While the game may not have felt so frustrating and outdated to players in 2018, it certainly does now. Perhaps even worse, the whole experience feels kind of gimmicky, as if it’s just a fun placeholder to fill time with when you’ve got nothing else to play. The sad news for Fail Factory! is that Quest and Rift owners have much more to play these days and, frankly, they would be better off playing anything besides this.

Despite its minor issues like relatively boring environments, repetitive mission structure, and human AI that leaves a bit to be desired, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is easily the best zombie game in VR to date. The shooting mechanics feel heavy and impactful and melee is extremely violent in just the right ways. There’s plenty of depth between the survival systems and crafting mechanics and it packs a large and dense adventure unlike anything else out there.

Where Thoughts Go isn’t some marvel of a VR world or a biting bit of narrative, but it does have something to say on an overlooked aspect of this tech. If you can find a few minutes to set aside to yourself, you might find a welcome piece of inner-reflection here.

Titans of Space Plus is the purest example of everything VR can achieve.

The lack of proper feedback, the strange glitches (including the ability to shoot through scenery sometimes) and the graphical fidelity simply aren’t good enough to make this game worth your time despite the handful of bright spots. The game is, at the very least, true to its name, it certainly feels like the longest road, despite the incredible short playtime.

Path of the Warrior is a conflicting game because it’s seeping with nostalgia and simple thrills like punching clowns in the face or shooting hoops at an arcade littered with unconscious thugs. Twisted Pixel have done a good job of replicating what it would feel like to go inside of a Streets of Rage-type video game and it mostly succeeds on that front. To be clear: Path of the Warrior isn’t a bad game, but with only five stages that take less than two hours to clear, repetitive combat, and not much depth at all, it’s nowhere near as impressive as it could be.

For all intents and purposes Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency is a bigger and better version of its predecessor in virtually every way. The scope is larger, the bow and arrow adds significantly more depth and strategy to combat, levels are designed more thoughtfully, there are fewer bugs and AI issues, and it all around feels like a more complete game. Budget Cuts 2 feels like the game that the original Budget Cuts wanted to be, but never quite lived up to. It’s not without its bugs and minor gameplay annoyances, but what we’ve got here is a clear example that there’s life in this IP as a franchise and we hope to see Neat Corporation and Fast Travel Games work together again soon.

Boneworks never sweeps you away on the same kind of rollercoaster ride its biggest influences charted, but you’d be hardpressed not to get carried away on its own journey; one of interactive wizardry, devilishly gratifying combat and stunning physical authenticity, even if that occasionally works against you. Ultimately it might not be the VR shooter to turn the heads of the masses, but if you want to see where that future lies, you can’t miss Boneworks.

This isn’t the ultimate VR racing game by any means, but it still manages to deliver the fun of competent combat racing in spurts. With a small offering of tracks and vehicles, no real progression system, and no customization it’s a bit bare bones, but the thrill of seeing explosions and drifting around a giant pinball machine salvages a lot of the intensity.

With a lackluster story, an obstructive UI experience, and a niche concept, Stardust Odyssey isn’t this holiday’s killer app, but it remains something of a standout for VR deep-divers due to a first-of-its-kind setting and solid movement controls that feel floaty and fun just as they’re meant to. Add that to the game’s risk-reward stealth gameplay, and Stardust Odyssey is a flawed game, but not one that shouldn’t be bartered for.

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.

Espire 1: VR Operative is unquestionably the best expression of the stealth action genre we’ve seen in VR yet. The small touches of polish go a long way towards selling the immersion and opening your mind to the creativity on display to complete missions and the inventive VR-focused mechanics make it a pleasure to play actively in a roomscale space. While a larger budget, more time, and overall more resources could have elevated Espire 1: VR Operative to the status of being a landmark VR game that pushes the boundaries and redefines the genre even further, it’s still extremely good and certainly worth playing.

When it comes to virtual reality and the rhythm genre, there might be better options out there. However, not many (if any at all) will allow you to experience a complete narrative while you play the game, and even fewer also give you the opportunity to explore a 3D environment – complete with puzzles – in between songs. While many might be playing Deemo Reborn for just its rhythm roots, they’ll find a much deeper game once they jump in, and fans of any gaming genre might even be able to find something to enjoy about this title.

