If by 2017 we were struggling to find a lot of nuggets at the level of virtual reality, this year 2018 will have been rather productive. Most developers are beginning to Master VR more and more on the independent studio side, as well as on Sony’s PlayStation VR. Also, VR productions are now giving themselves a longer lifespan, making them go from a simple “experiment” to a real game.
In other words, the choice was quite cornélien this year, with the rather amazing number of VR games that came out. So, it’s time to make you a top 6 VR games that you shouldn’t have missed this year. Of course, you will agree, this classification is purely subjective, and includes titles available exclusively on the PSVR, but also released on the other virtual reality headphones that are the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
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Borderlands 2 VR
We start this top 6 VR games, with the sixth place that is logically attributed to Borderlands 2 VR. One might well wonder how Gearbox Software would transform the trial by adapting its favorite license to VR. Finally, it seems that the studio has rolled up its sleeves in the right direction by offering not only a well-calibrated VR experience but also one of the longest VR titles to finish.
We know that all too well, the game, which was widely acclaimed by critics at the time, stood out not only for the incalculable number of secondary searches that could be carried out here and there, but also for the whole background and the black and poetic humor that had already made the strength from the first part of the franchise. In short, a successful adaptation and a pleasant surprise of this year-end waiting for a potential Borderlands 3.
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Firewall Zero Hour
We continue this top with Firewall Zero Hour. After the disastrous Bravo Team that is one of the worst shooting games in virtual reality, we were right to be wary of this Firewall Zero Hour, which also adopted a multiplayer mode, just like a traditional offline mode. Finally, it turned out that the title is fun to play. While the game experience will be much more exciting to have a PlayStation VR Aim Controller, it must be admitted that the game has a tactical side based on the communication of the most successful, at least in multiplayer.
All that makes Firewall Zero Hour so special will be its multiplayer aspect, based largely on communication, and you have to constantly adapt the best strategy to defend or attack the objectives that are given to you. While there is a bit of content missing in terms of maps and game mode – only a silly attack/defense mode-and the games are relatively short, the game is still challenging and tense to each match (content is regularly added).
The shooting sensations are excellent, and fans of Rainbow Six Siege who would look for a title of the same acabit in VR will be served. The games are going well, and there are always people to put themselves in a wrong way as a multiplayer, equipped with a relatively friendly progression system, and with abilities for each mercenary, just that.
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Tetris Effect
In the third position, we have the surprising Tetris Effect. A lot of players stayed on top when it was officially announced, but in the end, it was a pretty good surprise on the finality. If visually, immersion is relatively limited by playing without a helmet, it is clear that soft take on literally its full meaning in terms of immersion in VR mode. And besides, the different panoramas that are given to us on our route are just amazing.
One of the other big strengths of the game is it’s more than surprising rhythm for a little Tetris game. At each level, the movement of our tetriminos is in perfect harmony with the rhythm of the music. This gives a big “modern” side to the Tetris franchise, which has a damnably general concept at its base.
The difficulty is the transition to small onions, and should delight fans of this legendary license, and also know that the content is more than okay to spend hours on. Concretely, Tetris Effect, in the banality of its gameplay, manages to hook the player with modern mechanics, and this is what makes the strength of the game.
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Beat Saber
Laser swords and good electro sound, do we have to argue to say That Beat Saber deserves its place in this ranking? If only with this description, it is already enough to convince him to take it, and even put him in the first position for some. Released without making too much noise, we have a rhythm game where the principle is simple: we are equipped with PlayStation Move (or other sensors on PC), and it will be enough to type in cubes that appear with the right tempo.
Of course, you will also have to follow the direction indicated and hit with the right sword – one is blue, the other is red, and here we have one of the best VR games but also an excellent rhythm game. Everything is perfectly mastered; the playlist is nice; the TRON art direction has its effect and no concerns related to virtual reality. Total immersion.
The only downside is that it’s a bit cheesy in content at the moment: no mode versus online and a score of music only, on PS4 at least. We will appreciate that on PC, we can enjoy some music of the community and that the developers regularly add some, as evidenced by the recent addition of a theme of League of Legends.
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Astro Bot Rescue Mission
We finish with the first of this top, which is Astro Bot: Rescue Mission. Concretely, the title developed by Sony Japan Studio is a huge love letter for fans of Mario-style platform games. The cute artistic direction is right in our eyes, and we can only appreciate the countless winks that can be found in this title. We will appreciate that boss’s fights, as tense as hilarious to fight, but also totally successful in their charm design.
Like Moss, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is a relatively successful scale game, which involves the player in the progression of our cute Astro Bot, including the various gadgets that we collect as we progress. The balance between combat and platforms is widely respected, with affordable difficulty for all players. We will not forget the fights of the boss as Dantesque as funny in the way to beat them, sprinkled with a soundtrack that dumps. Very frankly, Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is a platform game to do absolutely, especially as it is both well optimized, and damn nice for the retina. If you want to be convinced once and for all, we recommend you to read our test by following this link.