With only 10 songs, you can blow through that track list, beating most all of them on at least Hard, in a single afternoon. Mastering them on Expert takes time, but it gets repetitive. The only game modes are an arcade-style Solo and a pass-the-headset-style Party Mode. We’d love to see a campaign (which is mentioned on the Steam page) as well as more robust multiplayer features. In its current state, we absolutely recommend Beat Saber wholeheartedly.

Double Jack's bold choice to make a rhythm game focused around hand tracking succeeds with style. Maestro is a breath of fresh air compared to every other VR rhythm game I’ve played over the years. While I lose interest in most rhythm games quickly, I can't stop playing Maestro, and there's a lot of room for growth from here.

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.

Astro Bot is not here to reinvent the wheel or claim the throne as VR’s killer app; there are enough games trying to do that already. Instead, it fuzes the thrill of seeing a virtual world come to life with the dependably engaging gameplay of one of gaming’s most beloved genres and explores what that can mean with fascinating results. It’s a refreshing reminder of just how astonishing VR can be when there’s nothing in your way, and it’s an absolutely essential experience for any PSVR owner.

Resident Evil 4 Remake might not surpass the original and its third-person roots mean that this new VR Mode still has some awkward transitions in between the action. However, by virtue of being Resident Evil 4, this is also arguably one of the best-paced action-packed campaigns available across all VR platforms. Capcom continues to build on each iteration of Resident Evil in VR, making this release confidently its best VR experience to date. This latest PSVR 2 version of a classic features smart refinements that surpass even Armature’s existing VR release of the original on Quest. Resident Evil 4 Remake’s VR Mode is simply a must for any PSVR 2 owner.

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

Lone Echo is a landmark achievement in three key areas of the VR experience: locomotion, UI, and interaction. The winning blend of intuitive movement, discovery-based gameplay and character-driven storytelling create a compelling sense of presence that few VR games could hope to match, while the considered pacing gives it a fresh identity. I hate to mark it down on such a trivial aspect as length, but the package simply feels incomplete, rounding off in the second act and depriving you of both the narrative and mechanical evolutions I was expecting to encounter in the third. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that I expect its sequel to be one of VR’s very best.

Dreams’ creative mode might not integrate with PSVR as naturally as hoped, but its cemented position as a hub of invention makes it an easy recommendation. Paired with the platform’s inherent comfort issues, its sprawling, untamed ecosystem can prove to be a minefield to navigate, but for every unwelcome rollercoaster ride (literally and figuratively), there’s another wish waiting to be fulfilled or something genuinely original to discover. The only way to truly judge Dreams is by the strength of its creations and those already speak for themselves; if you want to embrace VR’s experimental side, you shouldn’t miss it.

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.

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. The 15 scenes included at the time of this review are all in the same general musical style and a bit of variety would be nice, but that might be coming with future updates. Pistol Whip is the game that brings me back to my VR headset again and again and I expect to keep playing through every update Cloudhead has planned for it.

Subnautica is a very, very, very good game for fans of the survival genre. There is a near endless deluge of things to do and see and a vast, dangerous ocean to explore. It’s not uncommon to alternate between sheer dread and speechless wonder as you make your through this underwater wonderland. However, lackluster VR support and an overall density problem in terms of complexity and lack of direction at times hold Subnautica back from true greatness.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice VR Edition is a remarkable achievement in visual and sound design. It’s a great example of how to port a non-VR third-person action game to the immersive realm of HMDs that not only stays true to the source material, but enhances the experience in meaningful ways. If you haven’t played Hellblade before, there is no better time than now and if you have, then this is an engrossing way to re-experience Senua’s journey from a new perspective.

Despite first releasing all the way back in July 2016, Raw Data stands above the many, many wave shooters that have succeeded it, with lavish production values, plentiful play options and the stylish blockbuster action that many of us envisioned when first putting on a VR headset. That said, the game never shatters the ominous glass ceiling of this restrictive genre; it’s an absolute masterclass in what makes wave-based combat tick, but just as much a case study for its limitations. Not quite the ultimate VR experience, then, but a pretty good starting point.

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.

Lumines Arise is the best entry yet in this long-running puzzle series, building upon Enhance's work in Tetris Effect to create a mesmerizing audiovisual spectacle that shines even brighter in a VR headset. It's not as transformative as the older title and the core gameplay doesn't quite hit those same high notes, but that hasn't stopped Enhance from delivering a highly memorable journey. If you enjoy puzzle games, you won't want to miss this.

