Any way you slice it, 2014 has been an incredible year for VR. So, as we rapidly approach the close of the best year consumer VR has ever known, we attempt the impossible and pick our 10 games or applications that we think every enthusiast should possess. As commentators and fans immersed in the world of virtual reality, it's sometimes been difficult to see past the rapidly evolving VR hardware landscape. At this point in the VR revolution there are hard problems to be solved in the mechanics of delivering a compelling and comfortable virtual reality experience to a mass-market, consumer audience. In the run up to GDC 2014 back in March, the focus of the VR narrative had largely been on hardware and Oculus, as the initiator and arguably the leader of this VR movement, kept that hardware coming. See Also: At the End of 2014, Tech Giants Sony, Facebook, Google, Samsung, Apple, and Microsoft All Have a Hand in VR With the advent of the DK2 however, Oculus delivered a headset that gave developers the target they needed to begin developing content knowing that the core features were broadly analogous to an eventual consumer release. At GDC, Oculus refocussed its message squarely on content. With the DK2's higher resolution, positional tracking, and low persistence display people could finally concentrate on the content beyond the hardware. See Also: The Oculus Rift DK2, In-Depth Review and DK1 Comparison Freed from concerns about target hardware, developers have delivered an almost constant stream of incredible software that, frankly, has been tough to keep up with. With 2014 now behind us, we tackle the unenviable task of picking just 10 VR games and experiences that we feel every enthusiast should have in their collection. So, ignoring the distant sound of pitchforks being sharpened, here's our pick of the 10 'must-have' titles. Sightline: The Chair - Tomáš Mariančík (Download) In every VR enthusiast's collection there's usually a handful of applications they can rely on to wow a virtual reality newbie. For a VR intro experience to be effective, it must be comfortable for first timers yet offer a glimpse of the power the medium has to offer. After producing one of the most original entries of Oculus' 2013 VR Jam competition with, Sightline, a game which uses VR's naturalistic gaze mechanic as a core gameplay function, Tomáš Mariančík stunned the VR community in 2014 with his follow up, Sightline: The Chair. To describe The Chair as a greatest hits of VR would be to perhaps cheapen Tomáš' work, however it does represent an excellent compilation of experiences made possible with the Oculus Rift, and in particular the DK2. One of the cleverest aspects of The Chair is in training a subject in the 'use' of virtual reality, that is to break the habits of traditional TV or monitor based gaming and get them to look around. When they do, they're rewarded with a series of dazzling vignettes featuring everything from stunning neon light shows to spectacularly humbling jaunts to outer space. The Chair never feels like its tying to show off and it never resorts to cheap scare or thrill tactics, yet it's one of the most exciting rides so far created for the medium and if those you show it to don't stumble from the experience wanting more, there's probably something very wrong with them. Senza Peso - Kite and Lightning (Download) Kite and Lightning describe themselves as a "...creative development studio using a fusion of art and science to forge mind-blowing virtual reality experiences", and over the last year they've proved to be just that: a studio that has constantly strived to push the limits of virtual reality as an immersive medium. They've experimented with proprietary systems with they're bespoke Genesis immersion-machine which Road to VR's Ben Lang got to try earlier this year, but it was with Senza Peso, the virtual reality mini-opera project, that cemented their names as one to watch in the VR space. Senza Peso is actually a two part multimedia experience comprising first a short, visually stunning film and second the VR experience. Senza Peso's story explores the divide between the living world and what lies beyond, with the VR experience comprising an on-rails ride through a series of beautiful narrative set pieces. The VR experience pulls together world class production design with cutting edge stereoscopic film techniques to deliver an immensely engaging and immersive journey through the netherworld. Senza Peso demonstrates virtual reality's unique power to deliver a compelling, narrative that goes beyond what would be achievable with traditional 2D or even 3D media. What's more, it's technically extremely impressive, and remains one of the most comfortable VR experiences for newcomers. Elite: Dangerous - Frontier Developments (Buy Here) Frontier Development's long awaited sequel to the legendary space trading series Elite (1984), emerged very early on as one to watch for virtual reality enthusiasts. David Braben, director at Frontier and co-creator of the original Elite, stated his commitment to Oculus Rift integration for Elite: Dangerous early on and the development team have time and again proven that commitment with first class, thoughtful and effective integration of virtual reality. The game itself is set in a vast universe, modeled closely on our own, and throws players into a persistent, online world where they can carve out careers by foul means or fair as they explore the stars. Elite: Dangerous' DK1 integration was already making headlines by the time Oculus managed to ship the DK2 to developers in late June, and once support for the new VR Headset became available it blew us and many in the VR community away. The DK2's enhanced resolution and positional