**Updated on April 20, 2018. Click here to jump to the update.
2018 will be a very interesting and rich year for gamers; a number of much-expected virtual reality games will be launched. Some of these will be brand new titles, others new series in an established franchise. At this point, however, the storyline and the graphics will benefit from the latest developments in VR technology.
Powerful computers and headsets guarantee an extremely immersive experience with real-time movement, realistic 3D objects and full surround sound. This makes any new release of virtual reality games an event similar to the launch of Hollywood movies.
We have looked over the trailers and screenshots of various upcoming games and selected the ones we found most interesting. [Note: If you have never played a VR game, might be good to check if your PC is VR ready first.] We are looking forward to making their full review, but, until then, here is the shortlist of the best games to be launched in 2018:
Marvel Powers United VR
Who does not know Marvel characters such as Hulk, Deadpool, or Captain America? In the new VR game, Marvel Powers United VR, developed by Oculus and Sanzaru Games, you can become any of these characters and take to the scene of Marvel-style brawls and battles. Choose your favorite super power and fight against others in a massive multiplayer arena.
We are sure that Marvel fans will put this title at the top of their most-wanted virtual reality games for 2018. Until it is officially launched, here is a short trailer:
Platform: Oculus
Alvo
Have you ever imagined how Counter-Strike would look and feel after the VR treatment? You don’t have to wonder for long, because Alvo, by Mardonpol, promises to fulfill your dream. Massive shoot-outs on streets and in other realistic environments, a choice of weapons and many extras to boost your resistance and firing power… this is in short what Alvo promises.
On this page, you can also find a link to sign up to beta test.
This is one of the virtual reality games we really hope to try hands-on. For now we will share a short teaser:
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive/Steam, PlayStation VR
Brass Tactics
Fans of real-time strategy (RTS) games will certainly love Brass Tactics. And they do not have to wait very long, because the official launch date is February 28, 2018, making it one of the first virtual reality games of this year.
In Brass Tactics, RTS strategies and a Game of Thrones-type storyline combine to give players a competitive and exciting gaming experience. We have already found an extensive try-out of the game and we hope it will convince you to give it a try:
Platforms: Oculus Rift
Moss
Are you not so keen on shooters and dystopian scenarios in virtual reality games? Then Moss is the right choice for you. In this third-person action-adventure game, you control Quill, a tiny but valiant mouse who has to solve various puzzles and fight equally small enemies.
Featuring great graphics and an engaging storyline, Moss by Polyarc game studios will be launched sometime during February 2018. Watch its official trailer here:
Platforms: PlayStation VR
ARK Park
Scheduled for 2017, ARK Park is one of the virtual reality games which missed its announced launch date. However, it is really going to be shelved, and there are rumors that its launch was purposely held back to coincide with that of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
In ARK Park, 21st century technology and dinosaurs coexist. Players can ride a brontosaurus or a T-rex and fight an evil power trying to destroy the paradise world of huge reptiles. Here is the teaser:
Platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive/Steam, PlayStation VR
Update
Since the Game Developer Conference in March, many new exciting virtual reality games have been either launched or announced. So we decided to add a few more games to our list of recommendations.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Space: the final frontier. We are sure that fans of the enduring Star Trek franchise are extremely excited to hear that they can really experience life aboard the galaxy’s most advanced spaceship. Star Trek: Bridge Crew can be played in the single player mode, but it is far more exciting to team up with your friends and join forces against alien armies from the deep Universe.
In the game, players are controlling Starfleet’s most advanced spacecraft, USS Aegis, and need to complete various tasks: engage in a fight with Klingon Warbirds, perform a search and rescue mission, and take on various other operations, many of which are well known to Star Trek fans. The players can opt for one of four roles: Captain, Helm, Tactical, or Engineering. Each role is responsible for a specific area of vital systems, keeping USS Aegis operational and always ready for new missions.
The game is available for Playstation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC VIVE. You can purchase it on the Steam store, or on the official website of the developer Ubisoft.
Here’s the trailer of the game:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
Skyrim is a world-famous game franchise that really needs no presentation. There are so many installments of the game out there, and it has a huge community of dedicated players who are creating various mods for each installment. It was time for the title to get the VR treatment, and it did. Skyrim has been developed, like all recent virtual reality games, for a wide variety of platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC VIVE and PlayStation VR, to name a few.
This allows fans of the game to continue their adventure on their existing VR headsets, without the need to purchase new ones. They can experience the newest version of Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls V in a fully immersive environment.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is available on the Steam store or on the PlayStation store. The game is not suitable for players younger than 17 years old.
Here’s the official trailer of the game:
Torn
This PlayStation game is among the upcoming virtual reality games we hope to see released in 2018. It is heavily inspired by the Black Mirror series (but so is almost any conspiracy themed game or TV series these days). The game, according to the narrative disclosed by the developer, Aspyr Media, is a “dark Sci-fi mystery in the style of Black Mirror, or a classic episode of the Twilight Zone,” where the player finds themselves in an abandoned mansion.
The mansion’s owner, a physicist, disappeared 64 years ago, and the player will discover one of his key inventions: a tool to manipulate gravity. With this tool, the player will make exciting, frightening and dark discoveries which will bring the mansion to life.
Judging by the trailer the game seems promising:
