During our last VR Game Roundup, Ironlights delivered some interesting melee combat and there were quite a few interesting basketball titles. This week features an intriguing virtual reality adaptation of a battle royale shooter and several fighting games with in your face combat.
Heavens Tournament
Our VR games roundup kicks off with a unique fighting game called Heavens Tournament. Combat is up close and personal as players face off against anime-looking characters. Each combatant in the single player title has their own style and several of them are packing weapons rather than just using their fists.
Fitness Potential
This will definitely provide quite the exercise routine as it encourages players to move out of the way of attacks while also constantly moving their arms in order to be offensive. It doesn’t look to be the most polished experience, though. So, it might be better to check out Creed: Rise to Glory or another great boxing title first.
Developer/Publisher: InitiativeVR
Release Date: April 16, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift
Price: $6.39 to $7.99
Link: Heavens Tournament
Lies Beneath
Originally released for Oculus Quest last month, Lies Beneath has now arrived on the more powerful Oculus Rift. The horror game looks and performs a bit better than its Quest counterpart and is filled with intriguing combat. The story revolves around a college student returning home only to find that creepy creatures have taken her father.
Fitness Potential
As noted in our review, Lies Beneath is an excellent horror game. It doesn’t provide the greatest workout, as we gave it a 6.5 rating, but you’ll still be moving around and the tense atmosphere is sure to up your heartbeat some. This might not be the best workout game, but if you own an Oculus headset and don’t mind dealing with some scares then it is well worth checking out.
Developer/Publisher: Drifter
Release Date: April 14, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest
Price: $29.99
Link: Lies Beneath
Audioshield
One of the first virtual reality rhythm game hits was Dylan Fitterer’s Audioshield. Similar to Audiosurf, which is by the same developer, it uses your own music to generate custom levels to play. It’s a truly endless experience and players will use both of their arms as they follow trails and earn points.
Fitness Potential
When paired with the right songs, Audioshield can be quite the workout. Anything with a high beats per minute is a good fit as these uptempo tunes will keep you active. It’s not all an arm workout too as players are forced to duck. If you’ve played out Beat Saber and want a different rhythm experience, this is an excellent option.
Developer/Publisher: Dylan Fitterer
Release Date: April 16, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Quest, Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality.
Price: $19.99
Link: Audioshield
Virtual Battlegrounds
Fitness Potential
While it doesn’t feature balls to the wall action like some shooters, as battle royales have a much more measured and tactical pace, there is still a lot of movement to be had. It won’t be the highest calorie burning title, but this will do the trick for a low impact workout that will have you ducking in and out of cover while also scaling environments to get the best shot.
Developer/Publisher: CyberDream
Release Date: April 15, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality
Price: $16.99 to $19.99
Link: Virtual Battlegrounds
Box:Boxing
As one can see from the trailer above, Box:Boxing lacks any real production value. Thankfully, it’s a budget release that will only cost players one dollar to check out. It features online multiplayer and computer opponents to go up against.
Fitness Potential
You will be moving your arms plenty as you try to outbox the opponent here. It lacks the complexity and nuance of better boxing titles, of which there are many on virtual reality headsets, and doesn’t have much appeal besides its price point. It’s perfectly fine for what it is, but there are far better alternatives. We suggest checking out The Thrill of the Fight instead if you’re serious about your workout.
Developer/Publisher: John’s Project
Release Date: April 11, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift
Price: $0.74 to $0.99
Link: Box:Boxing
DragonRide VR
Finishing up our VR Game Roundup this week is DragonRide VR. It certainly lives up to its title as players get to fly around on a dragon, which is certainly a fun experience in virtual reality. Beyond living the dream of every kid, there are shooting levels as well.
Fitness Potential
DragonRide VR might make for a passable low impact exercise but nothing more than that. Players are never overly active in-game and the shooting lacks any real physicality or a frantic pace. This is not an exercise game and can be skipped unless you want to check out dragons in a VR space (and we can’t blame you for that).
Developer/Publisher: TypeEh Studios
Release Date: April 12, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift
Price: $17.99 to $19.99
Link: DragonRide VR
