List of The Best VR Games

[Correct_Carlo]

I bought VR about 5 years ago now. I got the original Vive + a wireless adaptor that works very well. I played quite a few games, but honestly, I found the vast majority to be disappointing. Most VR games tend to be pretty gimmicky and are mostly designed to play for like 15 minutes at a time. In fact, in my humble opinion, there are really only 2 that blew me away, weren't just gimmicks that I got bored with after 10 minutes, and made the whole VR experience worth while (I'll list them below).

However, I haven't used my VR system in ages, so I'm curious what you all think are the best VR games. I don't care about merely OK stuff. I want to know what you found to be transcendental, mind-blowing, experiences that fully took advantage of everything VR has to offer.

 

[Correct_Carlo]

These are my 2 favorite (in fact, the only great) VR games I've played:

1. Super-Hot VR: This is the single best VR game ever made. The levels are all incredibly well designed, the mechanics are perfect, and the slow-motion effect works so well in VR that it seems like the game was designed for VR from the ground up, rather than being a port of an FPS. Like, the experience of dual welding pistols to shoot two dudes in the head, dropping the guns, slowing time, and grabbing another gun from mid air so you can take out two more is awesome, and stuff like this happens all the time. The levels are also like puzzles, as they are very precise, but it's the only VR puzzle game I've played that fully takes advantage of moving your body, precisely, within physical space. Also, all of the levels are about the size of a normal room, so you don't have to fuck around with positioning or motion sickness. Completely blew my mind.

2. Half-Life: Alyx: I don't know what Valve did, but HL:A is the only FPS VR game with full motion that doesn't make me sick when I play it. It has to be something with how the video scrolls or something, as basically any other FPS where you have to walk using the controllers just makes me want to vomit after 10 minutes. The experience of having head craps jump at your face fucking freaks you out and I never quite got used to it, the extremely limited ammo really made the early portions of the game seem like a real survival horror, the game has some really great puzzles designed in large environments, and there are some brilliant set pieces.

 

[Gambler]

Half-Life: Alyx seems to be the only proper AAA title made specifically for VR. It's a very good game. I would say it's at least as good as Half-Life 2 in terms of design. In fact, it made me replay HL2 and even play Episodes for the first time. I've always remembered HL2 as a captivating, but somewhat mindless shooter. Guess I've never appreciated those game's commentary on totalitarian regimes until 2020. One comment, though. You really, really ought to play HL: Alyx using Index. I've played first half of the game using Vive, but it was way more enjoyable with index controller and higher resolution headset.

Fantastic contraption. The gameplay is nothing special. You're given a set of design primitives and you're building machines to overcome environment puzzles. However, it has the best damn VR interface I've ever seen. Mind-blowing stuff. Those devs actually "get" VR. It's a glimpse into how good a properly designed VR environment could be if devs actually knew what they were doing. I wish someone tried to make a more serious cad/programming environment using the same ideas. Alas, I know of no such thing.

Job Simulator. Funny. Creative. Fully uses the interactivity of the VR environment. Designed for room scale, so there is no controller-based movement at all. Has a bit of sandbox feel to it, since major part of the game is just experimenting with the environment and seeing what kind of crazy things you can do.

Honorary mentions:

I Expect You To Die. Roomscale spy puzzle game. On par with Job Simulator, but less of a sandbox and more of a normal puzzle game. You use object and manipulate the environment to accomplish some objective. It had a decent enough budget, so it has excellent intro, voice acting, nice sound design, etc.

Out of Ammo. Tower defense in VR. I know it sounds gimmicky, but it's fun and not as static and formulaic as you might imagine. Waves of enemies attack your base and you have to constantly build it up and order soldiers around to defend it. You can not only move your troops around, but also "possess" them for a time to kick some ass. Has different weapons, enemy vehicles, artillery, multiple maps. They've been pretty good at updating after the release.

 

[Mortmal]

There's more than half life alyx, lone echo 1and 2 are almost as good , then Asgar's wrath, boneworks, saint and sinners. You are missing the stuff from the oculus store, really lone echo is something to not miss. Sci fi atmopsheric, ton of care and details , very high poly .

 

[Gambler]

I forgot about Lone Echo. It definitely looked interesting and since I haven't played it (because it's exclusive to Meta/Facebook/Oculus store) I can't say if I would consider it a proper AAA. From trailers it looks like it very well could be.

 

[gurugeorge]

Skyrim VR Loverslab edition or GTFO

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

2. Half-Life: Alyx: I don't know what Valve did, but HL:A is the only FPS VR game with full motion that doesn't make me sick when I play it. It has to be something with how the video scrolls or something, as basically any other FPS where you have to walk using the controllers just makes me want to vomit after 10 minutes. The experience of having head craps jump at your face fucking freaks you out and I never quite got used to it, the extremely limited ammo really made the early portions of the game seem like a real survival horror, the game has some really great puzzles designed in large environments, and there are some brilliant set pieces.

What do you mean by video scrolls?

 

[Mortmal]

I forgot about Lone Echo. It definitely looked interesting and since I haven't played it (because it's exclusive to Meta/Facebook/Oculus store) I can't say if I would consider it a proper AAA. From trailers it looks like it very well could be.

It's clearly AAA , not indie level stuff . And i think we wont get anything like that before a long long time. This cannot be played on a quest standalone.

 

[Hag]

I don't own a VR set but I've played a fair bit on a friend's Oculus.

Lone Echo clearly is the winner for me. Makes huge use of VR, either for movement (it's like antigravity was meant to be experienced this way) or the environment, with its nice space scenery. A bit gimmicky at the time (too much tutorial and errands) and not that easy, don't know if it stays fresh after awhile.
Beatsaber is another great one. Found the default tracks appalling but I'm not much of modern techno fan and there is a huge community providing for custom ones. Mesmerizing and very well done otherwise.
I Expect you to Die was also great, and once a good party game you can play with friends around trying to help or shooting like howling monkey BECAUSE THE SUB'S GONNA BREAK YET AGAIN MAN, GET A GRASP HOLY FUCK. A tad unequal but was very enjoyable. And yeah, the intro was awesome.
Super Hot was nice. Got actually bored quite fast but it was above average, which says a lot about average games on VR.

 

[ADL]

The thing about VR is that any game that uses the medium decently basically becomes an immersive sim. Don't pass on something like Pavlov because it's "just Counter Strike in VR". Think about what that actually entails. Crowbcat's video does a good job showcasing what I mean.
Pressing R on your keyboard is a hell of a lot different than actually reloading in a firefight.

 

[ADL]

Couldn't embed the rest. I'll add more in later.

 

[Poseidon00]

VR Dungeon Knight was still one of my favorites to play all the way through. Like all VR games it is tragically short on content but discovering the hidden rooms, going off the beaten path to find the special weapons, secret bosses, testing out the weapons in the training room, etc. etc. were all very enjoyable.

Ancient Dungeon, while still in Early Access, delivers much the same thing with a more retro look but doesn't have the customization or variety of VRDK.

Echo VR may be free and created by Faceborg, but it's a genuinely interesting idea for a VR sport. The zero gravity environment and the ability to play defense by
punching other players in the head really adds to the experience. You will need some practice in getting the ideal movement down.

Song in the Smoke is a great concept of an ancient survival game. Good for what it is but leaves me wanting more.

 

[Obsequious Approbation]

VR or not, this game's pretty fucking great.

 

[Jrpgfan]

VR Kanojo.

Btw(seriously this time), has anyone tried the new Myst game yet? And does anyone know if the gamepass version has VR support?

 

[gurugeorge]

I dunno, floating, disjointed hands still seem dorky and un-immersive to me. Can't they do reverse kinematics on a 1st person body model or something?

 

[Humanophage]

1. Thrill of the Fight
Boxing game. Probably the fewest abstract limitations in a fighting game. E.g., no artificial stamina bar. Boxers seem to like it. Will have you panting in 10 minutes.

2. Ironlights
Swing and block swords. Bad single player, but nice multiplayer because it's PvP with minimal walking but a fair amount of dodging. Somewhat densely populated so you can find opponents.

3. Eleven Table Tennis
Table tennis. Very realistic, no artificial limitations, just tries to imitate the real thing as best as it can.

4. Pistol Whip
A better version of Beat Saber where you dodge bullets and shoot. Nice because you have to sit down a fair deal.

Some people like Pavlov VR but it gives me a huge headache.

Super Hot is pretty nice but very short.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

I haven't played it since I don't own any VR kit but Mars 2030 seems like a cool idea.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

The thing about VR is that any game that uses the medium decently basically becomes an immersive sim. Don't pass on something like Pavlov because it's "just Counter Strike in VR". Think about what that actually entails. Crowbcat's video does a good job showcasing what I mean.
Pressing R on your keyboard is a hell of a lot different than actually reloading in a firefight.

Yeah, it's fucking annoying. Especially when you go to grab some ammo and pull something else out, then once you manage to get the ammo, grab some random part of the gun and flip it around instead of putting the fucking magazine in. Like holy hell how many marines have died because they grabbed the front of their gun and turned it around whilst dropping the new magazine instead of putting the fucking magazine in the gun.

 

[Doktor Best]

The thing about VR is that any game that uses the medium decently basically becomes an immersive sim. Don't pass on something like Pavlov because it's "just Counter Strike in VR". Think about what that actually entails. Crowbcat's video does a good job showcasing what I mean.
Pressing R on your keyboard is a hell of a lot different than actually reloading in a firefight.