Its stumbles are as obvious as they are numerous, but it picks itself back up again time after time. The seas of VR shooter development are still stormy, but Stormland sails them with aplomb.

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.

It’s genuinely difficult to play the game without a smile on my face and I only hoped for more creativity, more whimsical delights, and more exploration of the character’s forgotten past. It borders on feeling too shallow at times, but all-in-all does a masterful job of exploring its themes before it’s all over and that’s all you can really ask for from a puzzle game of this temperament.

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.

Pistol Whip’s multiple difficulties and modifiers like Deadeye and Dual-wield add depth to a game that’s more addictive and satisfying than Beat Saber. This is neither fully a shooter nor completely a rhythm game yet it ticks off both boxes and does so exceptionally quickly in a stylish package. The 10 launch songs, all in the same general musical style, are a bit limiting. Pistol Whip, though, is already the game that brings me back to my VR headset again and again, and I expect that to be the case for months to come. I’ll be in the group waiting for more official scenes to arrive, trying to finish a few more songs in Deadeye mode on hard, showing the game to others and hoping someone figures out how to add custom maps and songs.

I have to hand it to Kinemotik for making a VR rhythm game that manages to add something new to a genre I thought had already been done to death and back. Even in Early Access form, Audio Trip is quite a bit of fun once you get accustomed to playing it, which is made far easier when you follow along with the virtual dance instructor. That said, it isn’t without its shortcomings. Even though it gets some slack for being in Early Access, it doesn’t immediately feel as approachable or fun as it could. The world environments and the gameplay itself are in conflict with each other at times, and the lack of hit sounds is an obvious improvement in the making.

It’s a captivating experience full of enchanting adventure from start to finish. When people buy a headset with the idea of visiting strange, beautiful, and rich new worlds full of exciting things they can only do in VR, this is the type of game they’re imagining.

As it stands, Concrete Genie’s PSVR offering won’t offend with its vibrant palette. It just won’t do much else, either.

Vader Immortal Episode II has the odd tone of a mid-game tutorial, more concerned with laying the foundations for what’s to come narratively and stubbornly determined to explore less-exciting gameplay mechanics. With those foundations established, though, there’s a hope that ILMxLAB has removed some of the hurdles it might have otherwise encountered in Episode III.

Battlewake is a very solid pirate ship combat game that has great presentation, fun gameplay, and good core mechanics, but it just doesn’t have enough depth. The campaign is over just as you feel like you’re coming to grips with each character, multiplayer lacks the breadth and depth it needs, and generally it’s missing a unifying framework to tie it all together more strongly. It feels like Survios expected the multiplayer to really take off here, but without cross-play or a good reason to keep playing for weeks and months on-end, the buried treasure in this pirate conquest loses its luster far too quickly.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure borrows not from the forgotten heap of licensed tie-in games of the past and instead looks to mimic some of co-op gaming’s recent hits. It does so admirably and comes out as a game surprisingly worthwhile if you’re playing in co-op. When flying solo, persistent issues hamper the game, but with a flock of friends or family, it’s a happily hectic and cleverly built game for the VR player and their sidekicks alike.

Against all odds, Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son nestles itself neatly amongst the growing number of VR titles that marry compelling, involving narrative with thoughtful interactivity. It’s a game with a welcome amount of heart, refusing to settle for the usual standards of tie-in media. Dare I say it, it’s even a worthy follow-up to a movie you’d have thought best left untouched. Bravo.

Certainly worth a look, then, even for its profound message alone. Blindfold will be an interesting touchstone for harder experiences to come. There’s more to shake out of this tree, even if this merely forms the foundations for it.

Ultimately Spice and Wolf VR only scratches the surface of VR anime adaptations. It plays out like a 2016 promotional tie-in to a movie, not a VR project worth some $292,000 in crowd-funding, let alone a price tag anywhere north of a few dollars. If you’re a series die-hard, you’ll probably enjoy the fan service on offer. Everyone else should steer clear.

Fans of VR RPGs need not look further: Vanishing Realms and its new accompanying expansion are fantastic. The Sundered Rift content is a pleasant surprise as not only does it continue on from the base game’s first two chapters, but it delivers an experience that’s longer, larger, and more ambitious. Zones feel more open and varied, there are close to a dozen new enemies, and tons of new weapons and challenges. Even though it does little to actually innovate by way of still using the exact same underlying mechanics and bone structure of the more than three-year old core RPG that came before it, it’s an epic conclusion for Indimo Labs that successfully manages to expand on what made the original so great.

