20 PlayStation VR Games To Keep An Eye On

There are a wide variety of games spanning many genres that are being brought to the PlayStation VR by a slew of different developers and publishers. This includes first party developers like Polyphony, Guerilla Cambridge and Media Molecule as well as big-hitter third party publishers like EA, Ubisoft and Namco Bandai. This is not to mention the talented indie developers working on their own VR titles like Steel Crate Games and Double Fine Productions. I will focus on the 20 games that I think stand out from the crowd and should be on everyone’s radar. I will try to mix up the genres and who the games are developed by to showcase the variety of games coming to Sony’s device.

1. RIGS

Developer: Guerilla Cambridge (MediEvil & Killzone Mercenary)
Genre: Competititve first-person shooter

RIGS seems to be the flagship launch title for the PlayStation VR. It puts you and other players in a mechsuit while you compete to win frantic matches. How do you win matches? Simply by navigating the level and jumping in a hoop in the middle. It sounds simple but when you’ve got a bunch of other mechs with guns trying to stop you from doing this things become decidedly more difficult. The art directions similar to Rocket League mean I am totally on-board. There is an interesting mechanic where as you die, your character auto-ejects into the sky and you can look at the area where you want to respawn next (indicated by a specific colour). It looks like this one could be a great mix of strategy, gun skill and arcade action. Definitely one to watch.

2. EVE Valkyrie

Developer: CCP Games (EVE Online & Dust 514)
Genre: Competitive dogfighting shooter

Also an Occulus launch title, EVE Valkyrie is the game that is showing people what VR is capable of. It is a multiplayer shooter featuring hectic dogfights in space set in the EVE Online Universe. You don’t have to look far to find people raving on about how incredible the immersion is for this game and the ways in which VR enables it. Seriously, who doesn’t want to fly around in their own custom spaceship shooting down other hapless pilots? It is something I’m sure many have dreamed of doing. Just check out the trailer below and imagine yourself in the cockpit with a full 360-degree view of the action.

3. 100 ft. Robot Golf

Developer: No Goblin LLC (Roundabout)
Genre: Golf

The premise of this game is conveniently in the name: You play as enormous robots, playing golf. I do not know what sounds sweeter to the ears than that description. You take full control of the giant robots that are all trying to improve their handicaps, and in a cool twist you are able to lay waste to the fully destructible environment in order to suit your needs. See a building in the way of getting that perfect hole-in-one? Break it to pieces. You can even obstruct your friend’s shot by destroying something and putting it in their way. Better yet, just hit the ball straight into them! This is what video games are all about. Having dumb fun with your friends.

4. Golem

Developer: Highwire Games
Genre:  First-person adventure game

Not much is known about Golem. You take control of a young girl who is paralysed and has the ability to occupy the minds of giant mechanical beings called Golems using futuristic VR technology. It is a seated experience that uses the PlayStation Move controllers to get around.  You lean your torso forward to move forward, backwards to go back and so on. The Move controller also replicates a sword that is used to fight other Golems. What is most exciting is that ex-Bungie and Sucker Punch veterans who have worked on the original Halo and Infamous games are developing it. Expect addictive gameplay loops and immersive storytelling.

5. Tekken 7

Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainmet
Genre: Fighting

Tekken 7 is coming to the PlayStation 4 with VR Support. I am not entirely sure how it works but being able to swing jabs and kicks using motion controls sounds pretty cool especially when it’s close and personal. It has been indicated that the experience might not be in the first-person view.

6. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Developer: Steel Crate Games
Genre: Party game

People are going nuts over this game and rightfully so. One player is trapped in a virtual room with a bomb that they need to defuse. The other player must give instructions to the player in the virtual room to defuse the bomb by reading a bomb defusal manual. However (plot twist!), the expert cannot see the bomb so they will need to talk it out with the person in the virtual room to determine what the bomb is and how to defuse it. This is mastercraft in game design. The PlayStation VR can display two different images between the headset and the television screen, so the expert will be able to read the manual from their television.

7. Star Wars Battlefront Experience

Developer: EA Games & DICE (Battlefield & Star Wars Battlefront)
Genre: First-person shooter

A big third party exclusive AAA title is heading to PlayStation VR in the form of Star Wars Battlefront. One positive thing mentioned about the recent Battlefront released last year was how it made you feel like you are in the films. VR can surely only act to enhance this even further. I think it is a strong addition to Sony’s lineup and people are sure to have a blast taking to the skies in the Millennium Falcon. Details are currently scarce, but Sony has confirmed there will be more news in the months to come.

8. Ark: Survival Evolved

Developer: Studio Wildcard
Genre: Multiplayer sandbox survival game

The hit online game on Steam and Xbox One is coming to both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR when it launches. It is an online survival game in the first-person perspective, where players must establish bases, gather resources, tame or kill dinosaurs and other wild life while teaming up with or fighting against other players. People have been concerned about VR not having any meaty experiences but Ark: Survival Evolved might just be that game to sink your teeth into.

