Good Goliath does what it sets out to do; it’s a simple VR game with an arcade flavour and easy to learn controls. It’s accessible, and that’s good, but it’s also very basic, and that’s bad. The moment to moment gameplay can often feel frustrating as you simply duck and dodge incoming objects and throw them back, but in the boss fights it gives you a glimpse of the technical skill and excellent design that the team is capable of. If Good Goliath had been a boss rush only game it would be far easier to recommend, but it’s sadly just a little too limited to be worth your time if you’ve played much else in VR.

Wallace & Gromit In The Grand Getaway does a fine job adapting Aardman's classic films for VR, though a few smaller issues mean there's room for improvement. While Jamtastic! could be more exciting and the main adventure suffers from occasional jank, this charming little adventure nails the spirit of the series, packed with humor and personality. I'd love to see more of these tales and if you grew up watching Wallace & Gromit, it's an easy recommendation.

Mini-Mech Mayhem is likely destined for the same kind of obscurity as FuturLab’s Tiny Trax before it, but there’s endless joy to be found from its frantic mash-up of tabletop gaming and VR. This is an untamable, often hilarious bit of strategy that’s to be enjoyed just as much when you’re throwing your hands up in defeat as it is in victory. I just wish I had more people to play it with.

Zombie Army VR has a decent foundation with a tense atmosphere and enjoyable gunplay, but that's let down by the main campaign offering little more than a repetitive shooting gallery. Playing with a friend can only do so much to hide core issues, which is unfortunate when the game mechanically feels good. What's here is fine, Zombie Army VR has its moments, and it'll serve if you're after a new co-op campaign. Just don't expect much else.

Winds & Leaves is an untroubling little VR game, both in the restorative nature of its farming mechanics and, ultimately, how simple and inoffensive it is. Soothing and wholesome, it’s a game about losing yourself in the satisfaction of honest work and clean living. But, even with the game’s angle of relaxation considered, it’s ultimately just a little too straightforward for its own good and some clunky elements end up holding it back. Winds & Leaves is a breezy remedy for a VR’s otherwise action-packed summer, but it’s only a temporary retreat.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond can be both frustrating and captivating at the exact same time, but underneath it all is a fun and engaging VR shooter that nails several facets of being a successful AAA game. It’s not quite enough to solidify the experience as a must-play, but there are plenty of bright spots. If you’re eager to dive into a VR version of WWII with exciting set piece moments, authentic historical footage, and an addictively fun online multiplayer mode, then you should come away satisfied. But if you were looking for an immersive narrative wrapped up in a cutting-edge evolution of VR game design with expert pacing — don’t hold your breath.

Though it has its issues, the eerie atmosphere, incredible sound design, and surprisingly unique theme of the game make it one of the better horror experiences that I’ve had on the PSVR. If you’re into atmospheric horror and looking for something to scare you this month, then this is definitely worth a try.

Dino Frontier has a great concept behind it and the foundations for an entertaining city-building game, but it never gets deep enough. The single town you’ll build provides very little room for personalization and the game is so easy that you’ll stroll through to its unexpected ending in no time. This feels like a concept demo for a much bigger and better experience, the one I suspect that Uber Entertainment first dreamed of when starting out. Sadly, Dino Frontier is far from being that game.

I also had some of the usual online play issues during my time with Dark Eclipse: Matchmaking sometimes took more than 3 minutes, and the occasional dropped session that ends a match prematurely. Such issues will hopefully be ironed out for Season 1. But for those who want to try another genre, or mashup to be more specific, and think they might like a slower game where players take their time to implement a strategy, than Dark Eclipse is worth a look.

Sam & Max: This Time It’s Virtual has a lot of great ideas executed to varying degrees of success, and its fair share of misfires too. While its first half feels fresh and snappy as it throws new gameplay concepts at you every few minutes, its latter portion suffers from diminishing returns as it exposes half-baked mechanics and throws in some frustrating puzzles. But it is a genuine delight to spend time with this dynamic duo, largely thanks to a hilarious script that doesn’t hold back and, even after all these years, that incredible sense of sharing a space with other characters in VR. Sam & Max get by on their trademark charisma but, let’s be honest, that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?

There are issues with each of Downward Spiral: Horus Station’s core elements, but the game’s hugely compelling atmosphere, ever-evolving arsenal and first-rate immersion is more than enough to see you through to the end. From the chilling exploration to the nimble combat, this is an adventure that keeps its hooks in you and occasionally even pulls off that rarest of sensations: to make you forget where you really are in the world.

