Wallace & Gromit in The Grand Getaway from developer Aardman Studios is a great nod to the series. The story is solid with fun and innocent humor, while characters bring their A-game to make the adventure feel like the Wallace & Gromit world. The gameplay is a little light on VR content, certainly not as deep as other VR titles, but it’s good enough to entertain a wide variety of gamers including those young gamers just starting their journey into the VR world.
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank from developer Snoozy Kazoo is an action-packed game that uses a quick pace to keep the engaging gameplay moving forward, while its item and progression system encourages players to keep coming back for more.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince from developer Armor Project brings an enjoyable monster collecting and fighting gameplay blueprint to the Dragon Quest world, but falls short in its shallow narrative and humdrum visuals.
Jusant from developer Don’t Nod is a wonderful example of balancing well-crafted gameplay mechanics to perfectly matched puzzles to use them on.
Little Goody Two Shoes from developer AstralShift is a hodgepodge of well-put-together intentions that all work out beautifully. You get this innocent backdrop and this thick horror-filled narrative that drives it all. While it might seem like a simple RPG that typically is found in Square Enix’s past published works, the underbelly is more expansive than that and the multiple endings make you want to revisit the warped experience.
The 7th Guest VR is a homage to a classic game from 1993. Developer Vertigo Games delivers a unique and remade vision of the original title and still includes the ambiance and puzzles that made the first game so memorable. The additional retelling of the narrative and how that narrative is presented in VR format makes this one of the best virtual reality experiences to date.
World of Horror from developer panstasz is a wonderful 80s-inspired horror adventure game that brings a roguelite backbone, a turn-based component with a sprinkle of RPG, and plenty of horror that might make you wonder what the heck inspired the devs to create such unsettling tales. The only place the game falls short is in its overwhelming menu system, which is far simpler than it looks once you go through the tutorial.
Jackbox Party Pack 10 is a step in the right direction for the series. What works is mostly new content with Fixy Text, Time Jinx, and Hypnotorious. The inclusion of Tee K.O.’d 2 is a firm reminder of why the first Tee K.O.’d is considered the best game in the Jackbox family, but also shows us that not much has changed with the sequel. As for the Dodo Re Mi game, it needs to get fixed on the backend side for it to be entertaining. The overall package is worth a look.
Haunted House from developer Orbit Studio and publisher Atari is a fantastic upgrade to the original 2600 game. The rogue-lite adventure is packed full of strategy with a properly grindy backbone that will encourage you to come back for more. The game also carries some faults which are small road bumps that you will occasionally feel on your journey. It is certainly worth a go, especially if you’re a fan of the original.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage from developer Ubisoft Bordeaux is a scaled-back version of the last three games. It puts more focus on story delivery than it does on gameplay options and complete execution of them. It’s a good game with a wonderful lead character, but at the end of the day, you’re probably going to leave the experience wanting more.
The Fabulous Fear Machine from developer Fictiorama Studios is a test of skill as much as it is a test of patience. It’s a complicated game that is RISK-like and presents a wickedly good time in classic horror comic book form.
Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai contains some simple positives, especially when it comes to delivering a dramatic and fun anime series storyline. Sadly, the gameplay does not complement that storytelling and falls short in content size and portions. Even the inclusion of RPG elements, such as Bond Memories, can’t seem to lift the action and prop it up to a higher Dragon Quest level that most of us are used to seeing.
Mineko’s Night Market from developer Meowza Games is an adorable, relatable, and fun crafting adventure that pushes everything along with a story that runs perfectly parallel to the gameplay. While its main audience might be younger gamers, there might be enough here for older gamers to enjoy.
Dune: Spice Wars from developer Shiro Games is the ultimate experience for any Dune fan looking for a well-designed and respectful translation of the sci-fi series into an RTS gaming form. It has all the intricate details and power moves that are featured in the books, while at the same time crafted to be a familiar real-time strategy experience at its forefront. The only downer is the amount of gameplay element juggling a casual RTS fan might have to do to enjoy the game, which could turn them off from playing it.
Crossfire: Sierra Squad from Smilegate Entertainment is an arcade shooter that works in VR with its intense firefights and short stints of gameplay. While the gameplay is finite, especially with its linear backbone and restrictive areas of play, it still contains some charm that may remind VR owners that fun experiences are still out there.
Unidentified Falling Objects (UFO) from developer Andrew Morrish is an addictive battle puzzle experience that balances a chaotic falling block battleground with an upgradable astronaut that can handle the insanity. While it doesn’t work in all areas, it does enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.
SPRAWL from developer MAETH is a well-made, intricately designed first-person wall-running game that hits all the right notes with mechanics, gunplay, and level design. It does come with a mechanic learning curve that might frustrate some gamers but the reward of learning the mechanics is far greater than the frustration produced by them.
Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition from developer Cardboard Computer is still a work of art after all these years. The game is thick in story, choices, and interesting characters that you never want to ignore.
Dust & Neon from developer Rogue Games is an interesting, and oddly relaxing twin-stick shooter. Its RPG backbone and simplistic mechanics will keep you coming back for more, even when the unremarkable enemy variety, sans the bosses, might dull down the experience. There is still a lot to do and explore in the game, which makes it at the very least a good action title.
Quantum: Recharged from developer SneakyBox and publisher Atari is an improvement from the original arcade experience. It brings enough newness to enemies, provides a good dose of mode variety, and is quick fun. While the arcade experience might not attract every gamer due to its lack of depth, there is enough here to warrant a hard look.