

Oculus Rift | 3 GB | $2.99 from Oculus or $5.99 from Steam

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Top 5 Oculus Releases – February 3rd-9th – Learning to Walk, Run, Jump, Slash

February 10, 2018Best Oculus Games, Oculus GamesDigital Domain, locomotion, Oculus Rift, Oculus Rift games, oculus rift news, Surviosinfinitywaltz

From established, large scale developers like Survios to Digital Domain and more, locomotion itself is the mechanic du jour in this week’s selection of top five Oculus releases as the industry continues to learn about its medium: Whether it’s running, jumping, flipping, or spinning in 360 degrees, these Oculus-friendly games were the most notable in week two of February, 2018:

Sprint Vector

from Survios

The new game from Raw Data devs Survios – who opened their very own location VR arcade in Torrance this week – Sprint Vector combines a Tron-meets-Ancient Egypt cyberpunk aesthetic with futuristic sports. Essentially an obstacle race, Sprint Vector’s big innovation is the “Fluid Locomotion System” that lets players simulate high speed running…jumping…pretty much everything short of actual Parkour.

Adding to that, Sprint Vector’s core game experience is multi-player racing, complete with weaponry to take out fellow competitors. With multiple awards at last year’s GDC and E3 events, this is a must-have for hardcore VR gamers and hopefully not a barfbag for the rest.

Oculus Rift | 10 GB | $29.99 from Oculus or from Steam

Sairento VR

from Mixed Realms Pte Ltd

Sairenti VR - screenshot courtesy Steam — Sairenti VR – screenshot courtesy Steam

Want more cyberpunk running, jumping and flipping? Look no further than Sairento VR, a futuristic ninja simulator inspired by the likes of Shadowrun. Elevated above the typical wave shooter – or wave katana-slasher – by its high production values and storyline, this one also stands out from typical VR fighting experiences by providing an opportunity for martial arts acrobatics.

Oculus Rift | 10 GB | $29.99 from Oculus or from Steam

Esper: The Collection

from Coatsink

A package including both Esper games, The Collections adds Oculus Touch support for a more realistic (if that’s the appropriate word) depiction of telekinetic powers. The new release marks a perfect time for new VR enthusiasts to experience the games’ retro-inspired setting and a plot that’s a little bit Portal and a little bit The Men Who Stare at Goats.

Oculus Rift | 5 GB | $14.99 from Oculus

Digital Domain’s The Monkey King

from Digital Domain

Previously released on Sony PSVR and now available for the Rift, this animated retelling of the famous Chinese myth makes it onto our list – despite being a VR film rather than a proper game – for its high production values, highlighting the potential for VR in animated storytelling. The reviews are mixed, so proceed through the trees with cautiun. Digital Domain is a major VFX company, but that doesn’t mean they are the ruler of VR development yet. Nonetheless, it is a notable entry into the field.

Oculus Rift | 5 GB | $4.99 from Steam

busuu – Learn Spanish

from busuu

While it could have been a cheap Dora the Explorer rip-off, this Spanish tutorial adventure game – a free promotion for the busuu language-learning apps – is a surprisingly engaging Gear VR experience built around speech recognition software.

Gear VR | 420 MB | FREE from Oculus

Check back next week for more Oculus Rift and Gear VR releases and news! Anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!