A mostly welcome ending to a mostly excellent series, then. Vader Immortal’s ambition has occasionally outstretched its capabilities, and, even for a two-hour adventure, its pacing hasn’t always been on point. But Episode III offers the best of the series’ combat, some of its most memorable high points and a relieving lack of its lowest. As far as the concluding part of Star Wars trilogies go, that’s a very good spot to be in.

The experience itself is good fun and a mostly engaging horror shooter from start to end. It blends together arcade gameplay elements with intense horror action, bringing some fantastic enemy designs and brilliant settings into the fray. While the visuals might not be the most stunning we’ve seen on the platform, it’s nonetheless competent and what lacks in fidelity it makes up for in style. Though probably not a system seller, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is a good PSVR 2 exclusive and an easy recommendation for fans of horror and arcade action. [Recommended]

Fated: The Silent Oath deserves to be experienced not for its lush environments or adventure gameplay, but because it’s one of the few VR games yet that effectively creates a connection between you and the characters around you in a way that’s unique to the medium. Something as simple as nodding your head can spark a powerful reaction both in the game world and, more importantly, inside you. There aren’t many VR experiences that pull that off quite so successful yet and, for that reason alone, Fated is worth your time — even if it is a bit brief.

Sony Pictures VR and nDreams have built a solid foundation for a decent co-op multiplayer experience with Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord. We've found good mechanics and an overall engaging presentation in what we've played so far, but we'll need to play more to report properly on the online multiplayer experience and performance across different headsets. The biggest lingering question is whether there's enough variety to sustain players coming back for multiple sessions across the main campaign, let alone beyond that.

Originally released in 2015 for PC, Mac and Linux before eventually making its way onto consoles, ChromaGun was initially both hailed and mocked for (lightly) scratching gamers’ itches for a new Portal-like in the absence of Portal 3. Following its long-awaited VR port, ChromaGun VR is definitely not up to the bar set by the Portal series, but its puzzles are satisfying nonetheless.

Any issues I had with TMNT: Empire City were overcome by just how fun and breezy the game is to play. If I bumped into anything I didn't care for, seconds later I was on to something else and did not care enough to dwell on it. The glitches I experienced were a nuisance, but easily overcome. Cortopia never forgets that this property is based on a comic book that across forty years has not taken itself too seriously while entertaining fans of all ages. Empire City lives up to that standard. Longtime TMNT fans and newcomers alike will find something to like in Empire City.

It’s certainly easy for basically anyone to craft a simple beat in Track Lab, but someone looking for anything more advanced would be better spending their time in a program like GarageBand. For VR junkies, the prospect of becoming a virtual DJ is certainly appealing, but a game with pre-selected and popular song clips like Electronauts will be a lot more satisfying and a lot less time-consuming.

Journey for Elysium’s gorgeous black and white visuals offer a terrific atmosphere and the trip to the end is fun, thanks to the variety of game play elements. But the game is over way too soon with some frustrating boating sections and simple puzzles.

Stifled is a one-of-a-kind horror game that’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. The use of sound to allow you to see the world around you but also alert your enemies creates a terrifying and suspensful dynamic that left me quivering in my shorts. The pacing isn’t perfect and some other pieces felt lacking, but the core premise of Stifled is so very strong it’s impossible not to recommend it. This game should be experienced by anyone that wants to see how VR as a medium can transform the way we interact with video games.

Arizona Sunshine combines the narrative power of a fully-featured 4+ hour campaign mode, with the intensity of a wave-based horde mode, and then adds multiplayer to both experiences. The protagonist’s witty humor make it worth recommending on his charming personality alone, with enough depth and variety to keep people coming back for several hours. By doing so many things so well, Arizona Sunshine quickly rose to the top of the pack as the best overall zombie shooter we’ve seen yet in VR.

Maskmaker is peppered with magic moments but also padded with more routine and familiar gameplay, plus a heavy-handed narrative. Its best moments achieve an intricate balance between body-swapping puzzling that helps lift the veil on some of the story’s deeper themes, and I would have happily spent hours more making masks in the welcome confines of its workshop. But the game often feels like it’s presenting puzzles for the sake of it and could have helped its story breathe by stripping back some of the exposition.

Ryte: The Eye of Atlantis has enough moments of interest to make it worth a look, but there’s nothing particularly deep or memorable here. Perhaps you’ll have better luck with performance, but as-is, it clearly needs some optimization work to be a smoother, less glitchy experience as a whole. And even then what’s here is mostly derivative, if compelling at-times, VR adventure fare.

