Close Encounter VR
Experienced on the Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality
This is a 10 minute long, purely cinematic experience. It’s running on the Unreal Engine. Looks & runs good, even on my 1060 GTX. If you like X-files and believe the truth is out there, then this is for you. If you believe you have been intimately probed by aliens in the past, then this may be too much for you and trigger PTSD.
I have a video of my full playthrough of this game on YouTube. However, I don’t recommend seeing it so I won’t link to it. Just experience it for yourself. And no, the smoking man isn’t in this one.
– Real player with 0.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Adventure Casual Games.
If $5 is a huge deal…then its not worth it for you. If you like having a wide variety of little experiences and $5 is the equivalent of an espresso, then its worth a try. Had one decent scare but mostly its a bit odd. Still, ill keep it installed as a quick showcase for friends or family that dont have VR and want to quickly try a few different things. Plus i dont want to discourage further development of these types of things …
EDIT: I played a trick on my 5 year old who has loved VR so far. He either plays Angry Birds/Spiderman/Flying Hero games, drivers, Roller Coasters or short Videos. I told him this was a new video… Hes not stupid. He was getting a creepy vibe and asking if it was going to be scary. I lied. And got a heck of a good laugh at his inevitable scream :)
– Real player with 0.4 hrs in game
RŌA
I’m a huge fan of Aentity but so far I havn’t found the drive to “zen me” in RŌA. I think it’s my personal taste when it comes to the fact that this feels more “pixely” combined with the colour choises here wich just makes me feel ill.
However it’s still a low price game so the “risk” is worth it to see wether you like it more then I do. I still see the beauty behind this so it’s hard to put the dislike-stamp on i.
Maybe this was better off added to Aentity then a seperate buy (even with the option to recieve it for free in the bundle).
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Adventure Experimental Games.
Edit 6/21/2018: Sometimes when I write a review, the developer contacts me to request I play a bit more. Perhaps I missed something. I always try to honor this request because I certainly don’t want to write ignorant reviews (note that this does not include when more content is added during EA campaigns).
–-
The developer of ROA asked me to give it another shot. So I did. It only made my blood boil because while I found a few little things I hadn’t before - it was just more of the same. You guys know I’m a huge advocate for the whole Itch.io scene and experimental games. This title is fine in that regard, but I just don’t think it’s worth three bucks. What else do you want me to say?
– Real player with 0.7 hrs in game
Temple of the Apsara
The price is correct, I think. The graphics and design are fairly sub-par, but they are still not bad to look at because the lighting is warm. Think UE DK2 2014 quality rendering - it looks good in the mirror/screenshots, but bad in the headset. At the time I played (release), the damn thing crashed on me alot. I probably did that apple puzzle like 7 times. I did complete it though, but that burned me, sorry pal.
! Beneath the temple, there is a cave, with a skellyton and spiderwebs. The former wears a brown hat signifying a penchant for exploration. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKZN2jTwi6c
– Real player with 14.2 hrs in game
You will want to have both a fast GPU and CPU for this one. It is an interesting demo of how an adventure game might work in VR with platform jumping, a couple of simple puzzles, a hidden switch, in an attractive setting. Play with headphones on if you want the full effect of the hissing spiders. In all I felt it was well worth the small price, and while I would like to have experienced more story the basics are there to build upon.
– Real player with 1.0 hrs in game
Buzludzha VR
A long forgotten time ago I must have paid the creators of Buzludzha a few coffees, for suddenly I received a free code for their much reworked new Steam version. If I am biased, and I probably am, it is because I love and enjoy all «arty» VR stuff: from «Dreams of Dali» and van Gogh’s «Night Cafe» to the fabulous «Sistine Ceiling» and Google’s «Versailles».
Buzludzha, no doubt, plays in the leage of the latter two ─ or in many respects is even better. «Sistine» and «Versailles» are based on photogrammetry. From a certain distance that looks very nice, but when you come closer you notice errors (this critic does NOT apply to the Sistine’s ceiling itself, where hires pictures are applied to fully rebuilt architecture). A distinct difference between the photogrammetry architecture and added 3D-objects is often disturbing, too.
– Real player with 5.3 hrs in game
Well Executed and Entertaining
While I have enjoyed many free educational/historical VR experiences, the UI and movement options always leave a lot to be desired. I feared Buzludzha VR might be the same way and was reluctant to opt for a paid product of this nature, but I decided to give it a shot on a sale. It far exceeded my expectations. There are several options for smooth locomotion, teleport, and snap-turning and a robust and user-friendly UI.
