Bottom line, if you haven’t played the original The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, I would not recommend you start with this sequel. It’s like starting to watch a movie halfway through. But if you have played it, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Chapter 2: Retribution is a great continuation and maybe even a must-play. It’s got all of what made the first game very great, plus a few improvements and additions. For me, returning to post-zombie-apocalypse New Orleans has been uncomfortable, unpleasant … and fun as hell.
No, it’s not perfect but Espire 2 on the Meta Quest 2 is a blast to play. Innovative mechanics, great level design and two really engaging quests more than make up for the few glitches and incomplete multiplayer. If you love stealth games — or you just want to be Ethan Hunt or James Bond for a few hours — pick this one up.
Iron Man VR on the Meta Quest 2 represents the best elements of VR gaming. In first person 3D view, and 360-degree realism, you can get the feeling of truly being a superhero in a way that traditional games can’t match. Sure, it’s a bit on-rails. You’re essentially in a playable movie here. But there’s enough fun and varied experience that you won’t mind. Iron Man VR was already a solid game on the PSVR, but it’s a great Meta Quest 2 title.
If you have been wanting that extreme survival adventure experience on the Meta Quest 2, Into the Radius is your game. It’ll have you alone, outgunned and loving every minute of it. But even for the rest of us, there’s a fun time to be had — provided you can weather the initial frustration.
As I said before, Point and Clicks aren’t usually my thing. Putting things randomly together, making obscure leaps of logic, and cycling through inventories just gets boring for me. But Sunday Gold offers so much more than most Point and Click games. It’s got JRPG-like combat. There’s the fun mini-games. And it’s excellently voice-acted and it looks gorgeous. Sure, the story won’t blow you away but trust me, Sunday Gold is a big game in a little package and it’s definitely worth a look.
I’ve really enjoyed my time with Wands Alliances, and I strongly recommend it for any Meta Quest 2 player. Despite some technical annoyances, it has fun and thrilling team-based combat and a very stylish presentation that’ll have you coming back for more.
World of Mechs has the basics down. It’s a fun mech battle VR game that’s got 20-plus hours of fun to offer, especially if you get into the online component. It’s got intuitive, simple controls and the battle mechanics are sound. There’s a lack of depth right now, and there are still a lot of new maps, details and system tweaks that need to be addressed in order to make this a complete experience. But even so, at $20.00 US this is a VR experience that’s worth your time and money.
MOTHERGUNSHIP: FORGE is a lot of fun. One of the best VR bullet-hell games I’ve experienced, it will have you ducking, bending and swiveling like a demon. It may lack variety and is best played in small doses (and big clear rooms), but If you like bullet-hell survival, and you’ve got a Meta Quest 2, this one is a title to check out.
Who knows – maybe the devs will add more in future updates after launch. Until then, Little Cities is a cute, colorful, well-made little city builder that will offer you lots of casual fun. If you can live with a limited city, and a lack of challenge, you’ll enjoy it. Relax, let the urban sprawl take shape, and just build.
Look, I feel like I’ve been spending a lot of time here bashing Rune Factory 5, and maybe I have. But let me emphasize that I still had a lot of fun with it, and I think other players will too. I might be even a bit addicted to it, honestly. There’s just too much here to not like on many levels. But it’s just missing some finish to its technical aspects, especially the visuals and menus. And it needs some follow-through on all its great ideas to make it coalesce into one great experience. Yes, Rune Factory 5 is many games in one, for better or worse. And if you’re ok with that, you’ll have a lot of fun with it. Now, let’s just hope they fix that menu.
