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When we get a traditional game being prepared for a VR adaptation, I always wonder if it is the right decision. Would it work in VR? Does it need to make that leap? Umurangi Generation is a captivating experience about gradually getting involved in a country and its situation, which means Umurangi Generation VR on the Meta Quest headsets feels like a greater opportunity to witness life in this version of Tauranga Aotearoa. 

You’re a photographer for Tauranga Express. Rather than delivering packages, you take pictures of certain situations for the company. New Zealand, and the world, is going through some things while you do. As a result, your assignments and purpose gradually change. While initial stages might feel like you’re gathering photos for perhaps promotional materials or to accompany more lighthearted scenes, you’ll gradually reach a point where who you are and what you are doing may feel like it carries a greater weight.

This means that Umurangi Generation VR handled storytelling and exploration in a very immersive way. You aren’t talking with certain figures to learn about tasks. Nobody is holding your hands on your assignments. You happen to live in a world that is gradually going to hell, and your role in chronicling that changes the longer you play. It’s a brilliant way of handling things. You’re left to your own conclusions and devices. As a result, I felt like I was able to judge what was going on, have my own feelings about them, and really live through the experience.

Of course, the way Umurangi Generation VR plays is also part of the reason why this photography sim feels so at home on the Meta Quest line of headsets. I appreciated how many of the actual actions in the game are tied to the same motions you’d make in real life. Lifting the camera to your face, for example. Checking things on lists. Spray painting to leave your mark on the world. There are some very common sense motions here, with help with the immersion.

I was also a little concerned when I came to the VR adaptation, since some light platforming is required to reach certain objectives in the original Umurangi Generation. While there were some bounties in certain stages that felt more challenging in the VR version, with that starting in Stage 5, it generally works pretty well. I was especially impressed that I never felt motion sick while going through areas as well.

While Umurangi Generation VR is good about handling the VR experience, there is some awkwardness involved. I found it impossible to take screenshots on a Meta Quest 3, which is sad considering it is a photography game. Some of the controls aren’t as intuitive as you may expect. Taking a photo is incredibly easy. Others really require you to learn how to play, and the tutorial should really be mandatory instead of optional. 

There were a handful of odd situations in which Umurangi Generation VR didn’t I’d gotten the shot correctly. This required me to repeatedly rearrange and attempt to get the image for the quest. It happened in one stage involving feathers. In another it wouldn’t recognize the word “mix” on a tape. Given some stages only have one instance of a particular request occurring, it was a little frustrating. Especially since I didn’t encounter those sorts of issues in the original release.

Umurangi Generation is a game that was never subtle about its message and always conveyed information via the experience well, but playing it in VR on a Meta Quest 3 makes everything more effective. Firsthand exploring the world and encountering both its beauty and horrors is incredible. Especially since the transition from the original game to VR worked so well and came without downsides like motion sickness. I loved the approach and feel like it’s a necessary Meta Quest experience.

Umurangi Generation VR is available on the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro and PlayStation VR 2 headsets. 

The post Umurangi Generation Feels More Poignant in VR appeared first on Siliconera.

As many Americans head into a long weekend, we’re thinking about the best games that you can comfortably start and finish in just a couple of days. What are your favorite weekend games?

The new game's unexpectedly great even after decades of building hype, but there's something special about the original Pokémon Snap. It's notoriously a "rental" game. And not just because of the Blockbuster sticker connections! You can see the credits in a couple of hours and finish what the game offers in a little more than that. But there's something special about starting and finishing a good, short game. It's its own sort of mini-vacation! And Pokémon Snap delivers both good and short in a package that's better and shorter than most. — Graham

Speaking of Pokémon Snap, another more recent hit that can be picked up and put down in the space of a long weekend is Umurangi Generation. It recently launched in a "definitive" form for the Nintendo Switch (though it's also available on PC). It's a photography game, as well, tasking players with taking particular shots. It also leaves them with freedom on how to compose and adjust their framing. But it's also about way more than pictures! Especially if you're the type of player that pays attention to what they're shooting. — Josh

I'm going to go with a game that I just recently played in a single weekend. I didn't expect Boyfriend Dungeon to be as short as it was. But over a two-day period, I got to dungeon crawl with some cool characters and make some great new virtual friends (and boyfriends). It is the sort of game that doesn't wear out its welcome. It isn't too demanding or taxing. You can hop in, do everything you need to and feel like you've accomplished all you need to over a few days. — Jenni

