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Greenlit Content

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  1. Viveport Review: Virtual Virtual Reality Step into a whacky adventure in this comedic narrative about the future of humankind, AI, and virtual reality. by Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content To call Virtual Virtual Reality an interesting virtual reality experience is a bit of an understatement. The game handles the idea of a dark future well—humans replaced by AI as the dominant “species” on the planet—but never takes itself too seriously. It’s a fantastic little romp that leaves the door open for a multitude of experiments to take place, experiments that will no doubt leave your stomach sore from laughing. One of the big features of Virtual Virtual Reality is the fact that the game contains over 50 unique experiences, each one broken down as a “job” that you the player—and resident human—must complete for various AI clients. It’s an interesting narrative point that works well within the game and begs the player to look deeper. If you happen to look below the surface, then that’s where you’ll find the big, underlying plot. According to a “group of humans” the AI—like Chaz your AI companion—have taken over the world, enslaving humankind and forcing them to work like animals to complete trivial tasks. It’s an interesting concept that works well alongside the normal flow of the game. As you progress further through the story, you’ll find yourself face to face with more of these revelations, and it’s up to you what you do with them. As far as the individual experiences go, Virtual Virtual Reality has a ton of different tasks for players complete, all nestled inside their own little virtual reality headsets. Place a headset over your face in the game and you’ll be transported to a new environment where you will need to complete tasks for different AI. During my time with the game, I completed tasks as simple as toasting bread and slapping it with a stick of butter, to more complex tasks like tending to a garden for a talking pinwheel and having to pot a freshly grown plant. Like the rest of the game, the experiences never take themselves too seriously, always offering a good bit of comedic gold in each one. However, you’ll want to be careful to complete your jobs on time and to the standards of the clients that hired you, otherwise you might find yourself dealing with some bad customer ratings. Virtual Virtual Reality is a blast to play and is easily one of the most enjoyable Vive titles I’ve had a chance to dive into. It’s easy to get lost in the experiences that are available and the narrative that flows underneath it all promises a dark and telling world that you’ll need to experience for yourself. If you’re looking for something that is a bit off the cuff, but is still highly recommended, then I’m more than happy to point you in the direction of Virtual Virtual Reality, where you’ll find a plethora of different experiences waiting to blow your mind. Virtual Virtual Reality is available on Viveport.
  2. Viveport Review: Kobold: Chapter 1 Kobold blends cinema and virtual reality to create a chilling and memorable horror experience. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content Kobold: Chapter 1 is the first installment in a horror series that thrusts players into the dark and creepy forests of Germany as they explore an abandoned villa on the quest for clues, answers, and the truth about a missing boy and his family. While the experience itself is outstanding, what really sets Kobold apart is the trans-media influences that it was built with, including a short film that explains the backstory for those looking to get more out of the entire experience. Before diving into the game, I headed over to the game’s website, where I watched the short film that the developers created to go along with the virtual reality experience. While you can play the entire experience without watching the film, taking the time to watch the short movie they’ve put together will tell you more about the world and the secrets that hide within it. The film is only 15 minutes long and serves as a very good introduction to the world, so that you understand exactly what you’re getting yourself into. To help blur the line between the film and the virtual reality experience, the location in the film and the movie was recreated for the game using photogrammetry, which was used to meticulously capture the villa—a real location in Germany—and then transfer it to the game to give players the most realistic experience. The developers also captured the various actors using motion capture and advanced facial capture techniques to help bring each character to life as realistically as possible. To be honest, that’s what makes Kobold such a chilling tale. While the story itself isn’t that long—this is only the first chapter—the techniques used to bring the world to life help create a dark and immersive story that sends shivers through your body. Each step that I took in the world was anxiety inducing because of the environments and atmosphere alone. What I liked the most, though, is that Kobold doesn’t rely on cheap thrills to scare the player. Even if you take away the supernatural elements and the different characters you run into, Kobold’s beautiful and surreal world is good enough to induce anxiety all on its own, creating this skin-crawling sense as you explore the different hallways and rooms that lie within the abandoned villa as you strive to find the secrets behind Kaspar’s disappearance. In fact, the only real negative to Kobold is the game’s various controls. They can be a bit clunky at times—especially the locomotion system—which can lead to things feeling a little jarring when you’re put into very intense situations. Aside from the clunky controls, though, Kobold stands high as a shining example of just how good trans-media can be, as the combination of the short film and the extensive details that translate to the actual virtual reality experience come together to create a unique and exceptionally well-crafted experience that I highly recommend for any horror fans out there. Kobold: Chapter 1 is available on Viveport or with a Viveport subscription.
  3. Viveport Review: Witching Tower Step into a magic-filled adventure full of twists, turns, and puzzles galore. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content I absolutely love games that make you think, especially when they come in the form of old-school dungeon crawlers. Right from the start, Witching Tower does its best to build up a narrative that’s sure to entice players to want to explore the dark and magical world that Daily Magic Productions has created. Join Anna, a fugitive of the magical world, as she sets out on a quest to escape her Tower and defeat the Queen of the Undead. Many of the VR dungeon crawlers rely too heavily on combat to help keep them interesting, and while combat plays a large part in Witching Tower, the puzzles that you come across also provide a welcome challenge that rewards you for thinking with more than just your sword or torch. For me, dungeon crawlers have always been about more than just fighting endless waves of monsters, and Witching Tower does a really good job of bringing puzzles and mystery back to the forefront. While the developers have done a great job of creating a grand dungeon crawler in Witching Tower, the game falls into one of the same pitfalls that many other dungeon crawlers do. While the narrative starts out strong—promising a lore-filled journey as you fight to escape the Tower that the Queen of the Undead has placed you in—the story putters out quickly as you move from puzzle to puzzle, fighting enemies along the way. There are moments where the story pops up once more, but it’s just enough to entice players to continue forward with the promise that more lore awaits around the next bend in the path. Unfortunately, the promises of a great narrative are never really met, and the story ends with even more enticement as the game comes to a close. Now for many, this might not be a big issue, but as someone who enjoys diving into expert-crafted lore and the deep inner workings of the different worlds that we can explore, I found myself a bit disappointed that we didn’t see more out of the narrative. It was an entertaining enough story, which meant the developers had more than enough to work with to create an immersive, enjoyable and story-driven experience. Aside from this downfall, though, everything else about Witching Tower is excellent. The combat feels on point as you swing your sword and strike down your enemies. The visuals are also excellent, even though they have a more cartoony appeal. Movement is smooth, and the overall performance of the game is outstanding as well. It is a well put-together experience that’s sure to give you several hours of good fun. Altogether, Witching Tower is an excellent dungeon crawler experience that’s got plenty to offer players looking for a fun, action-packed fantasy world to explore. Just don’t come into things expecting a deeper narrative and you’ll find more than enough enjoyment here to justify the download. Witching Tower is available on Viveport or with a Viveport subscription.
