Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the greatest and latest breakthroughs in both science and technology, as well as entertainment. It has a variety of applications which include but not limited to – military simulation training, air and space craft simulation training, medical training, movies, and gaming. It might surprise you but contrary to popular belief, VR is not something that was invented in the last few years. The original concept of VR dates back decades. As for VR gaming, it has been in the commercial market since the ’90s.
However, it’s true that the past few years saw the rapid popularity of VR gaming. Many hardware manufacturers and game developers are focusing on VR headsets and VR games respectively. There is, however, one drawback to VR gaming. VR setups come at a pretty high price. Moreover, if you’re planning to buy an HTC Vive or an Oculus Rift, you need to have a pretty powerful PC. But with time, the price of VR gadgets are lowering and accessibility to those are relatively easier, now more than ever.
Assuming that you own a powerful VR setup or somehow have access to one, you might be wondering what games you can try on it. Here’s a list of 3 amazing VR games which you should definitely try out.
Arizona Sunshine
Love shooting zombies? Then this game is just the one for you. Arizona Sunshine was released in December 2016 and can be played using the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PlayStation VR, and the Valve Index. It was developed by Vertigo Games and Jaywalkers Interactive, and published by Vertigo Games.
The player must advance through the map and eliminate any zombie blocking their way. Some zombies are scattered around and can be killed easily; some attack the player in hordes in which case the player must be a really quick and accurate shooter. Weapons in the game are controlled using the real life VR controllers. Players need to manually reload their weapons from their ammo bags which is tied around their waist. They also can have upto two weapons in their holsters.
Arizona Sunshine did an amazing job as it provides players with a pretty realistic and immersive environment. Therefore, if you’re looking to try out some VR games, you should definitely add this one to your list.
The Climb
If you want to immerse yourself into a wild adventure, you should start playing this game right now. The Climb was developed and published by Crytek. It was released in April 2016 and can be played through the Oculus Rift.
As the name suggests, your objective is to climb rocks, hills, or mountains and reach the top. The game was built using the legendary CryEngine, which is known to render photo realistic environment and accurate physics. And since it’s a rock climbing game, a combination of these two features makes the game truly immersive. Players must use their controllers to navigate the rock carefully and grip their fingers at the right spots. On several occasions, players must jump from a ledge or swing from a horizontal pole.
Accuracy and timing are important factors in this game. If you fail to grab a ledge, you’re done for. To spice it up even more, the game features a stamina bar for each of your hands. Hanging from a ledge using one hand will rapidly drain the stamina bar. Once the bar is drained, you’ll lose your grip and fall to your death. Using both hands will refill the meter. Players must frequently apply chalk in their hands to maintain their grip; just like how real rock climbing works.
If you do not have a problem with heights or motion sickness, you can surely try out this game, assuming that your VR headset is Oculus Rift.
Beat Saber
Remember the good old Dance Dance Revolution? Well, it’s time for an upgrade. Beat Saber was developed and published by Beat Games. It can be played using HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, and PlayStation VR. Beat Saber was released in early access in May 2018, with a full release launching in May 2019.
Players need to hit the blocks flying towards them. But it’s not as simple as it sounds. You will have a soundtrack playing in the background. The blocks will appear in sync with the “beats” of the music. Players must hit the block in one of the eight directions; left, right, up, down, top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right, and an additional dotted block which can be hit in any direction. The blocks are also color coded and must be hit with the corresponding colored light-saber in your hand. Additionally, you will have mines and walls coming towards you, which must be avoided. Players gain scores upon successfully hitting a block in the right directions. Missing too many blocks or colliding with a wall or mine will result in a Game Over.
If you want to have a really good time dancing to the tunes of a soundtrack, then Beat Saber is the game for you.
Apart from these three, there are dozens of other exciting VR games which you can definitely try out. But I would highly recommend trying these out if you want to have a truly immersive VR gaming experience.
Cover Image Credits: Android Central