Every so often I get an urge to play a building sim of some sort. Recently, I scratched that itch when I picked up TasteMaker: Restaurant Simulator after seeing it on an E3 indie game stream. This Early Access game has a few pre-built scenarios and a free build mode that allow you to prove your management chops. You need to balance ordering ingredients, hiring staff, building your kitchen, and decorating the dining room. You can even add video lottery terminals and arcade machines to keep guests spending money. It's a fun way to spend a weekend if you find yourself cooped up. — Annette

Sometimes the games that are short, sweet, and to the point are some of the most poignant experiences you can have with a piece of media. No Longer Home is one of these titles. It explores the relationship of two people being forced apart by immigration. Semi-autobiographical, No Longer Home is steeped in magical realism as it discusses identity and uncertain futures. While it is relatively short, it's a great pick to immerse yourself in over a weekend. — Kazuma

What are your favorite weekend games? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.

The post The Best Games To Play In One Weekend appeared first on Siliconera.

As mentioned earlier, this year we're letting everyone relax this holiday season and using the next two days to talk about games that mattered to all of us. For example, 2020 was a tough year for us all. But there were some games that were some real bright spots. So, let's talk about the most uplifting games we played in 2020.

If you want to have a chill time and feel good about things for a while, I don't have a stronger recommendation than Ooblets. Everything's adorable. Everything's pleasant. You can farm or dance battle or just run some errands, and everyone's low-key psyched that you're there. It's a great game to pick up to replace the Animal Crossing-sized hole in your heart. (Of course, now that I've mentioned Ooblets in this piece, I'm not expecting a particularly uplifting response in the comments.) — Graham

This is going to be an odd one for me, but Rocket League did a lot for me in 2020. I’ve always enjoyed it, but haven’t been really good at it. It going free-to-play, so I could play more of it on the Switch and PS4, helped me develop into a better player. Plus, it’s hard to get down on yourself when the matches are so short and you could do better next time. — Jenni

I know people are going to give me flak for this, but whenever I'm feeling a little meh I boot up Fallout 76 for a while. Like any MMO, there are a handful of players who revel in killing others and yoinking all the loot. But ultimately there is a community here that helps one another, and it's those players who lift my spirits. — Annette

Heroland is a quirky and unique RPG written by the director of Mother 3, Nobuyuki Inoue that was localized at the very end of 2019. If you're at all familiar with the story of Mother 3, then I hope your interest is already piqued. The player takes control of a part-timer at the eponymously named amusement park. While meeting a cast of colorful and diverse characters, the player guides guests through attractions in a story focused on breaking RPG conventions and the fourth wall. Heroland's narrative, which involves learning about characters' personalities and their quirks, is perfect for learning something new about yourself. — Oni

Due to reasons, I didn't play The Division 2 until this year. When the shutdown in my state happened, the kids were home, my yoga studio closed down, and many of my clients were temporarily closed while they figured things out. This left me with a lot of time on hands, and it was then I decided to jump into The Division 2. Two hundred fifty hours (and counting) later, this has become my go-to game (when I'm not playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, naturally). I strangely found comfort in a game that depicted an eerily similar situation in real life. Even when some of the collectibles creeped me out—there's an Echo of Manny talking to his father and he says the exact same things I have said about this pandemic—I still turned to this game for consolation. I don't know if it was because I could shoot the problems away or if it was because I could totally paint all of my armor and weaponry pink, but it doesn't matter. I will keep playing this game as long as Ubisoft releases content. — Keri

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a calming experience that came at a time when it was absolutely needed. Its blend of music, environment, and character radiates positivity. There’s also a revitalizing sense of optimism in the game. It’s possible to pay off expenses, travel to new locales, visit friends, and, if you want to take a controversial route, time travel. Sure, that sounds like a checklist of things a lot of people wish they could do in real life. But it’s also a list of ways that Animal Crossing: New Horizons slows down and puts a focus on the simple things. I have gratitude for the formerly everyday activities that comprise much of Animal Crossing’s gameplay, and I have gratitude for Animal Crossing. I also have gratitude for its fruit based economy, because Twitter was very wholesome for a few days as a result. — Ben

In a year when it was often just enough to find a game that could distract, sometimes a game that was actually uplifting felt a bit out of reach. But a few certainly fit the bill, and for my money, Umurangi Generation was one of them. A lo-fi cyberpunk game that actually felt genuinely “punk” - made in the spirit of going against the grain and taking things forward, wasn’t something I expected this year, but the photography-based adventure got me pumped to see what kind of work scrappy indies could put out to move that benighted genre forward. — Josh

The post What Were 2020’s Most Uplifting Games? appeared first on Siliconera.