As we step further into the realm of virtual reality, what was once a rapidly spinning novelty has matured into a robust medium, refusing to slow down in its quest for evolution. It has been almost a decade, and rather than fading away, VR continues to expand its horizons, reshaping gaming, creativity, and social connectivity in both minor tweaks and significant leaps.
This year, 2024 stands out as a landmark in the VR timeline, where the potential we’ve been promised is coming to the forefront, becoming increasingly undeniable. It’s not just about the boost in ‘AAA’ game titles—though that does add plenty of excitement. This year brought forth a myriad of eagerly awaited releases and daring indie ventures, each shining a light on VR’s viability not just as a niche interest but as a profitable venture for both creators and gamers.
The unique characteristic of 2024 is the heightened focus on enhancement and polish. Developers are harnessing the knowledge amassed over past years to usher VR into a period characterized by greater ease, deeper engagement, and broader access. Whether it’s through pioneering mechanics, unforgettable stories, or stunning visuals that captivate your senses, this year has been full of triumphs, with more promising developments on the horizon.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the Road to VR’s 2024 Game of the Year Awards:
Skydance’s Behemoth
- Developer: Skydance Games
- Available On: Quest, PSVR 2, PC VR
- Release Date: December 5th, 2024
PC VR games carve out a distinctive niche. When you compare them with Quest, arguably the stand-alone VR leader, or PSVR 2, which cleverly optimizes the PS5, PC VR remains unrivaled in allowing users to extract every ounce of performance from their setups.
Visuals are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to immersion. It’s about crafting worlds players can instinctively understand, characters that resonate and feel real, soundscapes that ensnare your senses, and remarkable set pieces that leave a lasting impression. Few VR experiences manage to reach such immersive heights, and even fewer can match the enveloping atmosphere of Skydance’s Behemoth.
Given the track record of Skydance Games, specifically their earlier work with The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners (2020), it’s hardly surprising that Behemoth hits the nail on the head in terms of VR design. It builds upon the rich melee mechanics and the depth of world-building that we’ve come to expect following Saints & Sinners.
Right from the outset, even before you encounter your first Behemoth, the game masterfully draws you into its world, urging you to blend the skills you’ve acquired, whether climbing, swinging with a grappling hook, or precisely landing distant shots with your bow. When it comes to taking down enemies, the choice is yours: opt for one of the three Legendary weapons, worth upgrading in their own right, or try your hand with adversaries’ arsenal, ranging from katanas and throwable daggers to a hefty buster sword with real heft and force.
Behemoth encompasses much of what makes VR such an exhilarating medium, earning it our top spot for this year’s PC VR accolade and securing a spot on our must-experience list. Catch a deeper look in our comprehensive review—spoiler-free, of course.
Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Developer: Camouflaj
- Publisher: Oculus Studios / Meta
- Available On: Quest
- Release Date: October 21st, 2024
Batman: Arkham Shadow is the kind of game that defies expectations. Reviving a franchise dormant for almost a decade was a bold move. Despite not originating from the studios that crafted the beloved classics and necessitating a revamp of well-established gameplay concepts for VR, it emerged against all odds. Camouflaj has done more than revive a legacy; they’ve crafted something remarkable enough to earn the distinction of Quest Game of the Year for 2024.
Camouflaj’s approach wasn’t about simply transplanting an Arkham game to VR. Instead, they skillfully identified what gives the Arkham games their distinct flavor and then replaced much of the existing mechanics with those tailored to VR, keeping true to the franchise’s spirit.
Rethinking everything for VR was no small feat, especially when it came to the series’ hallmark combat. This combat sees Batman effortlessly managing rooms full of foes, a dance of precision and agility that blends boxing with ninja-like dexterity—defeating one adversary while staving off another until victory is achieved.
Their innovative answer integrated movement with hand motions, allowing players to dash towards enemies with a fist swipe. This mechanic underpins the exhilarating combat that—true to Arkham style—grows incrementally more intricate. Soon enough, you’ll feel like you could take down an entire rogue’s gallery.
I could elaborate further on the design challenges faced—actually, I already have in some detail! But ultimately, Batman: Arkham Shadow stands out as one of Quest’s premier titles to date.
Metro Awakening
- Developer: Vertigo Games
- Available On: PSVR 2, Quest, PC VR
- Release Date: November 7th, 2024
The Metro saga has long been synonymous with its immersive, dystopian environments, begging for a VR adaptation for years. In 2024, that prayer was answered.
Some might wonder why anyone would choose to enter a world as bleak as Metro Awakening via VR, considering the vast, unexplored potential of virtual reality. After all, we could be playing ‘Puppy Sim 2079’, right?
But it’s due to Vertigo Games’ extensive expertise in VR that this grim setting is surprisingly enjoyable. Much like Batman: Arkham Shadow, the developer successfully harnessed and translated the essence of what makes Metro feel true to itself—while also entirely redesigning it for VR.
Particularly noteworthy is the game’s arsenal of innovative weapons, which are particularly engrossing in VR. The crossbow, with its unique bolt cradle, and the shotgun, featuring its exposed drum magazine, are among the standout VR weapons in years. The designs don’t just look inspired but perfectly match the brand’s iconic jury-rigged arsenal vibes.
Simply put, these weapons are just plain fun to use. That satisfaction stems from facing adversaries that, while posing a formidable threat, can also be defeated with skill and timing. It’s immensely gratifying to eliminate a foe quietly from the shadows with a crossbow bolt. There’s an added rush knowing a miss could spell your doom unless you find quick cover.