  4. Viveport Review: The Body VR A fully immersive exploration of the human body at a cellular level, gain a first-hand lesson in biology from within the bloodstream through the power of virtual reality. The future of education is here! By Desmond Madison, Greenlit Content Shrunken down in a travel pod and injected straight into a human artery, The Body VR is like going on a Magic School Bus tour of human biology as narrated by a suspiciously Michael Caine-like tour guide. The experience gives you an incredible and memorable journey though the bloodstream to discover how blood cells work while spreading life-giving oxygen throughout the human body. As the experience continues, you also enter into one of the billions of cells living inside our bodies to see first-hand how organelles manage to fight deadly viruses. As the tour marches onward, you’ll be introduced to all of the microbiological and molecular components of life with holographic diagrams presented in front of you for an up close and personal reference of how each component is shaped and composed. A small library of reference models accumulates in your pod and you can easily hold and manifest things like DNA proteins and microfilaments, to observe the shapes of the building blocks of life in ways previously impossible without the immersive presentation of virtual reality. The most fascinating thing about this roughly 15-minute experience is how much educational value and impact it seems to have in such a short matter of time. One may remember sitting in class through grade school reading about biology in a dusty old text book, but how many of those details are actually retained? This field trip inside the body manages to educate and fascinate in a way that simply wasn’t possible before this technology existed, and it’s the kind of experience that everyone should try. Experiences like this have the potential to replace entire education course methods that can’t compare to feeling this up close and personal with the subject matter itself. Where else can you shrink down to the size of a virus and watch a cloud of anti-bodies surround a cell as they protect it from an incoming attack? The Body VR impresses with its educational power and delights with its incredible animations of everything from Kinesin motor proteins walking along microtubules, to the scale of mitochondria and how it all relates to the size of a cell. It’s rare to see a piece of content be so incredibly attractive to teachers, students, doctors and gamers all at once. A true testament to the future of education, there’s never quite been anything like The Body VR that can deliver such a rich learning experience without putting anyone to sleep. It’s an experience that goes deeper and deeper into the wonderland of the cellular biology within us all, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better way to learn about how DNA is converted into RNA. Distributed completely for free, don’t pass up the opportunity for a world class education at no extra cost. The Body VR is available on Viveport.
  5. Viveport Review: Tilt Brush VR Google’s 3D art suite makes it easy to draw, create, and inspire others in virtual reality. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content When Google first announced Tilt Brush, fans of virtual reality were wowed by the simplicity and intuitiveness that the program brought to the table when it came to creating works of art in a full 3D environment. Now, two years after Tilt Brush launched with the HTC VIVE, the program still continues to be one of the strongest contenders in the art and creativity category, offering a simple experience that is leagues above almost every other one on the market. I am not an artist. I will be clear about that right up front. (The screenshots here are courtesy of Google!) I’ve dabbled with some different applications, as well as with some art stuff back in high school, but for the most part I stick to writing. There’s something about Tilt Brush, though, that makes it less foreboding to dive into creating things. Maybe it’s the lack of any real, tangible medium to have to worry about making messes in, or just the overall simplicity with which you can create and manage things. Either way, the program works great for those without any artistic skill at all, which makes for a huge positive compared to many of the more complex applications out there in this area of virtual reality. Part of what makes Tilt Brush so simple to use is its extremely well-crafted interface. The user interface is a huge part of any creative application’s appeal and Google has crafted one of the best in the creative market as far as I’m concerned. It’s easy to swap between your tools, to interact with your art work, and to move things around on the canvas—which just happens to be the entire room around you thanks to full, room-scale virtual reality. If you’re looking for a great way to draw or paint in virtual reality, then Tilt Brush is definitely an application you should check out. I can’t think of any complaints I have about the application, though there are a few things that serious artists should probably think about before picking it up. While it has a suite of useful tools and gadgets, Tilt Brush doesn’t offer the same focus and depth that some more professional-based applications offer. So, if you’re looking to use Tilt Brush for your daily work grind, then you might find it lacks some of the features that you require. Altogether, though, Tilt Brush is one of the best creative applications available and it has stood the test of time very well. If drawing is your thing—or even if it isn’t—then Tilt Brush has something to offer. Tilt Brush VR is available on Viveport or with a Viveport Subscription.
  6. Viveport Review: SUPERHOT VR Bullet time takes the forefront in this striking and unique virtual reality experience. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content The idea behind SUPERHOT is simple. Time stands still until you start moving, at which point all the threats around you become active, moving in on you. It’s a game that forces you to think on your toes and stay ten steps ahead of the action. When SUPERHOT originally released, it turned the idea of bullet time—the slow-motion, matrix-like movement system—directly on its head, forcing players to instead think about what their actions meant, how they would react to the world around them, and how to anticipate what might come next. The game itself was a hit, quickly pulling in a following of its own without any big issues. Now that SUPERHOT has made its way to virtual reality, the frustrating yet satisfying experience of dodging bullets and anticipating what might come next is even better. Sure, it’s a bit confusing at times—trying to move your head around and see what is behind you, only to have your head explode as a bullet or object you didn’t see strikes you—but overall the game has created a distinguished and amazing experience that really continues to draw you back in. In SUPERHOT VR, you take on the role of an unnamed person who must fight against an army of glass men trying to kill them. In order to make moves on your enemies—you can punch, shoot, stab, or even throw objects at them to destroy them—you’ll need to make them move too, as time begins to roll forward each time you make even the slightest movement. It’s a catch-22 of sorts, but one that you’ll need to learn to use to your advantage. The real shine of the game comes in these sticky situations. From dodging to the side at the last second, catching a gun as it falls from the hand of a now-shattered enemy, or even ducking behind cover as a hail of incoming rounds dash over your head, SUPERHOT VR offers a unique experience that has yet to be duplicated in non-VR or VR gaming, and honestly, it’s probably one of the best virtual reality experiences I’ve had a chance to get addicted to. With that in mind, SUPERHOT VR is a tough game to master. Not only is the game demanding on the mental side of things—forcing you to think ten steps ahead and determine what you need to do next to survive—but it’s also quit a physical game, as you’ll need to be able to bend behind cover, duck to the side, and even jump out of the way of incoming rounds. You’ll want to ensure you have enough room to work with here, and while you can do it with standing room only, you’ll want plenty of space around you to keep from hitting things. Altogether, SUPERHOT VR is one of the hottest games in virtual reality right now. The feeling of success that comes with each completed level and the overall way that the game forces you to stay on your toes—both physically and mentally—is something that few other titles have managed to do. It’s definitely at the top of the list for my most loved virtual reality games, and if you haven’t tried it out yet, then I highly recommend picking it up as soon as possible to get a taste of this unique and innovative world. SUPERHOT VR is available on Viveport.
  7. Viveport Review: Glider Island VR This gliding simulation brings the fun of old school retro games to virtual reality in a fresh new way. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content The idea behind Glider Island VR is simple. You take off from a launch point and then have ten minutes to glide around, collecting rings similar to those you might see in old retro games. It’s a simple idea for a simple application, and the simplicity pays off by offering a fun experience that never asks too much of the player. The overall premise behind Glider Island VR is to fly around and collect hoops while you try to stay in the air. You can do so by rotating between dipping and rising with your glider. You’ll also need to keep an eye out for boosters, which will allow you to gain more speed and stay in the air longer. As I said before, it’s a very simple system, and if you can survive in the air for the full ten minutes of each map, you’ll need to keep flying around and gather as many hoops as possible. The visuals in Glider Island VR aren’t the best, but for a game that’s more about being in the air than on the ground, it’s more than acceptable. FPS is a very important factor in an experience as fast-paced as Glider Island VR, so it’s a good thing that the developers chose to take a more realistic approach to graphics rather than trying to have the best-looking game around. You fly around in first-person (or third-person), and you’ll be glad that the developers have focused on FPS over visuals. I don’t get motion sick very often in virtual reality, but I even found myself a little nauseous feeling at the end of my first hour run. This means that other users who are more prone to motion sickness will want to be careful and take their time with the game, playing in smaller doses. Once you grow more accustomed to the movements and the speed, though, you should be fine to enjoy longer play sessions. Once nice thing about Glider Island VR is the replayability. While there are only a few levels included, it’s easy to replay each one and attack the levels from different directions. It reminds me of the old school retro games that I used to play—games like Sonic—that challenged you to collect as much as you could as you tried to stay alive and complete the level. It’s a nice change of pace from the more serious experiences that I’ve been playing in virtual reality, and it’s a welcomed buffer between slower-paced virtual reality experiences and more fast-paced games that require more attention and ability to deal with motion sickness. All around, Glider Island VR is a nice experience that has a lot of hours of fun, and it’s definitely one I’d recommend people check out when they have the chance. Glider Island VR is available on Viveport or as part of Viveport Subscription.