My heart bleeds for Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Tempestfall. It’s a game of genuinely admirable aspiration that, in many ways, is painfully close to achieving its goals. But every time I started to settle into its gorgeous world and brilliantly over-the-top-lore one of its many issues would make itself known. The combat is a mess in need of a significant overhaul, the UI is fussy and unhelpful, and a string of bugs and puzzle roadblocks kill any sense of momentum. With more time under the hood, a lot of these issues could have been refined and Tempestfall would have been a highlight in a meager year for PC VR releases. As it stands, this offering might be only worthy of Sigmar’s wrath.

For fans of the series that own a PSVR, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is the perfect spin-off. There is enough fan service to keep you smiling and enough original content plus exciting gameplay to make it fun in its own right. Surprisingly, Square Enix was able to craft an addictive fishing game that lets us see brand new sides of beloved characters and really feel like part of the team.

Intruders is a welcome case of less is more. It’s an engaging little short that largely keeps its ambitions in check with enjoyable if unremarkable sneaking. You likely won’t remember much about Intruders a week or two past playing it, but it keeps you hooked while it lasts. For a home invasion game, it’s perhaps just a little too safe.

Rise of Insanity isn’t a perfect game, but it doesn’t try to be. The story has some satisfying twists if you’re paying attention and the environments are well-designed with nice vistas and some top-notch jump scares to keep you on your toes. I’d have loved motion controller support or a more fleshed out VR integration, but as it stands as a gamepad-only VR title it certainly delivers good scares wrapped up in a solid story at a brisk two hour pace.

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable is a disappointing adaptation of the popular series. While UNIVRS has done well with the combat and the controls, everything else ultimately falls flat. Between the performance issues, inconsistent visual quality, unreliable allies during solo missions and a short yet repetitive campaign, what's here feels rushed and unpolished.

As a live-service game with a long road map ahead of it, it would be too early to consider this our ‘final’ verdict of Firewall Ultra. However, in its launch state, the game is riddled with bugs, as well as frustrating UI and design decisions that often make it a drag to play. If you nonetheless wade through all that, the core PvP Contracts and the new co-op Exfil mode can still be tense and exhilarating with the right team. If these issues are ironed out, it may have better prospects in the long run with more content to come. However, the pricing structure at launch (with its push towards additional in-app purchases after the initial base game purchase) cynically encourages you to spend more to unlock additional content and features. It’s difficult to recommend Firewall Ultra to PSVR 2 owners right now, especially compared to progression-less but more polished and varied options like Pavlov.

Sniper Elite VR: Winter Warrior feels more like an expansion pack than a true sequel. There's an enjoyable but brief new campaign, new modes offer welcome variety, and staring down the scope to shoot Nazis feels great. However, very little has otherwise changed, while poor environmental interactions and odd design choices detract considerably from the immersion. If all you want is more Sniper Elite VR content, Winter Warrior delivers but it's a missed opportunity for improvement.

While it has some interesting ideas on how to present mental suffering, the innocent act of overlooking one crucial moment meant it ultimately failed to justify its tour of misery and left me with too sour a taste. By the time I discovered there was a sunnier conclusion out there, the damage had been done. That, coupled with the poor VR optimization, make it hard to recommend to anyone with an interest in its subject matter and I would advise people suffering from depression to actively avoid its troubling depictions. There may be some that applaud this unflinching approach to an impossible situation, but a lighter touch may have been the better approach.

After The Fall fills a hole in the VR market that’s been empty for far too long. It’s a polished, engaging shooter that will get its hooks into you after even just a few of its Harvest Runs thanks to the remarkable ease with which you can find friends to play with on any headset. But it’s also true that this is a mechanically straightforward shooter that’s closer to the breezy simplicity of Arizona Sunshine than it is the rivals that have long since surpassed Vertigo’s original VR hit. But that’s a calculated decision, and one that will likely work in After The Fall’s favor as it seeks to grow as large a userbase as possible. The verdict’s not quite in yet, but After The Fall might just be the co-op VR shooter to beat.

Front Defense feels like a game that was made without an audience in mind. The dedicated VR users that have enough space (it needs approximately three square meters of room) will have played plenty of VR shooters by now, many that are just better than this. The core gamers a WWII shooter is supposed to appeal to will get bored far too quickly with the lack of depth. And the small sliver of people left in the middle that are hungry enough to buy just another wave shooter will leave disappointed that this isn’t a more complete experience from Vive Studios.

The solution to Ancient Amuletor’s problem is simple; it just needs a lot more content. It’s like Ti Games established the game’s basic mechanics and then decided that would be enough for a full product. With just a few hours of content on offer it’s hard to recommend this otherwise promising game.