The Gallery’s second episode isn’t a great deal bigger than the first, but it’s a heck of a lot richer. You won’t visit many more locations or even spend dramatically longer with it, but the entire package feels grander and more considered. Though it’s still very much one installment in something much bigger, it’s evolved to meet our heightened expectations of the second year of VR content, and yet again left us begging for more. This is one adventure you won’t regret going on.

There is a solid VR campaign within Asgard’s Wrath 2. It’s just a matter of whether you’re someone who'll enjoy – or simply put up with – everything else that comes alongside it.

Cosmonious High is another fantastic place to start for VR newcomers but, four games in, maybe it’s time Owlchemy started to think about loosening those training wheels a little.

Honestly, I don’t know if the world is ready for a game like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard in VR and that’s exactly what makes it so exhilarating.

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.

Cook-Out has all the ingredients for a good time in social VR, then, even if it isn’t especially original. A hectic, multi-hour campaign anchors some of the most engaging, demanding and frantically brilliant party gameplay you’ll find in VR. I wish it had gone deeper with its best ideas and embraced the platform more holistically, but you won’t find a better tribute to Overcooked anywhere else inside a headset. Compliments to the chef.

Despite some missed opportunities, Humanity is still an excellent release and nonetheless compelling in VR. It's a great fit for the medium and a brilliant example of Sony's PS5/PSVR 2 dual offering strategy, also seen in Gran Turismo 7 and Resident Evil Village.

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.

Arkham Shadow feels faithful to the flatscreen Arkham games while innovating in its own way through VR-specific design. Combat remains familiar yet incredibly satisfying, Detective Mode feels like a natural fit for first-person gameplay and the strong narrative held my interest throughout. With the flatscreen games, you never stepped into the caped crusader's shoes but with the VR game, I didn't want to leave them.

Until You Fall is nothing less than a pitch-perfect breakdown of the best rougelike games, reassembled with VR in mind. The genre’s staple elements feel wholly refreshed by swapping out fast fingers for realistic movements, and the foundation of upgradable gear, new weapons and different loadouts encourages you to return again and again. Its combat system has some unfortunate quirks and I would have liked to see more elements rooted in reality, but as an addictive arcade treat you’ll find hard to put down, Until You Fall stands a cut above the competition.

Those frantic moments of shooting action are so thrilling that you are just swept up in it. But after several instances of such moments, the thrill dies and the barebones story and light humor doesn’t elevate the game enough in a meaningful way. You may not have the endurance to keep playing to beat your highscores, earn more stars, and upgrade your weapons — enabling you to beat your highscores and begin the process all over again. But even if you aren’t in the game for the long haul, the initial trip of ~3 hours is quite a ride worth taking.

Ghost Giant remains a delicate balance of charm and poignancy; an important story told with the right amount of sensitivity, steeped in the power of VR connection and companionship. Solving its puzzles might present the occasional road bump, but you’ll otherwise be swept up by its marvellous world of miracles and the characters that live in it. And, thanks to Quest, that’s easier to do than ever.

Moss is the hidden gem the PSVR never knew it needed. From the first moment we played the game at E3 almost a year ago until we saw the closing credits roll, Quill’s adventure has captivated our hearts and minds. Moss strikes that perfect balance between tense, action-packed moments of combat with slow, methodical puzzles that require you to rethink the way you interact with video games through the power of VR. Polyarc has crafted one of PSVR’s most essential games to date.

It’s a game that uses interactivity to capture the essence of the character in the same way that Insomniac and Rocksteady have done on flatscreen platforms with Spider-Man and Batman. The difference is that virtual reality allows Camouflaj to put the character directly into the hands of the player, creating an experience that is faithful to its origins but wholly more immersive.

Statik’s sheer invention and fascinating premise are somewhat betrayed by its short length. No two puzzles are the same, and they’re all well-balanced and thought-out trials, but they left me begging for more. Still, that speaks to just how enjoyable an experience this is while it lasts. The game casts a web of intrigue that will pull you in and I suspect have some people picking it apart for even longer than the initial run time. This isn’t quite PSVR’s Portal, but it wouldn’t take much for Tarsier hit that high with a sequel.

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.

