This month of VR gaming has been a wonderfully weird one as I venture through the Meta Quest 3‘s latest wacky puzzle games – and then work my frustration out in a high-octane VR battle royale.
I finally got to experience what it’s like to be in Taskmaster (it’s harder than you think), how good a job I’d do if I needed to Hide The Corpse from the cops (not great, it turns out), and how quickly I can complete VR spot the difference and find Exit 8 (I actually did all right at this one). I then got a win in my first ever game of Population: One (my Fortnite skills did not carry over, I was hard carried and I’m not proud).
So let’s get into my my favorite Meta Quest 3 games and apps for July 2024. If you’re looking for more recommendations, check out my picks from last month.
Taskmaster VR
If you’ve never seen an episode of Taskmaster what are you doing with your life? It’s fantastic.
For the uninformed among you Taskmaster is a comedy game show originating from the UK – though the New Zealand and Australian iterations are equally superb from what I’ve seen of them – in which five comedians compete to see who’s the best at completing various odd objectives for the eponymous Taskmaster (Greg Davies). The Taskmaster’s Assistant – Little Alex Horne – lends a hand by making sure no players break any rules while completing tasks (and sometimes provide assistance or snarky comments, or both).
It’s also a game show that makes everyone who watches it think they could do a far better job than the competitors. Taskmaster VR proves that’s categorically untrue.
This game gives you 15 challenges to take part in – as well as some bonus tasks, and a custom mode to create your own tasks – all set in the iconic Taskmaster House and theatre which are each judged and adjudicated by virtual recreations of Davies and Horne; it’s literally like you’re in the show.
It even manages to deliver TM‘s brand of task twists that are equally exciting and frustrating – though there are plenty of Taskmaster VR tasks that require more hands-on, less thinky approaches.
My only gripe is the controls can be finicky at times. It does kinda play into the show’s themes, but I wouldn’t complain if the motion controls were more precise. It’s a critique I’ve seen others levy at the title, too.
Because of this, while I absolutely adore this game – and have had a lot of fun watching friends, family, and colleagues give it a go for themselves – it’s probably only a must-play for Taskmaster fans. That’s not to say TM newcomers won’t also find something to love here, but it requires someone with the right attitude who’s after delightfully silly fun rather than a player looking for a more serious and precise VR experience.
Hide The Corpse
Hide the Corpse is a wacky 1970s themed VR puzzle game in which you have one objective: hide Tom’s dead body before the cops show up. Please, let me cook; this is such a good game.
You have four minutes to find a hiding spot for Tom. Perhaps you’ve managed to crack his safe and shove him in there, or simply stuffed him in a corner and covered him in random objects. Either way, if you successfully obscure Tom’s corpse from the cops you’ll be judged on several factors including how quickly you hid him, how many of his personal items you managed to dispose of, and how good a job you did wiping up your fingerprints.
The game ranks each of the level’s six hiding spots individually. So you’re incentivized to replay the game to not only find every way to conceal Tom, but maximize your score for each attempt, too.
I also kind of like how difficult it is to manhandle Tom. Initially it was frustrating, but it wouldn’t be as challenging (or realistic) if you could simply throw him over your shoulder like he was a sack of feathers.
The only downside is Hide The Corpse is still in early access so not everything has been completed yet. As such there are only three levels you can play so far: Tom’s apartment, the garage, and an underwater level.
That said, what we have so far is superb, and even in this unfinished state Hide The Corpse is well deserving of your attention. Plus, to sweeten the deal Hide The Corpse is discounted to a little over half of what its full-release cost will be if you buy it now in early access through Meta’s App Lab.
The Exit 8 VR
The Exit 8 VR isn’t your typical horror game – it’s spot the difference. You must travel down a well-lit white corridor featuring a few posters, some maintenance doors and a lone commuter going in the opposite direction, and make a decision: should you go back the way you came or not?
If everything looks like it should then you’re fine to travel down the corridor, but if you notice an anomaly – perhaps a door handle that’s out of place, odd markings on the floor, the commuter is grinning at you menacingly, or a river of blood is rushing towards you – then you have to turn around and go back the way you came. Every correct decision gets you one step closer to Exit 8’s staircase, though any mistake sets you back to square one.
Playing The Exit 8’s looping scenario it’s impossible to not grow paranoid as you begin to second-guess every decision you make – especially when you realize you’ve made an error, but have no clue what anomaly you missed. And you can’t spend forever analyzing every aspect of the room to guarantee you’re correct because if the commuter turns the corner before you do you’ll also be reset.
But there’s a determination that’ll grip you, too. Every time I put Exit 8 down I found I was back a few hours later to give it another try and make my escape (which I’m proud to report I did, with a plaque also alerting me that I’d seen every anomaly for a double-barreled game completion).
It is fairly short, but also very replayable as even if you know all the anomalies they’re not always the easiest to spot. It’s also not at all pricey making it an exceptionally affordable VR horror puzzle game that is certainly worth the cost of entry.
P.S. While The Exit 8 can feature jumpscares, they’re well-telegraphed and avoidable if you turn around and leave – dodging the anomaly – so you shouldn’t be terrified of cheap frights in this thriller.
Population: One
This month I also played the Meta Quest 3’s essential battle royale Population: One, with BigBox VR’s Eric Morrill taking me through the title’s recently added Phoenix Royale mode.
He explained that Phoenix Royale is a more approachable way to play a battle royale – such as giving players some auto respawns at the beginning of the match so they aren’t forced to return to the game queue if they’re downed in the first few minutes.
I’ve played a lot of battle royales in my time – my first paid journalism gig was a dedicated battle royale writer covering titles like Fortnite – and while modes like this aren’t what the hardcore fans say they want, I’ll be the first to admit that these more forgiving options are perfect when you’re looking to have a less stressful evening of gaming with your squad.
Though that’s not to say Phoenix Royale is an ‘easy mode.’ Players can buy weapon buffs and other upgrades that make them more deadly. Also, while you do respawn you lose all your gear (so if you aren’t careful your losses can snowball), and with Population: One’s climbing mechanic you always have to watch out for a player unexpectedly claiming the high ground and gunning you down.
Plus, if you are looking for a different game style, Population: One still has its more classic battle royale and other game modes to explore.
Throw in Population: One’s solid gunplay, its varied map designs that offer a suite of engaging battlegrounds, the adrenaline boost that every battle royale is juiced up with, plus the fact it’s entirely free to play, and you’ve got a great VR game on your hands. If you haven’t played it already there’s no reason you shouldn’t at least give it a try.
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