Prior to E3 2017, I was only really excited about three PSVR games at the beginning of the year: Resident Evil 7, Psychonauts: The Rhombus of Ruin and Farpoint. For a while there wasn’t anything I was looking forward to and that made me worried about PSVR’s future. But now that E3 2017 is done and dusted I can honestly say those worries have been alleviated. While Sony had monster day one support for its headset, this new wave of PSVR games takes things to the next level. In fact, I am excited for a total of 25 games that will be released within the next year. From shooters that support the AIM controller, fleshed-out RPGs and support from big publishers like Square Enix, Bandai Namco and Bethesda, the PSVR is on track to build an impressive library. Take a look below at the huge variety of upcoming titles, with a short summary and trailer to hype you up for the next coming months.
- Superhot VR
Genre: First person shooter
Developer: SUPERHOT Team
Release: Q3 2017
It was finally revealed at E3 2017 that the revolutionary shooter from SUPERHOT team was finally coming to PlayStation VR. Originally released at the end of last year as an Oculus Rift game that was then brought over to Vive, it was one of the only VR games I was jealous of not having. With an instantly recognisable style and gameplay that revitalised the somewhat stagnant FPS genre, Superhot was a triumph in innovation. The VR version is built from the ground up and has certain exclusive modes. I am already #callinit as one of PSVR’s greatest games.
- Transference
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Developer: Ubisoft/ SpectreVision
Release: Q1 2018
Announced at Ubisoft’s E3 2017 press conference with involvement from Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods), Transference had a very cryptic trailer. It aims to blur the line between film and video games where players explore a digitally reconstructed memory of a troubled man. There appears to be environmental puzzle solving, maze escaping and surreal experiences aplenty. Nice.
- Raw Data
Genre: First-person shooter/hack and slash
Developer: Survios
Release: September 2017
Hailed as the best game on the Oculus Rift (and still in early access), Raw Data offers intense combat first-person combat in an awesome sci-fi setting. Choose your hero then utilise a whole array of weaponry including dual wield-pistols, katanas (which look like light sabers), bows, shotguns or even your fists as you progress through challenging missions solo or in co-op. There are also a wide variety of abilities like defying gravity, slowing down time and boomeranging your melee weapons. This game looks to take all the cool things you can do in VR and combines it into one badass experience.
- Inpatient
Genre: Psychological Horror
Developer: Sony Interactive Entertainment / Supermassive Games
Release: N/A
Set in a mental asylum in the 1950s, players assume the role of a patient who looks a couple of beers short of a six-pack. Players will meet a variety of interesting patients and staff, each with their own motivations. It has also been revealed to be a prequel to the fan-favourite Until Dawn, set 60 years before the events of that game. The game offers a similar choice-like system where you can react to certain characters in a number of ways offering branching paths and different reactions. Supermassive have already supported PSVR with Tumble VR and the excellent Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, and it looks like they’ll be keeping that good feeling going. The graphics look gorgeous and while there’s no release window yet, this is one PSVR exclusive to look out for.
- Archangel
Genre: On-rails first-person shooter
Developer: Skydance Interactive
Release: July 2017
Archangel promises to put players inside a massive mech suit and apparently features a story-driven campaign. Not too much is known about the title, but there’s been mention of an XP system and AI companions. Visually, the game looks stunning, and it will be a timed exclusive to PSVR owners this July.
- Moss
Genre: Action/Adventure/Puzzle
Developer: Polyarc
Release: N/A
Moss was a pleasant surprise announcement at Sony’s E3 2017 press conference. Created by Ex-Bungie and Rockstar developers, Moss attempts to win over players’ hearts with its colourful environments, light-hearted tone and lovable protagonist Quill. You control a sort of omnipresent being who must help Quill navigate environments, solve puzzles and defeat enemies from a third-person perspective. Influenced by The Legend of Zelda, you can interact with objects in the environments to help Quill. You can also reach out and pet Quill (awwww). Truly a unique and attention-grabbing title for PSVR.
- DOOM VFR
Genre: First person shooter
Developer: Bethesda / id Software
Release: Q4 2017
DOOM VFR was announced last year at E3 as a proof of concept. One year later and it’s been revealed as a full-fledged new entry in the long-running and well-respected shooter series at Bethesda’s E3 2017 press conference. While teleporting has been deemed a dirty term in the VR community, id Software seem to have created a very interesting implementation of the mechanic, where teleporting essentially slows down time. You can zip in the air, strafe to dodge enemies or get up close so you can see your enemies explode into pieces of flesh; it looks incredibly satisfying. The game has you playing as a maintenance android tasked to clean out all the demons in the Mars UAC facility. DOOM VFR is coming to PSVR as well as Vive towards the end of the year.