Knockout League is a VR game that makes no qualms with trying to hide what it is or fool you into thinking it’s something more. This is about as direct a translation of the classic Punch-Out!! arcade-style gameplay as you’re going to find and it absolutely works, even if it lacks some originality. There is no better option out there if you want to punch some silly, often irritating, cartoon characters in the face — just don’t go in expecting a revelatory application of VR technology.

Arken Age delivers clever VR-first gameplay design for a great sci-fi adventure. The intense motion makes this unsuitable for VR newcomers and the narrative isn't especially compelling, yet the vibrant presentation and rewarding combat makes this easier to overlook. Between combat's great integration of haptic feedback, strong enemy variety and satisfying kills, Arken Age is an easy recommendation.

Sprint Vector is a great example of a game that could not exist without VR. The act of swinging your arms from side-to-side as you boost along massive, sprawling levels in contention with other racers is exhilarating. It makes for one of the silliest looking games to watch someone play but one of the most intense (and exhausting) experiences you can have in a headset.

Creed: Rise to Glory is the best all-around boxing game VR has seen yet. While its serviceable campaign mode lacks the depth and variety that we’ve come to expect from Survios releases and some of the controls are a bit finicky, it more than makes up for it with a litany of training mini games and an addictive PvP mode. Trading blows, ducking shots, and scoring a powerful knockout against someone in immersive VR is about as close to an actual boxing match as you can find from the comfort of your own home.

Structurally, Mothergunship: Forge is a familiar VR game in an oversaturated genre. But its central feature that lets you endlessly customize a massive arsenal of weapons is so well realized that you can easily brush off any sense of deja vu. Bringing that original hook from the flatscreen game to VR completely revolutionizes how the mechanic works, and you’ll find yourself coming back for runs time and again not just to progress further in the game but simply to see what weapon of unparalleled destruction you can whip up next. Much of Mothergunship: Forge is a tried and true VR shooter, but when you bolt-on that extra grenade launcher and power it up with a fleet of lava mines, what’s old is new again. [Recommended]

Boosted by a strong multiplayer component, slick presentation and big post-launch updates since last year, C-Smash VRS has transitioned from PSVR 2 to Quest extremely well. It's a fine remake of an arcade classic that feels better than ever in standalone VR.

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.

I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy And The Liar is a great puzzle game that falls just short of essential given that not all players are going to find a fit with its trial-and-error style of intentionally designed frustration. But this is bigger, better and more richly developed than its predecessor, with escape room-like puzzles that are an absolute joy to unlock one at a time. If you liked the first game, you’ll love the sequel and the added detail is a joy to behold. We can’t wait to see what Schell Games does with this franchise in the future.

For the most part, Moss: Book 2 is the satisfying sequel you’d expect. It adds brilliant new gameplay mechanics that make for some innovative combat encounters, whilst puzzles prove to be a surprise highlight. More impressive, though, are some of the ways the game catches you off-guard with both the story and that series-defining bond you establish with Quill reaching new heights. But, just as with the first entry, you’re left wanting more of just about everything; its a longer game but still on the lean side, ending just as its best ideas start to get fleshed out. Greedy as it may sound, this still isn’t the sweeping epic you know this series has in it, but instead another reassuring step towards getting there. I’m convinced Polyarc has that game in its future but, for now, Moss: Book 2 is another excellent chapter in a wider story for Quill that drives home that familiar feeling that the best is still to come. [Upload Recommended]

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.

Adhering so closely to the original doesn’t necessarily make the PC VR version of the game superior to the Quest edition. Dense jungles might be easy to trek through on a flatscreen, but it’s far more tedious in VR, and some of the concessions Quest makes in this regard ultimately suit the platform better. The great news is that, whether you want a deep, demanding survival game with complex systems, or a more welcoming conversion that’s more considerate of VR design, there’s a version of Green Hell VR for you. [Recommended]

Demeo is not a perfect tabletop RPG. Its turn-based combat isn’t especially deep and its difficulty stems from brute force. But it is instantly graspable and endlessly rewarding even when the odds are stacked against you. More importantly, though, it’s a near-peerless social VR experience, polished to such a degree that it transforms the kinks of its systems into enjoyable, suspenseful quirks. Facing its brutish hordes with friends at your side is a thrilling, collaborative endurance test; defeat is met with entertained cries of anguish while victory — rare as that may be — is celebrated with the sort of group-wide elation you might have been missing in this tough past year. Not built for parties of one, then, but if you have a group of three or four ready to raid, Demeo is one of VR’s best.

