PlayStation VR’s 1st anniversary of its original release was on October 13, 2016; now is the time to look back at the many releases that have come and gone in that first year. Among the many games and experiences, there have been great and breathtaking moments and frustrating and poorly optimized, headache-inducing experiences. Among these are a few must-own titles for PlayStation’s first stab at the virtual reality scene. Let’s go!
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is an on-rails survival horror that puts the player in the place of an unnamed protagonist, traveling through horrifying levels hoping to get to the end of the living nightmare. Rush of Blood is a fun game for playing with friends and getting a few thrills. It won’t blow you away with any spectacle of a story, but it’s definitely recommended for the gamer who enjoys thrills and easy-to-pick-up fun.
PlayStation VR Worlds
Playstation VR Worlds is the basic disc that came with the majority of the bundles sold for the Playstation VR. This experience is similar to that of a demo disc as it gives the gamer a multitude of experiences and games to get a taste of the new platform. The 5 experiences given to the player are an assortment of genuinely creative and novel ideas as well as brand-new spins on classic games. The London Heist, a first-person shooting VR experience, puts the player in the head of a robber with the main objective of hunting down riches in a heist. Things begin to spiral out of control, creating a fun storyline for this short 30-40 minute experience. Paired with The London Heist, Into the
Deep is a PS VR experience one should not miss out on. Into the Deep places the player into the head of a deep sea diver inside of a cage descending into the depths of the ocean. With gorgeous scenery and a rather abrupt and climactic conclusion, this is not an experience to miss out on. VR Luge, a high-speed, “race against the clock” style game, places the player into the head of a high speed, luge-wielding daredevil. This is most definitely the most disorienting and nausea-inducing experience of the demo, but with a strong stomach, it is enjoyable nonetheless. Danger Ball, a call back to timeless classics such as pong, put into the form of VR, is a must play.
Extremely addictive, this high speed game faces one down side, the lack of online multiplayer functionality. Lastly, Scavenger’s Odyssey puts the player into a slightly unimaginative sci-fi landscape, taking the role of a alien treasure hunter. This is the least enjoyable experience out of the bunch, with its drawbacks being mundane environments, as well as a sense that I’ve seen all it has to offer. All in all, Playstation VR Worlds is definitely worth checking out.
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin
Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin follows Raz, the main protagonist of the original game of this highly acclaimed Double Fine IP. The player steps into the role of Raz immediately after the events of the original Psychonauts. This may deter some Playstation VR users from experiencing the virtual reality experience, and this is rightfully so. This being said, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin does come with a free download copy of Psychonauts, now with trophy support, ported to the Playstation 4. To enjoy this imaginative puzzle solving new take on point and click adventures, I highly recommend checking out the predecessor before taking part in the journey into the Rhombus of Ruin.
Resident Evil 7
When players asked for AAA support for the Playstation VR, Capcom responded with possibly the best choice to meet these needs. Resident Evil 7 is a fantastic 9 hour story that’ll have any player’s neck crawling at all moments of tension. The most exciting news about RE7; It has the ability to swap in and out of VR mode for the Playstation at any point in time, giving the player a chance to breath between scary virtual reality experiences.
Playroom VR
Lastly, Playroom VR is a completely free-to-play Playstation VR title that any VR owner should consider. With fantastic creative multiplayer experiences, Playroom VR rivals the likes of Wii Sports as the best pack-in game for a piece of hardware. Minigames such as having the VR player be a cat who tries to catch the other players as the control mice, obtaining as many pieces of cheese as possible, truly show the full potential of this fun piece of hardware. With many free updates releasing, it is genuinely a no brainer to download Playroom VR, especially when accompanied by up to 4 friends.
Conclusion
With a plethora of other games that deserve to be on this list, it is safe to say that the first year of the PlayStation VR was a major success. Racking up 1 million hardware sales back in June, it is safe to say that PS VR was a successful release and has continued to be since writing this. Of course, we now have PSVR 2 and Meta Quest 3 to advance our VR needs. That’s not to say PSVR remains amazing for owners of the headset.
Tell me what you believe deserves to be on this list and why in the comment section below!