Twilight Path’s gorgeous visuals and massive world aren’t enough to hide the lackluster puzzle solving and brief journey through the spirit world. Since the adventure is over far too soon at barely more than an hour of gameplay, there really isn’t enough here to entice even the most hardcore puzzle gaming fans. Form was an excellent debut VR puzzle adventure for Charm Games, but Twilight Path feels like a step back. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of Twilight Path’s spirit world aren’t the only things about this game that are lifeless.

Who is at its best when there’s a hook; a gimmick so playful and innovative that anyone can get carried away in the madness that ensues. Instead of testing those waters, The Edge of Time settles for bringing the series’ most tried and true elements directly into headsets in hopes of winning over dedicated fans. It plays more like a rejected episode of the TV series rather than something that fully embraces its platform. The Who faithful be satisfied in that safety, I suspect, but I personally can’t help but wish this was a little more dangerous.

Separation is a game with something to say, it just spends too long trying to say it. While I wanted to fall for its wistful mountain climbs and poignant canyon descents, I became too frustrated with its tedious core treasure hunt to stop and pay its wider implications much mind. I suspect that some will make those connections, lost in the game’s alluring fog, but many more will be done with this pilgrimage long before it’s over.

Immortal Legacy is clearly half the game it was once intended to be, with missing puzzle pieces strewn throughout. What remains, though, is an often half-decent, if mostly uneventful, shooter. Control issues aside, it’s a palatable bit of VR action that, if nothing else, suggests China’s VR development scene is making strides beyond its previous efforts. Hopefully the next wave of China-made VR games gives us something truly special.

For both better and worse, Mortal Blitz is effectively Time Crisis in VR. In some ways, it’s the game you dreamed of playing since you first picked up a G-Con gun in 1995; physically taking cover and trading fire with the enemy can be intense and thrilling. At the same time, though, its design is overly simplistic, and lacks the twists and hooks we’ve come to expect as the VR shooter begins to move into its second year. There’s plenty fun to be had here, but it’s dated even by VR’s standards.

The Inpatient has a great premise with excellent production values, but its hampered by poor controls and lackluster character development. As a prequel to Until Dawn, it does a great job of fleshing out the lore a bit more, but it’s a bit short to really stand on its own. That being said, the moments that are there and the scares that they produce are totally worth experiencing. Plus, more games should absolutely adopt the voice recognition dialog feature going forward.

It's hard not to think of the wasted potential here with COLD VR, and the 40-stage campaign took me roughly three hours to complete. ALLWARE's debut game needed more time, better balancing, and considerably more polish to fine tune the core campaign before next week's launch. That's especially true when playing on Quest compared to the Steam edition. I hope future updates can address these issues because there are moments where COLD VR delivers a fun twist on SUPERHOT's premise. I came away from numerous levels celebrating my victory, dodging bullets in slow motion still feels cool, and the action is satisfying when it works. Presently though, it's a difficult game to recommend.

If you’ve never played StarDrone before and quite like the sound of 60 levels of moderately entertaining arcade puzzle action that plays on pinball then the VR version is a harmless way to experience it. If, however, you’re looking for something that feels like it truly belongs in this medium, this is not the puzzle game you’re looking for. The VR support is almost entirely without merit, answering the call for content on a platform that’s no longer in desperate need of it.

Dick Wilde 2 is inarguably an improvement on the first, for what it’s worth. This by-the-numbers sequel remains a decent wave shooter with a rock solid foundation that never elevates itself beyond the limitations of its genre. It’s just a little more balanced, a little less creepy and there’s a lot more of it. Co-op support may be underwhelming, but if you’re still craving the core thrill of simple VR shooting, you could do a lot worse than Dick Wilde 2.

Dreams of Another is a creative, thoughtful effort that's given me plenty to think about, and I'm glad to see more experimental titles like this still being made by Q-Games. But when the VR support feels this lacking combined with the game's slow pacing and repetitive elements, I can't fully recommend it on PlayStation VR2.

Unfortunately, ILM's use of shifting realities for Adventure Mode feels experimental, and the podracing is ultimately disappointing. The option to podrace in first-person VR would dramatically change Beyond Victory into something both intense and satisfying, while not forcing the fast-paced movement on players who aren’t ready for that. Without that option, I’m left suggesting these aren’t the droids you’re looking for.

John Wick Chronicles feels like it’s exactly what the teams at Starbreeze and Lionsgate intended to create. You feel like a badass while playing it, the overtones of the universe are there, and the action is fun enough to keep you pushing through to the end. In terms of gameplay mechanics, it was fun. But just as you get into it and feel the intensity reaching a point of true adrenaline, it’s all over. There is little reason to come back and the floor is left littered with dead bodies and under-utilized potential. As a result, just like Keanu Reeves himself, it lacks depth.