Gunheart is a perfect example of how to iterate and improve on a game over the course of more than a year in Steam Early Access. What started out as a basic co-op VR shooter with teleportation movement is now one of the most feature-rich VR games we’ve seen in recent memory. Dozens of weapon mods, dynamic mission generation, excellent co-op, high-flying fast-paced movement, and enough bullets to make John Wick blush all add up to Gunheart being an easy recommendation.

The Wizards never lets you forget you’re playing a VR game. Rarely do more than 10 seconds pass without the need for grand hand gestures to summon magic or for you to reach out and interact with things around you. They’ve got a great magic system that’s intuitive and fun to master in a fantastical world that provides a unique type of adventure you won’t quite find anywhere else.

Killer Frequency is a treat. It’s goofy and schlocky in all the best ways without deflating the thrilling tension in its scariest moments and presents a clever twist on the horror genre that doesn’t lean into some of the frustrating tropes you might find in the average horror game. There were moments that had me sweating enough to fog up my headset just as there were moments that had me laughing out loud. I’m usually not the biggest fan of horror games, especially not VR ones, but Killer Frequency hits just the right notes for me to easily recommend this game to anyone looking for a fright, a chuckle or a clever puzzle.

LA Noire VR is a special kind of VR game that we’ve yet to see on any platform. With a massive, sprawling open world that’s laid out before players, waiting to be explored, the sense of scale is wonderful — even if the world itself is empty and lifeless. Interrogations, crime scenes, and action moments all feel great, but they’re too few and far between with only seven total cases. But given the scope and abbreviated implementation of one of gaming’s most unique properties, LA Noire VR is an absolutely riveting adventure.

If you’ve ever wanted to leave your universe behind and have a space adventure from the comfort of your living room, I can’t think of a better way to do it than with No Man’s Sky on PSVR 2. [Recommended]

Star Wars Pinball VR is easily the best VR pinball game around and probably one of the best Star Wars VR games as well. It’s evidently designed with fans in mind, but unless you just can’t stand Star Wars, the pinball itself and the sheer amount of ways to enjoy it makes the game more than worth your while.

Between the enhanced controls, new features and F1 World, F1 23 presents a welcome improvement on its predecessor. While PC VR support feels more reliable, several problems stop this from becoming the definitive VR racing game, and Braking Point sometimes misses the mark. Even still, EA goes beyond a standard roster update and I can see myself returning to the grid frequently. [Recommended]

Codemasters has captured Formula 1’s more thrilling aspects brilliantly in VR for F1 22 and I’ve never felt so immersed in a racing game before. While I’m sad to see the story mode go and didn’t care hugely for F1 Life, I can see F1 22 appealing to both long-term series fans and newcomers seeking a fresh racer. Hopefully we’ll see a post-launch patch will fix these performance issues but if you’re happy to compromise for the moment, F1 22 is a great choice that comes recommended.

For a game that wasn’t originally designed for VR at all, Skyrim VR is nothing short of impressive. This really is the Skyrim that you know and love, but now you can enjoy it like never before with the immersive presence of a VR headset. With a large variety of control schemes to choose from and hundreds of hours of content, this is a game that all RPG fans and lovers of immersive fantasy worlds should play.

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.

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.

Its atmosphere is dense and engaging and its puzzles capture a strong sense of discovery, resulting in a brilliant blend of gameplay and experience. The flood of VR puzzle games could learn a lot from the foundations that Charm Games has laid here. [Tested with HTC Vive]

This is a full-hearted marvel with the capacity for laughter and amazement, paired with the mechanical intricacy with substance. In short, you’d be a sucker to miss Tentacular. [UploadVR Recommended]

It's not a stretch to say that Ghost Town is one of the best VR games so far this year. Fireproof Games has delivered a worthy spiritual successor to The Room VR: A Dark Matter that employs a similarly strong level of VR interactivity, backed up by great visuals on Quest 3, a thoroughly engrossing supernatural narrative and intuitive puzzles. I do wish the journey lasted just a little longer, but what's here is an essential experience that you won't want to miss.

While it may be difficult to play for very long before your heart rate spikes, it delivers the most consistent and unnerving jumps of any VR horror game out there, held back only by its repetition and lack of variety — both of which are still worth overlooking.

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.

