VR gaming continued to mature in 2018. Here are the top 25 titles across all platforms.
Virtual Reality (VR) has come a long way since the original Oculus Kickstarter in 2012. Now, major platforms such as Steam, PlayStation VR, Viveport, Oculus, and Google Play offer a variety of titles across a wide range of genres. Steam alone reported the release of over 1,000 titles with VR support this year.
In addition to a predictable uptick in fidelity, what we see in the VR games of 2018 is an increasing finesse with the language of VR gaming — the knowledge of which mechanics will best serve the needs of the story, an intuitive understanding of pacing and POV, a willingness to take formal risks that doesn’t translate as gimmick. In other words, VR games — be they 3DoF mobile games on Oculus Go or high-end experiences on HTC Vive Pro — just feel better.
In the case of one particular game, this refinement translated to mainstream popularity. So, while this list is not presented in any particular order, there is a special designation for “Game of the Year” — a selection which likely won’t come as a surprise to anybody who has been following the industry in 2018.
Note: this list only includes games which saw their first official release in 2018 — not early access, not beta, and not platform additions/expansions (i.e., no Mage’s Tale and Accounting+ on Steam, no Compound or Synth Riders early access).
Game of the Year: Beat Saber
No other game has done more for VR — in 2018 or otherwise — than Beat Saber. Selling over 100,000 copies in its first month and becoming the seventh highest-rated game on Steam (including VR and 2D). The little indie that could didn’t take long to become the best-selling VR game to debut in 2018, but what Beat Saber did from an industry standpoint was much bigger than its sales metrics. It captured a mainstream audience and helped them understand how VR gaming could be more than just a gimmick — how it could serve as an equally compelling experience as 2D titles. It proved that VR fitness games could be as addicting as (or even more than) sit-down games. From an XR standpoint, it also proved the value of Mixed Reality (MR) capture as a way to communicate virtual reality.
Ultimately, all of this boils down to the simple fact that Beat Saber is just unstoppably fun — so much so that its expert design and marriage of form and function all disappear. When you step into Beat Saber, you dissolve into another world — and feel damn cool doing it.
Moss
Moss is not so much a game as it is an experience. Polyarc sets an immensely high bar for storytelling in VR, exuding careful and deliberate artistry in every aspect — sound design, lighting, camera, visuals — to create a world worthy of straining your back to see the area in 360 degrees. In every sense, I felt like I was inside one of those beautiful, gilded storybooks. The only thing missing was the smell of the forest and old paper.
Pixel Ripped 1989
The amount of imagination poured into Pixel Ripped 1989 is phenomenal and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. However, it is very short and can be completed easily within a couple of hours…. In the end, Pixel Ripped 1989 is a superb VR experience that’ll make you have flashbacks if you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s. The imaginative premise and tight 2D platforming creates one of the most memorable games that you can play on PlayStation VR.
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The ambitious title features a full-fledged single player campaign including some top-tier voice acting…. You’ll find yourself constantly moving around your play space as you peak around walls, duck behind cover, dodge incoming fire, even climbing on your hands and knees to look through holes in the floor.
Transference
Transference is a short adventure through a family’s corrupted digital minds, taking you into their fears and preoccupations that seem to have reshaped the world around them after an experiment to copy their biological selves to the digital medium. Much of the thrill lies in the game’s realistic (albeit fractured) atmosphere, although a few jump scares await that should get the pulse of even the bravest horror fan thumping. It treads a fine line between adventure game, with its puzzles and found objects that tell a story, and a dark indie film that sweeps you along at a fast clip. While too short for some, in the end the experience reflects concise storytelling that may have ultimately suffered with a longer format.
Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
Frankly, if Astro Bot isn’t my favorite game this year, I’ll not only eat my hat, I’ll roam the lands eating every hat I come into contact with — it’s that damn good, and the definitive argument for owning a PSVR headset.
–Game Critics
Anshar Online
The amazing amount of content isn’t the only thing that will keep you coming back to Anshar Online…. It’s a ton of fun whether you play alone or with friends. There is more to do than in previous Anshar entries thanks to side missions, loot collection, and leveling up your ship.
