The Top VR Games of 2020
2020 was a huge year for VR. Besides major leaps in hardware, the software side of things saw explosive growth. It would be impossible to go over every single game worth your time and money but we’ll try and list the best of the best if you’ve got some Christmas cash to burn.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond – Respawn Entertainment – $60
The debut VR game from the studio that brought us Titanfall and Apex Legends revived a legendary shooter franchise – Medal of Honor – and returned it to the glory of its World War II roots. The game is not without problems, however. You’ll need extremely beefy hardware to run at full settings and the multiplayer doesn’t appear to be live yet as every server you join is full of bots.
I would argue though that we need more investment in VR from AAA studios and there isn’t enough wrong with MOH to make it worth skipping. Every game at launch has its flaws and the developers have been very quick to address the community’s concerns. With a little more time and community backing it’ll go from a game with a few quirks to a solid addition to any VR library.
Phasmophobia – Kinetic Games – $14
The sleeper-hit horror title has taken the gaming world by storm and smashed sales records on steam for an indie developer. This scare-packed ghost hunt is so unnerving that playing alone, while optional, is not advised. Teaming up with three other strangers to hunt down some very scary entities is the ultimate team-building exercise.
The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners – Skydance Interactive - $40
There isn’t much to say about TWD besides go play it. The blend of combat, exploration, and survival is blended perfectly and the Walking Dead franchise is the ideal vehicle for some of the best in class VR mechanics around. It’s simply a must-play.
Half-Life: Alyx – Valve – $60
Another must play and a game that should need no introduction; it’s likely the game that got you into a VR headset this year. The long-awaited return of the Half-Life franchise puts you in the shoes of Alyx Vance as she fights the combine occupation across City 17. Packed with classic Half-Life level design, top-notch visuals, and a healthy mod community this one is a no-brainer.
Contractors on Oculus Quest – Caveman Game Studio – $20
If you’re one of the many people likely picking up the Oculus Quest II this Christmas then definitely don’t sleep on the very excellent port of Contractors. What it lacks in visuals (remember, it’s running on basically the same hardware as a cell phone) it makes up for in playability. Nothing beats jumping in for a few rounds of what’s basically VR Counter-Strike.
Jurassic Park: Aftermath on Oculus Quest – Coatsink Software – $25
Picking up where the last Jurassic Park film left off you’ll be heading back to the dinosaur-infested island. Only problem is your plane crashes and you suddenly find yourself surrounded by all manner of deadly dinos. If you remember the kitchen scene from the original film that’s basically this game but stretched out over five hours.
While it’s a bit short for the price, the voice acting, visuals, and sound design are all top-notch. Players of Alien: Isolation will have flashbacks as they sneak around raptors and stuff themselves into lockers to avoid becoming lunch. Nothing quite beats the feeling of slamming a door right in a raptor’s face as it pounces for you.
Star Wars: Squadrons – EA – $40
The gaming world was begging for a VR version of Rogue Squadron and the gaming gods answered. You’ll step into the cockpit of legendary crafts of the Star Wars universe on both the republic and empire side. There’s a story campaign, multiplayer dogfighting, and deep ship customization to finely-tune your fighter for galactic domination.
Pistol Whip – Cloudhead Games – $25
While technically a 2019 release, Pistol Whip makes the 2020 list for its fantastic 2089 campaign. A VR standard, PW has you blasting bad guys to the rhythm like John Wick if he’d been a DJ instead of an assassin. The lovechild of Beat Saber and SuperHot has earned its stripes in the VR world and then some.
Like I said at the beginning, there are plenty more where that came from. Feel free to check out some of these other great release from this year and take my word for it – they’re worth your time.
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