We’ve been lucky enough to be spending the last few weeks in virtual reality, and a list of the best PSVR2 games so far have been on our minds. It’s a massive launch, with some interesting titles that could be described more as experiences, lots of older titles that have been updated with features only the PlayStation VR2 can boast, and even some brand new exclusive titles.

This list, while not exhaustive, is based on what we’ve played here at GodisaGeek and is ongoing. There’s yet more corkers on this list of best PSVR2 games already, and I’ve finally had chance to play two of the biggest launch titles in Gran Turismo 7 and Resident Evil Village, so they’re covered in this list, too. Oh and since we know that people love review scores, while these aren’t our traditional full scored reviews, we’ve slapped a score at the end of each game, just to make people happy. Aren’t we nice?

Oh also, check out our first review round-up of the best PSVR2 games, right here.

Best PSVR2 games: Gran Turismo 7

What’s that you say, a fully playable version of Gran Turismo 7 on PlayStation VR2? Yes, that’s what we have here. The game is basically like playing it on a huge cinema screen until the race starts, whereby you’re put into the reasonably priced (or not) car of your dreams, with the opponents and tracks you’d have if you were playing it just on a TV. It’s fast as you like, responsive, and some of the hills you go over will have you leaving your lunch behind due to the camber of the road. It’s exactly what I wanted, and aside from getting a wheel, the best VR racing experience you can have on PS5, and easily one of the best PSVR2 games, as well as one of the best racers this generation. There’s little to say other than: if you have PSVR2, play this game. (10/10)

Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded

An already great VR experience has been levelled up with reloaded here. For those that don’t know, this is the distillation of those arcade classics like House of the Dead, but in crystal clear PlayStation 5 virtual reality, with haptic feedback on the triggers (that makes you very scared when you are frantically reloading as a zombie approaches), a new art style, better visuals overall, extra levels, challenges, guns, perks, and everything you’d think a re-release should have. It’s superb fun, and while it doesn’t have the authentic voices, you won’t care when you’re shooting the shit out of zombies galore with a fully max-upgraded pistol. This is one of the best PSVR2 game so far, and the one I keep coming back to, it’s just that much fun. (9/10)

Startenders: Intergalactic Bartending

Startenders offers something a bit different. Closer to the Job Simulator games that used to showcase VR back in the early days, this one puts you behind the bar at your local; if the local was in space, and you were serving aliens. All manner of drinks need making, but you’ll be cleaning glasses, blending fruit, adding carbonation (fizz), and mixing everything up. You’ll even have to go and make your own tools (like the juicer) with your welding station. It’s good fun, but needs a little bit of tweaking to get the positional stuff right, and needs a bit more room for a stationary VR game than I’d like. If you like titles like Vacation and/or Job Simulator, this’ll be right up your street, and has a good feel to it, with plenty of “jobs” to keep you going for some time. (7.5/10).

Best PSVR2 games: No Man’s Sky

The amount of work that’s gone into No Man’s Sky in VR is just astounding. You’d think it’d be like any other “first-person” port of a game, but Hello Games has added so much to No Man’s Sky to make it feel like it was always this way. Getting hold of things requires picking them up; getting into a car or ship means learning how to control it physically, and even getting out means you have to manually open the door. There’s a satisfying feel to the multi-tool, and the haptics on the headset will also vibrate when needed. This new version looks stunning, and flying around above your base has never look so good in Virtual Reality. The work the developer continues to do on this one never ceases to impress, and it’s a game you could lose silly amount of time to, even in VR. (9/10).

Resident Evil Village

While the original game isn’t the best Capcom has ever produced, it was a stellar first-person entry. Here, the horror is right in your face, and it’s terrifying. In some ways this makes it harder to play. Holding a torch and sneaking through dark spaces, hearing enemies nearby forcing you to feel on edge almost all the time. Weapons feel tactile, and have individual reloading methods closer to the real world, and while that might slow you down, the one-to-one aiming method means that even the squirrelly Werewolves are easier to track and get headshots in on.

