During our last VR Game Roundup, there were several intriguing releases featured including quite a few ports, a sushi chef simulator, and a game that let you become a giant ape as if you were King Kong. This week’s VR Game Roundup is also filled with intriguing titles. There is Reach Shoulder Health, which is meant to help lessen shoulder pain, several rhythm games, and even a free fitness mini game collection. There are several worthwhile virtual reality games this week, so check them out!
Groove Balls
Kicking off this week’s VR Game Roundup is Groove Balls, which is a rhythm game that has you wielding beams and hitting balls that fly at you to the beat of the music that plays. It has custom music support, so you can play it with any songs. As you can see from the video above, graphically this is not a technical showcase as it is on the simple side.
Fitness Potential
This will definitely force you to work out your arms but with lacking production value, you’d be better off buying a known quantity like Beat Saber for a little bit more money. With so many great rhythm games in VR, it’s hard to recommend something like Groove Balls.
Developer and Publisher: Yolopia Ltd
Release Date: July 16, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Rift
Price: $19.99
Link: Steam, Oculus Store
Move It Up
Finally out after a free demo released a bit ago on Steam (so feel free to check it out for yourself), Move It Up is a dancing game that has players using two glow sticks to destroy color-based balls that fly at them. The game has two modes: survival and battle. Survival has the rhythm constantly rising from 110 beats per minute to 180 beats per minute, so the game becomes more difficult. Meanwhile, battle mode has the player competing against an opponent. There are only 16 original pieces of music in the game but a random level generator helps keep it fresh.
Fitness Potential
Throw this into the long list of quality rhythm games on virtual reality systems. This has a few unique twists, such as the survival and battle mode, so if you don’t mind the original soundtrack it could be worth picking up. It looks to be a solid arm workout, and the free demo means you can check it out today without paying a dime.
Developer and Publisher: Bomding Technology
Release Date: July 17, 2020
Compatible With: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
Price: $14.99
Link: Steam
Golf Pool VR
Certainly one of the most unique sport releases, Golf Pool VR does exactly what the name suggests by combining putting with playing 8-ball pool. There’s a variety of environments ranging from the moon to a futuristic police state. The game features competitive play against either the computer or other players. The game is currently in Early Access and it will get an extra game mode later in development in addition to 10 single player arcade stages.
Fitness Potential
Neither golf or pool is the most physically demanding sport, so don’t expect much here. You will be moving your arms a bit, but this won’t be at a high enough pace to burn a significant amount of calories. As cool as it is, this isn’t a great fitness game.
Developer and Publisher: LastnOni / Frozen Dreams
Release Date: July 16, 2020
Compatible With: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality.
Price: $10.39 ($12.99)
Link: Steam
Crisis VRigade 2
As astute readers of the VR Game Roundup already know, Crisis VRigade 2 previously came out on Steam for every major PC headeset. Now it has been ported over to PlayStation VR for even more players to enjoy its old-school arcade shooting. As the name suggests, this is essentially Time Crisis in virtual reality, and while there isn’t a pedal to use, virtual reality makes it even more active. This version works with the PSVR Aim Controller and features additional levels, weapons, difficulty, and action than the first game.
Fitness Potential
Shooters typically aren’t the most active virtual reality titles (boxing and rhythm games are) and that holds true here. However, you will get a workout in by moving around and ducking for cover. It has a Yur.fit rating of 3.2 calories burned per minute, which makes it similar to using an elliptical. So, you will still be able to get lean while playing this game and drop some pounds.
Developer and Publisher: Sumalab Digital S.L.N.E.
Release Date: July 14, 2020
Compatible With: PlayStation VR (previously on Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality)
Price: $19.99
Link: PlayStation Store
Reach Shoulder Health
Shoulder soreness and issues are a common issue. Thankfully, Reach Shoulder Strength addresses it by giving the player a virtual reality experience that identifies your shoulder limitations and has you doing specific movement patterns that will help you out. The current game has you catch fireflies and provides an analysis of your shoulder movement. Even more releases will come in the future that will help lessen shoulder pain.
Fitness Potential
While this isn’t really a game to help you lose weight, it will help rehabilitate and strengthen your shoulders. So for its specific purpose, it’s a home run. If you are having shoulder pain then this should be picked up as a small investment can help improve your quality of life longterm. It only takes five minutes each day to play and lessen shoulder pain, so anyone can fit it in to their busy schedule.
Developer and Publisher: Triad Labs Inc.
Release Date: July 16, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Rift
Price: $19.99
Link: Oculus Store
Groove Fit Kingdom!
It’s always nice when there is a free fitness game coming out and Groove Fit Kingdom! meets that description. This mini game collection includes three workout-inspired experiences in it that each come with three different difficulty levels. A calorie tracker is also included, so you will know how much energy you are using in the game. One has the player throwing boxing combinations, another has you dodging bullets, and the final one is getting to play tennis. Additional games will be added in the future.
Fitness Potential
Each mini game has you moving and staying active. The cute art style is perfect for younger players and the free price point makes it appealing to all. If you have a HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, this is worth downloading and giving it a whirl. This is a fun way to stay fit without committing to an intense workout.
Developer and Publisher: Ima Create Co., Ltd.
Release Date: July 17, 2020
Compatible With: HTC Vive and Oculus Rift
Price: Free
Link: Steam
Arrows
Finishing off this week’s VR Game Roundup is Arrows, a colorful tower defense game based around archery. You’ll defend villages against everything from vikings to ninjas and there are strong enemies like giant trolls and golems that will take plenty of damage. You’ll get to teleport around the map and even use a cannon sometimes. There are three difficulties, over 30 enemy types, 27 levels, and a high score to keep you coming back.
Fitness Potential
Archery titles always provide a good arm workout and this is no different. This has a great art style and a lot of charm, so it’s great for players of all ages. There is a ton of replayability due to the difficulty levels and the sheer amount of levels, so this won’t be a game you put down quickly.
Developer and Publisher: Aura Studios
Release Date: July 16, 2020
Compatible With: Oculus Rift
Price: $12.99
Link: Oculus Store
