Yet Another Five Great Oculus Quest Experiences
Not even a year old, the consumer-friendly and totally wireless Oculus Quest stand-alone virtual reality headset is proving a smash hit both newcomers to VR and to those whom have been tethered to the PC for far too long. In my last article, I recommended twelve games and experiences you should look at getting for your Quest on Day One. Then, I told you about five more you needed to consider. Now, I’ll tell you about yet another five that are worth your time (and money).
If you haven’t already read my Oculus Quest Day One Survival Guide and Five (More) Great Oculus Quest Experiences, I’d recommend you take a read — at least look over — those titles first as I may refer to them as well as compare and contrast.
Before we go over the experiences, just a couple more things. First, these are Quest native titles; not streamed via Link, Virtual Desktop or other means. Second, these are chosen based on a variety of criteria — some scientific and some not so much so; and probably completely inconsistently, too.
Note: I only recommend games I have actually played and enjoy. As such, I do not play multiplayer games on Quest because I am not going to use Facebook; therefore I cannot recommend these experiences to you. These games do not require another human online to gain enjoyment or value — so whether or not you like to play with other people or not, you should be able to get value from them.
Pistol Whip
Not without controversy for a sort of confusion in the marketing department, Pistol Whip is still one of the best experiences you can get (look at the reviews and scores around the internet if you don’t believe me).
PW deserves not to be lumped in with traditional dancing style rhythm games. Shoot early, shoot late, don’t shoot and wait to melee, double tap now — wait a beat later … how you dispatch is all about you; not being told by position and direction how to swing your sabers.
If you’re willing to invest the effort to understand and embrace the greed elements of the game, it certain is worth $25. If you’re looking for the next Beat Saber, SuperHot or action shooter, it may not be.
$25| Oculus Quest / Rift (Cross-Buy)
Time Stall
Time Stall is a physics-heavy puzzler set aboard a futuristic space luxury cruise ship. When disaster (constantly) strikes, the ship’s warp core can be used to drastically slow down time and allow you to reconstruct the scene so nobody gets hurt.
Plenty of great dialogue and humor keep the story line interesting; plus, there are multiple challenges per-scene to keep the replay value fresh.
Looks great, plays great and is an affordable addition to your growing library of VR experiences.
$15 | Oculus Quest
Thrill of the Fight
While Creed gets a lot of press with its popular Rocky Balboa tie in, another contender (ha) has come to the Quest market — a bit more of a boxing simulator than a boxing game this time around.
With true RoomScale play (you’ll actually need a minimum of 6.5' x 6.5' to play Thrill of the Fight — you will need all your skills to dodge, evade, block and punch if you’re going to win.
If you’re looking to sweat playing virtual reality, this is a low cost and exciting title you need to own.
$10 | Oculus Quest
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Should you cut the red wire or the blue wire? Almost every movie made with a bomb in it asks this very question.
This isn’t a game you can play alone! You and a partner will try to use extreme communication skills under pressure to defuse a complicated bomb.
This is fantastic for parties or even a great team building exercise at work — one person wearing the Quest interacts with the bomb while providing information and feedback to the bomb expert (armed with an explosive manual on his phone or table).
Be quick, be accurate and nobody explodes. Once again, this is not a solo experience; but if you have friends, family or coworkers you can play with — this is a fantastic experience.
$15 | Oculus Quest / Rift
The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets
An enveloping if not a bit short made-for-VR experience, Curious Tale is a relaxing, light puzzle solving game that is accessible by just about anyone.
From a “god’s eye” view, you’ll manipulate the world and interact with it to solve the mystery of the stolen pets.
It is gorgeous and “adorable” (according to my 13-year old son) with enigmas that aren’t too hard but are still satisfying. The world in the game is painstakingly hand-crafted making it a true wonder to behold for the player.
You’ll only get a few hours out of it, but it should prove popular as a vital “sharing VR with friends and family” experience. There are some “completionist” elements that will give you some replay as well.
$15 | Oculus Quest/Rift
