Virtual reality has come a long way since the days of the Oculus Rift CV1, with its Touch motion controllers revolutionizing our interactions and immersing us deeper into strange new virtual worlds.
For a while now I’ve been reminiscing about all those classic gems that are just sitting buried in the depths of the Meta store; thinking how the introduction of motion controls at the time revolutionized immersive gaming, and wondering how many newcomers to the VR community know that these titles even exist? With that in mind, I time traveled back while scrolling through my Meta Link app’s library to find the games showcased here today.
If you’re a newcomer to VR gaming or just want to experience a bit of the nostalgia for those early days, and also see some of the classic titles that kickstarted the evolution of hand presence in VR gaming, then these five early gems have you covered.
The Unspoken
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The Unspoken, released by Insomniac Games on December 5, 2016, is an arena battle game that focuses on turning players into powerful spellcasters. Packed with an arsenal of different offensive and defensive spells, the game seamlessly merges its gesture-based control scheme into these highly immersive wizard battles, significantly enhancing immersion.
Playing The Unspoken makes you feel powerful when pulling off a perfect gesture combination just in the nick of time to blast an opponent out of existence and claim victory. While this might sound trivial in comparison to some similar experiences we have today, The Unspoken’s way of having you cast spells through a gesture-based system was new and fresh at the time. The fact that we were finally using hand-tracked controllers in a game this polished just made players feel like true sorcerers, almost like VR versions of Marvel’s Dr. Strange.
Wilson’s Heart
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Developed by Twisted Pixel Games and released on April 21, 2017, Wilson’s Heart captivated players with its film-noir-style black-and-white aesthetics, exceptional voice acting, and gripping narrative. The game places players in the shoes of Robert Wilson, a patient who wakes up in a run-down hospital to find he now has a removable cursed robotic heart that will become his weapon and means of continued survival. Featuring characters voiced by a cast of A-list actors such as Peter Weller, Rosario Dawson, and Alfred Molina, this immersive experience really comes alive and makes you feel like you’re a part of the unfolding story.
Solving puzzles, fighting off nightmarish creatures, and navigating creepy environments feels more realistic with the addition of hand presence here. The first time I ripped the mechanical heart from my in-game chest was visceral to the point that I swear I could almost feel it happening. Wilson’s Heart’s unique artistic direction emphasizes how VR can be used for deep, narrative-driven storytelling, and it set a high bar for other VR horror and thriller titles that came after. So, whether you’re new to VR gaming or are just looking for a truly unique VR experience, you really need to play this one.
Lone Echo
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Beginning with the first Lone Echo game in July 2017 and followed up by its sequel in October 2021, Ready at Dawn delivered a pair of amazing story-driven zero-gravity adventures for VR. Lone Echo and its sequel, Lone Echo II, put players into the role of Jack, an android working at the Kronos II Mining Platform floating within the stunning looking rings of Saturn. Along with Jack’s human counterpart, Liv, players set off on an adventure to save the station and solve the mysteries both inside the complex and unfolding in the space all around the looming gas giant.
It was praised for impeccable storytelling, immersive environments, and an innovative locomotion mechanic that relies heavily on the use of your hands. The amplified immersion gained by pulling your virtual body along the surfaces in the game’s environments sets the standard for how deeply immersive a polished narrative VR adventure game with great movement mechanics can be. Combined with stellar graphics and incredible sound design that still hold up even today, plus challenging gameplay, Ready at Dawn set a high bar for what we should expect in a well thought out narrative VR adventure game.
Robo Recall
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Released by Epic Games on March 1, 2017, Robo Recall offers an intense and visceral first-person shooter-style experience where players engage in combat against seemingly never-ending waves of rogue robots. This game was also brought to the Oculus Quest headset with a version titled Robo Recall: Unplugged that was released in May 2019, making this game the only one from our list to make the transition to standalone VR.
Known for pushing graphical boundaries, Epic Games created a visually stunning, fast-paced experience that puts a focus on fluid actions and fast decision-making. That lets you come up with creative ways to deal with the hordes of oncoming enemies coming at you from all sides. Robo Recall showcases the potential of VR for high-octane, arcade-style gameplay, and everything in it comes together so well, making it a must-play for VR enthusiasts even today.
Stormland
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On November 14, 2019, Insomniac Games, the developers behind other early iconic titles like Edge of Nowhere and The Unspoken, introduced us to Stormland. In this open-world VR game, you play as Vesper, an android gardener who awakens in a post-apocalyptic world with a goal of exploring and reclaiming the planet while uncovering the mysteries surrounding its missing population.
At a time when many games were typically linear, it was refreshing to find a VR experience where players are free to roam and explore large environments, while engaging in some resource collection and combat along the way. Insomniac’s attention to detail and creativity in Stormland’s gameplay really shines through, making it a unique and memorable VR experience even after all these years. The game’s expansive open world and locomotion mechanics set new standards for exploration in VR at the time, providing a template for future open-world VR titles to build upon.
All of these and many other amazing early VR titles are more than just games; they’re milestones in the history of VR that have paved the way for many of today’s advancements. Now that you know about these awesome games, strap on your headset, connect it to your gaming PC, and get ready to explore some timeless PC VR classics. Each one of these is a testament to the innovation and potential that continues to drive the VR gaming industry.
Do you have a personal favorite from the early days of VR gaming? If so, be sure to add to the conversation here or join our live show to let us know about it in the chat.