- Sparc
Genre: Sports
Developer: CCP Games
Release: Q3 2017
CCP Games could be considered the grandaddy of VR games, with EVE Valkyrie being one of the first and biggest titles across all the high-end VR platforms. Sparc is something a little different but looks very interesting. It’s basically a table tennis (pong) game with a twist. Players launch projectiles at their competitor who must dodge, block or deflect incoming attacks. Projectiles can also rebound off walls to create some very interesting scenarios. Sparc launches first for PSVR.
- Arizona Sunshine
Genre: First-person zombie shooter
Developer: Vertigo Games
Release: 27 June 2017
Arizona Sunshine has been out on Vive and Oculus for a while, but it’s now coming to PSVR with AIM Controller support (something that PSVR fans desperately want). Set in the deserts of Arizona, players can freely explore while they fight to survive against hordes of zombies. While this sounds like a tired concept, being able to play a large-scale zombie shooter in VR is something PSVR owners don’t have. There is plenty of footage online so make sure you check it out.
- Theseus
Genre: Third-person action adventure
Developer: Forge Reply
Release: Q3 2017
This is one I am personally quite excited for. Third-person games can work really well in VR and I have always wanted a Shadow of Colossus-like game to showcase the huge scale in a VR environment. Enter Theseus. Players are stranded in a hostile and mysterious world hunted by a monstrous Minotaur and his minions. The game promises to have cinematic storytelling and there seems to be some great action-oriented elements like climbing and hack-and-slash throughout. Oh, and the game is influenced by Ico and Shadow of Collossus and even had Ueda himself enjoying the demo!
- Overturn
Genre: First-person action adventure/ shooter
Developer: YJM Games
Release: N/A
Overturn tries to do it all, with a combination of first-person shooting, action and puzzles, and a mysterious and action-packed story driving it all. The artistic style also looks like it has anime influences, which ought to work well in PSVR. Not much is known about the game but there are a few trailers lingering on the net. Equal parts bizarre and awesome, this is one to watch.
- Spiderman: Homecoming Experience
Genre: Hero experience
Developer: Sony Pictures Virtual Reality
Release: 30 June 2017
Based on the upcoming Spiderman: Homecoming film, this VR experience has you taking the role of your friendly neighborhood hero. You’ll be able to suit up, try out your web-slinging skills and swing high above New York city. It’s free for PSVR owners, so who’s complaining?
- Gunheart
Genre: First-person shooter
Developer: Drifter Entertainment
Release: Late 2017
Developed by ex-Gears of War and Robot Recall developers, Gunheart is a co-operative sci-fi first-person shooter where players in a team of three must fight their way through waves of monsters. The game has a Borderlands aesthetics and some interesting twists on teleportation and summoning weapons.
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
Genre: Open-world RPG
Developer: Bethesda
Release: November 2017
Skyrim in VR. What else do I need to say? While PSVR owners have been jealous of Vive owners due to the Fallout VR announcement at the last two E3s, Skyrim was an unexpected surprise at Sony’s press conference. This is no spinoff either, it is the full game including all DLC. Players can use move controllers to control each hand separately, so dual-wielding spells and swords should be a blast. You can physically draw bows too for that stealth archer build you accidentally make every time. While the move controllers only support teleportation movement, the game is being listed with Dualshock support for locomotion movement and we might even get voice-enabled dragon shouts. Some people claim that Skyrim is being milked to death, but people are still understandably excited for this one.
- Bravo Team
Genre: First-person cover-based shooter
Developer: Sony Interactive Entertainment/ Supermassive
Release: 2017
Sony didn’t just reveal one PSVR game from Supermassive, but two. The second is a cover-based co-op shooter set in Eastern Europe where you and your squad mates must eliminate enemies in the territory. While the name and premise does seem generic, being able to play a Time Crisis-style game with the AIM controller is tantalising. Players hide behind cover and can peak over to analyse the field and find paths to flank enemies. There is an emphasis on communication with your co-op partner.
- Dark Legion
Genre: First-person shooter
Developer: Ice World
Release Date: N/A
While this game comes off as a standard sci-fi shooter, players and enemies alike can also cast magic spells. There is also an interesting mechanic that ties faster movement to stamina, where players slide and consume stamina rather than magically teleporting. Another cool feature is manually reloading your weapons by picking up ammo clips. The game is currently on Steam and has been generally received warmly.