  8. Viveport Review: Sairento VR Dive into nonstop action and violence with this brilliant and addicting shooter. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content There is a lot to love about the first-person game, Sairento VR. When I say that the developers managed to pull off one of the smoothest feeling combat games in the entire VR catalogue, I’m not in any way joking. Gunplay is smooth, sword-based combat feels amazing, and all around, everything else just works. That being said, there’s more to this game than amazing combat, and that’s why it managed to garner such popular opinion. Player choice is huge in Sairento VR, and how you tackle the obstacles is completely up to you. Not looking for a challenge? Then drop the difficulty. Looking to amp things up a bit and get your blood flowing? Toss the difficulty up and ride the wave of violence coming in with the tide of enemies that flow your way. On top of this, your loadout is completely up to you as well, which is part of what makes combat feel so good. You never receive a lineup of weapons that you must use. Instead, the developers allow you to dive right in and customize your loadout from the start, before you even activate missions or take on objectives. Want to run in guns blazing with machine pistols? Go for it. Looking to take things to the next level and chop your enemies to bits with dual swords? You can do that, too. Another great thing that really stands out about Sairento VR is the avatar system. Right from the start, you are given a massive amount of options to customize the height and waist location of your avatar, which makes working inside of the game so much easier and more appealing, instead of being stuck with a default setup height and waist location. It really gives you more control of things, which leads to a smoother and more enjoyable experience. All around, Sairento VR is a shining beacon of hope for future VR games, as it shows that you can create a great feeling and very immersive experience that thrives within virtual reality. The gunplay and combat is amazing and feels smooth throughout every interaction, and the ability to customize your waist location, height, and other factors makes for a truly ‘real’ feeling and changes the way that the game plays for every player that tries it out. It is without question one of the best VR games in recent memory. Sairento VR is available on Viveport.
  9. Viveport Review: Arizona Sunshine + Dead Man DLC Step into the zombie apocalypse with this brutal and terrifying shooter. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content Arizona Sunshine was one of the first big titles to hit virtual reality devices, and while the game’s campaign is only a few hours long, it’s one of the premiere experiences available on the HTC Vive. If you dream of stepping into the zombie apocalypse (and why wouldn’t you), look no further. On top of having great gunplay that feels smooth and polished, Arizona Sunshine also excels at quality map design. All of the game’s maps are massive and give you a ton of room, and the various weapons at your disposal will more than make up for any brutal deaths that you might experience. That being said, there are a couple of inconsistencies to be aware of before you dive in. First, the game’s movement system can be a bit rough at times—especially if you’re having to work with the flashlight. It’s not too bad when you first get started, but as time wears on, it can get a bit tedious to walk around and explore the maps with this device. This is a shame, as the maps are all extremely detailed and beautifully crafted. The other thing to take into account is the niche market. While the single player campaign is great, the game really shines in its horde and co-op modes. However, because the virtual reality audience is a bit low due to the cost of hardware, it can often be tough to find matches and people to dive into the game with. This takes away a large portion of the replay value, because nobody wants to sit around waiting two to three hours to set up a match with random players online. Of course, if you have a dedicated VR buddy, this won’t be that big of an issue. Graphics are another high point. The zombie animations and movements look smooth, and it’s easy to get lost within the immersive world. Zombies swagger towards you, skin dripping from their pale bodies. As far as the aesthetics of the world go, everything feels apocalyptic. Vehicles are covered in dust and cobwebs, really bringing the feeling that they haven’t been touched in a long time. Kills feel satisfyingly brutal, as gore sputters from the zombies when you take them down; blood splatters, the crunch of bullets hit flesh and bone, and bodies slam to the floor. It all comes together to create a terrifying, yet thrilling game that’s hard to forget. The developers have started to release DLC for the game, starting out with a short expansion, Arizona: Sunshine - Dead Man, a prequel story that will take players roughly an hour to complete. It’s more of the same stuff you’ll see in the base game—though a few new guns and some new locations have made their way into the title. There’s not really much to say about the DLC—it’s tiny—but it is a nice addition to the world and story that they’ve already managed to craft. All around, Arizona Sunshine has a lot of promise. The DLC so far has delivered more of the same great content and hopefully that means we can still expect to see more content release for the zombie shooter in the coming months. No matter which way you slice it, though, Arizona Sunshine is one of the smoothest experiences available for action fans looking to dive into the zombie apocalypse and it’s easily one of the first games I’d recommend to those looking for an intense and satisfying first-person shooter experience. Arizona Sunshine and Arizone Sunshine - Dead Man DLC are available on Viveport.
  10. Viveport Review: Nevrosa: Escape GexagonVR has managed to create a must-play escape room experience that takes full advantage of room-scale VR. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content Room-scale virtual reality has been a very large selling point for the HTC Vive since its initial release, and while many games have employed room-scale VR to help coax in players, very few have ever really taken full advantage of the room-scale system that Vive offers to create a riveting and immersive experience that will keep you craving more. One of those few, though, is GexagonVR, the virtual reality developer responsible for creating Nevrosa: Escape, which is by far the best escape room experience I’ve ever had the pleasure of diving into. First up on the list: immersion. Immersion is such a huge part of virtual reality and Gexagon has managed to hit the pinnacle of immersion with Nevrosa: Escape. Set in an old, rustic house, Nevrosa: Escape pushes players to fully explore an old laboratory as they try to solve the puzzles left behind by their grandfather. The mystery is one worth investigating as well, and throughout the entire experience, the atmosphere and overall feeling of the setting really help to paint a vivid picture of the world around you. To help with this immersion, Nevrosa: Escape has done away with any artificial forms of locomotion. Instead, players will need to have a play space of at least 2m x 1.5m to even dive into the game and experience it, as you’ll need to move around your realistic playspace to explore the virtual world. Of course, I’d suggest going a little bit larger with your playspace if you can, as I managed to snag my hand on the wall a few times when trying to grab objects around me. Escape rooms are all about the puzzles that they have inside them, and making sure to balance the puzzles between challenging and impossible can be difficult to say the least. Gexagon have done a pretty solid job with Nevrosa: Escape, though, and each puzzle—while challenging—never feels impossible to progress past. This is something that a lot of other escape room experiences struggle with, so it was really nice to not see that as an issue in Nevrosa: Escape. On top of handling the usual pieces of an escape room well, Nevrosa: Escape also does a really good job of creating an atmosphere that puts the player on edge. This is something that I’ve noticed was missing from a lot of other experiences in this genre. Nevrosa handles this well, painting the world in a fog around you that you need to explore. The dark corners breed terror as you move closer to them; the dim flame from the candle in your hand slowly wavering as you move closer. There were several instances in the game where I noticed my hands shaking and my palms sweating as fear shivered down my spine. What’s so great about this atmosphere, though, is the developers never resort to jump scares for cheap thrills. Instead, they let the atmosphere do all the work, painting the entire picture in your mind. It’s a great setup that pays off in the end as you finish exploring the world and solving the puzzles that have been placed before you. As for dealing with the fatigue that can come with these types of experiences, Gexagon has crafted several different endings, giving players a reason to replay the experience and see it through to another ending. Nevrosa: Escape is by far one of the most atmospheric escape room experiences I’ve ever had the opportunity to try out. The mechanics are simple, and the use of real-world locomotion versus teleportation or another artificial locomotion system helps to make an immersive environment that just begs you to explore it as deeply as possible. Multiple endings give players plenty of reason to replay the experience again and again. If you want to see what room-scale virtual reality has to offer and see what a well-crafted and immersive escape room experience can be, then Nevrosa: Escape should be at the top of your list of must-play Vive experiences. Nevrosa: Escape is available on Viveport and as part of Viveport Subscription.