Yeah, it's fucking annoying. Especially when you go to grab some ammo and pull something else out, then once you manage to get the ammo, grab some random part of the gun and flip it around instead of putting the fucking magazine in. Like holy hell how many marines have died because they grabbed the front of their gun and turned it around whilst dropping the new magazine instead of putting the fucking magazine in the gun.

Well stop being a Klutz then. There is zero clunkiness to reloading or grabbing your weapon once you get the hang of controls.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Yes, I imagine the most important thing in gun-oriented VR shooters is to get gud. So soldier on, soldier! Stop fumbling, Private Wilhelm, waiting to get shot and scream, and GET GUD! Carry on, men.

 

[puur prutswerk]

The thing about VR is that any game that uses the medium decently basically becomes an immersive sim. Don't pass on something like Pavlov because it's "just Counter Strike in VR". Think about what that actually entails. Crowbcat's video does a good job showcasing what I mean.
Pressing R on your keyboard is a hell of a lot different than actually reloading in a firefight.

Yeah, it's fucking annoying. Especially when you go to grab some ammo and pull something else out, then once you manage to get the ammo, grab some random part of the gun and flip it around instead of putting the fucking magazine in. Like holy hell how many marines have died because they grabbed the front of their gun and turned it around whilst dropping the new magazine instead of putting the fucking magazine in the gun.

Well stop being a Klutz then. There is zero clunkiness to reloading or grabbing your weapon once you get the hang of controls.

But that is not really true with current VR controls. I still accidentally grab anything stored near my waist if I hold my hands down and I often drop stuff that I do not intend to drop. In resting position my hands tend to close a little and I am holding another gun i did not intend to grab again.

 

[Poseidon00]

Getting used to the controls is the biggest hurdle of most VR games and it's different for each one. At this point i'm pretty much used to it enough that it's never really an issue. I get my bearings in a few minutes.

Sniper Elite VR is my go-to FPS, but that's because I suck at them and so avoid multiplayer.

 

[Doktor Best]

I got 80 hours clogged in on Pavlov and id say i am above average. Its important to activate the virtual gunstock or you wont hit jack shit. Reloading is a matter of simple pattern recognition. You pull your mag with a different button than pulling your sidegear so you cant even "missclick" on that one and reloading is just a matter of knowing your weapon. The rest is just applying your Counter Strike skills to the game. Theres a youtuber named Yellowhat who uploaded a few useful guides on weapon handling, corner peaking etc if you want to get a little sweaty.

The thing about VR is that any game that uses the medium decently basically becomes an immersive sim. Don't pass on something like Pavlov because it's "just Counter Strike in VR". Think about what that actually entails. Crowbcat's video does a good job showcasing what I mean.
Pressing R on your keyboard is a hell of a lot different than actually reloading in a firefight.

Yeah, it's fucking annoying. Especially when you go to grab some ammo and pull something else out, then once you manage to get the ammo, grab some random part of the gun and flip it around instead of putting the fucking magazine in. Like holy hell how many marines have died because they grabbed the front of their gun and turned it around whilst dropping the new magazine instead of putting the fucking magazine in the gun.

Well stop being a Klutz then. There is zero clunkiness to reloading or grabbing your weapon once you get the hang of controls.

But that is not really true with current VR controls. I still accidentally grab anything stored near my waist if I hold my hands down and I often drop stuff that I do not intend to drop. In resting position my hands tend to close a little and I am holding another gun i did not intend to grab again.

Are you using the valve knuckles by chance? I've briefly used them and remember being annoyed with them grabbing things when they shouldn't and vice versa since implementation of fingertracking is a hit and miss for many vr games from smaller dev studios who cannot afford to optimize for a control scheme used by only a fraction of the playerbase.

It is why i prefer the Quest touch controllers. They just work without any hassle. Yes they lack fingertracking but i've never seen any vr game where thats not just a gimmick without any meaningful gameplay applications. I hope Valve's next headset will come with a pair of cheaper, more barebones touch-esque controllers.

 

[Perkel]

Monster Hunter World (vorpX)
Fallout New Vegas (vorpX)
Dragon's Dogma (vorpX)
Skyrim Requiem mod (vorpX)
Resident Evil 7 (native)
Whole Wii library via Dolphin with its native SBS mode (VorpX)

 

[SomeGuyWithAnOpinion]

As a professional VR developer who has worked with multiple companies on VR projects, I will go on record and say: There are no good VR games. Not a single one.

Even Alyx, the beloved VR Masterpiece, has enough problems for me to not bother finishing it more than once, which is usually a pretty telltale sign that a game is bad, at least to me.

My theory as to why there aren't any good games largely boils down to: Everyone is so obsessed with the immersive nature of the medium, they completely forget to actually design a good game on top of it. Besides, VR is such a tiny market already, you don't want to further alienate people by making your game challenging, engaging or fun