Transpose
For its low price and density of content, Transpose feels like a high-value purchase, and it’s possibly one of the most successful VR puzzle games on Sony’s platform to date…. Even in the case of players who normally don’t take to puzzle games, it’s hard to deny the simple wonder of playing catch with yourself.
République VR
…the storyline and gameplay are that engaging you’ll be disappointed having to stop and recharge the headset – unless you have a nice long charging cable…. République VR is a well-designed VR experience that sits well on Oculus Go.
Firewall Zero Hour
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.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice VR
The VR Edition of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a labour of love; and it shows. The world you’re thrust into is gorgeous to look at, whilst also remaining terrifying. The use of binaural audio, along with the immersive nature of VR, allows for an amazingly uncomfortable experience. Exactly how it should be.
Creed: Rise to Glory
Creed: Rise to Glory is an experience unlike any I’ve ever had with a video game. While not a boxing simulation, the technology that powers the game is fun and addicting. With each passing match, players will get better and have a better understanding of what it takes to land punches that count.
Sairento VR
This is one of the first VR titles on the market that could be reasonably described as a true AAA VR experience, with an addictive gameplay loop of missions offering plenty of rewards and a voiced campaign…. For VR owners, this is a must buy.
Subnautica
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.
Echo Combat
Echo Combat is a must-buy for Rift owners. Its movement system is the best I’ve seen in any FPS, and it demonstrates just how good VR shooters could be if they fully leaned into the possibilities—and restrictions—of the medium.
--PC Gamer
Seeking Dawn
Graphically it’s one of the best sci-fi VR games we’ve ever dived into, and overall the shooting and exploration prove that Seeking Dawn is much more than a pretty face.
Catan VR
…in VR, suddenly that social aspect is back….. I can play Catan with friends and family who live across the globe, and still capture that same feeling of camaraderie that I would have when playing the game in person. I look forward to the day when more and more board games can be played this way.
Sprint Vector
Don’t expect to just pick up this game and ace it straight away either…. Once that unique method of locomotion finally clicks though, the amazing feeling of physically powering your way through each level just cannot be matched by any VR game on the market.
The Persistence
What sets The Persistence apart, and where it makes the case for being a VR game, is the way that it uses the overwhelming sense of fear throughout the game…. Stick it out, and The Persistence could be one of the most intense games in your life.
BoxVR
BoxVR is a high-intensity, rhythm-based boxing workout that feels like a game. Get your sweat on and punch to the beat with heart pulsing electronica or train to your very own workout mix… Developed by a team of fitness instructors, it’s no wonder BoxVR is so effective at blasting away fat and building muscle.
WipEout Omega Collection VR
Wipeout Omega Collection is one of the best VR games I’ve ever played, and may well be the best reason to buy a PSVR at this point. It looks absolutely stunning, runs like a dream, and even feels easier to play than the regular game.
Knockout League
Think Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! on performance-enhancing VR. Instead of dodging and blocking with buttons, you do it with your feet and hands, waiting for your opportunity to counterpunch based on the tells of your opponents.
No more Little Mac to hide behind and take the beatings. You’re the protagonist in this tale of blood, sweat, and tears. Alright, you’re unlikely to bleed or cry, but if you’re anything like me, you will sweat. A lot.
Arca’s Path
It’s calm, soothing and above all an absolute blast to play. No it isn’t action-packed like Battlezone or EVE: Valkyrie are, but thanks to Arca’s Path, I’ve discovered those aren’t the types of games I want to play in VR anyway.
Tetris Effect
Tetris Effect confirms the original game’s continued relevance to modern-era gamers. The 3D effects, pulsating music makes for some fun times in virtual reality…. Overall, it’s a great homage to the original 1984 title.
Starbear: Taxi
The year is 3064 CE. For whatever reason bears rule the earth – and they don’t have Uber. That’s where you come in, a remote controlled taxi dispatcher dubbed ‘Starbear’ who lives in the Jetsons-esque future where tiny adorable bears live high in the sky. Why? There is no why – there is only cute dancing bears, and that’s reason enough for me.
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