The immersive design also extends to inventive game mechanics. The inventory system cleverly integrates into the VR world, avoiding gimmicks and focusing on naturally accessible items. With backpacks on each shoulder, one for weapons and another for essential gear like grenades and gas-mask cartridges, the experience is intuitive. Unlike similar systems in other games, items remain life-sized, furthering the authenticity and immersion.
The ambient noises add to the atmosphere, instilling a sense of unease that keeps players vigilant, always expecting something might lurk just out of sight.
Starship Home
- Developer: Creature
- Available On: Quest 3, Quest 3S
- Release Date: September 26th, 2024
Though we’re still far from the day when VR headsets like Quest 3 will perfectly ‘understand’ your surroundings, which arguably keeps mixed reality from its full potential, there remains innovation that stretches its boundaries.
While many developers adopt MR for peripheral game modes or to enhance living room experiences, few have dived deep enough into its possibilities. This scarcity is why mixed reality games haven’t previously featured prominently in our Game of the Year Awards.
That changes now with Creature’s Starship Home. They didn’t just leverage MR’s capacity; they expanded it, presenting a game you’ll want to dive into on its merit alone.
In essence, Starship Home is a pivotal stride towards making MR indispensable, moving beyond being just a novelty.
The game’s delightful blend of starship management and sci-fi plant gardening stands shoulder-to-shoulder with VR’s past achievements while introducing MR’s unique benefits into the mix. Starship Home innovatively integrates module-based controls you can place around your room, creating the illusion of a real spacecraft. It’s so effective we anticipate more titles adopting this clever approach. Dive into our complete review for more insights into why Starship Home captured our hearts.
UNDERDOGS
- Developer: One Hamsa
- Available On: Quest. PC VR
- Release Date: January 25th, 2024
Our applause for Excellence in Locomotion and Excellence in Indie Development goes to UNDERDOGS. This latest from One Hamsa, a daring indie studio that has brought us uniquely captivating VR experiences before, continues its tradition of innovation.
It might seem ironic to recognize a studio that started with a game like Racket: Nx, which featured no active player locomotion, for a locomotion award. But when you pay attention, Racket: Nx’s design embraces this non-movement – creating a spherical arena that demands players to blend position and timing to score big.
In their latest endeavor, Underdogs, locomotion is deftly core to the gameplay. One Hamsa designed how players would move in this new game and then adeptly crafted its engaging gameplay around that design.
Many games employ ‘arm-based locomotion’; however, few do so as seamlessly as Underdogs. Players here control compact mechs that advance by pulling themselves forward. This movement, reminiscent of ice skating, adds a unique agility to the experience. The mech’s arms also double as weapons, housing saw blades that bring an exciting balance between movement and attack.
The game encourages you to charge at foes as a form of attack, encapsulating the feeling of a sumo wrestler tossing an opponent from the ring. It’s more than amusing; this collision feature enriches the VR experience, fostering a physical embodiment that few VR titles manage to replicate. As time progresses, you begin to feel the mech’s bulk and dexterity mimic your own, even though you’re essentially just a pilot within the game.
With its inventive locomotion and combat mechanics, Underdogs rightfully earns its place for both Excellence in Locomotion and Indie Development.
Blade & Sorcery
- Developer: Warpfrog
- Available On: PCVR, Quest
- Release Date: June 17th, 2024
Warpfrog’s singular creator ‘KospY’ could have let Blade & Sorcery ride the wave of early success, content with its status as a highly moddable, intensely visceral physics-based combat sandbox. When it first hit Steam Early Access in 2018, it captivated players with its intense combat and physics-driven gameplay, creating a viral success then and now.
However, instead of resting on its innate brilliance, the studio expanded to nearly 30 members, each committed to perfecting the game’s immersive combat while adding adventure-themed maps, weapons, powers, and a plethora of customized elements to offer cohesive, meaningful gameplay.
Blade & Sorcery always hinted at wanting a narrative stitch to its offerings—a shared world to hone those skills, a storyline to pursue, and advancement systems to engage with. With the monumental 1.0 update, Warpfrog finally delivers, culminating with the narrative-driven ‘Crystal Hunt’ mode.
Calling the game ‘complete’ doesn’t imply an end; it’s about cohesion—drawing together everything fans have loved. Though Warpfrog has ambitious plans, hinting at future titles leveraging the expertise gained, they’ve already accomplished something notable here. Kudos for delivering on promises and dreaming even bigger.
Trombone Champ: Unflattened!
- Developer: Flat2VR Studios, Holy Wow Studios
- Publisher: Flat2VR Studios
- Available On: Quest, PC VR, PSVR 2
- Release Date: November 26th, 2024
Trombone Champ made its mark with goofy yet captivating musical gameplay, sparking a social media frenzy post its 2022 Steam release.
Though not a VR-focused studio, Holy Wow Studios received critical help from Flat2VR, renowned for transforming 2D games into VR delights—marking its reputation with unofficial ports of iconic titles like Half-Life 2 and Doom.
Now recognized as a full-fledged studio, Flat2VR debuts official ports with Trombone Champ: Unflattened! It sets the stage for upcoming VR iterations like WRATH: Aeon of Ruin, Roboquest, and Flatout.
Porting from a native 2D format to VR wasn’t straightforward. Trombone Champ: Unflattened! reconstructed the original, allowing players to engage with a live audience using their hands to control the trombone slide. The charm of the original is enriched, introducing a tangible VR presence.
Everything about the new iteration hints at bright prospects for Flat2VR; it’s earned rave reviews across platforms, reflecting their adeptness in adapting games to VR. With expectations soaring for upcoming ports, this success anticipates wider acknowledgment of their top-tier porting capabilities.
Note: Road to VR’s Game of the Year Award candidates must be publicly available on or before December 20th, 2024, and must fully support the relevant platform to ensure seamless functionality.
