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
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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
Pluviophile
First, I’ll mention that this is only a slight negative review, and mostly for reasons of polish. Given how cheap it is, if you like rain, and have any interest in an imaginary walk through a (mostly) rainy woods, it’s probably worth it.
Now, for the criticisms:
First, the mechanic of needing to collect a very brightly glowing thingamajig and take it to a stone slab to continue seems very out of place. Instead of a nice walk through a rainy woods, you’re interrupted by a series of inconspicuous dead ends that get magically opened up, for no apparent reason. This is exacerbated by the fact that the first one actually points you in the exact opposite direction of the path it opens.
– Real player with 2.2 hrs in game
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This game is amazing!
Yes, its a short experience but its a good one. If you ever want to wander around in another world, this is the “game” for you. No killing stuff, no scary stuff. Just a forest and some rain.
You can escape to this world whenever you like. Just hit the play button.
This world looks gourgeous and it reminds me of the thought I had for many years already: if only there were more short linear games again. Nowadays everything needs to have a large and open world. Many of the processing progresses go to that.
– Real player with 1.6 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.
Read More: Best Indie Adventure Games.
Cosmic Flow: A Relaxing VR Experience
Cosmic Flow is genuinely a must-have for a VR library. Anyone who loves variety in their VR experiences, is looking for a meditation/spiritual application, is an artist looking for inspiration, or is someone who is looking for something to trip out to, will love this application.
This program was one of the main games that convinced my mother, who is in her 50’s and has never really played any game or bought any console or gaming setup for herself, to buy a Quest and learn VR. It’s a slow process, but she is learning! It’s a damn shame that this didn’t get accepted on the Quest store but I’ve got Sidequest set up for her at least so she can get this on her Quest.
– Real player with 5.3 hrs in game
A great use of VR!
Really useful for relaxation! The visuals are beautiful, and it is a great way to focus on breathing and let your mind drift. The ability to be able to re-center the visuals is such a key feature because it lets you change positions. I’d highly recommend trying both sitting and lying down looking up as each approach has a different feel to it.
The music is nice sort of droning ambient which I like. I’ll have to try playing some other music I have at some point. All in all, I think anyone who is interested in using VR as a relaxation tool, then this should be checked out. It’s simple and straight forward to use, but very effective. It really helps me to calm the distractions going on in my mind and feel more centered.
– Real player with 2.5 hrs in game
Elevator VR
The payoff at the end of the ride is well worth the journey and the $2 spent.
– Real player with 1.6 hrs in game
This game is really puzzling. The only thing the player can do in the game is to quietly watch the light from the outside of the elevator door swaying and enjoy the fear of the claustrophobic space.
Let’s not say that the game has great requirements for space. If the space is small, the player can’t reach the only elevator button that can be touched in the game. Even if the button is reached and pressed, nothing will happen.
All in all, this game is just to let players feel the claustrophobic fear, no other gameplay, more boring.
– Real player with 1.1 hrs in game
Griptape Backbone
Ａｃｃｏｒｄｉｎｇ ｔｏ ａｌｌ ｋｎｏｗｎ ｌａｗｓ
ｏｆ ａｖｉａｔｉｏｎ，
ｔｈｅｒｅ ｉｓ ｎｏ ｗａｙ ａ ｂｅｅ
ｓｈｏｕｌｄ ｂｅ ａｂｌｅ ｔｏ ｆｌｙ．
Ｉｔｓ ｗｉｎｇｓ ａｒｅ ｔｏｏ ｓｍａｌｌ ｔｏ ｇｅｔ
ｉｔｓ ｆａｔ ｌｉｔｔｌｅ ｂｏｄｙ ｏｆｆ ｔｈｅ ｇｒｏｕｎｄ．
Ｔｈｅ ｂｅｅ， ｏｆ ｃｏｕｒｓｅ， ｆｌｉｅｓ ａｎｙｗａｙ
ｂｅｃａｕｓｅ ｂｅｅｓ ｄｏｎ＇ｔ ｃａｒｅ
ｗｈａｔ ｈｕｍａｎｓ ｔｈｉｎｋ ｉｓ ｉｍｐｏｓｓｉｂｌｅ．
Ｙｅｌｌｏｗ， ｂｌａｃｋ． Ｙｅｌｌｏｗ， ｂｌａｃｋ．
Ｙｅｌｌｏｗ， ｂｌａｃｋ． Ｙｅｌｌｏｗ， ｂｌａｃｋ．
Ｏｏｈ， ｂｌａｃｋ ａｎｄ ｙｅｌｌｏｗ！
Ｌｅｔ＇ｓ ｓｈａｋｅ ｉｔ ｕｐ ａ ｌｉｔｔｌｅ．
Ｂａｒｒｙ！ Ｂｒｅａｋｆａｓｔ ｉｓ ｒｅａｄｙ！
Ｏｏｍｉｎｇ！
Ｈａｎｇ ｏｎ ａ ｓｅｃｏｎｄ．
Ｈｅｌｌｏ？
－ Ｂａｒｒｙ？
－ Ａｄａｍ？
－ Ｏａｎ ｙｏｕ ｂｅｌｉｅｖｅ ｔｈｉｓ ｉｓ ｈａｐｐｅｎｉｎｇ？
– Real player with 20.7 hrs in game
level design: 11/10
music: phire/10
controls: 5/10
felt like driving a container ship on lean.
Steve ol' boy, love your style. came here after playing awkward demension redux. it’s never about the actual gameplay it’s about the art and the feels. games need more phylisophical pointlessness nowadays.
only thing i didnt like were the controls. turning was more of a suggestion rather than an actual control, which made it tough to do the line rides you want. and the gravity is awkward. the wall-riding code made your freefall gravitate toward whatever angle surface you were close to, which would cause mid-air seizures sometimes. but none of these made it unplayable.
– Real player with 2.2 hrs in game
Highlight
Tinpot Yeqzz
– Real player with 0.9 hrs in game
I really liked this game, it makes even a dumb idiot like me think outside of the box and it promotes thought,
it tackles the issues of the modern day media and for me personally it hit a soft spot on the subject of depression linked to social media. i’d suggest this game to anyone who wants some food for thought and a cute well put together small game that doesn’t take up much of your time but will stay with you for a long while
– Real player with 0.6 hrs in game
Lusitania
I absolutely love this game. I’d recommend making the list smaller when it is at it’s biggest. Her largest list was 25 degrees to starboard with her smallest list being 6 degrees. If it is gonna be that big then don’t make her settle up that high at first, it makes it look unrealistic. Make the lifeboats launch later as that was too soon. Lastly, add a head trim to it. Nevertheless I do recommend this game. TBH, for now I could care less about the mistakes now since as it was released an hour ago as of writing this review.
– Real player with 6.4 hrs in game
This is a great game you should make another game like this one make a game called Carpathia and oceanic and queen Mary on steam make it simulation games like this one with the ship I named the next game make the one called Carpathia it got hit by a torpedo to just like the Lusitania and in the next update of the game make the funnels fall but make the next game called Carpathia
– Real player with 4.8 hrs in game
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
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
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