9. Dreams

Developer: Media Molecule (LittleBig Planet & Tearaway)
Genre: Creative sandbox adventure game

Ever since Dreams was announced it was screaming for the VR treatment. Being able to sculpt, create and share your own dream creations while exploring other people’s worlds sounds like a match made in heaven for virtual reality. Media Molecule have also ensured Dreams is a full game experience that will have a story-led adventure. While it is also coming to the PlayStation 4, it has been indicated that it will fully support PlayStation VR when it releases.

10. Eagle Flight

Developer: Ubisoft
Genre: First-person exploration game

Eagle Flight gives players the freedom to soar through the skies of an abandoned Paris as they live vicariously through an eagle. Whizzing through alleys and streets is as simple as looking where you want to go. There is also a dynamic multiplayer element where you can race, catch or flee from other players at high speeds which ought to offer an exhilarating experience. This game is set in a post-apocalyptic world 50 years after human extinction, a setting which makes the game all the more intriguing.

11. Adr1ft

Developer: Three One Zero
Genre: First-person adventure game

Seems like video games set in space are featuring prominently on the PlayStation VR. Adr1ft is a first-person adventure game that follows an astronaut who gets stranded on a destroyed space station with no memory of what happened. The environment is fully explorable and only limited by the amount of oxygen the player has. The player must survive while figuring out what happened and how to return to Earth safely. If you ever wanted to explore space while at the same time being terrified that you might die, this is the best place to do it.

12. Gran Turismo Sports

Developer: Polyphony Digital
Genre: Racing Simulator

Multi-million dollar racing series Gran Turismo’s next instalment will be fully compatible with the PlayStation VR. The experience has been described as being natural and intuitive, and coupled with a steering wheel periphery it’s probably the closest that many of us are likely to get to the actual feeling of driving a Lamborghini. Racing games are just one of the genres that make sense for virtual reality and it will likely be one of the more popular games for the device.

13. Robinson: The Journey

Developer: Crytek
Genre: First-person adventure

Robinson: The Journey places players in the shoes of a child crash landed on a mysterious planet inhabited by dinosaurs. Not much is known other than the fact it is inspired by Crytek’s Back to Dinosaur Island tech demo’s and it has jaw-dropping visuals.

14. PlayStation Worlds

Developer: London Studio (The Getaway)
Genre: Various

Touted as the Wii Sports of PlayStation VR, PlayStation Worlds is a collection of five PlayStation experiences that have been built from the ground up exclusively for PS VR. London Heists puts you in the co-driver’s seat of a hot getaway car. Think PS2 classic The Getaway and you’re not far off. Into the Deep places you in a deep sea cage to experience the beauty and the terror of the ocean. VR Luge allows you to power slide down a Californian hillside while dodging traffic and other obstacles. Danger Ball is a futuristic sport game where you use your head to hit the balls into the goals. Finally, Scavenger’s Odyssey is a sci-fi adventure where you must make your way through hostile environments in space. Check out the trailer below which showcases all five of these.

15. Rez Infinite

Developer: Monstars
Genre: Rhythmic shooter

Rez Infinite is a remake of the stylised shooter released at the turn of the millennium for PS2 and Dreamcast. It has been described as a perfect fit for virtual reality by mixing rhythmic sounds, colourful visuals and fast gameplay. It is difficult to describe the game without having a look for yourself.

16. Ace Combat 7

Developer: Project Aces & Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre: Combat flight simulator

Another dog-fighting game is making its way to the virtual reality device, but instead of a sci-fi theme, Namco Bandai is bringing its Ace Combat series into the fray. Prepare for intense battles with both friends and foes online.

17. Psychonauts in the Rhombus Ruin

Developer: Double Fine (Psychonauts & Grim Fandango)
Genre: Adventure game

Psychonauts in the Rhombus Ruin will be a presequel (sorry Gearbox) set between the first and second Psychonauts. Not much details have been given but expect memorable characters and hilarious writing by the legendary Tim Schafer.

18. Until Dawn: Rush of Blood

Developer: Supermassive Games (Until Dawn)
Genre: On-rails horror shooter

Rush of Blood is a spin-off from the hit game released in 2015. It acts as a haunted house arcade roller coaster experience that uses the 3D sound technology and the immersive visuals of the VR headset to create an horrific experience for players. There will be some elements from the original game in the new game (hopefully the Butterfly Effect which gives rise to branching paths). For all those who yell at slasher movie actors who voluntarily go into situations which are sure to meet their demise, this might give you the opportunity to show them how you’d do it differently.

19. Battlezone

Developer: Rebellion (Alien vs Predator)
Genre: Arcade combat

Battlezone is a remake of the hit arcade game which ruled the 80s on the back of the history-making Atari console. You control a Cobra tank loaded with devastating weapons and combat power ups. You must outflank and outwit the enemy and destroy them at all costs. Boasting a dynamic replayable campaign, apparently no two playthroughs will be the same. This is definitely one to keep an eye on.

20. Paranormal Activity

Developer: Beast Media Group
Genre: Horror

Horror fans rejoice! You no longer have to stress about the cancellation of Silent Hills because Paramount Studios is bringing Paranormal Activity to VR. It’s a first-person experience where you explore a spooky house similar to the settings in the films. People who have experienced demo’s have stated that it is pretty creepy, with plenty of jumps and horrific scenes scattered throughout. Wear brown pants to avoid embarrassment.