Theseus is a game that had a lot of promise. The dark and creepy setting comes through with a strong, foreboding atmosphere that’s often difficult to capture in VR games. But unfortunately the actual gameplay itself feels like more of a chore than anything else. It’s over far too soon and doesn’t feel properly designed for VR from the ground up. The Minotaur is terrifying and intimidating, but getting through everything else just to face him isn’t going to be worth it for most people.

Skydance's Behemoth is an enjoyable new VR action adventure from the Saints and Sinners studio. The combat feels good, this Nordic-inspired fantasy world delivers some mostly impressive visuals on PS VR2, and taking down the Behemoths is rewarding. Unfortunately, the game's biggest problem are those moments in between. While I enjoyed learning about this world and found myself invested in its story, getting from one Behemoth to the next can become tedious. Repetitive light puzzles, lacking enemy variety and considerable jank notably hamper Skydance's ambitious title. Skydance's Behemoth feels great when you're slaying the titular creatures, but there's ultimately some rough edges.

Don’t Knock Twice feels very much like it was conceived by making a checklist of features and ideas, doing just enough to include those core essentials, and then stopping short of delivering much in the way of true horror game inspiration. The versatility of playstyles in and out of VR is commendable, but once you settle on a way to experience it the actual game is over far too soon. While you’re there the scares are good and the atmosphere is rich, but it doesn’t do enough to really break new ground.

I’m struggling to think of a scenario in which I’d recommend The Walking Dead: Onslaught. Functionally, it works, and there are some bright spots here since you get to step foot inside the world of the show and interact with iconic characters — but the compliments mostly stop there. Campaign missions are extremely linear and uninspired, Scavenge runs utilize a ludicrous red fog to represent “The Horde” while you collect random scrap parts, and combat fails to ever give you much of a reason to graduate beyond the basic combat knife. I hate to say it, but The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is just a much better example of how to create an immersive VR world, much better use of the source material, and much better game in general.

Repetitive finale aside, Crisis on the Planet of the Apes VR is a surprisingly likable movie tie-in with several great ideas behind it. Its best ideas are underdeveloped but still manage to make a mark (sometimes literally), making for an experience that’s a step above the standard tie-in fare.

Space Channel 5 VR should have been a glorious return to form, but this cult hit series can’t keep up with the beat set by its competitors. The surprisingly brief campaign coasts on by without ever pushing your skills and, once it’s over, there’s very little else to do. Ulala and co are long overdue a return to the main stage, but this isn’t it.

A painfully dull test of endurance, Time Carnage is as lifeless as VR wave shooters come. Even for an over-saturated genre, this is surprisingly devoid of invention; stand in place, shoot hordes of incoming attackers, unlock a new gun, do it all again. There is at least enough functional content to save the game from reaching Pixel Gear levels of travesty, but there are many, many other wave shooters you should play instead of this.

There are fun and novel ideas at the center of Siegecraft Commander — such as the unique base building and inventive use of slingshot-style mechanics — but it doesn’t translate well to VR. After playing my neck hurt and I found the controls less than precise. If a bit more polish had been given to the VR integration it could have helped elevate things, but at the end of the day it felt more monotonous than strategically rewarding.

The audience that will find something valuable with this VR reimagining is incredibly small, mostly split between players with experience of the original or those curious about video game history. Even for them, the VR design choices will be jarring and hamper the core Colossal Cave experience, rather than enabling it. That audience, however, does not include those looking for a satisfying adventure in VR and that’s why you should probably steer clear of Colossal Cave until further notice… At least in VR, anyway. [Avoid]

VR Ping Pong is a likable take on the popular sport that’s held back by its lack of multiplayer. There’s only so much fun you can have with the AI matches and minigames and, once you’ve had it, there’s little reason to stick around.

There are enjoyable sights and sounds in these brief two chapters, and some thoughtful puzzles that I enjoyed solving. The series is off to a good start, but I’d definitely like to see more consideration given to Rift players if VR support is to continue, and I’d likely recommend waiting for those future episodes before diving in.

Despite its good intentions Eden Tomorrow rarely breaks free of its many issues. An intensely disagreeable sidekick, dull pacing and by-the-numbers plotting will put you on autopilot for 90% of the game. There are moments of magic here but, for the most part, Eden Tomorrow is simply a slog.

The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend is an entertaining debut title from Singer Studios, delivering an intriguing premise that held my interest with a convincing performance from Lucy Liu. Unfortunately, that's frustrated by minimal comfort settings and jank, while the ending could be stronger. Still, if you're looking for a short VR narrative adventure, The Pirate Queen is a decent choice.

