VR Vs. Virus

The Coronapocalypse is a time of self isolation, self introspection and . . .gaming! Virtual reality is the best way to travel to fantastical places from the comfort of your quarantine. VR has the ability to transport you to another place with total immersion over flat games.

During the pandemic I’ve participated in avatar led live escape rooms online. I liked the format and being a part of every discovery instead of asking teammates how they solved something. Interacting with the avatar through chat messages as they walk through the room was fun for this reason.

Other than that, virtual reality escape rooms are the ticket to getting your escape room fix. An added bonus is that VR puts you in situations you just can’t get into in real reality. I play on Playstation Pro VR (with a retractable pulley system to pull the cord to the ceiling while I walk around), Gear VR and Daydream. Play standing up to add to the immersion.

Only a small amount of VR games are what I call “responsible VR” - experiences that don’t make you sick, are navigable and work great. Here are my picks to help you sort through the available offerings and give you a reason to leave flat gaming behind:

The Bedroom (Resident Evil 7 DLC)

PSVR

You awake handcuffed to the bed and feel like you’re living inside Stephen King book. Look for clues on props and on the walls. If Marguerite comes back and catches you up to something - YIKES!

Party Room (Resident Evil 7)

PSVR

This one gets away with things you’ll never experience in a live escape room - popping a room full of balloons with a candle, getting your hand gouged with a knife, getting blown up, etc. All in striking triple-A title graphic quality!

Dark Days

Gear VR

A horror narrative “monster-in-the-room” thriller. A solid VR experience for a phone-on-your-face setup. Controls and movement work great and the puzzle flow is manageable.

The Room: A Dark Matter

PSVR, Oculus Quest, Rift

From the maker of the hit mobile games The Room and The Room Two comes the pinnacle of VR escape room experiences! Handheld props, surprising interactivity and beautiful world rendering. This game is my VR dream come true.

Escape Room VR

Gear VR

Classic escape room fare, OK functionality.

I Expect You To Die

All platforms

This one is a cute trial and error puzzler to play sitting down.

Red Matter

PSVR

This is the real deal as far as responsible VR gaming goes. Huge scale puzzling, top notch environments and immersive interactions will make you totally forget your RL.

These titles will get you started. In between these treats, check out these other must play games: Skyrim, Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Resident Evil 7. Excuse me while I patch back in to The VR Matrix...