  11. Viveport Review: Fruit Ninja VR The fruit-slicing, bomb-avoiding mobile smash hit is back and more immersive than ever. By Bill Loguidice, Greenlit Content When it was first released back in 2010, Fruit Ninja took the mobile gaming world by storm. From there, it received ports to various other platforms, including Microsoft's Xbox 360 console with Kinect, and even the arcade. In most versions of the game, players use a touchscreen to slice and splatter fruit, all while avoiding bombs, which are explosive when touched. In the Xbox 360 version, Fruit Ninja Kinect, the Kinect’s cameras make your arms the blades. While all of these previous Fruit Ninja experiences were an undeniable blast to play, there was always a certain sense of immersion lacking. Fortunately, Fruit Ninja VR takes the lessons learned from these past versions of the game and uses the unparalleled immersive possibilities of virtual reality to create the ultimate Fruit Ninja experience. Each Vive controller represents a katana (sword) whose blade you use to slice, juggle, and skewer various types of fruit, including watermelons, pineapples, and oranges. The more fruit you can hit at once, the better your combo bonus. Naturally, you also need to deflect or avoid any bombs. There are four different modes to choose from: Arcade, Classic, Zen, and Survival. In Arcade Mode, you have to slice as many fruit as you can in 60 seconds, using combos and special bananas to rack up huge scores. In Classic Mode, it's the original Fruit Ninja experience with simple fruit-slicing and bomb-avoiding fun. In Zen Mode, which doubles as a practice mode, you have 90 seconds to slice as many fruit as you want with no need to worry about bombs. In Survival Mode, the difficulty is ramped up as you face off against flying cannons, and, just like in Classic mode, three strikes (misses) mean you're out. As you would expect for this type of game, it's best played standing in a room-scale environment. You'll only need enough space to comfortably move your arms and controllers in a roughly 180-degree arc in front of you, but of course you'll also occasionally be raising your arms above you when the action gets heated, so for those with low ceilings, consider this your warning. Most modes also make great workouts. Audio-visually, Fruit Ninja VR is on point. The same type of satisfying music and sound effects from the other versions of the game complement the bright, cel-shaded graphics. Every object, be it the flying fruit or the buildings in the environment, is well rendered and easy to identify. If this were the first release of the game, Fruit Ninja VR would have likely caused the same type of sensation it did when it debuted on mobile devices all those years ago. As it is, some of Fruit Ninja's potential impact is a bit muted by the fact that we're already about a dozen platforms in. Despite its familiarity, Fruit Ninja VR has proven to be a sublime virtual reality experience, creating the best and most immersive version of the game to date. With its proven, short-form gameplay paired with an excellent physics model, super responsive motion tracking, and polished audio-visuals, Fruit Ninja VR is the type of game that can please virtual reality enthusiasts of every stripe. Fruit Ninja VR is available on Viveport or as part of Viveport Subscription.
  12. Viveport Review: Racket: Nx Stylish visuals and clever audio make this VR fitness game stand far apart from the crowd. By Desmond Madison, Greenlit Content Loading up Racket: Nx feels nothing short of stepping into a cybernetic alien thunderdome from the future. Billed as an Arcade Space Sport, this game turns racquetball into an impossibly fast-paced fever dream that will genuinely have you breaking a sweat in minutes. There are plenty of other tennis and racquetball-based experiences in VR to choose from, so it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. That said, Racket: Nx is in a league of its own, with such incredible presentation and style that it feels impossible not to recommend to anyone looking to get their heart rate pumping to some of the most impressive sights, sounds, and physics available in a virtual sport. You emerge at the center of a geodesic cybersphere with only a racket in hand and a ball floating within arm’s reach waiting for you to practice your swing at the pulsating hotspots on the walls that surround your field of view. You smash the ball and quickly learn that it’s all in the wrist, as you must clear out the targets before your energy-based timer ticks to zero. You can collect more energy to increase your time available to pluck out the rest of the hotspots, all of which surround you on a wall that curves 360 degrees around your play space. What’s important here is that Racket: Nx uses some incredibly impressive 3D audio tech that gives you ridiculously accurate real-time positional sound effects, which are key to understanding where the ball is coming from as it smashes, whizzes, and slings around your head like a pinball from another dimension. Listening to these audio cues are essential to success, and as Solo Mode eases you through the basic mechanics, you’ll soon be quickly challenged to more and more complications to the core gameplay, like energy depleting hot spots and score multiplying trick shots. Beyond Solo and Arcade Mode that let you endlessly thwack your way to the top of the leaderboards, there are also two multiplayer modes that let Racket: Nx take a prime space in the rapidly emerging virtual eSports landscape. You can choose to connect online to stand side by side to play cooperatively, or go head to head in a versus match to see who has the skills to stay on top. The learning curve will take a while to perfect your skills, but the tight physics and precision accuracy that comes with the experience makes everything feel completely fair and challenging at the same time. Also, be sure to check around the web for active Racket: Nx community members with leagues of their own, and don’t be shy about challenging other players, even if they’re well beyond your skill level. The quality of visuals and stunning electronic soundtrack in Racket: Nx is unparalleled, and it’s the type of VR workout that demands and embodies that sense of flow in your play sessions that can also dilate time to a seriously impressive degree. Don’t plan on spending just a few minutes inside of Racket: Nx once you get rolling. By the time you emerge with your arm sore and endorphins rushing, you’ll be surprised by the hour that just flew by while you were in the dome for what may have only seemed like a few minutes. It’s an experience that must be played to be understood, and it gets a top recommendation on Viveport for VR sports fans and non-sports fans alike. Don’t miss this one! Racket: Nx is available on Viveport and as part of Viveport Subscription.