- Golem
Genre: First-person action adventure
Developer: Highwire Games
Release Date: N/A
Highwire is comprised of ex-veteran Bungie and Suckerpunch developers including Halo and Destiny composer Marty O’Donnell. In Golem, you assume the role of a bed-ridden child. Stuck in bed, the protagonist eventually gains an ability to control large stone creatures known as Golems and uses them to fight and explore a vast world. It promises to have some engaging hand-to-hand combat, deep exploration and a touching story. Golem was announced a long time ago but it is still one of the most anticipated titles for PSVR.
- Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fishing
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: September 2017
Can I just say while the trailer appeared to be silly at Sony’s E3 press conference, this looks way better than the Final Fantasy XV experience Sony showcased in 2016. Fishing was actually a cool side activity in Final Fantasy XV so this makes sense. While Noctis loves fishing, his pals don’t. Enter you, his new fishing friend. Players have a scanner in one hand to search for potential fish and use the other hand to cast the fishing rod. Once you get a bite you start reeling in! Some previews have described it to be surprisingly satisfying and while fishing makes total sense for VR, there aren’t any fishing games currently on PSVR. The developers also promise different locations, fish, monsters and even bosses. After a long day, you set up camp with Noctis’ crew and feast on your new catch. It’s a light-hearted, interesting twist on fishing and I’m on board.
- Ace Combat 7: Unknown Skies
Genre: Flight combat game
Developer: Bandai Namco
Release Date: 2018
VR support for the long-running flight series was announced a couple years ago but the game has gone through a couple of delays. While the VR mode is a separate mode, developers promise many hours of gameplay through the VR campaign. I got to try a demo build of the game earlier in the year and while it’s exhilarating, I was disappointed to find out there were no multiplayer options currently planned for VR owners. Still, a lot of people have been waiting for this one.
- Dino Frontier
Genre: Real-time strategy game
Developer: Uber Entertainment
Release date: 2017
I think Wayward Sky is one of the most underrated games on PSVR. It really showed how awesome a third-person adventure game could be. Uber’s next title Dino Frontier was announced at PSX 2016, and the game seems like it just wants to have fun. Set in the wild west, you’re tasked with building and managing a frontier settlement from a tabletop view. You can reach out and grab your units and place them where you like, and true to the historical period there are also dinosaurs. Dinosaurs can be your assets or your enemies, and you have to work around the clock to keep your civilians safe, fed and content. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously and I like that.
- Preta: Vendetta
Genre: Action-RPG
Developer: Illion Games
Release Date: Q3 2017
An action-RPG promising over 50 hours of gameplay, players can play with up to three of their friends for co-op gameplay including cross-play with Vive and Oculus users. The game promises a crafting system, co-op raids, a deep campaign and much more.
- V! No Heroes Allowed
Genre: Real-time strategy game
Developer: Sony Interactive Entertainment / Japan Studio
Release Date: N/A
A real-time strategy game based upon a PSP game called V! What Did I Do to Deserve This My Lord?, No Heroes Allowed puts you in the position of a god of destruction seeking no less that total world domination. Players must breed monsters using food cycle mechanics and repel the hero that approaches, with the ultimate goal of taking over his stronghold. While Japan has a release date, the game has not yet been announced for a Western release. Fingers crossed.
- Seeking Dawn
Genre: First person shooter/ MMORPG
Developer: Multiverse
Release Date:
This game looks incredibly ambitious, with a jaw-droppingly gorgeous aesthetic for one, coupled with an exotic world to explore and deep RPG elements. There are promises of crafting, cooking, survival elements a 10-hour campaign as well as co-op multiplayer. There is also plans to have AIM Support. Never a bad thing.
- ROM: Extraction
Genre: First-person shooter
Developer: First Contact
Release Date: Q3 2017
ROM: Extraction is a first-person shooter with a cool twist. You summon orbs which you can throw at enemies to slow time then follow up by shooting the orb to make it explode and destroy enemies. It’s unique and it sounds incredibly satisfying. Created by ex-Call of Duty and Blizzard employees, the titles also boasts AIM support. Tidy.
- Radial-G
Genre: High speed sci-fi racer
Developer: Tammeka Games
Release date: 2017
While we wait for Sony to wake up to themselves and make Wipeout VR, we at least have Radial-G coming in, which has been popular on Oculus. It’s fast, frantic and has a mesmerising visual style; the perfect recipe for VR. Unfortunately, the game was supposed to be released at the beginning of the year but was delayed due to a certification issue. Since then we have yet to hear anything. Fingers crossed we get some news with a new release date soon.
Mr Multiplatform just wants everyone to get along. Occasionally he gets called a Sony fanboy but then he spams haters with photos of his Halo, Gears of War, Super Mario and Zelda statues. When he is not gaming he is in legal courts thinking about video games or recording music thinking about games
