There are more VR gaming titles out there than ever before. They span a wide variety of products, with many easily accessed on third-party ecosystems like steam VR.

Of the many VR games that are out there, there are a few that stand out. Here we have listed several VR games that bring a little more to the immersive experience than mere entertainment. They are some of the most engaging, and conceptually crisp titles we can find.

Lone Echo 2

Returning for a second run is photo-realistic, well-designed sci-fi thriller Lone Echo 2. The immersive experience sees the player take on the role of an android, Jack, who must help their human compatriot decipher a dangerous mystery.

Learning to navigate through Zero Gravity environments by pushing off objects will be tricky at first, but worth it. This title is incredible to play, and with the mystery only getting deeper in the sequel, it’s bound to keep one engaged for hours.

No Man’s Sky

This action-adventure survival game was one of the most anticipated games of 2019. It didn’t disappoint, as it delivered dozens of progressively generated planets to explore.

Blade & Sorcery

This medieval combat simulator is something epic. Immersed into a world where one has a blade, and sorcery as weapons – or both simultaneously – against computer-generated foes.

Firing bolts of lightning or infusing said lightning into one’s weapon, to brutally dispatch with foes is sure to deliver hours of fun – as well as stress relief. This offers one of the most unique VR experiences when lightsabers just won’t cut it.

Batman Arkham VR

Batman Arkham VR was a surprise title, as the last Batman game, Batman Arkham Knight was meant to be the final game in the Arkham series. The studio behind it decided to put VR enthusiasts in the Batman hood, with an investigative Batman title.

One does not get to be a violent, thug-beating Batman, but are forced to take on the role of Batman the world’s greatest detective. This title has the Bat solving a mystery while exploring the darker, grittier parts of Gotham, with a few appearances from a few of the hero’s most famous foes.

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission

This is a platformer that is just great, the fact that it’s VR based is more of a bonus. This game – you’ll have to play it to believe it – is just incredible.

Armed with an assortment of guns, the player must travel across space to rescue crew members. The worlds are 3D, which offers a unique dynamic to the platformer genre.

Danger Goat

Danger Goat is a puzzle/platform game from nDreams, a British VR gaming studio. Now available on PSVR, and Windows VR, the title was designed to showcase the now discontinued Google Daydream MR (Mixed Reality headset.)

Using one’s controllers, one must manipulate the world which Danger Goat must traverse to reach safety. There are 28 inventive levels laden with boobytraps and enemies who fully intend to destroy your goat friend.

Beat Saber

This is Dance Dance Revolution mixed with Star Wars. To a tune, one is expected to hack and slash at floating blocks, while ducking under, over and sliding away from obstacles.

Not a game one can enjoy in a seated position, Beat Saber is one design to have you breaking a sweat. Very simple concept, also incredibly engaging. This title is fantastic for a solid cardio workout.

Half-Life: Alyx

The first Half-Life game in quite some time. Half-Life: Alyx has players take on the role of Alyx Vance, a fan-favourite character, attached to the Half-Life series of games.

The title is set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. This is 11 hours of solving mysteries and combating Combine alien enemies. Experiencing the Half-Life universe through the immersive power of VR is quite the trip.

Star Wars: Squadrons

Star Wars is one of those franchises that are just may for immersive experiences. The sci-fi genre seems to fit quite well with Vy.

In Squadrons, players have the choice of being either Rebel or Imperial pilots. Whichever side you pick doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that one gets to pilot a spacecraft and take part in the most epic space-based dog fights. It’s a combat flight simulator that puts one in the cockpit of one of those Star Wars jets, and blasts enemies to smithereens.

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Having been released at a very consumer-friendly price point  (starting at $299,) the Virtual Reality (VR) headset has become the go-to VR device for many consumers. With talk of a third and fourth generation of the wildly successful VR offering being already in development Facebook executives, earlier this year, confirmed that we would sooner see a Pro version of the Oculus Quest 2 before an Oculus Quest 3.

