It’s the end of 2017 and what a year full of VR news and releases it was. No doubt more and even better experiences are awaiting us in 2018 but since the year is almost gone, we decided to do a recap with some of the best VR games we’ve experienced this year across all major virtual reality platforms.
So this list is worth a look through if you want to know which games to catch up on during the holidays or what to show all your relatives or friends coming over. Either way, it’s never a bad idea to know which titles are standing out, especially when it comes to VR where we’ve seen an influx of crappy tech demos. Though not so much this year as last, thank Resident Evil 7 for that.
We put together this list by looking at which games we enjoyed the most, regardless of platform or genre and then took into consideration the overall visual quality, gameplay mechanics such as interactivity, innovation in story, gameplay, theme, and comfortability. So without further ado, in no particular order, here are our picks of the best VR games of 2017.
Lone Echo (Oculus Rift)
When Ready At Dawn first released Lone Echo, it made headlines for being the first fully room-scale Oculus Rift title. But it quickly jumped into people’s hearts with the amazingly immersive gameplay and well-written narrative. Lone Echo tells the story of an advanced robotic assistant who doubles as the caretaker of a space station while conducting its research. But as usual, in order for the story to progress, things go wrong and a space anomaly leaves you rattled and investigating the cause of the disaster.
Get it here.
From Other Suns (Oculus Rift)
If you’re looking for a brutal challenge set in a space sim environment then look no further than From Other Suns. This game combines ship management and RPG elements with procedurally generated levels and a rogue-lite design to provide an exceptionally challenging but very engaging first-person shooter. From Other Suns gets a lot right in the VR gameplay department and proves to be one of the most fun we’ve had in a VR co-op game so far. You take on the role of a ship captain in the game who’s ship has been thrown to the far end of space after testing out an experimental warp.
Now, while you’re trying your darndest to get the ship back to Earth, some virus-like alien species has decided to hitch along. As you progress through the game you’ll get to scrounge for scrap (currency) to buy upgrades with, fight off aliens in first-person and via ship battles and try to keep your crew alive. Because if they all die then you have to do it all over from scratch.
Get it here.
Farpoint (Playstation VR)
Farpoint was the first game to release with Playstation Aim controller support and it did a superb job of showing off what the piece of tech can do. At first, the game looked like it was simply another first person shooter taking place on an alien planet. However, it surprised many with its immersive gameplay and gripping storyline involving two scientists and your fellow crew members. Farpoint made this list not only because it’s immensely fun to play, but also because of its striking visuals and how it used the Aim controller and other gameplay mechanics to set a precedent of what can be achieved with the Playstation VR. The title also recently got co-op too, so you can blast space critters with your friends.
Get it here.
Augmented Empire (Gear VR)
This endearing mobile VR game quickly rose to become one of the best Gear VR experiences out there with its amazing neo-noir visual style and high-quality voice acting. The isometric view and compelling narrative take you along through various locations in a tiered city where you’ll have to engage in tactical combat and interact with various characters and objects in the environment. The overall quality of the game, as well as the simple but effective gameplay mechanics of Augmented Empire, makes it the title to grab if you own a Gear VR.
Get it here.
The Talos Principle VR (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality)
Puzzle games just work really well in VR. Which is why it’s such a popular genre under developers and players alike. However, finding good puzzle games can be tricky because there’s a very fine line between fun and frustration when it comes to solving things in-game. Especially in VR where the normal script has kind of been thrown out the window. So porting an already amazing puzzle title to VR was a recipe for success for Croteam. The non-linear gameplay and interactive puzzle elements in The Talos Principle translates so well to virtual reality that it looks like the game was meant to be played this way from the start. Plus Croteam did a great job of touching up the gameplay to ensure that it fits well in VR.
Get it here.
L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files (HTC Vive)
While L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files features only seven of the missions from the original title, the developers made sure that those seven count. Because unlike the remastered version of the game, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files feels like a whole new experience. Plus, unlike many other recently released VR ports (ahem Bethesda), this game was made with VR in mind. Instead of simply porting a static flat interface over for interactions, Rockstar went the extra mile to ensure that this feels like a genuine VR experience by overhauling the environment and adding interactive mechanics that weren’t present in the original. L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files truly sets the standard for what a good virtual reality port should look like.
Get it here.
Skyrim VR (Playstation VR)
While Skyrim VR does have its faults in terms of gameplay and visual quality, it still holds a candle in the hearts of many a Dovahkiin. Ours included. The sheer awe of actually stepping into the shoes of the dragonborn and craning your neck up to look into the eyes of a dragon is an unforgettable experience. Plus how can we not add the first fully ported VR open-world game to this list? Skyrim VR made history while bringing new life to an iconic experience that many of us have spent countless hours in. So besides the obvious problems with the game, as of right now it’s still the most detailed open-world VR fantasy game you’re going to experience.
Get it here.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Playstation VR)
It’s no secret why this title made this list and you’ve probably been expecting it too. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was the first major AAA game to released with full VR support and what an amazing precedent it established too. Not only does the genre work well in virtual reality but the gameplay has been well-optimized for the platform too. Not only has Resident Evil 7: Biohazard won a multitude of awards, like VR Game of the Year at the Game Awards, but the developers also released two polished DLCs which added even more flavor and fun to the game in their respective ways.
Get it here.
So there you have our take on some of the best VR experiences to be had from games released in 2017. Now it’s time to don that headset of yours and start playing.
This is legacy content from the old vrthegamers.com. All rights reserved.