  13. Viveport Review: Drone Fighters This arcade shooter delights and challenges players as they go head to head against each other in immersive and enthralling drone-based combat. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content Drone Fighters is the sort of high intensity experience that VR was made for. As you face off against opponents—both AI and player controlled—you’re bound to come across some fun challenges that will leave you wanting to dive back into the game again and again. Admittedly, I wasn’t a big fan of Drone Fighters at first. The learning curve for the game is high because you need to focus on both movement and shooting at the same time. This is something I’ve done in previous VR games, but Drone Fighters is a bit tougher to grasp. By default, you shoot with your left hand and fly around with your right. The tricky thing, though, is that you’ll need to use both the direction the controller is facing, as well as the buttons on the controller to make the drone fly in different directions, which can take some getting used to. Audio is a huge part of the experience, and the developers did a great job with the 3D placement of sound and how it reverberates through the arena. It’s a good feeling as you fly your drone around, and the good news is that you can always tell where your drone is thanks to the audio; it’s nice not having to constantly figure out where you are—especially if you happen to fly the drone out of view. When it comes to customizing your drone, though, the options are limited. There is a good assortment of weapons to choose from, but the colors and different drone types are few and left me wanting more. This isn’t that big of a problem unless you really care about cosmetics, and you won’t get to have eyes on your drone most of the time anyway, so it isn’t a deal breaker. Thankfully it’s easy to unlock new cosmetics, as you only need to earn stars (which are rewarded for each fight that you complete against the AI), and there are multiple types of combat sims to run through. If you don’t enjoy going against other AI, you can always chill out and practice your movement and shooting skills in the target practice mode. You still receive rewards, but you’ll only have to worry about hitting moving targets, and none of them will fight back. This is more like an arcade than anything else, but it’s something to think about if you are having a tough time getting used to the game. That said, Drone Fighters is a ton of fun, especially once you get the hang of the controls; if you aren’t into the default control scheme, you can choose a different control option in the settings. The use of 3D audio, and the fun gameplay that offers a challenge to players of all skill levels is something that I love about this title, and those looking to challenge themselves against other players will find the online mode extremely fun and accessible. Drone Fighters is available on Viveport or as part of Viveport Subscription.
  14. Viveport Review: ReMind VR: Daily Meditation Become more relaxed and mindful through three different types of meditative experiences. By Bill Loguidice, Greenlit Content Meditation is probably as popular today as it's ever been. In our stressful world of work, partisan politics, social media, always-on technology, and general hustle-and-bustle of everyday life, it's no surprise that many of us seek out techniques for a daily reset. This mentally clear and emotionally calm state, where stress, anxiety, depression, and even pain can be greatly reduced, can be achieved through focus or mindfulness techniques. ReMind VR: Daily Meditation offers a guided method for achieving this more relaxed state of being, which, thanks to the power of virtual reality, can help transform even the most novice practitioners into a more Zen-like state. As you might expect, an experience like ReMind VR: Daily Meditation has minimal requirements, so it can be enjoyed by anyone with the base hardware and just about any size room. It supports Vive, Vive Pro, and Oculus Rift setups, and can be experienced standing or seated. In fact, as a further testament to its versatility and adaptability, one of the scenarios doesn't even use the Vive controllers and can be enjoyed while lying down. There are three short exercises, or scenarios, to choose from. The first, called "Letting Go," places you on top of a high building overlooking a peaceful city landscape filled with skyscrapers. From this vantage point, you toss paper airplanes, watching them slowly glide through the air. This scenario is meant to represent and encourage the release of negative thought patterns, leaving stress behind, replaced instead by feelings of peacefulness, happiness, and freedom. The second scenario is called "Drop the Habit." In this scenario, you're placed on the shore of a lake in the Japanese countryside and skip small, smooth rocks along the water's surface. This exercise is meant to represent and encourage observation of how a clear mind can be disturbed by the impact of negative thoughts as the ripples extend across the water's surface. In turn, you're meant to learn how to remain focused and centered despite the presence of disruptive thoughts and feelings. In the third and final scenario, "Infinite Lightness," you simply observe changes as the sun slowly moves and the sky changes colors. This exercise is meant to represent and encourage transformation of our perspective and clearing of the multi-tasking mind as you maintain a forward gaze. This is also the only scenario that can be fully experienced without use of the Vive controllers and works even if you wish to lie down. While ReMind VR: Daily Meditation is not the most attractive game, the clean, crisp visuals still suit the experience well. The soothing sounds and music are similarly effective in setting the mood. Meant simply as a brief, regular meditation experience, ReMind VR: Daily Meditation, delivers in spades. You don't need to be well-versed in meditation or meditative benefits to get full value out of this enjoyable, well-thought-out experience. With regular usage, this really should be a great way to become more relaxed and mindful. And putting the meditative benefits aside, the three experiences make for a nice, relaxing change of pace from the usual goal-driven games or hot-spot-driven educational titles. ReMind VR: Daily Meditation is available on Viveport or with a Viveport Subscription.
  15. Viveport Review: Guns'n'Stories: Bulletproof VR Play a story-driven, first-person wave shooter that stands out in a crowded genre by doing just about everything right. By Bill Loguidice, Greenlit Content First-person wave shooters are among the most common gaming genres in virtual reality. This take on old-fashioned shooting galleries commonly features many different types of weapons, various defensive capabilities like ducking and dodging, and a limited player movement area, as waves of typically fast-moving enemies intent on your demise emerge from on- and off-screen locations. It's a straightforward concept to implement and works particularly well when paired with virtual reality's inherent immersive properties. Unfortunately for developers, since we see this the type of game so much, whenever there's another release in this genre, our expectations are sky-high. And rightly so. If a first-person wave shooter isn't up-to-snuff, and in fact doesn't elevate itself well above the average, we may as well just play one of the other countless options that are available. That's the challenge that Guns'n'Stories: Bulletproof VR is up against. In the game, you take on the role of Grandpa Bill, regaling his grandson Robbie with wild tales from his younger days. In the stories, Grandpa Bill is a legendary cowboy who uses increasingly powerful and fantastic weapons as he battles countless enemies on his way to ultimately rescue his beloved Charlotte in a Hollywood-style Wild West. Your job is to play the young Grandpa Bill as the stories are set up and unfold, all while keeping Robbie's skepticism in check. It's a great conceit for what might otherwise be just another action-packed shooter and helps to set up a lot of the game's cheeky humor, as well as helping to give each of the three acts more purpose, meaning, and interest. While the fun backdrop might be enough on its own to keep you playing to advance the story, the gameplay is fortunately just as engaging. Although it's still just a first-person wave shooter at its core, the variety of weapons, defensive actions, and precise control put it at the top of its genre in those areas. A variety of modes and difficulty levels doesn't hurt either. Designed for Vive, Vive Pro, or Oculus Rift, Guns'n'Stories: Bulletproof VR can be played standing or seated in just about any size room. The Vive controllers are used to dual-wield various weapons, which are used not only to take out enemies, but also to shoot at and bat away projectiles. Combined with the usual ducking and dodging, this game can be quite the multi-tasking workout, particularly in the later stages of the game and when playing on the higher difficulty levels. Like the well-written, humorous story that book-ends the three levels and boss fights, and the excellent controls, the audio-visuals are also top-notch. Detailed environments, stylized character models, and smooth action all come together with strong sound design. Did we really need another first-person wave shooter? Prior to Guns'n'Stories: Bulletproof VR, I might have said no. Fortunately, this game proves there's still plenty of life left in the genre. When a game like this features such high production values and clearly pays real attention to what makes a game in this genre great, it’s proof you can still beat the odds and stand out. Guns’n’Stories: Bulletproof VR is available on Viveport or with a Viveport Subscription.