tracking produced what many players claimed to be their first feelings of virtual reality 'Presence', the field research term for psychological immersion in VR. More than that though, it was one of the first triple-A, big budget titles to demonstrate good end-to-end VR integration which included cinematics tweaked for VR headset users and menu systems mapped in 3D space. See Also: We Play Elite: Dangerous in the DK2 – In-Depth Hands-On Video As 2014 draws to close, Elite: Dangerous remains one of the benchmarks for VR integration for a traditional game and we don't see that changing any time soon. Alien: Isolation - Creative Assembly (Buy Here) Alien: Isolation could very easily have become 2014's biggest VR disappointment. Having deeply impressed and terrified all who tried the title at E3 2014 in a special demo presented at Oculus' booth, VR support never manifested in the full game by developers Creative Assembly. That might well have been that for the title's VR legacy had it not been for the dedication and curiosity of the VR community at large who through judicious exploration of the game's config files discovered that VR support was not only still included and playable in the release build, it was also incredibly compelling. See Also: Simple Hack Enables Hidden Oculus Rift Mode in ‘Alien: Isolation’, Here’s How Alien:Isolation is essentially a survival horror game which places you in the shoes of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley (the protagonist throughout the Alien franchise's 4 movies). Amanda is searching for clues as to her mother's disappearance and her quest takes her on a perilous journey which inevitably pits her against the titular Aliens themselves. A taut and terrifying adventure, the unlocked VR support can be considered as 'near complete' and offers a claustrophobic and immensely involving way to play the game. The DK2's ability to plunge its user into absolute darkness is key here and can instill sheer panic in the player not prepared for the level of immersion on offer. See Also: Alien: Isolation in VR is Beautiful and Terrifying We can only speculate as to how much better the virtual reality version of Alien: Isolation might have been had Creative Assembly followed through with officially sanctioned VR support, but in its current form the title represents one of the best examples of VR gaming yet to emerge and for that reason it deserves a place in any enthusiast's catalogue. BlazeRush - Targem Games (Buy Here) A late arrival to our list having only just published a beta patch to add Oculus Rift support, BlazeRush is a 'tiny racer' which has managed to nail VR support from the start. Anyone who has played Codemaster's classic Micro Machines or any other title from the genre will know what to expect from BlazeRush. Guide your vehicle around various tracks and environments, staying ahead of your rivals whilst staying on the track. The game throws in power ups and weapons to keep things interesting and the gameplay is tuned so tightly that races invariably result in tense and hilarious climaxes. See Also: Toybox Turbos and BlazeRush: The ‘Tiny Racer’ May Be an Emerging VR Genre The game's VR support is top notch even at this early stage and provides yet more evidence that VR experiences are not the sole preserve of a first person perspective. Your viewpoint hovers above the track and follows the action as the vehicles careen about. Smoke trails and particle effects rendered in glorious stereoscopic 3D bring the scene to life and the game makes you feel like a god hovering over the world. The effect is amazing and, like the forthcoming Lucky's Tale from Playful, really delivers on the promise of a compelling 3rd person VR experience. Continued on Page 2.. Radial-G - Tammeka Games (Buy Here) One of a new breed of made-for-VR games to emerge, Radial-G fuses elements from classics like Wipeout and F-Zero to deliver a high-speed, futuristic racing experience currently unmatched on the VR platform. The game has you testing your mettle against a group of rivals as you hurtle around a tortuous 'pipe' track with jumps, boosts, and forking raceways. The title's DK2 support is top notch and demonstrates VR's ability to enhance the experience, allowing players to gaze into the distance and to track the apexes of corners intuitively. It also provides sumptuous, futuristic environments to distract the player as well as to sell the experience brilliantly. See Also: Radial-G Just Earned Itself a Spot in My Oculus Rift Demos Folder (video) As a cockpit based game, Radial-G offers a surprisingly comfortable experience as you twist, turn and rotate around the track—one that you'd expect to produce instant nausea. The title successfully found its way onto the Steam platform recently as part of a successful Greenlight campaign. Furthermore, Tammeka have proved their commitment to the title with regular updates and enhancements since release. As such, Radial-G remains one to watch in 2015 as one of the poster boys in made-for-VR content. NewRetroArcade - Digital Cybercherries (Download) One of the more unusual releases this year, NewRetroArcade offers the opportunity to virtually stroll down memory lane. With retrogaming culture thriving and generations of older gamers pining for a little nostalgia, NewRetroArcade transports the player back in time to a virtual arcade, complete with hideous carpets and authentic replicas of old arcade cabinets. The twist? You can walk up to the cabinets and start playing! Digital Cybercherries, the developers of NewRetroArcade, clearly have a burning passion for the bygone era of the arcade. Each game cabinet is lovingly and authentically rendered with original artwork and joystick and button layouts. Whilst