I’m hopeful that the team at Futurlab and nDreams invest further in the VR version, but even with its many problems, it’s hard to deny PowerWash Simulator VR still has its charms. Even with the sincere graphical gulf, I’m still drawn to pick up the gun and get cleaning in VR with a playlist on in the background.

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.

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.

There’s a lot to learn about Bow to Blood and not all of it’s to love, but what does work elevates the game to soar with all the majesty of its battle-hardened ships. This is a deliciously strategic bit of randomized arena battling that might not make the most compelling case for VR itself but stands as a thrill to play in its own right. If I were to make a bet on what might be one of PSVR’s most beloved sleeper hits in a few years, it’d be this.

It’s an absolute delight to unravel the mystery of The Last Clockwinder and beyond satisfying to feel such a strong level of creative and intellectual control over the solutions to each puzzle. With no wrong answer to any given problem, it’s a puzzle game that centres itself around letting you choose your own approach at all times. If you’re looking for a relaxing yet stimulating few hours in VR, The Last Clockwinder comes highly recommended. [Recommended]

Green Hell on Quest is a game you have to take on its own merits. Similar to how Superhot VR offered a streamlined take on a strong central idea, this chops away at the original game’s foundations to deliver a focused version of a great survival game. True, it’s a much more straightforward experience with simpler crafting and fewer threats, but the meticulous attention paid to VR interaction and physicality, not to mention the still-impressive scale and performance makes this one of the better flatscreen conversions VR has seen over the past few years. If you really don’t want to compromise on the original experience in VR then you should wait for the PC VR version arriving later down the line but, for anyone interested in a more tailored title, Green Hell’s Quest version is a worthy rumble through the jungle.

With all the polish of the acclaimed sequel fused with the ample character of VR’s elder statesman of zombie shooters, it’s hard not to recommend grabbing Arizona Sunshine Remake. The limited campaign length, rehashed horde maps, and the lack of a few notable features (here buddy, here boy) mean that if you have only the time or patience for one jaunt through the undead-infested desert, the sequel remains the seminal Arizona Sunshine experience. Still, the excellent gunplay, polished presentation, and great sound design make Remake worth a look.

Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes is the best VR horror game in quite some time. Much like Batman Arkham Shadow, Half-Life: Alyx, and Metro Awakening before it, Altered Echoes stays faithful to its series while still shining in VR. The gameplay is nothing groundbreaking, but the same can be said for the series as a whole. Altered Echoes keeps it simple and executes at a high level, getting nearly everything right with the exception of limited VR options. These ultimately do not detract from a top notch VR horror experience.

On the gamut of magic-based first-person action games, The Wizards is definitely one of the better ones. Its spell-casting system is interactive without being too cumbersome and the campaign mode packs a decent amount of content. Plenty of collectibles, a replayable Arena mode, and lots of mission augmentations add up to this being one of the best ways to live out your most fantastical magical fantasies in VR. We just wanted more and preferably multiplayer of some kind.

For what it is, Firewall Zero Hour defies the odds by delivering a multiplayer-focused VR shooter that actually lives up to its potential. If you don’t have a PS Aim controller yet, then you should buy one for this game even though it technically supports DualShock 4 as well. If you don’t have a PSVR headset yet, then you should buy one for this game. With a few improvements and additions, First Contact could turn what is already a must-have PSVR game into a genre-defining one.

Who knows — a few years from now, there might be a pinball equivalent to Walkabout Mini Golf, allowing you to spend time with friends and fully recreate the joy of spending time with others at an arcade. For now, this is as close as it gets to mimicking the feeling of actually using a pinball table, although you might have heard this before.

Minor gripes aside, for fans of Star Wars, fans of arcade-style space combat, and fans of just flat-out immersive VR, it doesn’t get a whole lot better than Star Wars: Squadrons.

There’s a wealth of blockbuster campaigns and arcade games for PSVR 2, but there’s nothing else quite like Before Your Eyes. This is an essential experience for the platform that leverages eye tracking technology to tell a compelling story that simply wouldn’t work without it.

Despite the occasionally repetitive moment of combat, Wilson’s Heart is a must-play game that elevates narrative, visuals, sound, and gameplay for VR experiences to an entirely new level. Your time as Robert may have been a nightmare, but it’s a nightmare you’ll be eager to revisit again, and again, and again.

