6 PlayStation VR Games Worth Buying

It's been close to a decade since the PlayStation VR was released. Every week new VR games hit the PlayStation Store during the PS4 era, providing new, unique experiences.

Just like with any device, some games are better than others. So, I decided to go ahead and take a look at the best games available for PlayStation VR that didn't get the spotlight they deserved.

Before we start, I decided to impose a rule on this: the game has to require PlayStation VR to play.

So while Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is a fantastic game that I would highly suggest any PSVR owner to own, and Megaton Rainfall is a surprisingly fun Superman game, you can play them without PSVR, so they wouldn't make the list.

Statik

If you're going to start, start with the best I suppose. Statik is not only the best PSVR game I've played, but one that is incredibly inventive. This puzzle game has you hold a box that reacts in different ways to every single button on the DualShock controller. Each level you're given a new box and your goal is to solve the puzzle tying your hands together.

It sounds simple, but each puzzle quickly gets more complicated than the last. You'll be controlling RV cars, watching security feeds, scanning posters, and more. I found myself approaching each puzzle having to learn what sort of mechanics would be the focus this time and adapting to use them. I was always impressed with just how good most of these puzzles were, and I never once felt like I was being tricked or getting stuck with some dumb "trial and error" puzzle.

In addition to this, Statik has an interesting sense of style. The whole "sterile testing chamber" vibe is used well and reminded me quite a bit of Portal. Some great voice acting from the doctor who oversees each test is combined with clever and funny writing. By the end of Statik I was completely blown away by how much I enjoyed the game, and it was a really great example back in 2017 for VR puzzle games to build off of.

In our Statik review back in 2017 we gave the game a 9.5 out of 10 and called it a "mind-bending" adventure that "takes full advantage of VR".

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

It's Skyrim! In VR!

Okay I know. You've played Skyrim before and its been ported everywhere. That's fine, I get it. If you never really liked the game to begin with, then I doubt The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR will do much to change your mind.

If you did, however, then you're in for a real treat and you probably didn't think the RPG could be as good as it is in VR. This is the entirety of Skyrim in VR, and that alone is already rather impressive.

So how does VR change the game? Well for starters it's one hell of an immersive experience. Skyrim already had a lovely world worth exploring, as it was a game that really liked to take you off the beaten path.

Skyrim VR is the same of course, but there's a world of difference in exploring a world with VR instead of just seeing it on your TV. It's really one of the big advantages of VR, and I can't believe how immersed I could get into the sprawling open world and its story.

It also helps that VR improves the combat. There's a big gap difference between getting to actually swing a sword around or casting spells in two different directions with your hands instead of just pressing a button.

Sure, it's not like the entire system has been reworked, but it's a lot more fun in the long run.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for just being able to swing a sword and watch it happen in real time and Skyrim in VR offers an incredibly fun way to do just that in one of the most recognisable and lauded open-worlds ever made.

In our The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim VR review we gave the open-world RPG a 8 out of 10, praising its immersion and how it is able to let you explore stunning vistas.

Darknet

You got puzzle in my RTS! You got RTS in my puzzle!

Darknet is a hacking game where you'll be breaking into security systems all over the world. You do this by attacking nodes and taking them over so you can attack more nodes to take more nodes over, and on it goes.

In a way it almost plays like an RTS. You can deploy viruses to travel along nodes, which can instantly capture undefended nodes or take out firewalls. The combination of elements actually work really well together.

Thanks to the randomized levels, Darknet has tons of content that I could play for hours. The puzzle game could easily keep me hooked, and introducing new elements like shielded nodes and white hat hackers made sure I was never bored.

As I played levels, I could earn points that could be spent on new abilities and tools. This gave me more options to hack more places faster, and soon I felt like I could break into anywhere.

Along the way I also got to read embarrassing text messages and weird emails from corporations and CEOs that probably should have stayed as drafts.

If you're looking for one of the best puzzle experiences on PSVR, Darknet is one fantastic choice on top of Statik.

In our Darknet review from 2017 we gave the VR title a 9 out of 10 praising its style, how it introduces new elements, and its VR accessibility options. 

