Now that the holidays are over – and we highlighted a few of our favorite Oculus releases of 2017 – we’re back to our regular routines, and it’s a little bit of a light week as far as Oculus Rift and Gear VR releases are concerned. Nonetheless, we managed to find a few interesting games and experiences for you to check out as we wait for the first quarter of 2018 to really get started in earnest.
The Lost Bear
from Fabrik Games and Odd Bug Studio
Previously available for Sony PlayStation VR and now making its way to the Rift, The Lost Bear combines tried-and-true 2D platforming with hand-drawn forest landscapes. We’re really impressed by the way the art evokes classic fairy tales – the woods as a place of danger, rather than Disney-style singing animals – but we’re a little worried that its story of a child in search of a lost teddy bear (and pursued by vicious hounds, no less) might be more of a tear-jerker than we can handle.
Oculus Rift | 4 GB | $7.99 from the Oculus Store
Mech League Boxing
from VRGEN
Now out of Early Access, this is Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots gone VR. Beyond the obvious appeal of punching robots in a boxing ring, Mech League Boxing is also quite the physical work-out, and developers VRGEN have leaned into that had, complete with warm-up routines to really get your blood flowing before each match.
Oculus Rift | 4 GB | $9.99 from Steam
The Glen
from Lucid Dreams VR
VR meets techno-shamanism in this dreamlike experience driven by the music of Celtic-flavored world music duo Cu Dubh. Dance to the music of drums and bagpipes around a bonfire in a recreated imagining of an ancient ritual.
Oculus Rift | FREE from WEAREVR
EvilCorp Hackball
from Konrad Kowalski
Despite a flimsy premise about hacking into an evil corporation’s database to save the world, EvilCorp Hackball is essentially Marble Madness done as a VR endless runner, and that’s good enough for us!
Oculus Rift | 109 MB | $3.99 from the Oculus Store
Dinosaur Island
from Snatch Game Studios
Yes, it’s a bit of a Jurassic Park rip-off, but we’re legitimately impressed by how good the dinosaurs look, especially for such a small mobile VR game. The shooting looks solid as well, even though – truth be told – we’d rather be shooting dinosaurs with cameras than sniper rifles.
Gear VR | 320 MB | $2.99 from the Oculus Store
Other Oculus News
In other Oculus Rift news, Home users will soon be able to personalize the music playing in the background. Michael Bross – best known for his work on the Oddworld and Ratchet and Clank series soundtracks – has composed nearly an hour of exclusive tracks for Home 2.0.
Also exciting news for Rift gamers: award-winning cyberpunk shooter Raw Data is free to play this weekend, so be sure to check that out.
Be sure to check back next week for the latest Oculus news – the Consumer Electronics Show is taking place this week, and there are sure to be plenty of exciting developments.