As previously mentioned, the HTC Vive had something of an advantage upon launch, with its room-scale tacking and motion controllers. However, we all know that great hardware is only half the story. To become a success, the HTC vive needed great software as well.
Early adopters of the HTC Vive were lucky enough to get some titles along with the hardware. In addition, since the device was produced in cooperation with Valve as a SteamvR machine, that provided access to the distribution platform of Steam, and meant that developers only needed to utilise the familiar Steam SDK in order to develop titles for the HTC Vive, or indeed, port them over from the Oculus Rift.
One of the titles that came along with the machine was Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives, which quickly become beloved by audiences for its quirky humour and the ‘Job Bot’ mascot. Developer Owlchemy Labs found it becoming so popular that they eventually released tie-in merchandise, including a Job Bot plushie.
Also available at launch was The Lab, created by Valve themselves in the vein of party game compilations such as Wii Sports. The title served as an introduction to the HTC Vive, easing people new to VR into the various mechanics they were likely to encounter and acting as a showcase for what the HTC Vive could do.
Some users also got Fantastic Contraption along with their devices. At its heart a puzzle title, the idea is to build a device to return a jelly-like ball to its home in a jelly wall. Users can walk around their creation to place, adjust or remove components before setting them off, sometimes to see them fail in a spectacular cartoon-esque manner.
Though early titles for the HTC Vive tended to be shorter and simpler than many more recent offerings as developers were attempting to get to grips with developing in VR, many of them are still worth considering.
The Gallery: Episode 1 – Call of the Starseed is, as the title indicates, an episodic experience, with Episode 2 – Heart of the Emberstone released at the end of 2017. The opening to The Gallery involves exploring and interacting with the world you find yourself in, solving a few puzzles along the way in a manner reminiscent of the point-and-click adventure titles of old.
If you have a HTC Vive and are looking for good titles to fill your library, here are a few besides the ones already mentioned that are worth considering:
- Water Bears VR
- A Legend of Luca
- Quar: Battle of Gate 18
- The Assembly
- Pool Nation VR
- FATED: The Silent Oath
- Cyberpong VR
- Kismet
- TECHNOLUST
- Syren
- Siegecraft Commander
- Bounce
- Final Goalie: Football Simulator
- Cosmic Trip
- Detached
- Vector Wars
- Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality
- Rez Infinite
- Slice & Dice
- Battlezone
- Hurl VR
- Manifest 99
- Bloody Zombies
- Spartega
- Blasters of the Universe
- DOOM VFR
- Island 359
- Sprint Vector
- L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files
- Fallout 4 VR
If you are still wanting more, or what to know what to definitely avoid, well then its worth giving the Review Listings for the HTC Vive a look.
Next will be taking a look at HTC Vive software that doesn’t fit into the videogame category.
via Mint VR