Certainly not an epiphanic bastion of VR immersion, but a hectic hassle of shouts and screams that exposes the platform’s more playful side. Played with friends, it’s a wickedly entertaining package that will have you passing the headset in rapid succession. There’s a slickness to the production and design here, one that removes much of the baggage of other VR party games. Even as VR headsets start to become more accessible, Acron is remarkably light to the touch.

Since the game is still in Early Access we are withholding final judgement, but as it stands I’m very impressed by Until You Fall. Visually it’s on point with an amazingly lush neon art style and a soundtrack that pumps and thuds just as violently as your sword slashes. The replayable rogue-lite elements help keep things fresh and all of the various weapons and augmentations ensure a sense of progression, but it does still feel a bit shallow overall. I’m excited to see what all gets added while Schell Games spend the next several months finalizing it in Early Access on Steam.

Despite Pinball FX2 VR’s lack of motion controls, it is nice to have another game for the Quest where you can just sit down and be immersed. Soon the minutes fade away, as you pursue the next high score. Perhaps Zen Studios will bring over more tables from the non-VR version of the game in the future, or maybe even bring Pinball FX3 to VR, but for now this is the only way a pinball wizard can show their magic while on the go.

The whole experience is both haunting and fascinating, and a very worthwhile one as well. Also, you’ve got to love a short game when there are so many vying for entire months of our lives. Westworld: Awakening is an excellent story wrapped in a solid VR experience that is a good reminder of just what can be done with the amazing immersion that the tech offers us. It’s a very good game, and a must-play for fans of the show. Hell, even if you don’t know the show, it’s a worthwhile thriller that shouldn’t be ignored.

To understand what makes No Man’s Sky VR so special is to appreciate the underlying appeal of VR as a medium. They’re both about exploring a vast, endless sea of fantastical destinations. They’re both about embodiment and unrivaled immersion. And above all else they’re both about becoming who you want to be by exploring the far corners of seemingly limitless potential. When No Man’s Sky VR is clicking, and that’s the vast majoroty of the time, it’s unlike anything else out there. Sean Murray called it the “perfect kind of sci-fi dream” and I find it hard to disagree.

The Doctor you’ll meet in The Runaway is lively and captivating, exactly as you would expect, so the moment this animated story concludes, any fan of the TV show will be left aching for more adventures in VR with The Doctor that are put together with this level of polish.

Still, treated like a board game you occasionally unearth for family game night, RATtv is a joyfully upbeat party game. After a few rounds of Beat Saber and a gander through Google Earth, it’s a fine choice for some multiplayer mayhem at a VR gathering. It’s in undeniable need of more content, but what’s here already is a riot. Just don’t actually play it with your family.

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.

It’s still the case that some levels are a little harder to focus on in VR, but never to a point that should cause any concern. Tetris Effect in VR is a transcendent spectacle, a thriving biome that takes on a life of its own. Rarely has VR felt this organic. High praise for a fresh take on a gaming staple perhaps but play a level and I’d dare you to disagree with me.

Gorn is the product of two years of tireless Early Access development. What started out as a laughable bit of nonsense has gradually evolved into, well, a much more polished and expansive bit of nonsense. It’s a toybox filled with razor-sharp playthings and endless action figures to use them on, upheld by a combat system that bends reality to eschew awkwardness. Ultimately it might just be a glorified tech demo for VR combat, but it’s one that will produce enough laughs and gasps that you’ll be willing to risk bodily harm playing it. For better or worse, that’s a potent example of immersion.

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.

Defector is a good, fun game at a very fair price point that offers some cheap thrills, loads of replayability, and a handful of truly thrilling moments that successfully let you live out your Bond, Bourne, or Mission Impossible power fantasy from the safety of a VR headset. But it could have been a whole lot more because that’s all it is: a highlight reel. It never digs deep enough, shoots fast enough, or runs far enough to be considered worthy of mentioning in the same breath as those spy thriller greats as anything other than a cursory imitation with a small bit of heart.

