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Despite the fact that VR is still relatively new to the gaming scene, developers have wasted no time in crafting endless amounts of awe-inspiring visual buffets for gamers to enjoy when and wherever they desire. From pink, pillowy mountains to sparkling, crystal waters the limit is only as far as the imagination can carry and the headset life allows.
Updated January 4, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: VR has become one of the most immersive mediums around, with the games released within this realm being absolutely breathtaking to explore at times. Players genuinely feel like they’ve been dropped in the middle of a well-realized world where the potential for interactivity is limitless, and people can’t wait to see how these games evolve over time as VR technology continues to evolve and become more commonplace in the realm of gaming. If the following games are anything to go by, then the future of VR is going to be a beautiful one, both literally and figuratively.
15 Half-Life: Alyx
At a glance, the world of Half-Life: Alyx seems like anything but beautiful. The game takes place in a bleak future in which an alien race has taken humanity hostage, and the urban landscape of Half-Life: Alyx definitely reflects this notion.
However, it’s the amazing graphical fidelity in Half-Life: Alyx that is worth a mention. Most people find it hard to believe that such a good-looking game from a technical point of view even works in VR, showing just how well-optimized this title really is.
14 Fallout 4 VR
Fallout 4 is a great mainline entry in this post-apocalyptic series that has become the stuff of legends. While the reception of hardcore fans to this title has been fairly divisive, there’s no denying that the world of Fallout 4 has a haunting beauty to it that is a lot of fun to explore.
Fallout 4 VR might be a mixed bag, but this experience is improved considerably via the use of mods. Exploring The Commonwealth in VR makes for an amazing time as players interact with the world in a way unlike anything ever witnessed before.
13 Elite Dangerous
The idea of manning a spaceship in VR sounds like a great time, but the haunting loneliness of space coupled with the complexity of this game is what makes Elite Dangerous such a unique title to check out. Roaming around space after learning the controls and the game’s mechanics makes for an oddly relaxing time.
That being said, the barrier to entry to Elite Dangerous is quite high, especially in VR. However, players who manage to get through this hurdle will find themselves enjoying one of the best and most eerily beautiful VR experiences around.
12 Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Star Trek: Bridge Crew allows Trekkies to live out their fantasies of being part of a flight crew in the Star Trek universe. The fact that players assume multiple roles in this game is a huge part of why this experience is so much fun to get through.
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Manning a spaceship and setting its course by performing all critical functions properly makes for a blast. It might not be the deepest game around, but the beauty of Star Trek: Bridge Crew really hammers in the immersion that players experience as they explore space in all its vastness.
11 Lone Echo
Speaking of VR games that take place in space, another great game that comes to mind is Lone Echo. Most people would argue that this game and its sequel are good enough reasons to pick up one of the Meta VR headsets.
The adventure of Lone Echo isn’t the longest, but most people won’t mind after witnessing just how interactive and immersive this game really is. As always, the vast reaches of space make for a breathtaking view.
10 Google Earth VR
On one end of the spectrum of imagination within gaming, this app requires no imagination at all. With the Google Earth VR game, players can indulge in the plentiful sights that our natural world offers that they may not have ever been afforded the opportunity to see before. From the Swiss Alps to the Australian Outback, the sky is the limit…almost. Through Google’s technology, players can actually wander around Mars, too!
This is not only perfect for those with incurable wanderlust, but also for all those who can not only not afford to travel but may also not be allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions. No longer are the seven wonders of the world outside of reach, they’re just within one’s headset.
9 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Almost every gamer on the face of the planet is aware of The Elder Scrolls franchise and the magic that comes along with the Skyrim experience. Being able to live in this world through the gamers’ own eyes, though, is something entirely brand new. Whether a seasoned player or picking up Skyrim for the first time, this game offers something incredible for everyone.
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While some areas can be dark and scary like the deep caves lurking with Forsworn, other locations will bring a tear to the player’s eye with such flawless and peaceful beauty, like the rolling hills near Whiterun. For a real thrill, a quick trip up to the Throat of the World with dragons encircling above will provide an experience unlike any other.
