We continue our selection of the best games of the year 2019 with virtual reality. The year 2019 have seen a great evolution in this field with the arrival not only of innovative titles that will certainly leave a lasting impression on the VR industry, but also more and more real games in the traditional sense of the term, going beyond the simple VR experience.
Beat Saber
HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Index Valve, WMR, PSVR
Even though Beat Saber was discovered early 2018 when it was released in early access, quickly reaching the million copies sold. Its first DLC, the Monstercat Music Pack Vol. 1, was launched in March 2019, even before its official release in May 2019 on all major VR helmets, and it can be considered the biggest VR hit of 2019. Developed and published by Beat Games, recently acquired by Facebook, in collaboration with Hyperbolic Magnetism, Jaroslav Beck's game has since been followed by numerous other titles in the field of VR rhythm games. Often imitated but rarely matched, Beat Saber will probably remain a reference of the genre for a long time to come.
And the phenomenon is not about to stop with the release of DLCs, which continues to regularly bring water to the mill, starting with Imagine Dragons Music Pack in June, then Panic! at the Disco Music Pack in October, Rocket League x Monstercat Music Pack in November and finally Green Day Music Pack in December, not to mention the free updates that also provided a few additional titles. The title was finally voted GOTY VR 2019 at the Game Awards Ceremony.
Asgard's Wrath
Oculus Rift
Considered by many to be the best VR game of the moment, Asgard's Wrath everything we have hoped for since the introduction of Virtual Reality - a real game made entirely for VR. This RPG, unveiled by Oculus Studios earlier this year exclusively on Oculus Rift, can indeed compete with the best RPGs available on flat screen. Developed by Sanzaru Games (Marvel Powers United, Ripcoil), it offers around thirty hours of epic adventure in the company of Nordic gods during which we alternate between exploration, enigmas and dynamic close and long-distance combat. There are also various challenges and other mini-games, as well as arena battles.
Blood and Truth
PSVR
Blood and Truth, the London Studio's FPS (The London Heist) was announced at the Paris Games Week 2017 and was released at the end of May 2019 exclusively for PSVR. Based on The London Heist, one of the hits of VR Worlds, the bundle offered with PSVR, it takes its inspiration from films such as John Wick, James Bond or Crystal Trap, to offer an action game with a new twist. Ryan Marx, an elite British special forces soldier trying to save his family from the hands of the London mafia. A recently released DLC (the fourth one) turns the title into a rhythmic shooter with a score by Grimes and a series of campaign challenges.
A Fisherman's Tale
HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Valve Index, WMR, PSVR
A Fisherman's Tale is a title that strucked us by the originality of its gameplay that is particularly well suited to virtual reality. Although very short, the universe of the title of Innerspace VR (Firebird - La Peri, Firebird - The Unfinished) published by Vertigo Games (Arizona Sunshine, Skyworld) in co-production with ARTE France and with the financial support of the CNC, the New Media Fund of the City of Paris and BPI France, seduced us by its poetic side. In this escape game featuring a little wooden puppet, the son of a fisherman turned lighthouse keeper, the dimensions intertwine endlessly.
Budget Cuts 2 - Mission Insolvency
HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Valve Index
If Budget Cuts was one of the first titles announced in RV, it had been able to bring a very effective gameplay element in an infiltration game in VR with the translocator. This sequel, Budget Cuts 2 - Mission Insolvency, takes up the concept by bringing more diversity in the environments and some new gameplay elements. Although perfectible, the Neat Corporation and Fast Travel Game title confirms the effectiveness of the license.
The Optimizer seeks to replace all humans by robots in order to save as much money as possible and reduce Transcorp's operating budget to the maximum. Fortunately, we're here to put an end to this technological aberration.
Pistol Whip
HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, Valve Index, WMR
With Pistol Whip, another noteworthy rhythm game, Cloudhead Games (The Gallery, Aperture Hand Labs), in collaboration with Kannibalen Records for the soundtrack, cleverly combined Superhot and Beat Saber. The weapon is used both to fire from a distance and to stun enemies on contact (pistol whip) as part of a rail shooter that requires you to clear your path in rhythm. Thanks to an artistic direction playing with colors, sound and light, immersion is significantly increased. And if a dozen tracks signed by Apashe, HVDES, or Black Tiger Sex Machine are already proposed, others should gradually come to complete the playlist. Finally, a port to PSVR is also planned in the future.
