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!

Top 5 Oculus Releases – August 19-25, 2017 – The Cute & the Contemplative

August 25, 2017Best Oculus Games, Oculus GamesGear VR games, new VR releases, Oculus Rift gamesinfinitywaltz

After a week predominated by zombie-slaughtering and supernatural horror games, this week’s top Oculus releases tend more toward the cute and/or contemplative side of things:

FORM

by Charm Games

A philosophical puzzle game involving slick graphics, a heavy psychological back story, and a mysterious artifact called “The Obelisk,” FORM reminds us a bit of what The Talos Principle might look like if it had been developed using VR’s three-dimensionality. (I guess we’ll know for sure pretty soon, as a VR version of The Talos Principle is due out as soon as late 2017.) Critically acclaimed when it came out earlier this summer for the HTC Vive, it’s finally out for Oculus Rift.

Words won’t do it service, just like this trailer won’t do the VR experience service:

Oculus Rift | 3 GB | $11.99 from the Oculus Store

Looking Glass

by Looking Glass VR

Sometimes the pursuit of the next big thing, the irrepressible urge to progress, to innovate, to move forward, leads us to leave behind the bank of knowledge, experience and wonderful things that artifacts can afford us in enriching our understanding, culture and curiosity. Before there was VR, there were stereoscopic images, the “original” 3D technology developed nearly 200 years ago. Looking Glass, a free app for Gear VR, brings stereoscopic images from the Keystone View Company’s “Tour of the World” series – now archived at the U.C. Riverside California Museum of Photography – into the digital age.

After loading the app, it begins to download over 100 such archival images, whereupon you can swipe backwards and forward through the catalog and zoom in and out. Each stereogram also comes with a small typed placard (that appears on newsprint) describing the location and the contents of the scene. Other details, like an old record player that actually plays and a scientific illustration of a dodo hanging on the wall, elevate the experience from an archive of old photos to a cozy and immersive experience. Truly marvelous. And free? We can’t wait until OpenCulture.org get their hands on these tools.

Gear VR | 211 MB | FREE from the Oculus Store

Chroma Lab

by Sean Tann

More a graphics toy than a game – though the developer has hinted at adding more straightforward game modes in the future – Chroma Lab is a colorful particle simulator. It can also interact with your music to create psychedelic vistas in motion. Particle emitters, bloom effects, realtime high quality shadows and other pretty eye candy that involves spawning or wrapping around all objects is usually death for VR experiences framerate, and thus your stomach, but pulling it off is pretty trippy, man…

Oculus Rift | 500 MB | $4.99 from Steam

Spark of Light

by Pillow’s Willow VR Studio BV

Help a young boy recover the missing Sun-Bug in Spark of Light, a whimsical puzzle platformer for Gear VR that looks to be inspired by Little Nemo in Slumberland in its various incarnations. Between the enchanted forest, friendly insects and a protagonist wearing what appears to be a dragon onesie, this one might actually be too cute.

Gear VR | 409 MB | $4.99 from the Oculus Store

Wingless

by Kentoo Sp. z.o.o.

Wingless is a classic, wave-based defense game. But it involves throwing things – snowballs, dynamite, etc. – at penguins. We shouldn’t have to explain why that’s awesome. We think it’s self-explanatory.

Oculus Rift | 4 GB | $6.99 from Steam

Other Noteworthy Oculus Releases:

Little Earth

by RedRabbit Animation

Designed for all ages, Little Earth brings acclaimed children’s book illustrator Chris Haughton’s drawings to life. Cute creatures in his signature style educate the viewer about earth animals and seasons, while a broader view lets you take in the entire solar system.

Oculus Rift | 500 MB | $4.99 from Steam

Kingdom Slicer

by Chesstar Studios

A slicing game in the vein of Fruit Ninja, Kingdom Slicer from Shanghai-based developer Chesstar Studios appeals with its cartoonish bouncing enemies and an upbeat soundtrack that blends classical Chinese flutes with EDM.

Oculus Rift | 558 MB | $9.99 from the Oculus Store

Kingdom City Drowning: Ep. 1 – The Champion

by Phoenix Mirror

Kingdom City Drowning - Ep. 1 screenshot courtesy Steam — Kingdom City Drowning – Ep. 1 – screenshot courtesy Steam

The first episode in an ongoing series of VR short films set in a future dystopia, Kingdom City Drowning: Ep. 1 – The Champion tells the story of a child gladiator trying to fight his way to freedom.