  16. Viveport Review: The Price of Freedom Save the USA in this expertly done Cold War thriller. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content Most virtual reality games and apps are simple, action-oriented experiences meant to give players a euphoric feeling of reality while also remaining fun. The Price of Freedom throws all of this out the door, instead devising a way to make you think. As a storyteller, one of the greatest things you can do is make the audience feel, and the development team at Construct Studio have done just that. Set within the Cold War, players take on the role of a CIA agent responsible for investigating and killing someone in order to help America remain free. Although the experience is short—totaling around 10-15 minutes based on how well you do with the puzzles—it has a lot of good stuff packed into such a short amount of time. For one, the visuals and environments are some of the best that I’ve seen in virtual reality. Everything feels authentic as you investigate through the documents and uncover the story behind why you have to murder someone. It’s a thought provoking experience that I admire, and playing it in room-scale, trying to solve the different puzzles, really brought about this feeling of nostalgia that reminds me of the old mystery novels that I used to read when I was younger. Construct Studio did such a great job putting together the experience in The Price of Freedom, and I’m glad that they decided to take a different approach to virtual reality than most developers have. While the experience is short, I feel like them focusing on what mattered, and what was important to them as a small developer was key to why this experience is so good. Instead of trying to create something revolutionary that would change VR forever, they instead set about to bring a small story to life with as much authenticity as possible. To me, this was the smartest thing they could have done, and the effort shows. It’s the sense of presence that makes a difference in applications like this and being able to experience the Cold War era in virtual reality and think about the things I was doing made me ecstatic. I hope to see more from Construct Studio in the future, and I’m intrigued to discover how experiences like The Price of Freedom will help push presence and authenticity in VR to new heights. The Price of Freedom is available on Viveport.
  17. Viveport Review: Sneaky Bears Shoot down hordes of evil teddy bears in this immersive and engaging arcade shooter. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content The teddies in Sneaky Bears are neither loving nor cuddly. Some might say that they’re even more bloodthirsty than a pack of rabid dogs hunting you down in the middle of a forest at midnight. That said, the intensity that Sneaky Bears brings to the table as you try to stop Frank (the bad guy) and his evil army of bears is both spectacular and well worth the time that you’ll invest. The overall experience is extremely short, despite the fact that there are three full modes with multiple levels for users to tackle. There’s no real goal—aside from surviving the waves of evil teddy bears that try to kill you—but when the game is as fun as Sneaky Bears, you don’t really need an end game to keep you enthralled. The gunplay in Sneaky Bears is by far some of the best that I’ve seen in any of the wave-based shooters, and having to work together with different types of weapons in each mode to survive makes the gameplay frantic and fun. On that note, there are three modes for players to choose from, including Survival, Fire, and Bomb. Each brings something unique to the game, which ups the value considerably. In Survival, players are armed with a shotgun and a pistol, both of which have an unlimited ammunition. If you run out of ammo, simply throw your gun at the approaching bears to stun them, and then grab another one from your belt. This is a reload technique that I’ve seen used a bit in wave-based shooters in virtual reality, and it's a technique that works well enough. Things change up a bit in Fire. Instead of having to fend off enemies with a shotgun and a pistol, you’ll instead be armed with a pistol and a water gun. The water gun must be used to put out fires around the level, while the pistol is used to take out any bears approaching you. It’s a frantic mode that leads to you doing some crazy poses as you fend off the bears while Buddy—your only friend in the game—tries to activate the sprinklers and keep the place from burning down. Bomb takes the same idea as Fire, though this time you’re armed with a freeze gun instead of a water gun. You’ll also need to freeze bears and bombs as they roll down a conveyor belt, focused on taking out a trio of cute pandas tied up at the end. It’s just as frantic as Fire, and if you want to spice things up a bit outside of the usual survival-type shooters, then these two modes offer plenty of options. Altogether, the Sneaky Bears experience is short and will probably only take you a couple of hours to complete. You can always go back for a chance to make it to the top of the leaderboard, and since the way that enemies spawn is randomized, there is plenty of replay value in the game. With this in mind, Sneaky Bears will make a great addition to your Vive library of games. Sneaky Bears is available on Viveport and as part of Viveport Subscription.
  18. Viveport Review: Kodon – Early Access This free-draw based sculpting app has potential, but ultimately leaves a lot to be desired. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content Virtual reality is great for creating and sharing your works of art, and there are a ton of excellent programs to help light your creative spark. Kodon is just one of many, and while the program has potential. Ultimately, it’s a bit clunky and hard to work with. Of course, it is early access, which means the developer always has room for improvement. Getting started in Kodon is easy. When you begin a new sculpture, you receive a nice outline of the controls, thanks to some menu options that are portrayed around the controllers. The tough part, though, comes in changing the style of sculpting that you’re doing, or even trying to change the color. I struggled for a long time to get the color to change before finally realizing how to do it. Unlike other programs it isn’t as simple as changing the color by selecting a new one. Instead, you have to find the color you want on the wheel, select it, and then complete a few more jumps through hoops to really get it changed. Once you have the color, though, and you’re ready to start sculpting, it’s time to pull the trigger and move your hand around. Like other programs, you can easily move around, grab, and rotate the sculpture to make it easier to make changes. Some of the sculpture tools you can use are rough to work with—like the square—but that’s just a minor detail that you can easily work with to perfect your work. Overall, I found making use of Kodon’s menu very obtuse. Things were far more complicated than they had to be, and to select things on the menu, you had to use a small line from the right-handed controller, and that basically forces you to turn your hand over, which was a bit uncomfortable after doing it a few times. It’s not the best setup for the menu that I’ve seen in an app like this, but like I said above, it is Early Access, which means there is always going to be some room for improvement along the way. Overall, I feel there isn’t anything that makes Kodon special. There is an assortment of other creative applications out there that do a better job. If the developers can realize the weaknesses that the application has, though, and work to improve them, it definitely has the potential to become something better along the way. It will be interesting to see how the devs use the feedback that users have given them, and I hope that somewhere down the line I can revisit Kodon and be excited about it. For now, though, I’ll stick to other applications that have a smoother user interface, and really make it easier to interact with your work. Kodon - Early Access is available on Viveport.
  19. Viveport Review: BOXVR BOXVR may look like your average workout game, but it’s amazing what adding music can do to your daily routine. By Emily Medlock, Greenlit Content BOXVR is a fitness game that may possess magical powers, as it just might encourage you to workout on a daily basis and enjoy it! The idea of the game is to do a standard boxing routine to music as you hit the incoming orbs at the right time. Although BOXVR sounds like so many other fitness games, this one seems to offer something different. There are multiple game modes in BOXVR, including Workout, Survive, Multiplayer, and Training modes. Workout has your typical presets with borderline boring music. Survive is basically the same, except the music never ends, so you can play for as long as you wish. Multiplayer could be a blast if there was ever anyone online. The real star is Training mode, which allows you to add your own music to box to in the game. We all know that personalization goes a long way in the video game world. Unfortunately, you may run into a few minor bugs while playing BOXVR. After getting mildly frustrated with small bugs and glitches in the game, I did some research to see if others were experiencing the same issues. It seems that the game had very few problems in the past, but it wasn’t until after a few updates that bugs started to appear. This means that if the game used to run smoothly, then it’s quite possible that after the next update, the current problems will be resolved. Aside from the bugs, my biggest problem with the game has to do with what I like the most about the game, ironically. This would be the option to play using your own music. At first, I thought they had removed this feature, because the first song I uploaded (which had a strong drum beat) wouldn’t work. Whenever I pressed play, no orbs popped up for me to punch. I tried another song, and thankfully it worked (although the timing was a bit off). This leads me to believe that if you want a fun workout, you need to upload a song with a specific beat that BOXVR will register. This isn’t a big deal, but it can be frustrating if your favorite songs aren’t compatible. All things considered, BOXVR is still a great game for those who want to sneak in a bit of exercise without their mind realizing it. If you can ignore the glitches, then you’ll likely have a blast practicing your boxing skills and burning as many calories as your virtually gloved hands possibly can. And if you’re lucky, you can do it all to your favorite compatible jams! BOXVR is available on Viveport or as part of Viveport Subscription.