There’s some peculiarities when it comes to the scenes that were designed where control is taken away, and you can offset this by viewing them in a cinematic mode instead of VR first-person viewpoint, but aside some oddities (mostly early on) with hand positions, collision detection, your arms being weird floating tools, and weapons warping back to your inventory, but you get used to them pretty quickly. Resident Evil Village is another virtual-home run for Capcom’s series, just like Resident Evil 7 was. Oh but why it’s a free DLC item instead of a simple update, I’ll never know. (8/10)

So there you have it, after spending so much time in PlayStation VR2 our heads hurt, that’s the best of the bunch that we’ve played so far. Make sure you read our full PlayStation VR2 review, as well as our Horizon Call of the Mountain review, and check out our YouTube Channel to see these games in video format, and this very article with footage of all the lovely games.

The post The best PSVR2 games | Ranking and reviewing more PSVR2 games appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

We’ve been lucky enough to be spending the last few weeks in virtual reality, and a list of the best PSVR2 games so far have been on our minds. It’s a massive launch, with some interesting titles that could be described more as experiences, lots of older titles that have been updated with features only the PlayStation VR2 can boast, and even some brand new exclusive titles.

This list, while not exhaustive, is based on what we’ve played here at GodisaGeek. There’s some genuine classics on this list of best PSVR2 games already, with two of my personal favourite titles being re-upped for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2, so without further ado, let’s get to the list. Oh and since we know that people love review scores, while these aren’t our traditional full scored reviews, we’ve slapped a score at the end of each game, just to make people happy. Aren’t we nice?

Best PSVR2 games: Moss & Moss: Book II

While there was nothing “wrong” with Moss or Moss: Book II (grouped together for obvious reasons) to begin with, whether you played on the original PSVR, or Meta Quest, etc, they’ve been given a fresh lick of paint and some extra features that, while not “game-changing”, really add to the overall immersion. For example, the extra fidelity gained from the 4K headset (and be prepared to hear that a lot in this list) really do just make the clarity so much better.

You can lean in and see your little mouse friend Quill up close, and it’s a beautiful game, full stop. Moreover, the haptic feedback is used early and often in the actual headset, so when an eagle swoops over the top of you, it’s felt physically. It might be argued, in fact, the headset vibration is overdone, as it will shake you whenever you let Quill die, but it’s a reminder of a cool feature, and it’s just a lovely game full stop. It may not be Astro Bot, but it’s as close to a VR platformer as we’re getting for now. (Moss 8.5/10, Moss: Book II: 9/10)

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced Edition

Whether you love Star Wars or not, Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge is just a damn good VR game. It’s not the longest (at around four hours), and it may not quite have as much “Jedi stuff” as you’d want, but again, it looks stunning, has fantastic feedback throughout, and even if you aren’t au-fait with the universe, you can be impressed by the attention to detail. Also, it’s a fun shooter with some cool ideas, like the ability to throw out droids that will support you from the air. If it weren’t for the fact that the controls are slightly out of sync with the standardized fare I was used to in VR, it’d be a contender for best launch title. (8/10)

Best PSVR2 games: Horizon Call of the Mountain

As the major first party launch title, you’d expect this to be here. But it’s perhaps on the list for reasons you wouldn’t expect. Truth be told, the use of the new features is a little underwhelming when compared to other games on the list, but the visuals are out of this world. Seeing a Tallneck tower over you in detail, or sneaking around caverns away from Watchers is something you will never quite get used to.

Detail is everywhere, from the character’s faces if you try to break the VR and reach out to them, or the skylines that are as beautiful as they are daunting. The climbing isn’t quite right in this one, and feels as though it’s a bit “baby’s first VR steps”, but with accessibility options galore, it genuinely is an impressive first step into VR for Horizon, and hopefully we get more of this. (Read our full review here)

Puzzling Places

It may seem an odd choice, but Puzzling Places offers something few of the best PSVR2 launch titles do: a zen moment of calm. Rather than putting the user in peril, this game is about picking a 3D picture and being in the moment, relaxing, and putting together a 3D jigsaw puzzle. Whether it’s a snooker hall or a place out in the wider world somewhere, Puzzling Places is just… nice. Couple this with the fact they add new puzzles each month and you’ve a nice place to relax whenever you need it. It’s simple, but relaxing, and an easy recommendation. (7/10)

Kayak VR: Mirage

Matching up to Puzzling Places and its feeling of Zen is Kayak VR. A startlingly realistic rendition of Kayaking that matches the reality of being in a small boat out at sea. If you know how to move, it’ll surprise you how well it reacts, and there are even rocks you can physically push off to get moving. With interesting locations, pretty scenery, and weather that can be turned up or down, this is both a good workout if you want it, and a nice serene place to relax. (7/10)

Best PSVR2 games: What the Bat?