The Oculus Quest 3 is still a possibility for the breakthrough VR headset brand, however, the Quest 2 has been so successful on the market, that the firm seems to have taken an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. Instead, Oculus plans to extend the Quest 2’s shelf life, and (not in 2021) release a Pro version, featuring improvements to its namesake’s functionality.

What can Quest 2 users expect?

“For those who are curious, Quest 2 is going to be in the market for a while—for a long while, and it’s gonna be, you know, I think the best bet for the most accessible way to get into VR and have a great experience,” – Andrew Bosworth, Facebook Reality Labs Vice President, In Upload VR hosted, Twitter Q&A session this April.

Good news for Quest 2 users, as the announcement means that services and software upgrades dedicated to the Quest 2 VR headset will continue to be dished out for quite some time. With the Quest 2 a long way away from obsolescence, the device stands to be the go-to VR device for the next several months.

The Oculus 2, which features standalone capabilities, means – unlike previous VR headsets – does not need to be tethered to a powerful PC or laptop to run. With a Qualcomm Snapdragon, XR 2 processor and 6GB of RAM in both the 64GB ($299,) and 256GB ($399) options, this device requires little improvement hardware-wise at this stage.

In terms of updates, Facebook’s breakthrough VR brand has, through software updates, increased the device’s refresh rate from 72Hz to 90Hz. There were plans of an additional increase to 120 Hz when we last checked.

“I did hint at an AMA earlier this year about Quest Pro because we do have a lot of things in development where we want to introduce new functionality to the headset along with the kinds that people theorize that we would want to introduce, and that’s a little ways off still” commented Bosworth, during the Q&A session, suggesting that the Oculus Quest 2 would not see a successor in the market in the foreseeable future.

Closing thoughts on Oculus 3 and 2

The Oculus 3 is a long way away from being a reality, though it is rumored already to be in Research & Development. The Quest 2 made such a splash that Facebook seems to be placing big bets on its continued relevance, opting to better the VR experience it delivers through continuous upgrades. It is such a decent device that we look forward to a Pro version, I a new edition won’t be available shortly

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The news of the company’s latest valuation was released as they prepare to engage in what may be another epic encounter against Apple regarding a disagreement over App Store fees, resulting in Apple’s removal of Fortnite from their platform.

Under the leadership of Tim Sweeney – who is the founder, CEO, and controlling shareholder – the Cary, North Carolina-based game developer has faced many obstacles over the course of its 25 years in the field. However, Epic Games has since proven its ability to successfully adapt to suit the changing environment.

As Sweeney puts it, Epic Games have had to evolve 4 times in order to remain competitive. To him, the company started at 1.0. Then progressed to 2.0, 3.0, and then its most recent evolution – Epic’s transition to its 4.0 phase.

Epic 1.0

This epic journey began in 1991. When Sweeney used his parent’s house in Potomac, Maryland, as his base of operations. Then founding the company Potomac Computer Systems. This was the pre-epic phase. The company’s big break came from the unexpected commercial success of ZZT, a game that could easily be modified through Sweeney’s ZZT-oop programming language. At the time, Sweeney distributed ZZT Bulletin Board Systems.

In 1992, Sweeney decided that gaming was the right direction. Which led to the decision to change the company’s name to Epic Mega Games. From there on, the company focused on releasing shareware games like Epic Pinball and Jill of the Jungle – a period that lasted until 1998.

Epic 2.0

From there, Epic MegaGames began its metamorphosis with the release of Unreal in 1998 – a first-person shooter that denoted a major shift from 2D to 3D gaming.

The following year saw another name change, this time the company chose to remove the Mega from its name and called themselves Epic games – also shifting its base of operations to Cary, North Carolina. During the same year, Epic Games partnered with Digital Extremes and GT Interactive on the development and distribution of Unreal Tournament – a multiplayer-focused follow-up to Unreal.

It would not be very long before Epic Games would have to adapt again.

Epic 3.0

Starting with the release of Gears of War in 2006, Epic Games began its 3.0 phase that would see the company redirecting most of its resources away from the PC market and catering more to the console market.