If you’re a fan of the late DJ himself, well this game is a no-brainer. He was clearly a great talent and the music is outstanding. But for everyone else, AVICII Invector: Encore Edition on Meta Quest 2 is still worth strapping on the VR headset and giving a go. The music is great and the gameplay is addictive and fun. If you like rhythm games but you don’t want to sweat (or risk accidentally bonking your family in the head), AVICII Invector: Encore Edition’s chill EDM vibe is the VR experience you’re waiting for.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, if nothing else, represents a symbolic step forward for VR game platforms like the Oculus Quest 2. It’s the closest thing to a AAA title I’ve played on my headset yet. I don’t know if its nearly-50GB file size is warranted given the so-so visuals, but I did have a lot of fun with the Campaign missions. I’ll still wait a while for the multiplayer to work out its kinks, but I can see myself enjoying that eventually, too. All in all, I’m not sure if Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond would do Grandpa proud, but if you own an Oculus Quest 2, it’s a fun experience and worthy of your time.
Knockout Home Fitness has a clear objective and target audience: this is a game for people looking to get in shape that replicates a workout routine with a personal trainer. It never really pretends to be much more, like an addictive video game. That will be fine for many people, but if you’re hoping for more, Ring Fit Adventure is still the undisputed champ.
Ionia has some appealing concepts and the environmentally-conscious themes show its heart is in the right place. The climbing mechanic and other physical interactions are also well suited to VR. But there just isn’t enough to do, and in Ionia’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it run time I was never challenged physically or mentally. Even the centerpiece musical aspects really just amounted to me plunking a few notes and moving on. Despite a few highlights, this is one adventure that doesn’t live up to the magical premise.
If you’re hungering to take a stab at some new Saints & Sinners content, Aftershocks delivers lots of new gameplay. It doesn’t throw any crazy new ideas or new story elements at you, but it does add some enjoyable extra hours of combat-based fun to be had in post-apocalyptic New Orleans, including the chance to keep upgrading your home base with all that sweet new loot. Plus, without spoiling anything, Skydance seems to hint at more Saints & Sinners DLC to come — until then, as a free update for existing Saints & Sinners players, Aftershocks is a no-brainer.
Clash of Chefs is a simple game and that’s just fine; its cute colorful visuals get the job done even if they’re not stunning, and the minimalist presentation has its charms. There’s nothing overtly “wrong” with this game and for a short, casual play session, there’s some fun to be had. But, much like the empty calories of eating a hamburger and fries, you’ll be wanting something a little but more substantial after too long.
For best results, pick up Islanders: Console Edition for shorter sessions; calm yourself down and escape from the stress of life. Don’t look for it to satisfy your Napoleonic yearnings for military glory. And if you’ve been looking for the next “Civ-on-the-go,” keep looking. Islanders: Console Edition is a small game that knows what it is — and isn’t. And that’s just fine.
Despite these annoyances though, I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar is one of the best VR games of 2021 so far. The smart, funny Bond-inspired writing, the meticulous attention to detail, the masterful use of Oculus’s VR controls, and the well-designed missions had me … well, glued to my seat the entire time. It may not change much from the original, but I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar once again delivers a thoroughly-enjoyable VR experience from start to finish.
Ven VR Adventure is overall a solid platforming adventure that uses its many gameplay influences well. There are some nice courses to play through and a visually appealing world to unlock in around 5 hours. They’ve also improved the game from previous versions, allowing you to send Ven backward to retrace missed parts of a level. But I still wish that darn camera didn’t intrude on the fun so much; that issue and a general sameness were a letdown to what is otherwise a game with lots of positives.
It wouldn’t be unfair to summarize Ragnarock by saying it is Beat Saber with a Viking theme. And it is undoubtedly another solid VR workout game that will have you burning boatloads of calories, but having so much fun you won’t notice how sweaty you are. But Ragnarock lacks some of the elements that make Beat Saber great; there isn’t enough variation in the rhythmic actions you do to the music, and the playlist of songs is a bit paltry (although the devs have said they will be adding to it). Combine that with mediocre visuals and Ragnarock is a decent game and fun way to get a great workout, but one whose repetition might make you want to hang up your helmet after a while. Pick this one up if you’re a fan of Norse themes, you’re looking to take a break from Beat Saber … or you just want to rock.