Farpoint

Let's be honest: at some point or another you imagined yourself inside of an FPS, dodging enemy attacks while blowing those same enemies away with your rifle or shotgun. It's okay, we've all been there. Then one day I played Farpoint, and for the first time I really was there.

It's hard to describe just how amazing it feels to run around and shoot things here. The way Farpoint manages to nail down the basics of moving and aiming should be a lesson for all other full first person shooters that make their way to VR. Aiming down the sight of my rifle to blow away giant spiders or alien troopers was always a thrilling experience.

Each weapon I found felt unique, and testing out the ways they could be utilized was always entertaining.

In addition to this, Farpoint contains some surprisingly interesting characters that I found myself caring about throughout its runtime. Between levels I got to learn the story of two astronauts trapped on the same planet and trying to survive.

Feeling like someone stuck The Martian between my Doom levels, I was rooting for these two characters to make it, and learning what happened to them was a story I found myself invested in. Also, listening to two people awkwardly sing Del Amitri songs to each other to try to stay sane is quite fun.

Plus, it's the first VR FPS that I played that let me actually shoot myself, so that's something.

Overall it is a fantastic FPS and in our Farpoint review we said the game "succeeds in bringing first person shooters into VR with some fast gameplay and smart use of controls." We gave it a 8 out of 10.

Superhot VR

If Farpoint was the first VR FPS that lived up to my expectations the genre could be in VR, Superhot VR is the second. While Farpoint made me feel like I was inside of an FPS, Superhot VR made me feel like I was inside of an action movie.

Your goal is simply to just use whatever weapons are in reach of you to kill all of the red enemies in each level. The twist? Time only moves when you move.

As soon as you turn your gun to face an enemy, they'll move with you. Because of this you'll have to plan ahead and inspect the environment, trying to figure out the best time to pull the triggers on those double pistols you're holding while spinning in a circle like you're John Woo or something.

At every point in Superhot VR I found I was comparing myself to action heroes and quoting action movies. If I dodged a bullet? Without fail I'd find myself saying "Woah" like I'm Keanu Reeves.

I couldn't point a handgun at a helpless enemy without stopping myself from breaking into Samuel L. Jackson's famous bible quote from Pulp Fiction.

Once I finished a level, I found myself blowing imaginary smoke from my gun as if I was in a western. The feeling of being able to find all these unique and cool looking ways to fight enemies was all I needed to keep me playing.

Plus, it's the second VR FPS that I played that let me actually shoot myself. We awarded the VR version a 8.5 in our Superhot VR review.

By this point, Superhot is a well known modern classic and its sequel, Superhot Mind Control Delete is just as good. In fact we gave it a 9 out of 10 in our Superhot Mind Control Delete review

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin

Like many, I really enjoyed Psychonauts. But, ahead of Psychonauts 2 coming out, Double Fine released a little bonus experience on PlayStation VR: Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin.

This time around the game is a first person puzzle game. You'll play as Raz, but he'll have to use his psychic powers to jump through people's minds to move around.

In addition to this, he'll be able to knock things around with blasts, move things with telekinetic abilities, and even light things on fire with pyromancy. Each power is fun to use, and trying to find strange ways you can use them to interact with the environment is always a joy.

More important than this, however, is that the game keeps up the fun personalities of everyone involved. I enjoyed watching the characters interact, from Milla's fun and bubbily personality that hides a tragic past, to Sasha's weird monotone and desire for everything to be clean.

Each character feels just as creative and wonderful as they did back in the original game. It wasn't long before I once again found myself totally sucked into the world of Psychonauts and in love with the charm.

In our Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin review we gave the game a solid 8 out of 10.

Of course I can't include every game I enjoyed here. Titles like Doom VFR, Archangel, Raw Data, The Lost Bear, DreamWorks Voltron VR Chronicles, and Manifest 99 all are worth playing for some reason or another. I just believe those six games above are the ones you should absolutely look forward to if you are a PlayStation VR fan.

This post was originally published in 2018 as part of our Raptor 6 series. It's been republished to have better formatting and images.