Oculus Rift DK2: Vanguard V

From the makers of Proton Pulse comes Vanguard V, a third-person rail shooter designed specifically for virtual reality.

Get the demo at their Kickstarter.

ZeroTransform.com

Here are my impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I also finally checked out Vanguard V, a third-person rail shooter designed specifically with virtual reality in mind. It reminds me of Rez/Child of Eden in some ways. You use the Oculus Rift headset to aim your reticule over targets and fire while trying to dodge objects and attacks yourself. I like the look and music, and the gameplay, menus, and text input are handled well. The same developer made Proton Pulse, and they've shown an understanding of how to design systems specifically with VR in mind. I hope they continue making projects.

The game's Kickstarter ends in 38 hours. It doesn't look like it'll be reaching its goal, but you can acquire the demo by making a donation. I donated $8 myself, but you can donate just $1 to get a link to the demo. It'll take a little bit to get your download link emailed to you, but I think it's definitely worth checking out.

Ferguson, MO: Cop rips off VICE reporter's press patch - "This doesn't mean shit."

Tim from VICE News is trying to enter the designated media area when an officer asks to see his press credentials. After Tim explains they were lost during an incident earlier, the officer rips Tim's press patch from his chest and tosses it to the ground saying, "This doesn't mean shit."

Oculus Rift DK2: Miku Beach Concert

Join me, Miku, Rin, Haku, Luka, Ia, and Meiko as we dance to some jammin' tunes on the beach in jblouir's Miku Beach Concert demo for the Oculus Rift DK2. Don't look at me like that.

Download the demo here.

Here are my impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I spent 18 minutes watching anime girls in bikinis dance in jblouir's Miku Beach Concert. Miku, Rin, Haku, Luka, and Ia sing and dance to Dear Cocoa Girls whereas Meiko is off doing her own thing to World's End Dancehall. The only character I have heard of is Hatsune Miku, but maybe someone here is more familiar. I moved incredibly slow with an Xbox 360 controller for some reason, so I had to use a mouse and keyboard. Some catchy music, I tells ya. You can also walk on the water if you want.

I want to watch a professionally filmed concert with the Oculus Rift. Let me choose my camera position and let me look around!

Oculus Rift DK2: That Booty

Watch as I ski and observe dat ass while trying not to crash in Andrew Clark's "That Booty" demo for the Oculus Rift DK2. Stupid sexy Flanders!

Hitting the "Space" key should restart the demo after crossing the finish line.

Download the demo here.
 

Here are my impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I checked out That Booty earlier today. Like Ninja Discount Warehouse, you control the game solely with the headset. It's a skiing game where you try and reach the finish line in the shortest time possible while dodging various obstacles. Lean forward to go fast, lean back to go slower, and lean left/right to dodge. It's simple and is only worth a few minutes of play, but there was enough there for me to try and get my time lower. I was too busy looking at dat ass to really do too well, however. 

My only real problem with the demo is that I couldn't figure out how to restart it without completely exiting. The ski run is pretty short, so having to exit out and restart the demo was a little annoying. Let me know if you play it and I just missed something.

Edit: Talked to the developer. Hitting the space key should restart the demo. I must have only tried it when I was having recording issues with the Rift.

Oculus Rift DK2: Resistance - a stealth VR demo

I take a look at Resistance - a stealth VR demo and fail miserably. If only I had a cardboard box with an Australian model on it.

Download the demo here.

Here are my impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I also played Resistance - a stealth VR demo the other day. You have to locate and hack servers while avoiding detection from guards and cameras. A green line on the ground points you in the general direction you need to go, but that's the only assistance you'll get. I found the demo to be too difficult to be very enjoyable or make any real progress. When you fail you won't always be clear on how, and there's a lot of trial-and-error as you test the limitations on what you can get away with, figure out how far guards can see, etc. I liked peeking around corners and the concept of a first-person stealth game in VR, but it needs a lot of work and more information on what you're doing wrong to be much fun. I played the demo before recording, but after a while I wanted to see what I could get away with and how much running I could do before getting chased down. The developer says it can be completed in less than 15 minutes, so maybe someone else will be better at it than I am and actually finish it.

Another issue with the demo is that after a little while it would start to judder and there would be a delay in my movement and when I saw it on screen. Only exiting the demo completely and going back in fixed it.

Oculus Rift DK2: Ninja Discount Warehouse

Watch me get whiplash as I hurl barrels at ninjas using only the power of telekinesis and my neck.

Download the demo here.

