VR GAME OF THE YEAR

RUNNER-UP PERSISTENCE

Developer/publisher Firesprite Format PSVR Few firstperson games in VR have felt as comfortable as this, though The Persistence compensates by making you uncomfortable in every other way. It’s a horror game that’s all the more frightening for immersing you so fully in its procedurally generated world; the sequence where scuttling nasties hunt you in narrow crawlspaces is a bona fide nerve-shredder.

RUNNER-UP TETRIS EFFECT

Developer Monstars, Resonair Publisher Enhance Games Format PS4, PSVR The resolution drop may hurt it more than it did

Rez Infinite, but Enhance’s latest VR experiment is about so much more than its presentation. Thanks to its static puzzle playing field, set far back into the display, one VR newcomer in

Edge’s circle of friends broke their duck with it, and stuck it out for over an hour. This is one of the friendliest VR games you’ll ever play.

WINNER ASTRO BOT RESCUE MISSION

Developer Asobi Team, SIE Japan Studio Publisher SIE Format PSVR Without VR, Astro Bot would be a robust little platformer with some cute creative flourishes. With it, it’s a revelation. It consistently finds ways to acknowledge and reward your physical presence within the world, beyond simply giving you a role as a voyeur or chaperone. All that, and you can play for hours without coming close to losing your lunch. A joy.