playing a title, currently limited to just a handful, you can glance down at the controls to see your actions mimicked in the virtual world. Furthermore, incidental details in the emulated games such as scanlines and moire patterns on the screens sells that retro experience brilliantly. See Also: Review: ‘NewRetroArcade’ is a Must-play Homage to Video Game Culture Old and New Elsewhere, the arcade itself is rendered in all its horrific 80s authenticity, with neon lighting punctuating the darkened room. As a child of the '80's, I could almost smell the scent of stale cigarettes and adolescence which often permeated such venues in my youth. NewRetroArcade represents another facet of VR, an ability to repackage old experiences and present them in a realistic setting, a sort of digital time machine through which you can access and relive fond memories. The title is under constant development with improvements and new emulated titles being added regularly. This'll be one I suspect we'll revisit many times in 2015. Minecrift on DK2 - Various Developers (Download) An unlikely early addition to our list of must-have VR titles back in the early days of the DK1, the VR-enabled version of Minecraft is startlingly compelling and earns a place in this list thanks to the addition of DK2 support this year. See Also: Guide: Play Minecraft on Oculus Rift DK2 Using the Minecrift Mod Minecraft is a title that needs no introduction, so I won't. What I will say however it that it's very difficult to describe the paradigm shift in experience Minecrift offers over its standard counterpart. Stumbling into the vast, blocky vistas Minecraft is now famous for wouldn't immediately strike you as an awesome virtual reality showcase, but thanks to the sheer scale on offer it doesn't disappoint. Add to this the ability to create your own towering structures to gaze upon whilst at the same time sharing the whole experience with online friends, and it's clear why Minecrift is one title that people just 'get' when they experience it. As an added bonus, given the near ubiquitous nature of Minecraft and its vast legions of fans, Minecrift is an important ambassador for reaching and inducting traditional gamers to virtual reality. It's hard to go back to playing Minecraft on a standard monitor after experiencing in the Oculus Rift. Half-life 2 VR (HL2VR) v1.4+ - Nathan Matthews and 'Wormslayer' (Download) Grafting virtual reality onto classic games may at first sight seem like a great way to increase virtual reality's catalogue of titles, but in reality is fraught with difficulties. Although native support for Oculus Rift headsets has been present in Half-life 2 (2004) since 2013, many find the experience sub-par when compared against dedicated, made-for-VR titles. So, how do you get the best of both worlds—the immersive experience of VR and the classic gameplay of one of the world's most adored games? You download the HL2VR mod and rejoice! According to Road to VR's Ben Lang, writing on the subject earlier in the year, "In my book, the HL2VR mod is the best way to play Half-Life 2, thanks to a number of smart additions made by the folks behind HL2VR." The mod, written and tested by Nathan Matthews and 'Wormslayer', integrates 1:1 motion input controls with Razer Hydra support, giving you the ability to hold and rotate your virtual weaponry mapped to your motions with the Hydra controllers. This means the gun no longer feels like it's stuck to the underside of your chin, and can be wielded and aimed realistically. Furthermore, crucial HUD elements have been placed in 3D space on the weapon itself, meaning you can check your ammo reserves at a glance. Flip over your virtual hand and you can check your health. It all adds hugely to the sense of immersion and, more importantly, makes this classic shooter much more playable in VR. For these reasons, HL2VR breezes its way onto our list. VR Typing Trainer - Lab Coat Studios (Download) Our final choice is slightly left-field, but anyone who's been hopelessly addicted to this great little VR title will probably agree with its inclusion on this list. VR Typing Trainer is a game which occupied the a slightly obscure genre of games made popular by the likes of Typing of the Dead (2003). It's a game where, in order to survive an onslaught of ever lengthening words, you must type those words (with perfect accuracy) as fast as you possibly can. The words in question appear in the distance and head relentlessly towards you, with words increasing in number and complexity the further you go. It's kind of a weird, keyboard based shoot 'em up, I guess most analogous to the classic Space Invaders (1978). The neat part is that it isn't only fun and satisfying to blast out a long word with a quick series of key strikes, but its actually a great way to practice typing. The trick is, this being VR, your face is obviously completely covered by the Oculus Rift, so you'll need to sharpen your touch typing skills if you have any hope of achieving the highest score—hence VR Typing Trainer. All of this takes place in a neon, retro-styled environment, simplistic in style (think retro-Tron) it keeps your focus on the task at hand, blasting those evil words with the power of your fingers! That's a small selection of the incredible titles that crossed our path in 2014, there are many more worthy of mention of course but this is all we had space for. If you'd like to share your personal favourites of 2014, let us know in the comments below. In the mean time, with an incredible 2014 filled with dazzling new VR experiences behind us, we can't wait to find out what's in store in 2015. Join us in just a few days when our coverage of CES 2015 begins, as we report direct from Las Vegas.