Virtual Reality, as the newest kid on the gaming block, has often been disregarded as a gimmick rather than a gaming genre in its own right. In truth, however, VR gaming has gained significant traction in recent years, having finally been integrated into the mainstream gaming industry.
In fact, one of the main criticisms leveled against VR gaming – that VR games are too short in comparison with traditional video games – has been negated in 2021 thanks to several new releases. During the early days of VR gaming, experiences were deliberately kept short to reduce the impact of motion sickness on inexperienced players.
Today, however, a number of notable games are available that provide the full experience that traditional gamers are used to.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the best games that are currently available on Oculus devices, including a couple of marathon-worthy titles.
Moss – The Best for Beginners
VR gaming does take a bit of getting used to, so it’s always wise to start slowly and build up to longer gaming sessions. Thankfully, with Moss, newbies to the Oculus platform can still enjoy a beautiful, immersive world without any motion sickness nastiness.
The perspective of the game is “god-view”: an isometric angle that allows the gamer to look down on the environment. The story follows Quill, an uber-cute mouse hero as he journeys around a gorgeous environment, solving puzzles as he goes. While it may not win any awards for innovative storylines, Moss is nevertheless a classic gaming experience with gentle VR features.
Journey of the Gods – The Best for Fantasy Fans
Journey of the Gods is arguably Oculus’ answer to the Legend of Zelda franchise. Featuring a host of fantastical characters, this action-adventure game set in a mystical world has all the hallmarks of that iconic fantasy franchise.
Players are equipped with magical weapons and several abilities to help them travel from realm to realm. The gameplay is a mix of puzzle-solving and exploration, with a boss at the end of each level to defeat and gain new abilities and magical powers.
It’s stylishly done too. The Journey of the Gods world is richly colorful and makes for quite an inviting landscape to explore. Played straight through, the runtime comes in at around seven hours, but gamers are free to explore the open environment for much longer if they so choose.
PokerStars VR – The Best for Poker Players
VR tech needn’t be limited to other-worldly gaming experiences; it’s a brilliant way to elevate real-life gaming activities too, as demonstrated by PokerStars VR. This no-limit poker VR game offers up a range of fantastical locations such as Macau 2050 and the lavish Monte Carlo Yacht.
Incorporating traditional Texas Hold’em multiplayer games in a VR format, this game is a great mix of stunning gaming environments and realistic poker gaming functions. There are even interactive toys, accessories, and props that players can get their hands on to ramp up the action.
A Township Tale – The Best for World Builders
Fans of world-building puzzle games like Minecraft should check out A Township Tale. Similar to that ubiquitous sandbox game, A Township Tale begins in a dilapidated village that gamers need to repair by gathering resources in order to make it prosperous again.
With plenty of survival elements built-in, such as food scavenging and preparation, this game is effectively unending as there’s plenty to keep gamers occupied. The resource cost of forging weapons and repairing buildings is quite high, so players can expect to spend a lot of time mining resources.
Another nice feature of A Township Tale is its multiplayer function, so gamers can get their friends involved to work together restoring the town.
From Other Suns – The Best for Diehard Gamers
Coming in with a massive 44 hours completion time, From Other Suns is the game for experienced players who want the full immersive experience in Oculus VR. This action-packed sci-fi shooter follows a perilous mission to return home from the depths of outer space.
Playable in both single-player and co-op multiplayer formats, From Other Suns sees characters boarding space stations on away missions in search of fuel, supplies, and allies to help them along on their quest.
Belonging to the RPG sub-genre rogue-like, this one will more likely be enjoyed by long-time gamers who are seeking enhanced VR features in a long-play game. Some of the gameplay elements can be tricky for newbies (the death of the main character (or all crewmembers in the case of multiplayer mode) returns the game back to the start for example), but for adept gamers, it’s a must-play.