This led to the Unreal Engine and the Unreal Tournament franchise finding success on consoles as well. They followed by other commercial successes like Infinity Blade in 2010 and Bulletstorm in 2011 – in the same year announcing Fortnite, arguably the company’s most successful titles.

One of the most significant events of the Epic 3.0 era happened in June of 2012. This is when Chinese tech giant, Tencent, acquired a 40% stake in the company through a $330 million investment. This fell in line with Sweeney’s vision of moving the company towards a GaaS (Games as a Services) business model.

“There was an increasing realization that the old model wasn’t working anymore and that the new model was looking increasingly like the way to go.” Sweeney started at the time.

However, Sweeney also points out that Tencent’s stake in Epic Games does not give them any suffrage in the development of the games.

“Epic Games is incorporated and has a board of directors that make[s] major financial decisions about the company but doesn’t involve itself in the design or product development of games,” further stating that “Their expertise is how to operate these games on the large scale and to really appeal to customers, and we found that their values are very similar to ours and that we had a great deal we could learn from them.”

Epic 4.0 & Beyond

The transition to its current form began in 2014. In this phase, Epic Games is shifting away from consoles and campaign-oriented “boxed” games. Going back to PC as the company dives deeper into Gaas and digital distribution.

They cemented this decision when they announced Fortnite would be a free-to-play title. They followed with the Unreal Engine also becoming free to use. While those who intend to use it for profit will have to pay royalties.

Epic Games has remained largely successful in its four different forms. Even with the most recent 4.0 vision taking the company to entirely new highs. The $28.7 billion is a major accomplishment. Especially for a company that chose to remain independent for the majority of its existence.

Moving forward, Epic Games looks to expand its reach by focusing on Virtual Reality and meta-verses. What could stop them from becoming a dominant force in both spaces.

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As far as VR – as a gaming medium – is concerned, it really stretches the mind in terms of both, concept, and player engagement. First released in 2017, Lone Echo follows the tail of playable character, Echo One (mostly referred to as Jack,) and supporting, non-playable, Olivia Rhodes. The sole occupants of a mining satellite, orbiting Saturn. The to get into some trouble, and travel in time once or twice, while trying to survive an unexpected disturbance aboard the craft.

Along with the continued story arc, fans of the title will be glad that the second installment in the Lone Echo Narrative is, very much, like the first one in controls as well. The same attention to detail was given to this title, which adds a certain realness to the money situation that Echo One, and his companion find themselves in – trying to survive in zero gravity, while dealing with a new threat. Me interaction features between Captain Olivia Rhodes, and see a very simple – if you think about it – interaction feature which lends a lot of wait to the camaraderie element between the two characters.

With the occasional thumbs-up, or wave response from ‘Liv to help make the situation seem less hopeless, one goes through the similar ship repair puzzle tasks as the first game. Only this time, the energy sapping biological entity that made a nuisance of itself in the first title has evolved, and it is now a colony of space bugs that the two-person crew must contend with while dealing with the difficulties of surviving on a derelict spacecraft. 

The space bugs – known as Ticks – can prove quite problematic to the completion of your repair efforts as they are attracted by Jack, like flies are by garbage. Thanks to VR, one can simply reach to the area of the body they latch on to, and toss them off. One is warned to be wary of the strength of said toss, as a weak throw will only deposit the thrown Tick far enough for it to return and attempt a remount. One can seal them off in certain areas, sneak past them, or attract them to more sophisticated sources of energy, which requires a lot of quick thinking, and zero-gravity finesse. 

Another addition to Lone Echo 2’s gameplay Echo One’s hand menu display. It appears Jack may have gotten some upgrades done between Lone Echo and Lone Echo 2, as the android’s menu system display shows 4 symbols. The Plasma torch, which the dependable bot uses to cut through certain objects with, carries over from the first iteration of the game.

While it is unclear what the other symbols mean, and how they may improve gameplay – as yet – the fact that they are not highlighted, or selectable in the demo, suggests that they may be abilities that one unlocks as the game progresses. 