Unearthing Mars is a difficult game to write about simply because it comes and goes without ever giving you much to go on. By the time the credits roll you’ll already find yourself forgetting what actually happened. Maybe there is life to find on Mars, but you won’t find any here.

Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot has all of the right ingredients to be an exciting VR game focused on murdering tons of Nazis, but ends up feeling like it’s just too safe with far too little content. Mechanically it works well and there are some quality moments of fun, but just as the world starts to get interesting it’s all over.

Flow Weaver is a sometimes entertaining, sometimes frustrating, and wholly forgettable break from reality which, by the end of its short but needlessly stretched-out hour of gameplay, left me ready to escape to some other game. If you love sorcery and you’re jonesing for a chance to cast a few spells in VR, there are certainly better alternatives like Waltz of the Wizard. However, the puzzles offered in Flow Weaver are still worth checking out if you absolutely love the escape room genre. If so, you’ll be rewarded with some genuinely nice looking environments that are easy on the senses.

When Bravo Team was announced at E3 last year it looked like an exciting, tactical shooter that would let players navigate environments in cooperative multiplayer. It more or less looked like the PSVR’s very own Onward or Rainbow Six. In reality it’s just another wave shooter, even if it uses a nifty gun controller. If you’re waiting on a more fully-featured shooter for PSVR, then keep an eye on Firewall: Zero Hour instead.

Stranger Things VR is a commendable effort from Tender Claws and a nice example of VR's potential as a storytelling medium, letting you experience Hawkins and the Upside Down in a brand new way that expands on the Stranger Things universe. Unfortunately, all that is hindered by extremely repetitive gameplay elements and poor combat. If you're a fan of the TV show and can look past the absence of the voice actors for some of your favorite characters, you'll likely enjoy your time exploring Vecna's twisted mind while traversing the Upside Down. Even if you've never seen the Netflix series and simply want enjoy trippy and often spooky VR experiences, you might consider giving Stranger Things VR a look.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Joyride serves as a decent proof-of-concept for PlayStation VR, but more than two years after the headset launches, is that really what we need anymore? During our time with the game, we also experienced three crashes and a bug that forced us to restart it completely, and without a large group of players interested in designing their own courses, it’s going to end up like many of the worst RollerCoaster Tycoon theme parks: empty and dull.

Gungrave was a poorly received shooter in 2002. 16 years on, Gungrave VR copies and pastes its mechanics, tacks on pointless VR support and builds about 50 minutes worth of new content into the game. That’s not exactly a recipe for a runaway hit, is it?

As gorgeous and well-intentioned as it may be, it’s tough to recommend Rhythm of the Universe: Ionia in its current form. There are moments of splendor in this opening act, but they’re far too fleeting and around a third of the incredibly short 45-minute runtime is spent watching its world instead of interacting with it. ROTU will have its work cut out for it in future episodes if this series is to bounce back from this underwhelming first installment but, for what it’s worth, we’re rooting for it.

Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is short, and for once in a linear game, that’s a good thing, because I wanted to move on with my life the second I had finished playing it. Casually prejudiced, generic in nearly every way, and an absolute bore to slog through, it genuinely might be the worst game on PlayStation VR. If you’re given this as a gift, cut out that person from your life, even if they’re a blood relative. It isn’t worth it.

Dying: Reborn PSVR has some fun puzzles to solve, but it’s far too short on substance to recommend to anyone. By carving out sections of the non-VR game, Oasis Games has created something a little like the game’s disturbing fish-headed protagonist; a hollow Frankenstein’s monster, brought to life with left overs. PSVR players deserve better.

Bandit Six: Combined Arms isn’t going be winning any awards for its ambitions, but it’s a harmlessly entertaining PSVR shooter all the same. As simple as it may look, don’t be surprised if you get pulled in by its upgrade systems and accessible gameplay.

Dick Wilde is lucky that it’s a polished and enjoyable wave shooter, because it’s subject matter confuses animal cruelty with comedy resulting in a flat, bizarrely morbid tone. On a strictly mechanical level it’s an enjoyable but unspectacular shooter that I appreciated more for the workout it gave me than anything else. Bolverk Games continues to prove that it can make rock-solid VR experiences from a gameplay perspective, I just wish the team could wrap it in a more agreeable context. [Tested with Oculus Rift]

Left to your own devices, this is an enormously enjoyable toybox that succeeds perhaps more than any other VR game in doing one thing: making you smile. But Giant Cop is far from VR’s best game. It’s short campaign is filled with repetitive, tedious tasks that will tire and frustrate more than they ever do engage. There’s still an immense amount of fun to be had in Giant Cop, but it’s got very little to do with what’s been added in the past year. [Tested with Rift]

Drop Dead is certainly one of the best shooting games on the Gear VR and a capable inclusion in the Rift’s growing library. The solid, smooth performance and accurate targeting make it plenty of fun and the new missions and brand new multiplayer mode add plenty of replay value. More than that though, it’s an excellent homage to the classic light gun games of old.

