It’s top 5 time and here’s my list of the best games I have played on my Rift. Let’s get to it!
Honorable Mention – Onward
- Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades – This is a gem of a game that I constantly find myself going back to if I have 20 minutes to kill. The gun mechanics are excellent, and it really is fun to just go shoot some targets for how ever long you have. There isn’t any real story or even so much of a true game. The strength of the game lies in how well is does gun mechanics and how much fun it is to just stand around and shoot things in VR. This isn’t so much of a traditional game as it is a playground for messing around with virtual guns.
- Robo Recall – Robo Recall came as a major surprise to me considering it was a free bundled game with the Rift. I didn’t have any high hopes for the free games and for most of them my low expectations were pretty much on point. Robo Recall is a different story. The game is gorgeous and manages to mix corny jokes with fast paced robot shooting action to become one of my favorite games. There is also a pretty expansive upgrade system and plenty of missions with leaderboards to keep you occupied for hours. A wonderful gem that any Rift owner should not overlook due to it being a free game.
- Audioshield – A bit of a disclaimer on this one, I am a fan of Audiosurf and Audiosurf 2, so when I picked up a VR headset this was one of the first games I bought. I play this one all the time and I don’t see that changing any time soon. The ability to load up any song from a YouTube video and have a new experience catered to that song is excellent. This is also one of my favorite games to share with friends as you can compete to see who gets the highest score on a song. It is also easy and intuitive enough that you can explain it to someone and have them up and running in about 30 seconds.
- Sairento VR – Sairento VR has grown a lot over the year. The game has always been excellent, but it used to feel a little light on the content side. They have consistently improved mechanics and added content all year long with a full release out of early access planned for January 19th, 2018. I have had an absolute blast leaping off walls and sniping enemies with a bow and arrow in slow motion. I think Sairento did VR movement better than any other game I have played, the leaping mechanic works wonderfully and combined with smooth locomotion, teleport, wall running and sliding on the ground no game has ever made me feel like such a bad ass. The loot mechanics, upgrade systems, map modifiers and leveling system all do an amazing job at keeping you occupied.
- Lone Echo – This game wasn’t the longest, the most exciting or even the most “fun”. What it was for me was the most impactful. Lone Echo showed me what story telling in VR was capable of. I really felt like I was experiencing what Jack was and I felt really connected to Olivia (the human companion). The game was stunning to look at and a real treat to experience. Describing the game doesn’t sound interesting at all especially if you are trying to avoid spoilers. You complete various tasks with different tools. The only part that describes well is the motion system which involves you using your arms to pull and push yourself around a microgravity environment. You also use small wrist mounted boosters and a larger back booster to help with navigation. The real star of the show with this game is the immersion, visuals and story. If I could pick for any VR game to get a sequel this is it.
