During our last VR Game Roundup, there were several intriguing games featured including Phantom: Covert Ops, a demo for OhShape, and a title that had you fighting against monsters. This week’s VR Game Roundup is even more notable with the biggest PlayStation VR game of the year in Marvel’s Iron Man VR. There’s also an Oculus timed-exclusive in Shooty Skies, an accessibility app, and several other virtual reality games.
Shooty Skies Overdrive
Kicking off this week’s VR Game Roundup is Shooty Skies Overdrive, which is a virtual reality interpolation of the popular mobile phone shoot ’em up. Players use the Oculus Touch controllers to control an airplane that they use to shoot enemies and dodge projectiles with while also picking up power-ups that use their other hand. It does a great job adapting the original to a totally new play style. It’s cross buy on both Oculus Rift and Quest, so you only need to purchase it once.
Fitness Potential
Shooty Skies Overdrive won’t be much of a workout on its lower difficulties, which can even be played while sitting down. However, the higher difficulties, including the titular Overdrive mode, will have you constantly moving. It will make for a solid arm workout, even if one will get more exercise than the other. There is plenty of replayability as well as there are side missions to take on and you can unlock a bunch of different pilots.
Developer/Publisher: Mighty Games Group
Release Date: July 2, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Rift and Oculus Quest
Price: $9.99
Link: Oculus Store
Tyrgard – Trial of Honor
Just released today is Tyrgard – Trial of Honor. Archery titles are a mainstay in the fitness genre and this Norse mythology-themed one looks to provide hours of wave-based fun. You play as a viking that lives in the titular village of Tyrgard as you defend it from an invasion with the ultimate goal of dying with enough honor so that you are granted entry into Valhalla.
Fitness Potential
Archery titles are great arm workouts and Tyrgard – Trial of Honor is no different. You will be constantly shooting arrows at the enemies and given short breaks in between waves. This survival game will test your stamina as it will really put your arms to the test.
Developer/Publisher: Actura Studios
Release Date: July 3, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.
Price: $9.89 ($14.99)
Link: Steam
Training Lab
There are a lot of virtual reality games that are for a specific niche, but Training Lab takes it to a new level. Have you ever wanted to dissect rodents but didn’t want to deal with actual dead bodies and organs? Well, this is the game for you as it will allow you to do it all virtually. It’s meant to be an educational app, and comes with a whopping $79.99 price tag as a result. Beyond rat brains, you can also dissect a pregnant rat and a rat pup.
Fitness Potential
There isn’t much fitness potential here, but this experience was too obscure not to point out here. There aren’t that many buff scientists out there, so dissecting rats most likely isn’t the optimal way to get toned.
Developer/Publisher: Hevok / Wuttke Tech.
Release Date: July 1, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index and HTC Vive
Price: $79.99 (this is not a typo)
Link: Steam
Marvel’s Iron Man VR
This year’s biggest PlayStation VR exclusive is now available. After getting delayed a few times, Marvel’s Iron Man VR finally allows players to suit up and experience life as Tony Stark. Players will get to experience Iron Man’s visor and use PlayStation Move controllers to control his energy blasts to take out enemies as they fly through the air and complete missions. The game promises one-on-one battles against some of Iron Man’s most memorable foes and that you can upgrade your tech throughout the game & customize Iron Man’s armor in Tony Stark’s garage.
Fitness Potential
While Iron Man VR starts off pretty slow and doesn’t get partcularly intense until later on, it does amp up and force you to regularly move your arms. You’re mostly just pointing your arms to shoot enemies, though, so it won’t be an arm workout that matches something like Beat Saber or any other title that actually has you making punching motions regularly. If you own PlayStation VR, this is probably worth picking up just due to how few first-party exclusives it gets and it winds up being a fun enough time.
Developer/Publisher: Camouflaj / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: July 3, 2020
Compatible With: PlayStation VR
Price: $39.99
Link: PlayStation Store
WalkinVR
Developer 2MW has released an awesome virtual reality accessibility app called WalkinVR. This allows people that are unable to do certain movements within VR, such as bending down to pick up objects, to create a workaround. It currently has virtual move, Xbox controller move, and motion range and boost capabilities. A free update is coming soon to enable hand tracking.
Fitness Potential
This is huge for anyone with a disability as it makes many of the best exercise games accessible to more players. If you haven’t been able to play something like Beat Saber due to movement limitations, now you can. Thoughtfully, the developer made the program free as well.
Developer/Publisher: 2MW
Release Date: June 29, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.
Price: Free, but a premium version that removes a banner is available for $34.99.
Link: Steam
Cyber Battle 69
Finishing this week’s VR Game Roundup is a new Early Access title that shooter fans will want to keep an eye on. Called Cyber Battle 69, this shooter has players taking on other players and hordes of enemies at once. The game won’t be completed for another year, but it will receive additional modes. The price will also increase over time.
Fitness Potential
This is quite the active shooter, so you will be moving your arms plenty. It won’t be too intense for other body parts, though, and it can be seated, so don’t expect it to be the greatest workout title. However, it will keep you moving your arms and can burn calories that way.
Developer/Publisher: Cracked Games
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Compatible With: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
Price: $10.49 ($14.99)
Link: Steam