If you want your science fiction racing to be more hardcore and realistic, Vector 36 is definitely the game. It starts out slow, but past that initial hump, speeds up considerably and requires mastery of some of the most intensive physics around. Though not perfect and lacking multiplayer, there’s a solid amount of content here with hopefully more on the way.

Paulo’s Wing is a small miracle, a VR game that shows not just how intense and active these experiences can be, but also how you can create a world with the same technology and a simple set of tools. It’s frantic gameplay isn’t the most original, but it’s a strong reminder that wave based games can be fun when not entirely derivative. If you’re looking for some simple sword swinging fun, don’t miss out. [Tested with HTC Vive]

While VR Golf Online is fun to play, looks pretty for the most part, and has strong core mechanics, it comes off as feeling a little empty. Multiplayer support and more courses are coming soon, however, and it’s certainly not a bad start. It doesn’t offer ultra-realistic simulation-style mechanics, but if you’re after a casual golfing fix in VR, this is certainly not a bad option.

Though brief, Syren proves itself to be a worthwhile taster of what VR can really do for horror games. While never fully capitalizing on that potential, there are some revelatory moments for the genre here, making you painfully aware of your own self as you hide behind crates and freeze on the spot. That alone helps overlook the short length and handful of bugs and blemishes, and makes Hammerhead VR itself a developer well worth watching.

With its colorful comic book throwbacks, First Impact clearly has the heart of a hero and even the foundation for a good game, but Red Meat Games needed much more time to realize its vision. The game world is buggy, the controls are stiff, and many of the powers feel like they aren’t worth using. Sadly, this is one game that made me feel anything but super.

A fun on-rails shooter that brings back a classic gameplay mechanic tasking you with targeting enemies as you pass them by to rack up points. There are only a handful of levels and it takes just around 30 minutes to play the entire game, so despite the fun, it’s short-lived. Fans of the genre should check this one out, but it’s far from being a must play in the Steam VR library.

The HeroCade bundle on PSVR does a great job of collecting a large amount (nine total!) of games into a single package. They’re all tied together with a loose “narrative” of sorts but about half of them are hardly worth even playing. Dreadhalls and Sisters are easily the best of the lot, but the sheer breadth of games on display is commendable. Worth a grab if you haven’t tried Dreadhalls yet, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the other eight games on their own.

Overall Conductor is a good example of the simple thrills that come from VR escape room games. If you find yourself easily frustrated by puzzle games then this is a great example of how to set the right amount of challenge without feeling too easy, and it builds an intriguing world in the process.

Despite the lack of multiplayer and the horror of ham-fisted progression gates, To The Top is still one of the most singularly fun experiences I’ve ever had inside my VR headset. It’s gameplay is simple, but addictive, and rewards skillful play while never demanding you become an expert all at once. The progression gates are annoying but mostly because they held me back from tearing into more of this truly amazing experience.

Monkey King isn’t a bad VR animation, but it’s just not that great either. The three episodes dovetail together nicely, but it never feels like it really takes advantage of VR as a medium. Visually it felt underwhelming and left a lot to be desired.

Neptune Flux is short and inessential, but serves as a good example of a satisfying, self-contained VR short story. Perhaps Zoxide once had dreamed of it being more than that, but the immersive atmosphere and interesting — if flawed — story still made this a journey I was glad I went on.

Just in Time’s premise alone is brilliant enough to warrant a look, though the game only scratches the surface of its potential. When it gets it right, saving lives in slow-motion is a silly thrill, but many of the game’s levels are simply unmemorable. Second Wind is onto something here, but its short campaign never successfully mixes the comedy, action, and puzzle-solving into one truly satisfying package. These elements instead remain separate, creating an inconsistent, albeit promising, experience.

Out of Ammo: Death Drive comes and goes without making much of an impression. Its 90 – 120-minute campaign fails to ever excite or amuse, and there’s only the beginnings of what could have been a great tower defense game to experience. VR has moved beyond the need for raw content for the sake of having something to play, and Death Drive is firmly stuck in the past as a result. [Tested with Oculus Rift]

Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul is a relatively solid VR horror game. There is a strong foreboding sense of terror, a thickly developed atmosphere, and excellent use of sound and lighting to convey a real sense of fear. The adaptive scare system also works well, for the most part, and keeps you guessing. However the poor control system, occasional bugs (which will likely be addressed soon with patches,) short length, and inconsistent pacing keep it from being as successful as it could have been.