Rogan appears achingly close to being decent, but it’s far too stripped back to stir up much intrigue, let alone excitement. VR stealth should be about physicality and self-awareness, with weight behind every tiny move you make. Rogan doesn’t have the agency or danger to bring realize those ambitions. In the end, this VR thief is a bit of a forgery; pretty on the outside but the beauty is only skin deep.

Fujii is a soothing, peaceful brand of VR that could stand to get its hands dirty. It’s a fitting destination to whist away an hour or two but often feels too light to make a real impact. With more to see and do, it would be easier to get swept up in its charms and its persistent gardening aspect would be better served. As it stands my virtual garden is likely to go neglected.

When you consider this is a free app Spider-Man: Far From Home VR becomes something of a guilty pleasure. It doesn’t have anything like the polish of, say, Marvel Powers United VR but, not unlike the classic Spider-Man 2 from 2004, the swinging is so much fun you can overlook the many technical blemishes. SPVR and CreateVR now have a compelling template down; we can only hope its next step is to refine and expand upon it to give us the Spider-Man VR game we truly deserve.

Freediver: Triton Down is better than it has any right to be. What could well have been a soul-crushing slog turns out to be a pleasingly immediate palette cleanser. Its got some B-movie style missteps, but sharp design punctuates every element of a game that never outstays its welcome. So take a deep breath and grab your goggles; this is one adventure that’s worth undertaking.

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.

Tabletop Gods is a quirky little strategy game that offers a lot of fun for those who are happy to take a more relaxed approach to the genre. The variety of units, spells, and factions helps to make your army feel unique, and the fast pace of each match is a welcome change to the hour-long slogs that can often occur. Players who want a deep and fulfilling experience are unlikely to enjoy the game, but for everyone else it offers a fun way to play at being god.

Trover Saves The Universe is without a doubt one of the funniest games I’ve ever played. It honestly had my side hurting from all the laughter. Despite some generic core gameplay, repetition, and an overall grating comedic tone that isn’t for everyone, Trover gets a lot right. The bottom line is that if you liked games such as Lucky’s Tale and Astro Bot and also appreciate Justin Roiland’s style of vulgar fourth-wall breaking comedy, then this is a match made in third-person action-adventure heaven.

Despite the sometimes frustrating movement system and occasional pacing issues, Blood & Truth is a tour de force for PSVR. Sony’s London Studio should be proud of what they’ve accomplished here by turning the brief London Heist demo from PlayStation VR Worlds into a fully-fledged narrative that features some of the best performances we’ve seen in VR yet. The action is pulse-pounding and so bombastic it rivals even the biggest summer blockbusters. This one is easily recommended to any PSVR owner that likes to shoot bad guys and watch stuff blow up.

If you’re a long-time strategy fan, you’ll absolutely find something to love here. And, if you’re a newcomer, you’ll have no trouble dropping in at any point. Final Assault is not nearly as elaborate or detailed a game as the original Warcraft: Orcs & Humans was for its time, and it probably won’t make the same waves in VR that the former made for the traditional RTS genre. However, it’s safe to say that what we’ve reached is something akin to the Advance Wars of VR; Final Assault successfully establishes a powerful set of VR strategy mechanics that are instantly enjoyable, delivering equivocal depth and a permeating sense of awe.

Despite squandering its starring talent, Shadow Point is another solid entry into Coatsink’s catalog of hopelessly charming VR productions. It’s got just enough of the right sort of puzzle-solving to overshadow (pun intended) the late game’s more exhausting trials and its sweeping score and art direction make it a joy to spend time in. As far as VR brain teasers go, it’s an easy recommendation.

Everybody’s Golf VR is a solid adaptation of the franchise for the PSVR. The gameplay is extremely fun and engaging, even if lacking in terms of accuracy a bit due to the limitations of the PSVR as a platform. I was left wanting multiplayer support and more courses to pick from, but the variety offered within each course and amount of unlockables available provides plenty of goodies for fans to dig into.

As it stands, Dance Central VR doesn’t nail every move, but it more than sticks the landing when it comes to getting you moving and grooving to the beat of the music in VR. When you slide on a headset and let the music take over it’s genuinely easy to forget where you are in real life as you dance along to the rhythm. I’m a terrible dancer, but Dance Central VR made me feel like I knew what I was doing. It’s got some technical hiccups and it’s a bit meandering in its focus, but the core mechanics are a lot of fun.