When looking at the store page for Buzludzha VR, I wasn’t sure how I felt about some of the quirky elements, such as the wine gun. I thought the developers might be trying to throw in too much extraneous stuff, like a 90’s web page, full of animated gifs and midi files. After playing, however, I have to admit that all the strange little interactables were well done, fun, and contributed to the immersion. Unlike most educational VR titles, Buzludzha VR has some features more common to games, such as an inventory system, climbing mechanics, and a helicopter that you can pilot. These things make the experience more dynamic and enjoyable without detracting from the museum feel. It’s just the right balance of formal and fun.
– Real player with 2.7 hrs in game
The Cave VR
Awesome game, we had a great time experiencing fears on the simulation section, then we challenge each other playing on the arcade game, it is a funny and really exciting game.
– Real player with 0.6 hrs in game
:( It looked so promising…but felt like a poor man’s Richies plank experience…sorry they cost the same….. a wanna be Richies plank experience. Somehow the tension just wasn’t there. Disk space freed.
UPDATE. Since I posted my oroginal review the devs have added an arcade style option which does in fact add some fun (and tension) to the game. It’s not going to keep you entertained for very long but it does make it something worth gettng out to play as part of a pot of games in a party or with the family. With the revised price this is a value for rmoney intro to Room scale VR.
– Real player with 0.3 hrs in game
Zen Universe
Caution: App/Game looks already abandoned by now. With a release in May 2020 the last update came two weeks later. Last message of the developers was in September 2020. Unfortunately that looks a bit like a quick money grab. Also the homepage ZenArt is telling they got a nice grant by epic games in March 2020.
So what you get is two locations you can explore. Admittedly they are well done and some nice edutainment but still demanding some polishing and not worth 25 euro. Maybe give it a try on a very deep sale and just don’t expect the other two locations to be released.
– Real player with 5.3 hrs in game
Stunning graphics, love for detail. I really enjoyed the encounter with Zeus, listening and learning about greek gods. Or riding a ZIP line down the rocks at night. I night full of fireflys. Wish the experience would have lasted longer but I understand there’ll come additonal places to explore. Can’t wait to see them. For sure this is more about contemplation than action! As the developers' name ZenArt already tells…. thumbs up!
– Real player with 2.1 hrs in game
AREA MAN LIVES
AREA MAN LIVES. Or does he? If you could join a radio drama already in progress, talk to the characters and interact with the environments the story painted in your mind, you might find yourself in the world of the area man.
A quirky radio drama unfolds around you in VR while you do your best to keep the radio station humming along as its new DJ. You record commercials, interview callers and try your best to piece together how your actions inside the station impact your listening audience in scenarios so wild they can only live in your imagination.
Green Fairy VR
thank you so much for this wonder
it is one of my favorite experience incredible the vr the characters design , the music , the animations , the voices , the story i love all wouah
i would love you plan more stories with the fairies on steam and on quest store it would be wonderfull
– Real player with 0.4 hrs in game
Impressions Video with Commentary // Oculus Rift S // RTX 2070 Super:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts88Z1Gjvww
My Initial Impressions:
Superb FREE animation and storytelling.
– Real player with 0.3 hrs in game
Jungle Dino VR
Take a trip to a dinosaur inhabited island and explore a variety of environments where you’ll encounter many different kinds of dinosaurs.
10 different carnivore and herbivore species are waiting for you to discover them, including: Pterosaurs, Mosasaurs, Brachiosaurus, Tyrannosaurs, Stegosaurus, Ankylosaurs, Dilophosaurus, Ornithomimus, Parasaurolophus, Velociraptor, Triceratops, and Elasmosaurus. Plus, you’ll come across giant spiders, dragonflies and snakes.
Jungle Dino VR is made with the latest 3D technology to provide as real of a depiction of dinosaurs as possible in VR today.
Experience extinct dinosaurs any time and as much as you want!
Overseas
Overseas is an experience. Each of the games that are part of it have their own ambiance and feel. Honestly, the devs could expand on this model into a whole world of worlds that you navigate through.
For the brief moment that Overseas is, it was enjoyable.
A certain rain achievement evaded me until I stumbled across it and was very pleased.
I look forward to if/when the devs make this into a VR adventure, because that would be wicked cool.
– Real player with 1.1 hrs in game
Being kinda involved in the creation process as a tester and a voluntary assistant it is hard for me to be an objective judge but: 1) what I can say for sure: “Chernodyrsk” is a pure joy, especially for those who speak Russian, well worth the money, 2) “Sacred grove” is a satisfying audio-visual experience, spend more time there than in “Journey”, lol.
– Real player with 0.9 hrs in game