From the makers of What the Golf? I knew this would be pretty ridiculous. It’s closer to a title like WarioWare than anything else, as you go through increasingly madcap and bizarre mini moments playing as a person with baseball bats for hands. Whether it’s brushing your teeth or trying to play shapes as a baby, you’ll quickly realise having bats for hands is a bad thing, and would make life very hard. I particularly enjoyed the nods to What the Golf? Within What the Bat? Which genuinely made me laugh. While you’ll need a bit of room to move in order to fully appreciate this one, it’s worth it for the laughs alone. (7/10)

Rez Infinite & Tetris Effect: Connected

I’ve grouped these together because, quite simply, if you like one you’ll love the other. With the immersive nature of the haptic feedback on the headset, both Rez Infinite and Tetris Effect come to life like never before. With Rez, the PSVR2 controllers will vibrate in time to the music, and after each level the headset will pulse and vibrate as you transition through digital space. Likewise, Tetris Effect reacts to every movement of a Tetromino as you move them faster and faster, all the while the music and environment merging to make a truly magical experience.

Both of these games feel like a reason to play in virtual reality. Both are exquisitely designed, offering replayability, incredible music, and fast, responsive motion. And, of course, both benefit from the 4K nature of the new headset. If you’ve never played them, buy both. If you have, even having experienced them on the previous generation of Sony’s hardware, still buy both. Rez and Tetris Effect are both among the very best PSVR2 games the platform has to offer. (Rez Infinite 10/10, Tetris Effect: Connected 10/10)

So there you have it, after spending so much time in PlayStation VR2 our heads hurt, that’s the best of the bunch that we’ve played so far. Make sure you read our full PlayStation VR2 review, as well as our Horizon Call of the Mountain review, and check out our YouTube Channel to see these games in video format, and this very article with footage of all the lovely games.

The post The best PSVR2 games | Reviewing the best PlayStation VR2 games so far appeared first on GodisaGeek.com.

While titles like Everspace, Elite: Dangerous, and Star Wars Squadrons have been keeping the space fighter genre alive, they’re somewhat niche games. Even Squadrons, despite being a Star Wars game, was only ever going to truly appeal to dogfight fans. Even if the universe initially pulls them in, space fighter sims aren’t for everyone. The control schemes can be difficult to map to controllers, and it can be hard to convey an effective story because there’s often such a disconnect between the player and their avatar. So the big question is: how do Fishlabs, the developers of Chorus, hope to change that?

I recently got to sit in on a remote Q&A session with Fishlabs’ lead developers and designers as they gave us an in-depth look at their new space shooter. While there are things I’m still unsure (even after playing it) there’s a definite sense that they have a clearly defined vision for their game. For a start, they want to tell a story – and not just through a bunch of cutscenes and dialogue played over dogfights.

Chorus: A different kind of space shooter

Everything about Chorus’ semi-open universe is designed to build on its own mythos. It becomes even more apparent when you’re in the cockpit, too. There’s a sense that each galaxy is lived in; these are more than just pretty obstacle courses to fly a ship around. The backdrops are striking, filled with things to see and wonder over – even if you can’t physically go there. As you weave through asteroid belts and between the structures of gargantuan space stations, it’s easy to be awed by Chorus.

It tales the tale of Nara, formerly a pilot with the tyrannical Circle. Having become disenfranchised with her former masters, Nara has turned renegade. She now helps the resistance fight back against their oppressors with the help of her ship, Forsaken, a sentient Starfighter that reminds me of Titanfall 2’s B2. The relationship between Nara and Forsaken is integral to the story, but also forms the basis for Chorus’ special abilities and character progression.