Superhot VR’s hypnotic blend of physical, cinematic action is just as entrancing as it’s ever been on Quest. In fact, the lack of wires truly allows you to devote yourself to its endlessly entertaining levels. It might not be worth a second purchase for existing owners but, for those that haven’t played it already, this is the best version of a genuine classic.

PSVR has really come into its own in recent years, and Table of Tales is a flawed yet unique jewel in its crown. The simple act of playing an animated board game in virtual reality is compelling, strengthened by liberally sprinkling the game with some very clever choices for the player. If you’re looking for something new that emphasizes entertainment over challenge, this is for you.

Virtual Virtual Reality remains an early VR gem. Whether its message of the possible pitfalls of the VR generation ahead is to be heeded seriously is part of its appeal. Is this simply a whacky exaggeration of where we’re headed, or is there something deeper hidden in the depths of Activitude? It’s up to you to decide, but you’ll have a lot of fun doing so.

Vader Immortal isn’t perfect. It’s very much the first part of a larger series, one that leaves you wanting more of each of its individual elements. But it’s a significant step forward for VR, bolstering a line-up of experiences that emphasize audience emotions over playable technicalities. The pay-off, it successfully argues, is richer than any immersive Star Wars experience before it. ILMxLAB once labeled this as ‘story-living’ over storytelling. A touch hyperbolic, perhaps, but I’m inclined to agree.

For a lot of games, the trade-off between power and portability from PC VR to standalone will be a matter of personal preference. In the case of I Expect You To Die, this is unquestionably the best way to play one of VR’s best puzzle games. Schell Games hasn’t sacrificed a slither of the original game’s charm in order to fit it onto the hardware. Zany puzzles and laughs await you in I Expect You To Die, making this one of Quest’s must-see launch titles.

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.

It is at times delightful and at others unflinching, with moments of VR purity that tear down the barrier between you and your companion. If you want a look at where the true power of VR lies, look no further than Ghost Giant.

Ironically, Vacation Simulator feels like a progress report. It’s an encouraging news flash from Owlchemy about where it is with making VR as immersive as possible as we continue to tolerate the shortcomings of other, ‘fuller’ games. But its philosophy of authenticity and intuition above all else is to be praised and preserved. There’s playful fun, immersive wonder and liberating agency all gathered under one roof, here. Vacation Simulator may only be a small step in a wider journey, but it’s one well worth taking.

Falcon Age nurtures a soft spot inside of you, one big enough to overlook many of its technical shortcomings. It’s a sentimental game, one that knows VR’s ability to build relationships is as compelling as and additive to any other feature. It never fully capitalizes on that connection in the way you might expect, but it’s a spark of companionship to be cherished all the same. That’s something the industry could use a little more of.

Space Junkies does what games have done for decades: it brings a smile to your face. It’s the kind of game you can either play for one match, or accidentally lose hours to. The matches are fast-paced and frenetic, the weapons are fun and varied, and the customization brings a deeper level to it all. Frankly, it’s fun in a way that is sometimes missing from more serious affairs. It’s already an exceptional experience and if it evolves and gains new content it will become unmissable. Now, if you’ll excuse us, there is a slingshot with our name on it.

On the gamut of magic-based first-person action games, The Wizards: Enhanced Editions is definitely one of the better ones. Its spell-casting system is interactive without being too cumbersome and the campaign mode packs a solid amount of content. Plenty of collectibles, a replayable Arena mode, and lots of mission augmentations add up to this being a really fun journey. But some of the repetition, relatively short length, and recycled wave-shooter-style mission structures left us wanting a bit more creativity. I absolutely enjoyed my time with The Wizards, but with a few additions it could have been the definitive VR spell-casting game.

Shadow Legend probably isn’t going to blow any minds or make believers out of anyone that has decided VR isn’t for them, but it does deliver on its promise of offering a feature-filled single player VR RPG that tells a complete story with action and intrigue. Production values and clunkiness aside, the mere fact that Shadow Legend feels like an actual game probably says more about the state of the VR market than it does the quality of the adventure itself. At the end of the day when I lay down my Knight’s Templar sword and finish slaying demons, all I could think is how badly I wish there was more.

