There are new episodes of Full House, a Clinton is running for president, and virtual reality is the hottest new trend in tech. What year is it? It's true, virtual reality (VR) is back, but unlike the technology's more faddish incarnation in the 1990s, the VR headsets of today seem like they finally have the ability to make our escapist dreams come true. But don't take our word for it. Consumer editions of VR headsets are now starting to ship. Depending on when you pre-ordered, it may take some time for the hardware to reach you, but it is possible for anyone with enough cash and a powerful PC to dive into VR this very moment.
We've reviewed several VR headsets, and one of our favorites is the Oculus Rift£449.99 at Amazon UK, arguably the most prominent name in the space. An Oculus Rift isn't too different from a fancy video game console, and what good is a console without games to play on it? That's why we've also compiled this list of the coolest games you can play on your Oculus Rift right now.
Most of the software we've played on various development kit versions of the Rift over the years has been little more than tech demos, experiences proofing virtual reality as a concept rather than being full games in their own right. That's still the case now, even though the final consumer Rift has launched. VR is a whole new format and developers need time to create complete experiences for it. Plus, the user base needs to expand. It makes more sense to release a huge game once there are millions of people who can actually play it. The current Oculus Rift comes with an Xbox One£299.99 at Amazon UK controller, but later on consumers will also be able to pick up the motion-sensitive Touch controllers for even more immersive experiences, similar to rival VR headset the HTC Vive£1199.98 at Amazon UK. Most, if not all, of these games already run on both headsets.
The Oculus Rift's game library will only improve with time, but if you managed to snag a headset and are looking to abandon the real world for a virtual one this instant, here are some of the best options. And if these aren't enough, head over to the Oculus store to browse for even more VR experiences. Have your own trippy Oculus Rift story to share? Leave a comment below.
Adr1ft
Exploring outer space in virtual reality sounds like one of the most exciting uses of the technology. But Adr1ft throws in some introspection, too. You play as an amnesiac astronaut floating through the wreckage of an obliterated space station while trying to piece your life back together. It's basically an interactive version of the film Gravity. Strip away the sci-fi metaphor and it's also an autobiography for its creator Adam Orth, who felt similarly directionless after losing his job at Microsoft due to controversial statements on digital rights management.
Adventure Time: Magic Man's Head Games
Adventure Time is one of the best and most inventive cartoons in years. It also has a fondness for video game references. So, it's no surprise that an Adventure Time game has already made it onto the Oculus Rift. In Magic Man's Head Games, players explore the fantasy land of Ooo while trying to vanquish the villain messing with their heads. As you feel your own head get messed with in virtual reality, you really start to sympathize with Finn and Jake.
Chronos
Chronos's temporal take on the action role-playing game would be intriguing regardless of what platform it was on. Players start a quest to save the land from darkness. Each time you die, you are reborn a little bit older. Aging has its benefits. Gaining the wisdom necessary to cast powerful spells takes time. However, an old person can't run or punch quite as well as a young person. Experiencing this progression in virtual reality makes you feel like you are actually living a life slowly creeping towards its end.
EVE: Valkyrie
EVE: Online is a massively multiplayer online game that gives players so much freedom in how they want to live their space lives that they can become anything from the head of a player-run starship armada to a teller at a player-run bank. EVE's real-world history is so dizzyingly complex that there was recently a book published on one section of it. EVE: Valkyrie, unfortunately, doesn't hook you into the ongoing online social experiment that makes EVE so fascinating. Instead, it is a fast-paced sci-fi shooter that puts you in control of your own spaceship. On its own, it's a good use of virtual reality, just not the kind of virtual reality EVE is known for.
Farlands
Plenty of games eschew combat and competition in favor of simply plopping players in the middle of a playground. This can be an especially transcendent tactic in VR. Farlands lets you wander around in bizarre alien landscapes observing the creatures that live there. Slowly learning what types of food an alien likes and feeding it to them is satisfying and relaxing, and I'm not even a pet person.
The Foo Show
The Foo Show isn't quite a game, but it is a novel example of a new type of entertainment virtual reality can offer. This interactive talk show lets you explore a backstage version of a real video game while the host, former Tested.com editor Will Smith, interviews the developers right in front of you. The pilot episode features a chat with Campo Santo, the studio behind recent indie darling Firewatch, and lets you personally hike through the Wyoming wilderness that makes up the game's setting.
Lucky's Tale
Lucky's Tale actually comes bundled with every Oculus Rift, and in the grand tradition of pack-in games of old, it's a mascot platformer. Players control a cartoon fox named Lucky running and jumping across various levels trying to rescue his pet pig. Watching and guiding a separate character in third-person may not sound like the most immersive use of the Rift's capabilities, but experiencing a classic type of game in a new VR perspective is pretty unique.
Team Fortress 2
We know, Team Fortress 2 is almost a decade old at this point. And yes, ever since the game became free for everyone there aren't too many players left who haven't at least given it a shot. But playing Valve's cheeky, class-based, multiplayer first-person shooter in virtual reality makes the old game feel new again. Hopefully it's enough to tide you over until Half-Life 3.