Just an image of the cosmos is usually enough to give one a sense of their own insignificance, in the grand scheme of things. Add to that equation, a desperate survival situation that requires one to keep their wits about them, along with the immersive experience of VR, and you get a glimpse of the things that can go very wrong on space missions. Ready At Dawn pulled this concept off with the right amount of mystery, and suspense the first time round, Lone Echo 2 seems like it will not disappoint either. 

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Virtual Reality technology is designed to immerse people in environments, and have them experience exhilarating gameplay in a more engaging way than ever before. What the Swedish video game firm behind the Wraith: The Oblivion title exemplifies, is just how far the medium allows the mind to stretch, in terms of constructing novel narratives. 

Set to release on Oculus Rift, & Quest platforms, PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Valve’s Index, as well as Steam within the month. Wraith: The Oblivion – Afterlife is based on a 1994 book by White Wolf Publishing, that goes by the same title. The game forms part of the stable’s World of Darkness narrative universe. The World of Darkness series of games features other titles, like Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and Vampire: The Masquerade. 

Players who have encountered any of the titles in the World of Darkness series may be familiar with the game’s setting, The Barclay mansion. A palatial residence that has a lot of metaphysical stuff going on beyond its opulent façade.

In the Wraith: The Oblivion game, players step into the shoes – so to speak – of a recently deceased individual who expired under mysterious circumstances, during a séance. Returning as a restless spirit, or wraith, one explores the question of what lies beyond the grave while haunting the Barclay mansion, in search of answers as to why – and how – they died. 

One quickly finds that they are not the only spirits wandering the mansion’s halls. They’re not out to have a conversation or compare notes about the whole ‘being dead’ thing either. Though some combat aspects are incorporated into the title’s gameplay, the game puts a greater emphasis on stealth. This means one does a great deal more sneaking, and escaping than actual fighting. 

Being a spirit – after all – one is equipped with some special abilities to make the investigation a tad easier. Ducking and diving around other restless souls, probably mad about their own deaths, one has the ability to Wraithgrasp, become insubstantial, and employ their Sharpened Senses ability whenever the situation calls for it. 

With the Wraithgrasp ability, one can lift, and move, objects from a distance, regardless of weight, or size. This might be an acquired ability however, not one that is available from the onset. Insubstantiality, on the other hand, allows one the ability to phase through walls, when certain markers appear. Excellent for quick escapes in tight situations. 

Sharpened sense, is pretty much a homing ability connected to the game map. It enables one to, more easily, reach their next objective by scanning their environment with their hand. One of the player’s hands will glow when they are close to getting close.

Though based on a book, the game – put together by a team consisting of director, Erik OdelDahl, designer Daniel Kihlgren Kallander, and programmer, Casper Renman – the game is still set up to be easy to play, by gamers who are to the World of Darkness series.  This game is targeted at narrative-based horror game enthusiasts, and features no gore. Just suspense, and thrill. 

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Launched on October 13th of 2020, the Oculus Quest 2 isn’t just 10% less weighty than the previous headset in the Quest family, but also a hundred dollars cheaper, at a $299 price point. The device also marks a new direction for the firm behind the Quest headset line, Oculus, as the firm will discontinue all other headsets in their stable, in order to focus on making a single, comfortable, gateway device for new entrants into the VR gaming world. As such, the firm has departed from their trademark, black and have opted for a more distinct, white – making the Oculus 2 easier to distinguish from other VR headset offerings.

Like its forebear, the Quest 2 features Oculus’ proprietary Oculus Insight motion tracking system, but seeing as the Quest 2 is intended to usher in a new era in VR – enabling developers to throw together enhanced VR experiences – the firm has pulled out all the stops regarding hardware capabilities. The Quest 2 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon™ XR2 processing unit, allowing for added AI functionality.

Oculus have also added 6 Gigabytes of RAM to the 503g Quest 2 (the original quest weighed in at 371g), along with increased display resolution, at 1832 × 1920 pixels per eye – second only to HP’s Reverb headset which, it is said, will deliver a 2,160 × 2,160 pixel display to each eye. In addition to offering a 50% more vivid display than its predecessor, the Oculus Quest 2 also processes graphics at 90Hz (no upgrade required), making the headset capable of running system applications; Oculus TV, the Oculus Home Environment, App Store and Browser. Oculus will allow developers to full 90Hz soon, the company says.