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.

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.

Were the aforementioned bugs ironed out, Xing: The Land Beyond would be an easy recommendation for adventure game fans and anyone looking for a title that succeeds across both traditional displays and VR. If you’re willing to complete the entire game in one sitting to avoid bugs, you won’t have much to worry about, but everyone else should likely wait until White Lotus has time to iron out its issues.

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.

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.

Just like its PC counterpart, The Mage’s Tale on PSVR is one of the best examples of how to take a tried-and-true existing gaming genre and adapt it for the new VR medium. While it retains plenty of design decisions that make it clear where its roots lie, The Mage’s Tale iterates on principles that truly move the first-person dungeon crawler RPG sub-genre forward in big ways. Despite the hardware limitations of the PSVR and PS Move controllers, the inclusion of improvements such as smooth locomotion, an Arena mode, and optimization fixes all together for launch on this new platform helps The Mage’s Tale on Sony’s headset remain a must-play for RPG fans.

Holopoint Chronicle is a fitting follow-up to a VR fitness gem with some welcome additions. This remains one of VR’s most engaging active games even if it requires a strong stomach (in more ways than one). But developer Alzan Studios could definitely push things a step further to encourage more people to keep playing. The Holopoint series has the foundations of active VR gaming down. With a little more structure, it could be one of its most essential experiences.

From slow-motion shootouts to trips across the universe and stories of loved ones lost, VR has already proven that each of its core design tenants can be tamed. But A Fisherman’s Tale might be the first to achieve a perfect storm of gameplay, immersion and narrative in a single experience. Though brief, it fuses experience and interactivity to really show what this medium is capable of. This is exactly what old seadogs aren’t meant to be capable of; something genuinely new.

Ace Combat 7’s VR support makes for one of the most convincing, bombastic games you’ll see in a headset. It’s a powerhouse display of roaring engines and teeth-grinding tension that’s never anything less than relentlessly enjoyable. And yet it’s painfully short, over before you can even pinch yourself to see if you’re dreaming. But, to hell with it, it’s left me with a heightened pulse rate, sweaty palms and the biggest grin VR has yet put on my face. If I can’t praise that, then what’s the point? Now let’s start the campaign for more of it.

Red Matter is nothing short of a textbook example of how to do VR adventure games right. It emphasizes design and experience, putting immersion front and center, making a bullet-proof case for why it needs to be seen and played in VR. Short length and some troublesome puzzles betray its winning streak to some degree, but don’t change the fact that this is one sci-fi story you shouldn’t miss out on.

Vestige rewards your endurance with a bittersweet reminder of the power of memory and how lucky we are to be able to make them. That’s what makes this short trip through despair worth it; a tough lesson in holding onto what you have, what you love, and making every moment count. Don’t miss it.

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.

The small gameplay tweaks aren’t enough to rewrite a game that was designed around four-player co-op, but the core of the experience is so strong, rewarding, and entertaining that it serves as a feature-rich and exciting VR shooter in its own right despite its flaws. If you’re looking for a PSVR game to really sink your teeth into with dozens of hours of content, then Borderlands 2 VR is still an easy recommendation.

Gungrave U.N. is a leaner version of an already short game with utterly vapid side-scrolling sections and the same dated design as its predecessor. Don’t do it to yourself.

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 a competent piece of mature storytelling, Awake’s first episode has few equals in VR. It’s a piece that understands the purpose of telling a story in VR and isn’t afraid to wrestle with new ways of involving you in a story. For that alone, you need to see it.

There’s no denying that Arca’s Path is a safe debut from DRI (or at least as safe as you can get with VR), but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. This is a perfectly palatable little marble maze that straddles the line between challenge and fairness with mostly successful results. Most importantly, though, it’s that rare VR game that genuinely feels like anyone can pick up and play. For DRI, I suspect that’s mission accomplished.

Echo Combat is a polished and well-balanced VR shooter in zero-gravity that mixes the locomotion from Echo Arena and Lone Echo with the team-based dynamics of shooters like Overwatch. It feels great to play and has a ton of action for fans of the genre. While it may not be quite as creative and groundbreaking as Echo Arena was at the time, Echo Combat scratches a very specific itch in a way that only a AAA-caliber development studio like Ready at Dawn can.

