During our last VR Game Roundup, we saw a new Medal of Honor title built for virtual reality, a free update for the excellent Superhot VR, and several interesting new releases.. This week is a bit on the slow side as can be expected going into the holidays. Headlining this crop of titles is Blaston arriving on Steam, X-Booster getting a free demo, a Jurassic World title, and a stellar update to Synth Riders.
Synth Riders Power-Ups Update
Kicking off this week’s VR Game Roundup is a free update for Synth Riders. Already one of our favorite fitness titles, this patch makes the multiplayer mode even more fun by adding Mario Kart-style power-ups to collect that impact the other player. In total, there are seven attacks and two boosts that can be used during the frantic multiplayer sessions.
Fitness Potential
Synth Riders has players staying active by having them block and punch targets. The synth-heavy soundtrack (which is getting Muse DLC early next year) is a joy for fans of the genre and creates a great atmosphere. Our review gave it a 10/10 for intensity and praised its total body workout as it targets your arms and legs. The rhythm game has been given a fitness rating comparable to an elliptical by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise and has a 6.8 calories per minute Yur.fit rating that is comparable to rowing.
Developer and Publisher: Kluge Interactive
Release Date: December 15, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, and Windows Mixed Reality
Price: Update is free, the full game is $24.99
Link: Steam
X-Booster Demo
X-Booster recently left Steam Early Access and now has a free demo to check out as well. Even when it was still in development, it received the seal of approval from VR Fitness Insider and it is even better now. There’s a lot of variety in the action as you will be punching, blocking objects, and cutting them down while listening to your own music. With leaderboards to climb and high scores to set, there is plenty of reason to keep playing.
Fitness Potential
X-Booster delivers a great full-body workout that tests your reaction speed as you dodge lasers and workout your core. Hitting both your arms and legs, this is a workout that you will definitely feel later on. For a more in-depth look at what X-Booster has to offer, check out VR Fitness Insider’s full review.
Developer and Publisher: NiVision
Release Date: December 17, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality
Price: Demo is free, the full game is $19.99
Link: Steam
Blaston
New to Steam, Blaston is a neat spin on the bullet hell shooter genre as the bullets move in slow motion. Taking full advantage of VR, you’ll have to duck out of the way and constantly move to stay away from the bullets. It’s a multiplayer title too, so expect to use weapons as you attempt to take out your opponents online.
Fitness Potential
A fantastic fitness game for Steam users to pick up, Blaston gives players a great workout as they attempt to outsmart their opponents. Due to its competitive nature, there is no lack of replayability and there’s plenty of depth to learn over time. Definitely worth checking out if you dig a competitive workout.
Developer/Publisher: Resolution Games
Release Date: October 8, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Quest
Price: $9.99
Link: Steam
Royale Archer VR
Yes, Royale Archer VR is yet another archery game for virtual reality, but this is one worth looking into. What sets it apart from other archery games is that it also has deck-building elements. Players can summon in allies for battle and even set up traps and use magic. That should add a lot of variety to the action and give it its own unique feel.
Fitness Potential
Archery games are always a good arm workout and Royale Archer VR looks to be no different. With new skills that can be purchased, there appears to be plenty of replayability as well.
Developer and Publisher: Funnypack
Release Date: December 16, 2020
Compatible With: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality
Price: $7.79 (12.99)
Link: Steam
Space Sprinter VR
Similar to Sprint Vector, Space Sprinter VR has you swinging your arms in order to move quickly through race stages. It takes place in the year 2270, and you are participating in a deathmatch of sorts. There are four characters to choose from and three track themes: ground, underwater, and air.
Fitness Potential
This should be a solid arm workout as you are constantly moving both arms up and down in order to move. However, Sprint Vector is a sure bet for a great workout and has a lot more polish, so you might want to pick that up instead.
Developer and Publisher: K3I
Release Date: December 15, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index and HTC Vive
Price: $9.99
Link: Steam
Ven VR Adventure
The big Oculus Rift release this week is Ven VR Adventure, which is a 3D platformer built specifically for virtual reality. While most VR titles take a first-person view, this is a third-person game where you are peering into the world while controlling the protagonist. It looks awesome and levels can be quite the challenge, but you won’t be very active at all or moving around much.
Fitness Potential
Since it’s a third-person platformer, you won’t really be getting a workout here at all. Sure, you could do jumping jacks or other exercises while you play but it wouldn’t be at the direction of the game. This is a neat platformer that is highly immersive thanks to VR, though, and fans of the genre should look into it.
Developer and Publisher: Monologic Games
Release Date: December 17, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Rift
Price: $29.99
Link: Oculus Store
Jurassic World Aftermath
Closing out this week’s VR Game Roundup is Jurassic World Aftermath, which is the latest game published by Oculus Studios for the Oculus Quest. This suspenseful survival game has you attempting to survive on Jurassic World after crash landing on it. With plenty of puzzles and areas to survive, you’ll also be dealing with deadly velociraptors that are trying to track you down. It’s been compared to Alien: Isolation a lot, so expect a game that will keep you on edge as you play.
Fitness Potential
You’ll be ducking around areas as you hide from velociraptors and using your hands to be solving puzzles, but this isn’t the most active game or much of a workout. After all, when trying to be stealthy, you want to be at a measured pace rather than moving around like a maniac. Expect a lot of playing hide and seek with the dinosaurs and near-death experiences, though.
Developer and Publisher: Coatsink Software and Oculus Studios
Release Date: December 17, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Quest
Price: $24.99
Link: Oculus Store
That will do it for this week’s VR Game Roundup. Let us know in the comments if you are picking up Jurassic World Aftermath or any of the new releases out this week.