The Exorcist: Legion VR is without a doubt one of the best VR horror experiences available. The slow-building tension is expertly paced, each and every scare feels visceral and dangerous, and the sheer sense of terror you feel while methodically exploring the richly detailed environments is staggering. It honestly felt like I could hear the voices inside my own head and I could feel the heat from my crucifix as I stared down the faces of demon and eradicated the evil within.

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.

The Midnight Walk offers a memorable adventure that's enchanting and bleak in equal measure, one that feels like wandering into a twisted fairytale. It's a gripping tale with beautifully crafted claymation visuals, held back only by some minor frustrations and not especially in-depth puzzles. MoonHood have delivered a great example of hybrid design between flatscreen games and VR, and it's a strong recommendation from me.

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.

Horizon Call of the Mountain is a brilliant way to kick off PSVR 2 and remains compelling until the very end. By leaning into the medium’s physicality, Firesprite and Guerrilla created a game that could only work in VR and simultaneously feels faithful to the Horizon franchise. I do wish Ryas was a more interesting character and while I wouldn’t call the gameplay revelatory, what’s here feels incredibly polished and looks absolutely stunning. This is an undoubtably an essential game for all PlayStation VR2 owners. [Essential]

Star Trek: Bridge Crew’s The Next Generation DLC is pretty special. The attention to detail afforded to the Enterprise-D is mind-blowing, the overhaul to Engineering (now Ops) is much-needed, and the expansion of Ongoing Voyages missions and new enemies add variety to an experience that can otherwise grow stale over time. However, it doesn’t do enough to really shake up or improve the core experience enough to elevate the game as a whole. It’s basically more of the same with slight alterations.

With Paper Beast, Eric Chahi goes for a holy trinity of VR development. It is a game not content with just one miracle, be it the authentic, almost documentarian approach to a virtual ecosystem, nor the technical milestones such a feat requires. Even its set of puzzles somehow emerge as a remarkably natural extension of its core themes and systems, creating a cohesive and curiously precious VR game to be preserved and savoured. Though it usually comes with unintended pitfalls, Paper Beast proves playing god can be great from time to time.

Angry Birds VR is a truly fantastic, intuitive VR title. For younger VR players or fans of the Angry Birds franchise, it’s an absolute perfect fit. The move to VR works seamlessly, retaining the gameplay from the original series while adding in some new VR twists that give it just enough of an edge to be different.

One of the most beloved aspects of the Civilization series is how it makes 4X strategy accessible and unusually nice to look at, at least compared to its many bureaucratic peers in the genre. This port sacrifices both of those defining facets without any meaningful consolation. Civilization VII VR is a good enough proof of concept that is desperately in need of its own flavour. Sure, it works, but at what cost?

Thanks to improved tracking and sharper visuals, the PC version of Apex Construct is a step up from its console counterpart. With full 360 degree turning, combat is a much smoother experience and smooth locomotion on the controller’s navigation options feels much better. While many of the original issues we cited still remain, they’re much more manageable when you’re not fighting the limitations of the platform. If you’re looking to play Apex Construct, PC is definitely the way to go.

All in all Fallout 4 VR is good, but not the amazing experience I was hoping it would be. It’s fun, expansive and ambitious, yet also flawed and wonky. And while it’s not a total bomb, it didn’t completely blow me away, either. Bethesda game are like a big, clumsy factotum friend who you can forgive for not being perfect because they do so many things so well. Fallout 4 VR has its share of problems, but I found myself wanting to jump right back in after a few hours away from the wasteland to see what I could uncover next. I know I’ll be playing this for weeks if not months to come, and hopefully some of the graphical and Touch control issues will be addressed in a future update.

Lone Echo 2’s incredible production values and first-rate immersion make for an enjoyable swansong that’s let down by its plodding pace and familiarity. Despite arriving four years after the groundbreaking original, there’s very little that will surprise you here and, although well written, the drawn-out character dialogue quickly wears thin. It’s still held up by a fantastic locomotion system with first-rate immersion alongside a solid story with believable performances, but the startling spark of blockbuster innovation that fuelled the first game has long-since died out. Jack and Liv’s mission to get back to the past makes for a fun ride, but parts of Lone Echo 2 were stuck there to begin with.

Nexus demonstrates what a full-fledged VR entry can do for a big series, delivering a sizable campaign with accessibility at its core. Gameplay feels well adapted from the main series, parkour across such diverse environments is really enjoyable and that's backed by a strong presentation. Minor jank and stealth issues aside, it's the most fun I've had with Assassin's Creed and comes highly recommended.