Oculus Rift | 6 GB | $4.99 from the Oculus Store or from Steam

KFC Employee Training Program

by Wieden+Kennedy

KFC VR - screenshot courtesy Eater.com — KFC VR – screenshot courtesy Eater.com

While not available for the general public, this “training” VR game reported by Eater.com is almost enough to make us apply for a job at KFC. After reading the description and watching the video, we’re still not sure if it’s an actual training program or some fast-food torture experience inspired by the Saw movies. Finger-lickin’ terrifying.

Oculus Rift | file size unknown | not available for purchase

In other exciting VR game news, December 2017 is looking like the biggest month ever: that’s when we get VR versions of Doom, Fallout and Skyrim. Hope you didn’t have any other winter plans!

Top 5 Oculus Rift Releases – August 13-19, 2017

August 19, 2017Best Oculus Games, Oculus GamesAquila Bird Flight Simulator, Insanity VR: The Last Score, Journey VR, Killing Floor: Incursion, Miniature TD - VR, Nano Shift, Oculus Rift, Out of Ammo, Out of Ammo: Death Drive, Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul, Rec Room, Rec Room: The Curse of the Crimson Cauldron, The Museum of ThroughView, The Raven VRinfinitywaltz

With the growing tide of VR releases, we here at OGR want to do our part to highlight a few of the most interesting. With no further ado, our weekly series of top five releases (plus a few extras), in no particular order:

Out of Ammo: Death Drive

by RocketWerkz

A follow-up to the developer’s popular VR strategy game Out of Ammo, this standalone sequel adds first person action and base-building to the mix. Survive in a post-apocalyptic – but rather cute, thanks to voxel-based graphics – wasteland by gathering scrap, reinforce your base and lay waste to zombies and bandits. Did we mention that you can also summon a magic healing dog?

Oculus Rift | 6 GB | $14.99 from Steam

Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul

by VRWERX

Paranormal Activity: Lost Soul game screenshot courtesy Steam — Paranormal Activity: Lost Soul – screenshot courtesy Steam

Based on the film series of the same title, Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul is already being called the scariest VR game ever developed. Some people have reported issues with movement and motion sickness, though, so this one should be avoided by those with weak stomachs – and weak hearts.

Oculus Rift | 10 GB | $39.99 from Steam

Killing Floor: Incursion

by Tripwire Interactive

Killing Floor: Incursion brings the popular series of gory mutant zombie killing into the world of VR. In addition to the over-the-top violence and heart-pounding terror fans of the Killing Floor games have come to expect, Killing Floor: Incursion features a multi-hour story mode and environments ranging from farmhouses to catacombs to scientific research facilities.

Oculus Rift | 10.7 GB | $39.99 from Oculus Store

Miniature TD – VR

by Reality Reflection

A cute and colorful tower defense game with lots of eye-popping voxel explosions, Miniature TD – VR takes advantage of the Oculus Touch for map-building and artillery placement. The game also provides players with a more active role, allowing them to directly bombard a variety of adorable enemies.

Oculus Rift | 2 GB | $4.99 from Steam

Nano Shift

by Egg Roll Digital Studios, Inc.

A room-scale adventure with a dark edge, Nano Shift is still in Early Access, but its promise of immersive puzzle-solving and story of a world ravaged by a mysterious nano virus already has us intrigued.

Oculus Rift | 4 GB | $14.99 from Steam

Other Noteworthy Oculus Releases:

Journey VR

by Capon Design

Shifting directions from zombie apocalypses and supernatural horror, Journey VR is a short film for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and OSVR that explores outer space. Relying on stunning visuals and a cinematic soundtrack rather than narrative, this is less a “story” than an “experience,” but its exploration of other planets and asteroid fields are impressive.

Oculus Rift | 50 MB | $2.99 from Steam (or $1.99 to rent)

The Raven VR

by Thomas Pasieka

An animated retelling of the titular poem by Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven VR features music by Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess. Think Poe is too old-fashioned for virtual reality? Nevermore!

Oculus Rift | 254 MB | FREE from the Oculus Store

Aquila Bird Flight Simulator

by Graeme Scott

“Fly like an eagle.” Steve Miller’s lyric goes VR in this bird flight simulator, currently in Early Access. While playable using a gamepad, using an Oculus Touch Controller is the way to go; you want to flap those wings and really feel like a bird. As the joke goes, “I just played Aquila Bird Flight Simulator, and boy, are my arms tired!”

Oculus Rift | 3 GB | $4.99 from Steam (or FREE demo)

In other Oculus Rift news, social and game-playing space Rec Room continues to add loads of free updates, with this week seeing the launch of a new quest, The Curse of the Crimson Cauldron, featuring two new player avatars.

Be sure to check back next week for more exciting VR releases!