Playing solo is a bit rough, so with a friend by your side Evasion not only becomes one of VR’s best shooters, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find any other VR game that’s as purely fun on a moment-to-moment basis.

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.

Reach is an outstanding effort from nDreams Elevation that wows with its cinematic thrills, compelling narrative, high production values, and deeply satisfying combat. This is an unapologetically high-intensity action game, using as few flatscreen-inspired elements as possible to create a highly immersive, refreshingly high-budget game that's learned from the best VR design practices of the last decade.

Rock Band VR is the biggest evolution the franchise has ever seen. The inclusion of the keyboard in Rock Band 3 was interesting and bringing a full compliment of plastic instruments to living rooms around the world with the original was revolutionary for a generation, but now this latest entry truly makes you feel like the star of your very own group. The Classic Mode is merely a shell of its former self, but the new VR features establish a more immersive way of playing the game than ever before. It’s lacking in a few areas, but the core of it all is too fun to ignore.

The Climb 2 is held back visually by its target platform, but it more than makes up for it with some thrilling climbs, incredible vistas, and excellent new game mechanics to really help keep you grounded. I don’t have a fear of heights or anything like that, but I absolutely did feel my stomach fall in fear when peeking out over the ledge a few times. It may not be as pretty as it could be with some poor texture quality here and there, but my arms are sore and I had a blast so it’s hard to say that affected my experience all that much overall.

A natural evolution of Owlchemy’s “simulated jobs” specialization. The Rick and Morty license enhances the humor that was prevalent throughout Job Simulator and there are some welcome evolutions of Owlchemy’s style, like the addition of a plot and NPC interaction, that you’ll wish were expanded upon a bit more. There’s never a moment that felt uncomfortable or unnatural, even as you step through portals into new spaces.

Mario Kart Live takes a concept you know and love, and makes you think about it in a new way. The races are fantastic, but there’s just as much fun to be found before you even get to the start line. The game gives you the power to make and decorate your own Mario Kart race tracks, and that unlocks the kid inside of you, no matter your age.

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.

Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow may be a bit modest and rough around the edges, but it's also impressive in the right ways. It melds modern sensibilities with a retro mindset, welcoming new players to the series. Magpie is a charmingly impish lead aided greatly by Garrett's ghostly reprisal. The foundations set here can deliver a proper fresh start for this classic series. I can see Magpie's story continuing, though time will tell if that's the case. Either way, Maze Theory pleasantly surprises with the next generation of Thief.

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.

If you’re like me and want something more, Legends is disappointing. While it’s commendable that Codemasters managed to get the game running on mobile hardware, making this a Quest exclusive instead of an optional VR mode on other platforms adds an expectation that simply hasn’t been met. Even though the racing remains enjoyable, you could play this anywhere else and have a better time. The wider compromises on Quest aren’t worth it.

Outside of VR, Project Wingman really is the Ace Combat spinoff fans have always dreamed of. If you just have a gamepad and want to feel like you’re in Top Gun without needing to learn aerodynamics, you’ll have a lot of fun. In VR it’s still playable with a gamepad, but that ruins the immersion for the most part. Project Wingman is still a good game, but the shaky VR support drags everything down significantly.

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

Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom is authentic to its source material and it’s good to see Maze Theory create an original in-universe story that leverages new material recorded by members of the original cast, such as Cillian Murphy. However, the many issues and simplistic gameplay mean that The King’s Ransom is probably only of interest to the most hardcore fans of the show. Gorgeous environments, an engaging story and quality voice acting aren’t enough to lift the game beyond what is ultimately an average VR experience.

Far-fetched as it may be, Phantom’s fantastically immersive design makes for a VR mission well worth accepting, even if its campaign is shorter and simpler than hoped for. But what it lacks in gameplay complexity, it often makes up for in its giddy role-playing, going a step beyond many other VR games to convince you that you’re really in its (admittedly daft) world. A deeper sequel with more advanced gameplay would elevate the series to essential status, but Phantom already navigates the rough waters of VR stealth better than most.

While the gameplay can be fairly simplistic and levels are sometimes lacking depth, Coatsink delivers a gripping story with characters that feel truly real, like watching a book come to life. Repetitive combat may keep me from believing the game is a masterpiece, but Augmented Empire’s narrative threads, beautiful levels, and distinct vibes kept me hooked from start to finish.

Batman: Arkham VR isn’t a terrible VR experience — it even manages to deliver a satisfying twist ending to the short narrative — but it’s a far cry from the type of game fans want or expect. What was shipped here is little more than a tech demo, or a museum of objects and features that are never fully realized. Just as each scene from the game starts to feel like its picking up some steam, it’s over and you’re onto the next vignette of content. Die hard Batman fans will find enough fan service to warrant a purchase, but if you’re looking for an actual game featuring the Dark Knight in VR, then you’re better off waiting a while longer.

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.

Alien: Rogue Incursion stands as a commendable yet flawed entry into this beloved Alien franchise. The immersive atmosphere, engaging storytelling, and emotional character dynamics are captivating, but it falters after a few too many technical shortcomings and lack of meaningful closure. Further refinements could see this blossom into a solid VR terror filled experience, though anyone seeking a deep and gripping horror adventure may currently find it somewhat lacking.

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.

Torn is often an unexpected delight of a VR adventure, thrusting you into a world unlike any other and seizing your attention with its surreal house of ideas and unashamedly loopy puzzles. The sheer invention on display inside its gravity-defying mansion makes it as thrillingly curious as VR gaming gets, but its plodding exposition and largely simplistic puzzles can sadly undo a lot of the great work Aspyr put into the story and design. This is one of VR’s boldest adventures yet but, like the crazy scientist at its core, it doesn’t have all the answers.

Sparc is an immensely exciting game that excels by honing in on its core mechanic and perfecting it. Fans of Tron’s disc battle premise will find a lot to love here and I could easily see myself losing dozens of hours to digital arena battles with my trusty orb in hand. The lack of AI to play against offline and the absence of many additional arenas or match customization options is a bummer, but the excitement of online play more than makes up for it.

Vertigo Games has brought the Arizona Sunshine franchise back from the dead and living its best afterlife. With pitch perfect writing, acting, pacing and outstanding action, Arizona Sunshine 2 offers some of the most engaging and accessible arcade violence yet to grace VR.

Despite a few setbacks like horrendous load times, sometimes janky controls, and a few missed opportunities with its (surprisingly excellent) story, Iron Man VR is an absolute triumph. Camouflaj absolutely delivered a AAA-quality campaign-driven VR game featuring one of the world’s most iconic superheroes, all while showing him in a new light with an original story that isn’t weighed down by the baggage of the MCU and comics. Flying as Iron Man feels amazing, talking to characters as Tony Stark is full of wit and humor, and from top to bottom it’s an exhilarating and well-paced adventure that feels like it only grazes the surface of how high this developer can fly in VR.

Windlands 2, when at its best, is a delight to play. Swinging through the air with friends, rhythmically grappling between trees, and feeling the rush of adrenaline as I arc across the sky — all while shooting my bow into the distance — is an unrivaled joy in VR. There’s a great foundation here, but it could have been so much more. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t have the execution to fully live up to its potential.

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.

A Rogue Escape is unapologetically the game it wants to be. It’s a tough, claustrophobic puzzler that rewards those who have the patience to poke and prod their way through its maze of buttons and switches. If its stuffy atmosphere doesn’t sound appealing to you then it’s not likely to win you over, but anyone looking for a more demanding VR puzzle game will no doubt find a lot to like here.

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.