Well, it was a weird week for our friends at Oculus after a bad security certificate basically soft-bricked every single Oculus in the world. For a period of 24 hours. Of course, people highlighted that this shows the dangers of a closed system, and rightfully so. The good news (now that it is in the rear view mirror) is that a patch was released. The company also granted a $15 credit for purchases in the Oculus store.
So here are some ways to spend it!
This week’s top five releases for Oculus systems tend toward the atmospheric and story-driven, with a hint of the tragic. Don’t worry, though – if shooters or rhythm games are more your thing, there are some new offerings in that realm, as well.
Cloudborn
from Logtown Studios AB
Cloudborn – screenshot courtesy Steam
Now out of Early Access, Cloudborn is essentially a straightforward climbing game in the vein of To the Top, but its graphics and unique fantasy setting – think the abandoned civilization of Myst combined with the floating worlds of Bastion – make this a game worth exploring.
Some players have reported motion sickness due to smooth rotation and automatic perspective shifts, so climb carefully – and maybe avoid swinging on vines – if you’re sensitive to that. Otherwise, a mostly relaxing and wonderfully atmospheric experience.
Inspired by the Sewol Ferry disaster – a Korean maritime incident in 2014 that resulted in 304 deaths – Big Blue – Memory could very well have been in a preachy disaster of a VR game in its own right.
Instead, thanks to a visually psychedelic approach to its oceanic themes and artistic inspirations that include the likes of French auteur Jean Cocteau, it’s a beautiful and mesmerizing experience that’s been featured at independent game festivals throughout Asia.
Another VR experience drawing from historical tragedy, A Thin Black Line tells the story of the evacuation and bombing of Darwin, Australia during World War II from the viewpoint of a child.
Aboriginal artist Vernon Ah Kee’s mostly static and mostly monochromatic visuals – accompanied by a constant motif of windblown ash – creates a sense of immersion in a way that’s more expressionist than realistic, while also making smart use of mobile VR’s more limited graphics capabilities.
This week’s biggest budget release – and its most hyped – innovates on the VR shooter formula with gesture-based wizards. It’s not enough to point and shoot; in The Wizards, you’ll need to master specific gestures with your controller in order to to fling lightning and fire at your foes.
A campaign mode complete with time travel and dragons makes for a more interesting experience than a standard wave shooter, while a “Fate Card” system that modifies certain game mechanics keeps subsequent replays from getting stale.
It’s a given that fans of the Japanese vocaloid sensation Hatsune Miku who also happen to be Oculus Rift owners will buy this based on the character alone. Thankfully, Hatsune Miku VR is also a solid rhythm game with multiple difficulty modes and some VR-specific innovations, like songs that require dodging projectiles and score-enhancing moves like crossing your controllers as you catch musical notes.
We know that the expression is “Christmas in July,” but it might as well be “Halloween in March” with this early spring collection of new Oculus releases. From murder mysteries to madness to ravening dinosaurs, this week’s top five Oculus Rift and Gear VR games may well require a change of underwear.
Island 359
from CloudGate Studio, Inc.
Island 359 – screenshot courtesy Steam
A number of games, including the maligned ARK: Survival Evolved, have attempted to bring the Jurassic Park milieu into the VR survival game. So far, Island 359 comes the closest.
Beyond the obvious – beautiful graphics, immersive tropical jungle environments, and freakin’ dinosaurs – this release from CloudGate Studio brings some additional innovations, including “Virtual Self,” a new solution for full-body view in VR, as well as multiple movement and interaction mechanics for a more accessible overall experience.
With Sprint Vector getting so much attention, this other futuristic racing game fell beneath the radar, but Galaxy Race combines hoverboard racing at breakneck speed with a unique, head-driven motion control mechanic that many players have described as hard to pick up at first but extremely satisfying with a bit of practice.
We also enjoy the cartoon-inspired character designs and the fact that you can throw discs – we call them “death Frisbees,” though that’s probably not their official title – to take out competitors.
A Most Curious Murder – screenshot courtesy Oculus
A bit like Her Story in VR, A Most Curious Murder is a VR experience within a VR experience, encouraging the player to explore a police station – and the station computer’s VR video recordings – to solve a murder.
The motion detection for locomotion is an interesting idea – it detects head motion from walking in place – that didn’t entirely work for us in practice, but this is still a well-designed free experience for mobile VR users.
This horror experience from Red Limb Studio was already scaring the pants off of people in Early Access. Set in the ‘70s, Rise of Insanity garners high praise for its VR implementation, well-realized setting, and especially its atmospheric sound design.
An interactive movie with 13 possible endings, Speak of the Devil reminds us of a cross between The Blair Witch Project and the original Evil Dead, which is to say its deliciously frightening in spite of its occasional campy moments.
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
Brass Tactics – screenshot courtesy Oculus
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
