So, you’ve decided to buy an Oculus Quest all-in-one headset and plunge into the mystical world of virtual reality. These are the seven games that you absolutely must buy to play on it.
Creating games that make the most of Virtual Reality is an art which is constantly being honed – whereas conventional videogames have crystallised into a well-worn set of genres, games developers who specialise in VR still have no trouble finding boundaries to push.
You’ll find plenty of diversity within the Oculus Quest’s voluminous library of games – whether you like shoot-em-ups, puzzle games, rhythm-action games, action-adventures or sports games that offer something akin to a workout, it contains plenty to suit your tastes. But we reckon these seven games are all absolute must-buys.
1. Superhot VR ($24.99)
With its stylised concrete and glass settings, and its red, glassy enemies, Superhot VR has an utterly distinctive look. Which matches its equally inimitable gameplay. Nominally a first-person shooter, in reality, it feels incredibly tactical, thanks to a game mechanic which slows down time – essentially, the enemies are stationary until you move, and the faster you move, the faster they do. So, you end up moving as if performing tai chi, keeping things slow and steady at times before speeding up, while grabbing guns and objects in mid-air and even throwing them to yourself for later use. Original, tactical and thrilling.
2. Beat Saber ($29.99)
Beat Saber may be pretty simple, but it’s utterly addictive and superbly satisfying to play. Beat Saber is a rhythm-action game, so to keep it flowing, you must hit incoming blocks at the right moment, since they come at you in patterned waves. Easy to grasp, fantastical to behold thanks to futuristic, neon-style visuals, blessed with a top-notch soundtrack and fabulously good fun.
3. Job Simulator ($19.99)
As VR games go, Job Simulator may be somewhat venerable – but it’s also a classic. On paper, it doesn’t exactly sound wild: as the name suggests, it’s a physics-based simulator which lets you sample various forms of employment, including as a chef, an office skivvy, in a convenience store and more. As you may have guessed, it’s not exactly serious – to be precise, it’s absolutely hilarious. And quite cathartic, especially if you’ve ever dreamed of throwing a virtual stapler at your real-life boss or creating an unholy mess in the kitchen.
4. Pistol Whip ($19.99)
This super action game enables you to go pistol-first through a bunch of scenes such as bank heists and android uprisings where you have total freedom to get through it using whatever means possible. It’s a super use for the Quest controllers – you can shoot, dodge and more, all as you see fit. The game has a pulse-pounding soundtrack from various EDM artists. You can also challenge your skill with your friends and play against others for positions on the world leaderboards.
5. Space Pirate Trainer ($14.99)
If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to be placed inside a classic old arcade shooter like Space Invaders (instead of looking down on it from above), just play Space Pirate Trainer. In principle, its gameplay is just like those early arcade-shooters: it sends waves of bots at you, which you must shoot down while dodging incoming fire or deflecting it with a shield. Simple enough, but surprisingly tactical, and rollicking good fun.
6. Creed: Rise to Glory ($29.99)
If you’ve ever fancied having a go at boxing without running the risk of any form of injury, then Creed: Rise to Glory should fit the bill magnificently. It isn’t the only boxing game for the Oculus Quest, but it is the best, boasting various licences for the Rocky and Creed franchises, plus a story mode which sees you work your way up the professional boxing ladder. And it has a great multiplayer element which lets you box human opposition. Great fun, and it will help with your fitness, too.
7. Moss ($29.99)
Moss simply oozes quality. It’s a third-person puzzle-platform game built on a strong narrative, with a storybook vibe. In it, you embark on an adventure with an anthropomorphised mouse called Quill, in which you and she must collaborate to solve mostly environmental puzzles while taking on enemies in a classic hack-n-slash manner. With its pitch-perfect, enchanting storyline, interesting characters and Oculus Quest-specific downloadable content that extends its storyline, it’s one of those games you’ll want to play through a number of times.