  20. Viveport Review: Storm VR This outstanding experience is dulled by its short length and limited gameplay. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content The premise for Storm VR had me hooked from the start. Players drop into the middle of a snow storm, where they’ll need to hurry to find shelter, food, and survive the harsh weather. It’s a game that focuses heavily on time management and puzzle solving. While the puzzles aren’t overly hard to complete, doing this while trying to fight back the cold can feel overwhelming at first. My biggest disappointment with Storm VR, though, is the fact that the game doesn’t have much to offer, and the experience comes across as more of a demo than the episodic series it is aiming to be. One of the greatest things about Storm VR is the overall look. Despite the fact that you’re surrounded by sheer white most of the time, the visuals are definitely something worth praising. Interacting with things can be a bit wonky at times, but that’s something most virtual reality games have issues with. On that note, players move around using a teleport function, and you can lean in and out as you need to using the room-scale features available on the HTC Vive. When it comes to overall gameplay, though, Storm VR leaves a bit to be desired. As I stated above, the game is mostly about solving puzzles, which when completed give you access to safe places you need in order to survive. The puzzles aren’t tough, but dealing with the time management may be tricky for some players who aren’t used to battling the clock. As you explore and get colder—you can see the current temperature on your watch—your character begins to mumble, and their hands start to freeze and grow less responsive. It’s a frightening thing that feels authentic as you try to solve the puzzles and explore the small area. Length is a big issue, however, and while the game is pretty and offers an interesting look at survival, it’ll take most players three to five minutes to complete, which is short for a virtual reality experience. It’s may be easy to overlook this, though, as the game acts as the first episode of a series that the developers have planned. There’s also no reason to replay the game after you beat it, since you can only progress one specific way. If you can get past the length, though, and can enjoy the work that the developers have put into the game, then Storm VR promises much more in its future installments, which are set to come sometime in the future. It will be interesting to see where the developers go from here, and I’ll be intrigued to see how the Storm VR evolves over time. Storm VR is available on Viveport or as part of Viveport Subscription.
  21. Viveport Review: Overview VR Orbital View’s outer space experience feels authentic and awe-inspiring, but is ultimately lacking. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content The exploration of space has inspired millions to look up beyond the Earth in search of answers. For those interested in taking a step closer to the stars, virtual reality is a nice gateway to learning more about the planets and heavenly bodies that surround us. The latest app to focus on this idea is Overview VR. Created by Orbital Views and based on information gathered from NASA and the European Space Agency, Overview VR strives to be the most accurate representation of our solar system available for VR headsets. It’s an impressive application, and it has some beautiful images of both the planets and the Milky Way. The main gist of Overview VR is a 30-minute educational tour of the solar system. It’s pretty basic information that most adults interested in space probably know, but if you’re just getting into the whole ‘space’ thing, then it has a good bit of starter info to get a grasp on. Even if you already know the info, it’s still worth a play through because it brings the solar system to life quite brilliantly. Once you’re done with the main point, it’s time to move on to the ‘Explore’ mode, which allows you to explore the solar system in two different manners. The first manner, called Sagan mode (named after American astronomer Carl Edward Sagan) allows you to zoom out from the Earth and beyond the Milky Way. You can’t get very close to planets, though, which means you’ll see things from a birds-eye perspective. The second mode, called Newton Mode (named after Isaac Newton) allows you to zoom in more on the planets and other heavenly bodies, but it’s focused only on the solar system, which means you won’t see as much outside of the Milky Way as you will in Sagan mode. It’s still a good way to look through the various planets and moons in the solar system, and the sheer amount of detail in the images is awe-inspiring. I wish there was more interactivity with the experience. While you can zoom in on some of the planets, there’s not much else to do. This means you don’t quite get to experience things—at least not in my opinion—and I’d love to see more come out of the experience in the future. Of course, they do have some more modes planned, so we’ll just have to wait and see what else Orbital Views has in store. Overview VR is available on Viveport or as part of Viveport Subscription.
  22. Viveport Review: Glaive Battle creatures of the dark in this addicting and challenging wave-based survival game. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content Glaive is a simple kind of game where you stand in the middle of a massive arena bathed in darkness. The goal? Throw a frisbee-like device at enemies before they go in for the kill. It’s similar to the weapon in the 1983 action movie, Krull. Despite the game’s simplicity, Glaive is one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve ever had in virtual reality. Find out why this title is a must play! Bottom line, it’s all about the combat! Using your weapon is similar to throwing a frisbee, and it’s all in the wrist as you mow down the game’s monsters; some waves result in new baddies to take down, with massive bug-like creatures eventually joining the fray. Your weapon acts similar to a boomerang. You throw it by flicking your wrist and pressing the trigger, and it flies outwards in an arc, slicing through enemies. When you’re ready to pull the weapon back, simply hold out your hand and pull the trigger once more. The fun trick here is that you can hold out your hand in a direction opposite of where you threw the weapon, which causes it to fly back to you in a different direction, allowing you to pull off trick shots or just chain attacks together. This is what I found so addicting about the game. As I played through wave after wave, I was lost in trying to achieve cool attacks that let me take down enemies efficiently. Before I knew it, I’d spent around three hours just grinding away at enemies, trying to come up with cool new ways to slaughter them. In all, Glaive is not a unique experience, but that doesn’t change my opinion that it offers a fun and mindless way to get lost in virtual reality. It’s worth checking out if you enjoy wave-based survival games, especially if you’re looking for something that doesn’t rely on guns to get the job done. Grab your virtual glaive and come out flicking! Glaive is available on Viveport and as part of Viveport Subscription.