Here are my impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I played a demo earlier called Ninja Discount Warehouse that was just released yesterday. It was made as part of the Valve VR jam a few months ago by William Manning and Eli Gorman. Using only the Oculus Rift, you jerk your head down to pick up barrels, and then jerk your head either left or right to throw those barrels at incoming ninjas. It's an interesting demo that uses only the motion sensors in the headset itself, though I don't think I would want to play something like that for too long as there is a small gap between my nose and the headset, so whenever I jerk my head quickly the headset will hit my nose and it'll hurt a little. It worked a lot better than I would expect, however. It's more fun when you start picking up as many objects as you can before flinging them all in one, massive push. I recommend checking it out briefly for the novelty of doing these actions with just your head.

Oculus Rift DK2: 4th Floor Studio

Architectural visualization is just one of the many real-world applications possible with virtual reality. Join me as I take a tour of Brendan Coyle's 4th floor studio apartment.

Download the demo here.

Here are my impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I checked out Brendan Coyle's 4th Floor Studio earlier this evening. One of the cooler, more useful real-world applications of virtual reality is how it impacts architectural visualization. Brendan, for example, takes the dimensions of prospective apartments and models them in 3D to ensure it is a viable space for him and his furniture. He modeled his 4th floor studio apartment using a combination of 3D scanning and hand modeling and made it compatible with the DK2. Without having to leave my house, I was able to better determine that I would feel comfortable living in a place of that size (but only if I am by myself) than I would have just looking at pictures.

I can already envision a fancy real-estate site that offers VR demos of its various listings.

Oculus Rift DK2: VR Typing Trainer

One of the more interesting uses of virtual reality I've seen that teaches a real skill, watch as someone who can't type blind fails at Lab Coat Studios' VR Typing Trainer for the Oculus Rift DK2. Perhaps I'll practice and report my progress sometime.

Download the demo here.

Here are impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

Today I checked out VR Typing Trainer for the first time. I read some comments here about how it's a pretty interesting use of VR, and it is. It's the first thing virtual reality application I've tried that is useful in teaching a real skill: how to type blind. I'm a fast and accurate typer, but I need to see what I'm doing often to not mess up.

You're transported into a Tron-like world and have words and letters coming toward your face. You use your head to aim the reticle over the words, and then type them out to make them explode. You can fail up to five times before it's game over. I think my highest score in the video I made covering it was only 37, but I feel with practice that could improve, and I'll be learning a real skill at the same time. Pretty cool!

Oculus Rift DK2: Ocean Rift

Ocean Rift, one of the most popular demos for the DK1, has been updated for the DK2. Watch as I explore the ocean floor, encounter various underwater creatures, and possibly get eaten by a megalodon. Ah, who am I kidding; we both know that's why you're here. You can watch me die at the 8:47 and 22:47 marks, though I recommend turning down your volume for that last one.

Ocean Rift is made by Llyr ap Cenydd. You can download it here.

Here are the impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I tried out Ocean Rift for the first time yesterday. It's been updated for the DK2. I never played the DK1 version, but I heard enough about it to know that it was one of the more popular demos available. It's a pretty peaceful experience as you explore the ocean floor and see what underwater creatures are out there. There are also preview screens of the final game (releasing when the consumer version of the Oculus Rift does) hidden throughout that you can find. Someone on here mentioned how it feels a bit more realistic than other demos due the Rift kind of feeling like scuba goggles or something, and it's true. It's recommended you play the demo with a controller and headphones, though you can also use a mouse & keyboard if you want.

And, of course, venturing out into the deep is not the best idea. This is hinted at on the info screen in the beginning, but I can say that it is indeed scary. I think that may be the loudest I have screamed "Ah, fuck!" while playing a game. I'm not into horror games, so it's not often I get startled like that.

Oculus Rift DK2: Rift Away's Chilling Space

Watch me shoot virtual asteroids with Carl Sagan as I play Rift Away's Chilling Space demo for the Oculus Rift DK2.

Download the demo here.

The song in the demo is Jenova 7's  "Inner Space (feat. Hugo Kant)"

Here are the impressions I wrote on NeoGAF:

I played Rift Away's Chilling Space demo yesterday. It's the same developer that made Cyber Space, that terrifying amusement park ride demo. This one is much more relaxing, as all you do is float in space and shoot asteroids/satellites with your space gun. It has a smooth tune playing in the background, and soon after beginning the demo, some narration from Carl Sagan kicks in. The Earth has a nice sense of scale and you can watch it slowly turn. I was imagining how cool a future VR game would be like in space. Imagine falling to Earth in a VR game!

The demo itself has about five minutes worth of content as Carl Sagan's narration ends and the music loops. I recommend checking it out if you want something calming. You don't even have to shoot anything if you don't want to, as nothing happens if an object hits you.