Scraper: First Strike is a game that initially promises so much, yet never makes good on any of its promises. It offers the most basic mechanical trappings of what could later become a linear action RPG, yet never uses any of its design foundation for means greater than rote tasks and wave shooter combat. And while it continuously implies its intentions to segue into a larger narrative, it never comes close to giving you a reason to care.

Squishies may not be some profound realization of what puzzle games can be in VR, but it’s never anything less than entertaining even if that does often dip into frustration. Struggles with the controls aside, it’s a polished and thoughtfully-made experience with plenty of content and a charming world to explore. As far as ticking the boxes goes, it does so quite admirably.

Beat Saber on PSVR is exquisite. Overall it’s a more polished, feature-packed, and expanded version of the Early Access PC title, while still retaining the core of what made it a viral sensation in the first place. I rarely missed the better tracking afforded by the Rift, Vive, and Windows VR platforms and actually found myself enjoying the crisp visuals and appropriately shaped PS Move controllers throughout it all. The new tracks are almost all excellent, the campaign mode is a great addition, and it overall feels like a complete game now.

Normally I’d try and separate a game I’m reviewing from the piece of hardware it’s running on, but Oculus Go is a weight around Covert’s neck. Sluggish controls and limited tracking keep the game from the stealthy slickness its otherwise excellent ideas and execution deserve. I suspect we might see Covert arrive on other, more capable Oculus headsets in the future and, when it does, it’ll easily be an instant recommendation. For now, though, this is only for Go owners that are starved of richer content.

Transpose is a stunning VR puzzle game that elevates the genre and delivers an out-of-body-like experience about manipulating gravity and bending time. There isn’t much of a story to follow and not all of the puzzles are as satisfying as the rest, but fans of the genre would be doing themselves a disservice to not play this excellent adventure from Secret Location.

It’s got a few idiosyncrasies with its controls that need to get ironed out, and it would feel better with free movement, but Witching Tower is an okay hack-and-slash bolted on top of a nicely spooky horror-themed adventure. It’s good for a solid, creepy weekend of puzzles, and is likely going to clean up at VRcades.

A lot of people talk about how VR is an empathy machine, but when the snow comes and you just made life harder for a bunch of cute little animals it can force you to feel not just for them but the seasons themselves. I found it so much fun to change the seasons, do you think that’s why the seasons change? I felt that question while wearing the headset, but it wasn’t until writing this article I figured out how to put it into words.

By applying its unmatched strand of spectacular visual and musical flair, Enhance creates something with a powerful, compelling and entirely unexpected hypnotism to it.

Deracine’s initially dulcet tone certainly won’t be for everyone but scratch below the surface and you’ll discover a VR adventure that heads in some fascinating new directions. It’s a bizarre beast, placing the ambiguity From Software is known for in the front and center but, despite its often ham-fisted dialogue, it finds genuinely powerful moments of connection as it weaves a memorable yarn.

Drone Striker is a thrill-free, middle of the road on-rails shooter with absolutely nothing to offer anyone on PSVR. It could have served a mediocre filler content for a platform launch, but two years into the ecosystem there’s nothing to see here. Pass.

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.

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.

Ghostbusters World adds a great element to a lackluster AR map-based formula, the story mode would be perfect for a franchise with more recognizable faces. It ties together what would have been a disjointed experience if it were a mere Pokemon GO copy. But I can’t safely recommend this to anyone outside the Ghostbusters fandom.

In Death is a fantastic bow and arrow shooter that manages to stay fresh and challenging even after a dozen hours or more of gameplay. There isn’t much of a plot to speak of, but the procedurally generated level layouts and constantly evolving gallery of enemies and arrow types means the more you play and the farther you get, the more diverse and challenging the game becomes. As long as you don’t mind a hard fight that’s going to beat you down and kill you over and over, In Death is absolutely a surreal journey worth taking.

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.

Extremely simple and frustrating beyond belief, Racket Fury is disappointing because there is a good game underneath it all. Never has performing an action in a VR game felt so accurate to the real thing, and better balancing and more modes could turn it into a must-have for sports fans. Right now, however, it’s very far off from being that game, and you might have to spend a few hundred dollars extra to afford anger management sessions.