Mint Virtual Reality

A free Rogue Ascent update adds the Marauder class, new bosses and more to the hand-tracked sci-fi shooter on Quest.

Developed by Nooner Bear Studio, Rogue Ascent sees you fighting through procedurally-generated levels within a space station to save the planet below from a super laser. Expanding this premise with free DLC, you can now pick the Marauder class that specializes in Area of Effect (AoE) energy-based sharpshooting. "Though he begins with minimal health, his base loadout provides substantial auxiliary damage," states the team.

Marauder comes with several new weapons, but it doesn't stop there. Version 1.1.0 introduces two new bosses, 25+ new perks, expanded dialogue and 'Lockdown Missions' that involve overriding terminals on security HQ floors. New Game Plus is also available and you can now save your progress mid-run with a checkpoint system, making this a hefty update.

We were impressed in our Rogue Ascent impressions last May. Believing it offers a "well-considered control scheme and entertaining gunplay," we consider it alling it one of the best Quest 2 hand-tracking games.

I'm very impressed with this sci-fi shooter after several hours. While Touch Controllers are supported, they don't do this experience justice, so you're better off going hands-only. Between its in-depth customization, well-considered control scheme, and entertaining gunplay, Rogue Ascent is a fine showcase of what hand-tracking games can achieve.

Rogue Ascent is available now for $24.99 on Quest 2 and Quest Pro.

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Controller-free hand tracking is one of the biggest post-launch features added to Quest. With more and more experiences implementing support, we’ve narrowed down the best Quest 2 hand-tracking games so far. When the original Quest launched, the only input option was the Touch controllers. However,…

UploadVRHarry Baker

PowerWash Simulator is an undeniable cult classic.

Trading in the satisfying, granular sensation that you get from spraying weathered gunk and grime off of a house, patio or doghouse, it’s won over millions of fans by reveling in its chill pace and (ironically) low-pressure gameplay loop. It’s a really relaxing experience, and oddly fun. But how does it hold up in VR? And more importantly, does it benefit from the transition to VR?

PowerWash Simulator VR Shines Onto Quest 2 In 2023

PowerWash Simulator VR brings the hit game to Quest 2 this year. Read more here:

UploadVRHenry Stockdale

I had the opportunity to go hands-on with a demo build of PowerWash Simulator VR at Square Enix’s booth at Summer Game Fest for a few minutes. A specific release date for this new VR version of the game has yet to be announced, but it’s currently slated to hit Quest 2, 3 and Pro sometime this year – so keep in mind that my impressions reflect an experience that’s still being finalized before release.

While not a traditional shooter, PowerWash Sim (PWS) does rely on some of the same sensibilities that make shooters feel good. Spraying replaces shooting, but range and aiming fill in similar roles here. From that standpoint, power washing in VR feels great and a lot of the good stuff from the flatscreen version is here. The sound design is still satisfying, you still get a good offering of options to customize your power washer, and the gameplay remains relaxed and low-stakes.

One of the big draws of bringing any shooter into VR is the increased accuracy and maneuverability that comes with motion controller aiming. While the environments in PWS aren’t so complex that you need every possible bit of precision, being able to lean and crouch more freely makes it easier to snipe some of the harder-to-reach dirt with more accuracy. Your aim becomes only as limited as your arms’ and wrists’ range of motion, rather than that of a control stick or a mouse.

As far as comfort options go, PWS offers the same movement options that come standard in most VR games with the choice between teleporting from point-to-point and moving freely with artificial locomotion. The jump into VR adds a few cool features that make the game feel more at home in the medium. Switching nozzles and other parts has a slightly more tactile feel and there’s a nice little immersive HUD floating next to whichever hand you use to spray the dirt away.

It’s also going to be big – the developer who helped me demo the game mentioned that the VR release will launch with all of the content found in the base game. That’s over 40 levels. Arcade-style VR releases on Quest sometimes focus on providing a small amount of levels designed to be replayed over again for higher scores or ranks against other players, so it’s nice to see PowerWash Simulator going for something on the lengthier side. Bringing an arcade-style game with this many bespoke levels to Quest should prove a great addition to the platform’s library.

The build that I played didn’t introduce much in terms of new mechanics or content, but the developer I spoke with mentioned that they were working on adding new layers of interactivity to the game’s levels. He didn’t specify exactly how that would take shape, but my understanding is that new intractable objects would fall in line with those found in a litany of other VR games. Who knows – maybe you and a co-op partner will be able to play catch with a garden gnome? Small details like that don’t ultimately change the game too much, but do point to an understanding of what VR players want and a dedication to the finer details. Fingers crossed PowerWash Sim nails those little interactions in the final release.

I left my demo of PowerWash Simulator VR impressed. For all intents and purposes, the game has great parity with the console and PC versions, with some clever tweaks to the core gameplay loop to make everything feel more suited to VR. That said, most of those are quality-of-life changes rather than gameplay changes. It’ll be interesting to see how and where Futurlab implements more VR-friendly features and heightened interactivity in its environments for the final release.

Keep an eye out for more PowerWash Simulator VR news in the months to come.

Humanity's Stage Creator now has more tools and mechanics for you to play around with.

Spoiler warning: This article discusses some late-game mechanics from Sequence 7 of Humanity's story mode. If you've yet to play the campaign and don't want to spoil those mechanics before you do, it might be best to hold off on reading any further.

The 1.07 Content Update for Humanity will add the Machines from Sequence 7 of Humanity to the game's stage creator. This means you can now add Turrents, Drons, Lasers and Laser Blocks into your own stages, with various triggers and  options to adjust their behaviour.  

Enhance says that these mechanics were initially held back "to prevent spoiling some of the late-game story or mechanics and give budding stage creators in our community a chance to get familiar with the tools." However, they're now fully accessible, so you can make you own levels with Machines and share them to be played with other players in the community.

Humanity released earlier this year for PC and consoles, with optional VR support on PC and PSVR 2. Unfortunately though, it seems like the Stage Creator still isn't properly supported in VR Mode. Unlike the rest of the game, Humanity's Stage Creator reverts to a flat 2D display when opened in VR mode, with input handled by a controller or keyboard and mouse combo.

While it's nice to see these late-game mechanics added to the Stage Creator, it remains a missed opportunity not to include a made-for-VR Stage Creator in VR Mode. Not only would this make the VR Mode feature complete with the flatscreen mode, but it also might be able to leverage motion controls to facilitate an easier, more tactile level design experience than you would get with button inputs via a controller or keyboard and mouse.

Nonetheless, Humanity is worth checking out if you're looking for a solid and well-designed puzzler in VR – you can read our write-up below.

Humanity: Fantastic Puzzles With A Serviceable VR Mode

Humanity released this week, featuring a enjoyable VR mode that misses some key opportunities. Read more here:

UploadVRHarry Baker