Now for the controllers. This area is usually a bone of contention with users. Understandably so, seeing as VR is a fledgling industry, and both hardware, as well as software, developers in the field are still figuring the interface element out. Oculus’ Quest 2 headset comes with a set of freshly minted Touch controllers, which are designs with ergonomics in mind. The company even went as far as forgoing a built-in rechargeable battery, for a standard AA battery – optimised to last four times longer than previous Oculus model’s controller, mind you – because they couldn’t figure out a charging position that wasn’t “awkward”.

VR For The People

From weight distribution, to hardware performance, and design, right down to the price, the Oculus Quest 2 was constructed with the aim of positioning the device as the go-to VR device for new adopters of the technology. It is, essentially, the first of a new generation of VR headset geared towards mass-adoption. A 10% weight reduction to improve portability is one attestation to that fact, but a more obvious one is likely the fact the Quest 2 comes with a built-in  IPD (interpupillary distance) adjustment mechanism.

Along with support for a new range of accessory options designed to enhance the duration of headset use, as well as overall comfort, the Quest 2 comes with a Fit Pack; offering interchangeable “facial interfaces” – designed to fit wide and narrow face types

The Future Is Quest

The VR firm have also announced that, following the launch of the Quest 2, they will be putting all their weight behind stand alone VR offerings and essentially sang their PC-connected headset offering – Oculus Rift – a sweet requiem. All games requiring a PC can still be enjoyed through the Oculus Link USB cable, using a Quest.

Global sales of the first Quest headset also ceased with the Quest 2 going on sale, however this does not mean that support for the device has been cancelled. On the contrary, developers will still be able to release titles for the original device.

“Our goal with the original Quest was to bring standalone VR to as many people as possible. We’re doubling down on that goal with Quest 2. It combines the performance gamers want with the flexibility people need, all at a price significantly lower than similarly featured headsets on the market. Quest 2 is more than just the next step in all-in-one VR.” – Oculus

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However, the climb up has at times seems sluggish, having only really started to build up momentum and deliver on the promise to eager consumers in recent years. Not only have the headsets improved, game developers have also started paying more attention to this particular field, resulting in a greater variety of offerings to suit different tastes and levels of experience.

However, variety can sometimes make choosing the right game to suit your taste a little trickier. Here is a list of good quality immersive games that are sure to keep you coming back for more.

The Best VR Games On The Market In 2020

Half-life: Alyx

After going underground for more than a decade, the much adored Half-life franchise returns with what some commentators consider the best VR gaming release thus far.

This installation can only be different from the ones that came before it by way of being better. Fighting your way through the dystopian City 17 faced with alien threats, Combine soldiers, and solving those puzzles that the franchise has become known for. This Half-life with the added benefits of the technological advances that occurred during the decade of silence.

Beat Saber

This is a kinetic rhythm based game where the player must hack and slash away at colourful blocks the rhythm of the song that’s playing. This is a great choice for fans of Guitar Hero, and comes with 10 songs to play to as a standard.

No Man’s Sky

Another great sci-fi for those who are into space exploration, taking the player deep into the new worlds they discover and revel at vastness of space through your VR headset. Definitely a must have, even if you’re not necessarily a fan of sci-fi, it’s still a thrilling experience.

Gran Turismo Sport

This is a gaming franchise that has always worked to give players the most realistic race car driver experience that the tech of the time could support, this latest VR edition of the series is no different.

A lot of attention was paid to giving the game authenticity, from the exteriors and interiors of the featured cars, to the locations and tracks. A great VR experience for a wide range of people.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files

A game that has divided people’s opinions since before making the jump to VR. However, this is not the entire game but rather a selection of the crime epic’s cases that have been adapted for the VR experience.

It’s everything we know from the original with an added bonus of VR immersion, making the game that much more engaging. The only downside is that it requires a top of the range PC to get the best out of it, and those don’t come cheap.

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