To call Chorus an RPG would be a step too far, but it does feature a progression system that sees you earning money and experience to upgrade Forsaken’s weapons and defences. There are also Rites, psychic abilities Nara can access to highlight targets and teleport through barriers, for example. The galaxy is also semi open, split into huge individual areas filled with side-missions and points of interest.

Rock and a hard space

Some of these missions might be simple escort affairs; others will branch into chains. There are also choices to be made that can affect relationships with NPCs later on in the game, leading to some characters giving their aid and others denying it. It’s not anything new, exactly, but it’s not something you see very often in this genre. Nara struggles with her own morality and the demons of her past, and it comes through in her conversations and interactions.

The demo I played was relatively short, featuring only a small handful of missions and spaces to explore. I played it through Steam, although it’s coming to both current and last gen PlayStation and Xbox too. Interestingly, Fishlabs have focused on gamepad control rather than HOTAS, as would be expected. It’s important to them that players have the same experience regardless of platform (although there will graphical improvements to next-gen versions such as 4K textures and higher framerates).

Comet me, bro

It always take me a while to start getting my head around controlling ships in space shooters, but with Chorus it felt easy. Steering is all in the right stick, while the left stick is used to control thrusters and perform evasive barrel rolls. Forsaken is equipped with a gatling gun, laser cannons, and missile launchers, each of which is stronger against a specific enemy ship shield type. There’s a wonderful smoothness to the way Forsaken controls; movement is slick and easy, with a pulled-back camera that allows you to take in as much as possible. Sliding between tight spaces and navigating intense space battles is easy and fluid, although I feel the difficulty needs to be balanced a little.

During the more frantic fights you’ll be taking damage from all side, and will often need to juggle weapon types to suit the situation. In these moments I felt Forsaken was too easily damaged. The repair function has a long cooldown while objective time limits are often short, which meant I’d often have time for just one heal even during intense conflicts. Perhaps this needs tweaking by the devs; perhaps I’m just not very good. Either way it didn’t ruin my time spent with Chorus, although having to listen to repeated dialogue every time I reloaded a save was a bit of a pain.

Space ace

Where Chorus deviates from the standard formula is in its approach to story, missions, and exploration. There are Temples hidden in deep space that must be navigated using Forsaken’s full suite of abilities, not to mention the Drift system. Hitting LB will allow you to turn Forsaken on a dime while maintaining forward momentum, something hugely useful during dogfights but equally essential in Temples. These physical and environmental puzzles are almost like dungeons in a RPG, housing upgrades to Nara’s Rites and other useful items. There are no cosmetics to unlock, partly because Forsaken is as much a protagonist as Nara, but there are weapon upgrades and masteries to work towards to give you something to chase.

Built with a very clear end goal in mind, Chorus’ playspaces are gorgeous and easy to navigate. Even in the heat of battle, clicking the right stick will correct your horizon, but it goes deeper than that. The areas are designed with a clear divide between what’s up and down, what’s left and right. Even when you’re tearing around in all directions, it’s easy to stay centred and focused on objectives. Hitting the left stick will propel you forward at intergalactic speeds to eat up the distance between objective markers, but exploration has its own rewards.

Chorus: Deep space fine

One of things focused on during the Q&A session was the music. Not because the devs necessarily wanted to discuss it, but because it was so unbelievably affecting that almost everyone there had a question about it. Composed by Pedro Macedo Camacho (Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and World of Warcraft: Shadowlands), Chorus’ OST could be one of the year’s best if what I’ve heard is anything to go on. Sweeping orchestral music lends the game a sense of otherworldy grandeur that fits so well with its near-mystical lore.

Playing through the demo left me wanting more. A lot more. How Chorus holds up in terms of variety and, well, staying power, remains to be seen. It’s easy for games in this genre to burnout without a constant flow of new content like Elite or even No Man’s Sky, and while there’s a good spread of missions in the demo, we’ll need more to keep us truly hooked. But aside that, Chorus is looking like it could be an exceptionally fun game. The mix of exploration and space magic, the high-quality visuals and soundtrack, the simple control scheme and smooth combat – these things have me super excited to play more and see just what Fishlabs can do.

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