Prison Boss VR is a breath of fresh air. In a market that’s over-saturated with shooters, and blood, and gore, and zombies, it’s nice to experience something with a much more light-hearted and whimsical tone. Fans of Job Simulator and tycoon-style games will find a lot to love here and far more content than expected, but what it gains in breadth it sacrifices in depth. Even still, this is a VR game we’d happily return to as a reward for good behavior.

Duck Season is more than a tribute to a beloved retro game; it’s a love letter to an entire era of pop culture and childhoods well-spent on a healthy dose of screen watching. As a showcase for VR it does a brilliant job of highlighting the tech’s current strengths with small, intimate environments that breathe authenticity and organic storytelling that never pulls you from the experience. I can’t wait to see how Stress Level Zero applies what it’s learned here to something that pushes the medium even further.

Bloody Zombies has a confusing existence. On the one hand the gameplay is fun enough to entertain for a few hours, especially if enjoyed with friends, but it lacks enough pull as an original concept to really offer much in the way of innovation. For all intents and purposes this is a very by-the-numbers sidescrolling brawler with a zombie theme that just so happens to let you look around at levels in a VR headset. Unless you’re dying for a Streets of Rage-esque experience in VR then you can probably survive by just passing on this one.

As an on-rails shooter, Dimension Hunter offers simple, stylish shooter fun with an appreciated free locomotion option. Ultimately it’s little more than an hour or two of brainless shooting, but there are some great highlights along the way that made me happy I took the trip. If you’ve got an itchy trigger finger, Dimension Hunter will serve you just right.

There might not be much of a game to Echo Grotto (though there’s a lot more to it than its predecessor), but it’s the type of VR experience that proves you don’t always need objectives and plot twists as motivation to push on. This is an experience where your own sense of curiosity and discovery is all you’ll need to keep going, speaking to the power of VR’s immersion. It carries a rare sense of authenticity that really makes you feel like you’re descending into the depths, and the deeper you go the more engulfed you’ll become. This is a great example of what really makes VR tick.

The Invisible Hours is unlike anything else you’ll play or watch in VR this year; a genuinely enthralling murder mystery boldly told in an entirely new way. Its character-driven drama is near faultless not just in the dialogue and plotting but also in the superb staging and pacing that brings the world to life. It’s an experiment that pays off in spades and could well provide a template for VR storytelling to come.

Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope combines frenetic action, testosterone-laden humor and beautiful graphics into a solid VR package that kept me coming back for more punishment. It has few minor blemishes and may not have lasting power for some gamers, but ultimately it’s one of the best VR wave shooters you can play. Now where did I put that rocket launcher?

Million Arthur is a passable card battler that struggles to find purpose in VR. Though its combat system may be engaging on a basic level, the hefty amount of story told through virtual screens, lack of interactivity in its virtual worlds and the unwelcome sting of in-app purchases left me wondering why Square Enix didn’t choose a better-fitting game for its first VR JRPG port. A very niche audience might find something to love about Million Arthur, but it’s got very little to say about what VR can do for the JRPG. Stick to Dragon Front instead.

Overall, Space Pirate Trainer is a lot of fun and addictive, and features great mechanics, but it’s also a bit vanilla and predictable. It’s done well, but with myriad VR wave shooters to choose from now, it doesn’t stand out as novel or overly exciting. What it is, though, is a solid, energetic VR wave shooter that continued to challenge me and made me come back to try and get my initials emblazoned on the various leaderboards. Just like my old arcade days, I found myself saying “Let me try just one more time to get my initials on the board.”

Croteam has done yet another excellent job of bringing one of its past successes to VR; The Talos Principle feels right at home inside your headset. If you’ve never played the game and have a Rift and Vive then this is absolutely one of the best puzzle games to play in VR right now. If you’ve already wrapped you brain around it once, though, it’s tough to recommend revisiting the game in VR. While comprehensive, the game’s VR support is additive at best, enhancing the experience only in a superficial way. Still the same great game, then, but only worth the trip for some.

I enjoyed much of the time I spent with Skyworld, but it has some big problems, and I probably won’t play again, at least not any time soon. Skyworld has some good ideas, but ultimately its full potential is unrealized. I applaud Vertigo for trying something new, but when it comes down to it, VR doesn’t really enhance a board game and simple strategy experience like this, and it often became more tedious and convoluted than fun.