Games

The Best New PSVR Games In 2018

VR headsets have not yet reached the mainstream appeal their proponents had hoped for, but that doesn’t mean the journey is over for gaming’s latest tech. Sony’s PSVR headset has continued to receive an impressive amount of support throughout 2018 (along with some sizeable discounts), and as a result we’ve got a fine selection of new games to enjoy. If you’re looking for an excuse to take your headset for a spin, or are considering picking one up for the first time, these are the best new PSVR games you should be playing.

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Who would have thought that the best platformer on PS4 would arrive in VR form? Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a cheerfully superb title with charm and ingenuity to setting it alongside games more reminscent of Nintendo’s styling. Sony’s Japan Studio has worked hard to incorporate the VR aspect directly into the experience, requiring the player to peer around levels, headbutt switches, swing tight ropes and so much more.

This is no tech demo either, taking a good seven hours to beat. There are plenty of hidden secrets to find and the high level of creativity continues through the length of the story. Astro Bot Rescue Mission shows just how inventive, interactive and refreshing VR gaming can be. We can only hope more developers will take note in the future. A must own for all PSVR owners.

Beat Saber

We all want to be a Jedi(or Sith) and lightsabers hold a universal appeal. We’ve been waiting for a game to do them real justice ever since Nintendo first announced the Wii. Virtual Reality seemed like the perfect place to bring this dream to life, but we never expected a Guitar Hero-style rhythm game to be the cream of the crop. Beat Saber shows that the true calling of a Jedi isn’t with the Force or the Republic, it’s in slicing rapidly approaching blocks in time to an amazing track of intense electronic beats.

Blocks have to be cut in specific directions, meaning you have to physically swing your arms (and occasionally duck or dodge) to the tune. There’s a great sense of physicality, and as the difficulty ramps up you’ll find yourself transforming into a whirlwind of motion as you whip back and forth to keep a streak going. Just try not to think about how ridiculous you appear to anyone nearby. If you want a game to get you moving and demonstrate just how different VR is, look no further than Beat Saber. Just make sure you have the room to play it.

Moss


Moss’ adorably animated mouse protagonist Quill drew immediate attention when the game was revealed during E3 2017, and fortunately Moss’ release lived up to our hopes. Naturally Quill is the highlight here, but Moss’ fairy-tale world is also beautifully realized and a delight to look around or interact with.

Much like Astro Bot, Moss plays the wonderful trick of involving you directly in the world as a spiritual figure known as The Reader. While the methods are less varied, interaction here feels far more meaningful as you bond and relate with Quill, establishing a connection that books, films and even traditional video games can’t offer. Moss is a short but incredibly sweet adventure that certainly shouldn’t be skipped for PSVR owners(or those Redwall fans inside all of us).

Wipeout Omega Collection

Though the base game arrived last year, the VR update to Wipeout Omega Collection was delayed until the early months of 2018. Thankfully, it was well worth the wait. Not one for those new to VR or faint of heart, Omega Collection is one of the best uses of Sony’s headset available. The Wipeout series has always been about blistering speed, but VR adds a new sense of scale that’ll have you gritting your teeth in fear and excitement as you approach each jump or hairpin bend.

Firewall Zero Hour

Many games have given multiplayer FPS a try in VR, and while there are some pretty solid titles out there, Firewall Zero Hour easily takes the crown on PSVR. Best with the aim controller, the careful corridor clearing and tense, close-range firefights are reminiscent of Rainbow Six: Siege’s best moments.

With a surprisingly welcome community, Firewall Zero Hour ought to be the perfect VR shooter, but unfortunately it’s often marred by poor matchmaking or connectivity issues. When it does work though, the experience is unparalleled. Teaming up with three pals to orchestrate the perfect breach into a heavily defended room is a thrill that’ll have you coming back for more time after time.

Tetris Effect

Allowing Tetsuya Mizuguchi – creator of Rez and Lumines – to try his hand at refreshing Tetris was always going to produce an interesting result, but Tetris Effect is beyond anything we could have imagined. Yes, it’s a lot of money for a game you’ve played countless times before, but you really haven’t tried Tetris like this. Tetris Effect’s interweaving of gameplay, music and visuals makes for a cracking game, but the entire package really blossoms to life in VR.

It’s far from the fanciest use of the technology, but watching ethereal blue whales, windmills and fractal patterns generate and fizzle out around you as line after line completes is possibly the most zen experience available in gaming. Just listen to that beautiful trailer music if you don’t believe us.

There were plenty of other titles like The Persistence or Déraciné that didn’t quite make the cut for our list of the best new PSVR games, making 2018 a pretty spectacular year for the headset overall. With more releases and support planned for 2019 it seems that, at least on PlayStation, VR’s time to shine may be still to come.


Read More: Tetris Effect Is More Than An Evolution

Tetris Effect, the latest installment of the unstoppable falling block puzzler, is more than just another notch in the series’ championship belt. Brought to life by Enhance, Inc. and headed by Rez and Lumines creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Tetris Effect is about everything outside the game.