  23. Five VR Apps to Help You Relax Escape the real world and explore virtual reality with these five relaxing VR experiences, available on Viveport. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content Whether you’ve spent the day buried in paperwork at the office, or you’re enjoying a nice day away from work, sometimes you just need to take a step back and relax. If you’re looking for a way to relax while still enjoying new worlds and experiences, then virtual reality is a great way to take a trip without all the added expenses. There are a ton of applications out there that will transport you to distance places, all without making you worry about high scores or multipliers. To help you find your way, I’ve put together a list of five of my favorite VR apps to relax to, all of which are available on Viveport. theBlu Hailed as one of the most iconic VR experiences at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016, Wevr’s theBlu is one of my absolute favorite experiences to sit back in and just relax. Made up of a series of episodes, theBlu transports users to the bottom of the ocean, where they’ll get to experience the beauty of the ocean’s deepest parts. Sea creatures of all shapes and sizes swirl around you as you slow down time, capture images and more in this beautiful and relaxing experience. theBlu is available on Viveport, and as part of Viveport Subscription. theBlu: Whale Encounter, a free demo version, is also available. The Grand Canyon VR Experience I’ve always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, and while I haven’t made the trip out west just yet, Immersive Entertainment’s attempt at bringing the beautiful canyon to life in an exceptional experience has not gone unnoticed. Step into a canoe and take a beautiful and epic journey through the heart of the Grand Canyon as you explore the vast and beautiful river that flows through the heart of one of America’s greatest tourist sites. It’s a relaxing and immersive experience that still gives you some level of interaction, while also allowing you to just sit back and enjoy yourself. The Grand Canyon VR Experience is available on Viveport, and as part of Viveport Subscription. Colosse If you’re looking for more of an interactive yet cinematic experience, then I’d highly recommend Colosse. Developed by Fire Panda Ltd., Colosse tells the beautiful story of the long-lost Great Spirits in a story that explores power, respect, and fear. Developed as a real-time interactive story, the viewer helps to shape the narrative, giving them a first-hand look into the tale that is being spun. It’s a beautiful experience that isn’t easily forgotten and is great for relaxing at the end of a long day. Colosse is available for free on Viveport. Naturallandscape – GuilinLandscape Created using satellite data, Naturallandscape – GuilinLandscape is a beautiful recreation (in Unreal Engine - it's not a video!) of the Lijiang River, which flows from Guilin to Yangshuo County in China. Composed of a simple journey down the river, Naturallandscape is a great way to just sit back and relax as you explore the beautiful Chinese countryside. It’s an exceptionally well-put-together experience that lets you explore the river from the comfort of a speed boat, bamboo raft, or a yacht. If you’re looking to explore some of the more rural areas of the world while you relax, then Naturallandscapes is a good place to start. Naturallandscape – GuilinLandscape is available on Viveport and as part of Viveport Subscription. Nature Treks VR There is a lot to love about Nature Treks VR, and honestly, it’s probably my favorite application to just dive into after a long day at the office. Not only are there an assortment of different places to explore, but you can also directly take control of the world, growing it along the way. It’s a beautiful and serene experience that’s easy to just get lost in for hours. If you wish to relax but still want to have something to do with your hands, then Nature Treks VR is probably the best app I can recommend for the job. Nature Treks VR is available on Viveport and in Viveport Subscription. If you’re looking for something in virtual reality to help you relax, then this list is a great place to start. Of course, there are still a ton of other great applications available on Viveport, so make sure you take some time to review the catalogue to see what other experiences are out there for you to enjoy and get lost within. All of the titles covered in this article are available through Viveport.
  24. Viveport Review: Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR Step into the future and experience hands down the best table tennis game for the HTC Vive. By Desmond Madison, Greenlit Content In an all-robotic future after two millennia of fighting, the ultimate sport of table tennis has evolved into the peace-keeping Racket Fury Tournament, which also represents the best cyber-simulation of ping pong to date. Do you have what it takes to keep the peace in the Crown Galaxy by dominating lesser beings along with your team of cyber-champions from the Division of Steel? Game on, human! All of that, of course, sounds ridiculous. The absurd premise of why these robots are playing table tennis, however, is completely beside the point. Racket Fury is hands-down the best digital representation of the sport in virtual reality. Be sure to crank up the haptic feedback in the settings menu and prepare to feel the ball as it clicks and clocks across the table against some of the most sophisticated physics and A.I. in the genre. In single player, there are two modes to choose from – Full Simulation and Arcade, which will allow you to lean towards a more realistic physical experience or a more enhanced and exaggerated version like you’d play in an arcade. Throughout the single player experience, you’ll be up against 16 opponents that will get progressively more difficult while also having their own temperament and play style, all based on some sophisticated performance capture from several of the real world’s best table tennis professionals. The level of shine and polish on the game stands out in its handling and visual presentation. Every robotic opponent sparkles with a fresh coat of metal and their pacing never slows down to go easy on you. If you’ve ever played ping pong in real life, your muscle memory for the rhythm of the game will kick in instantly as you adjust to returning the ball to your mechanical adversary across the table. Few game experiences can feel as seamless as this, and it’s fair to say that playing in VR will inversely also prepare your reflexes to be a better player in reality as well. The physics and the sensation of the sport is incredibly well represented here, even if it does carry an unrealistically sci-fi theme. Some additional customization features are a nice touch, allowing you to reposition and turn the table any way you like and adjust the color of the ball, spin, light trails, and power shots as well. There’s also a workshop that allows you to custom build the aesthetic of your own machine with any of the cash that you earn by playing either the single player campaign or the multiplayer mode online. You’ll also find an incredibly useful practice mode that allows you to tweak the A.I. to monstrous proportions, prepping your reflexes for the absolute hardest the game has to throw at you. In all, while it may have an incredibly silly sci-premise for such a realistic table tennis game, this is still the most impressively lifelike representations of ping pong in the medium. Developer 10Ants Hill has set a new standard in the genre, and you don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate the level of realism achieved in recreating a sport with as much subtlety and speed in its back and forth as Racket Fury does within seconds of picking up a virtual paddle. Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR is available on Viveport or as part of Viveport Subscription.
  25. Viveport Review: A Story of Distress This rogue-lite VR experience feels nice, but ultimately falls short with subpar audio design, voice acting, and gameplay. By Joshua Hawkins, Greenlit Content I wanted to love A Story of Distress. As a huge fan of rogue-lites, A Story of Distress felt like the perfect combination of rogue-lite meets dungeon crawler. However, the game’s cutscenes and voice acting leave a lot to be desired, and the overall gameplay loop and combat is less than perfect. Gameplay in A Story of Distress involves sneaking around town to try to find out who killed your brother. It’s a noble cause, I suppose, and overall the story wasn’t a huge issue that I had. However, the cutscenes leading up to the gameplay and the game’s overall voice-over quality are features worth taking into account. The voice acting isn’t that great, but it’s something that can typically be overlooked if the gameplay itself is good enough. Unfortunately, A Story of Distress doesn’t really offer gameplay that lives up to the standards needed to be so forgiving. After going through all the cutscenes—you can skip a good bit of them if you want to, thankfully—you’re let loose upon the town and tasked with finding the men that killed your brother. It’s a perfectly fine MacGuffin to get things moving, but the gameplay loop as you move through the town—hiding your dagger, pulling it out, murdering someone, and then repeating—isn’t really that endearing, and it grows boring rather quickly. Now, I understand that the nature of rogue-lites is to create an experience that builds off doing the same things over and over again. However, throughout my time with A Story of Distress, I never really got the same feeling of progression that I ever got with any rogue-lites I’ve played in the past. Combat in the game was another sore point, as it came down to simply walking up behind enemies and stabbing them in the back. Sometimes they’d die immediately, other times they’d somehow realize you were behind them and turn around, leading to a constant series of mindless jabs to take them down. There’s no skill or challenge involved here, which made things feel even less entertaining. On top of the combat issues, the AI of the villagers is very hit and miss. Sometimes they’ll run from you when you commit a murder, but oftentimes they just stand there, oblivious to the fact that you just killed someone less than a foot away from them. This breaks the immersion of the experience altogether, making it hard to justify diving deeper into the game. Like I said before, I really wanted to like A Story of Distress. The idea behind the game seems good on paper, but in practice, it’s very lacking compared to other titles that offer the same kind of experience. The graphics aren’t the worst, and the details throughout the town are nice, but wonky combat, quirky AI issues, and a lack of any real challenge bring the story grinding to a halt before it even really gets off the ground. If you can look past that, though, there’s a little bit of a gem hidden beneath the rough. A Story of Distress is available on Viveport or as part of Viveport Subscription
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