Sairento VR is a game with a ton of stuff to do and some really fun core gameplay elements, but it just doesn’t feel like it all comes together well in the end. There’s a lack of meaningful depth, some glaring repetition, and a general lack of polish that holds this action-packed romp from truly achieving VR greatness.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter is an exemplary puzzle game that not only serves as a prime example of what makes puzzle games so compelling in the first place, but elevates the genre via VR with supreme interactivity, excellent visuals, and a palpably mysterious atmosphere. It’s only held back slightly by some minor frustrations with pacing and difficulty, but is otherwise one of the best puzzle games available in a VR headset. It carries the torch lit by Myst and demonstrates how engrossing a puzzle game can be when done right.

The Persistence offers something fresh and engaging by mixing different genres that we don’t often see melded together so well. On a moment-to-moment basis the horrors lurking around every corner keep you on your toes and the give-and-take aspect of its roguelike nature ensures that no two runs are ever quite the same. The lack of Move or PS Aim controller support is a bummer, but it still plays wonderfully just on the standard DualShock 4. This is a dark, challenging stealth shooter that PSVR fans can keep coming back to for quite a while.

From Other Suns is an ambitious VR title that gets a lot right. Fans of sci-fi are going to find a lot to love here and it’s some of the most fun I’ve had playing cooperative VR to date. There is an immense amount of content and enough variety to mostly prevent things from feeling too stale. The real test for replayibility in a game like From Other Suns though is going to be how well Gunfire can support it post launch and how much the community embraces it.

Brass Tactics is a big step forward for RTS games in VR. The tactile feeling of picking up, directing, and interacting with units using your own hands is excellent and the mixture of single player, as well as both cooperative and competitive multiplayer, all adds up to one of the most feature-rich strategy games we’ve seen yet. It lacks some of the depth and complexity of its modern non-VR counterparts, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more competent and engaging RTS in VR right now.

I am, if you couldn’t tell, quite in love with Song in the Smoke, then. It’s rough, yes, and some of its design ideas need a second pass. But it’s also an intoxicating trip, an experience directly connected to the beating heart of nature and acutely aware of the structure and interaction needed to make its survival gameplay work in VR. All of this is thrown into a mortar and crushed beneath a pestle to conjure a game in which you can practically feel the slip of wet mud, scrape of scrambling over a cliff face or chill of water flowing over your feet. Like the healing potions and mystic concoctions you’ll brew, Song in the Smoke is a hell of drug.

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.

Pixel Ripped 1995 is a bigger, bolder, and even more nostalgic walk down memory lane that shifts the focus from the late 80s to the early 90s — perhaps the most iconic and formative decade of the video game industry to date. By mixing together riffs off of popular games such as Castlevania, The Legend of Zelda, Streets of Rage, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, and more, Pixel Ripped is a sleek and powerful blast of nostalgia that brings back potent memories of hunching over CRT TVs in the dead of night playing games. I want to spend more time in this world and get to know its characters even better and this is a truly solid improvement over Pixel Ripped 1989.

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.

Were this a genre underserved in VR it might be easier to overlook those shortcomings, but the medium isn’t exactly lacking in groundbreaking music experiences. With more attention paid to what makes the platform tick this could have been a truly unique new way to experience Avicii’s music. As it stands, this is simply another opportunity to play a good game that could have been much, much more.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a triumphant recreation of what it means to be on the bridge of an Enterprise-caliber ship from the classic sci-fi universe. If you play with friends then you’re bound to have an amazing time full of laughs, stress, and action. Playing alone is tough, but doable The bulk of your time will likely be spent with the randomized Ongoing Voyages mode since the campaign is brief and shallow. If you’re searching for a game that captures the esoteric and cerebral nature of Star Trek, though, then you’ll be a bit disappointed.

There is a lot to unpack in Transference. It deals with several heavy themes that will likely make players uneasy, and from what I can tell, that’s sort of the point. Ubisoft and SpectreVision have mixed the stylings of Black Mirror and The Matrix with a twisted vision of the future that feels dangerously honest and realistic. While I’d have certainly loved for it to be a bit longer, I also appreciate how well-paced and polished it feels at the same time. It’s not without its flaws, but Transference is an unforgettable VR experience that I won’t soon forget.