8 Fujii
Fujii is like walking through an artist’s canvas while they’re still in the upstroke of inspiration. The player helps bring the world back to life by nursing the flora and finding the perfect harmonic balance of creation within it. Collecting creatures and growing seeds within their own enchanted garden have led many players to forget the time as they craft a world they soon don’t wish to leave.
A lush, chromatic wilderness springs up from every crevasse with each careful movement soothing the player as they intake the abundance of eye candy this game generously provides. From the darkness, creation and life can thrive, should the player wish it.
7 Real Fishing VR
There are plenty of fishing games to choose from, but Real Fishing VR is the real deal if peak scenery is what the player is looking for. Crack open a cold one, put on one’s favorite playlist, and meditate on the waters while casting a line wherever the heart desires. Real Fishing VR provides the most gorgeous locations from the bay to the lake with DLC for additional North American locations ready to go.
Even if fishing isn’t the players’ typical sport, this addictive game brings something to the table for everybody. Having the ability to play with friends and family online certainly has its perks as well. The sceneries are absolutely beautiful, the fish are plentiful, and the thrill of the catch will have everyone always coming back for more.
6 Stormland
This action-adventure game encourages exploration with an emphasis on combat while maintaining an incredible storyline. More incredible still are the scenic views offered through Vesper’s (the protagonist) eyes. This game also has a flying element that allows for even more stellar viewpoints to be enjoyed.
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This exotic world is inhabited by creatures never seen before as well as sentient robots, both good and evil. The surrounding areas are lush, tropical, and in some places, destroyed. With each step a new adventure and a new inspiring sight.
5 Paper Beast
Deep inside the internet, made from code and data, lives a vast ecosystem with unique creatures and environments. The player lives among these creatures, helping them to survive and thrive when their paths cross. The landscape looks like a dream sequence, with pink clouds and sand, as well as bright blue skies for contrast.
The animals have unique AI that responds to the player based on how they are treated and interacted with. There is also a God-style gameplay mode in which the player can add, or take away, elements such as gravity, water, and land to either better or harm the ecosystem.
4 The Talos Principle
A puzzle game set within an ancient world with advanced technology, The Talos Principle offered visuals unlike any other. This world is vast and immersive with increasingly complex puzzles as the player advances through the questline.
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Although a bit grainy or hazy at times, this game released in 2017 has maintained positive reviews since its launch. This game withstands the test of time and is still certainly a world the player can lose themselves in between puzzles with even the leaves on the trees adding mesmerizing movements with each gust of wind.
3 Obduction
Obduction is a captivating game that takes place in an alien world with familiar settings. Whether exploring underground caverns or a sprawling desert with an endless sky, the sights are like a visual meal to the starving.
Seeing a standard two-story farm home with floating rocks reminiscent of a broken piece of the grand canyon floating behind always makes the player feel they are out of place and yet within a slice of home. Obduction encourages the player to find their way back to their real home by solving puzzles and making influential decisions while enjoying everything from forests to factories along the way.
2 No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky had a rocky reception to start, but since has only found ways to get better and better. The worlds are procedurally generated so they could hypothetically go on forever with endless combinations of new worlds to explore. NMS has been praised for its absolutely breathtaking visuals no matter what random planet the player lands on, but certainly some more than others.
Experiencing this game in VR is a new experience entirely that will impress anyone within the headset. There are countless lush, vibrant planets home to pink sandy beaches with clear waters and plentiful fauna for the player to take in one glorious step at a time. If the tropics aren’t the speed the player is looking for, there are a plethora of interesting and extreme places to call home including blood planets with hostile environments bathed in a unique and intimidating exclusively black and red tone.
1 VR Chat
VR Chat is a strange and intriguing game full of player-created worlds where gamers could experience nearly anything their imagination or heart desires. Among these created worlds are little respites, safe spaces where a player could do nothing but sit, relax, and maybe even fall asleep.
Among some of the more popular relaxing and beautiful words are Nightview Terrace, Stormy Cave, Fractal World, and even Ghibli World. Slipping away as time slides through the player’s fingers while they are lost within the most incredible views that this world alone couldn’t offer has become one of the greatest mood enhancers and dream influencers.
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