5 must-play 2021 VR games to play over the holidays: Resident Evil 4, The Climb 2 – USA TODAY

Marc Saltzman| Special to USA TODAY

The best gaming gifts of 2021

Looking for what to buy the gamer in your life? Tech columnist Marc Saltzman offers up his top picks for kids, teens and adults.

Marc Saltzman, Special to USA TODAY

Whether youve been a fan of virtual reality (VR) since the first headset debuted many moons ago or 2021's just been one of those years you want to escape from, there are many stellar 2021 titles to indulge in over the holiday break.

As you likely know, VR games are super-immersive as they digitally transport you to another time and place. VR fills up your entire field of view with a 360-degree virtual world, and when coupled with head-tracking, it really tricks your brain into believing youre somewhere else.

Add in spatialized audio and the ability to touch content with your hands or a controller, and its incredibly engaging.

Compare this, if you will, to gaming on a screen in front of you, like a television or computer monitor, where you can still see the four edges of the display, which breaks that suspension of disbelief. (Not to mention other reminders of real life, like siblings bickering or catching the dog out of the corner of your eye, getting into something it shouldnt!)

Now, don't go and bethat person who dons a VR headset on a plane. But assuming youre one of many people enjoying a staycation over the holidays this year, the following five titles are some of the years best.

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$39.99; for Oculus Quest; rated Mature

Winner of Best VR/AR (augmented reality) Game of the Year at The Game Awards, Capcoms creepy Resident Evil 4 challenges you to step into the shoes of special agent Leon S. Kennedy on his mission to rescue the kidnapped daughter of the U.S. president from the clutches of a bizarre cult.

As you might expect, not everything goes as planned as you navigate around a rural European village, come face to face with terrifying enemies, and unravel a terrifying mystery in the process.

Next year will see a free update, dubbed The Mercenaries, that pits you against a never-ending horde of Ganados (villagers infected with the Plagas parasite) to earn as many points as possible before evacuated.

Sniper Elite VR ($29.99 for Oculus Quest/Rift) is another worthy action VR game for those age 17 and older.

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$29.99; for Quest, Rift and PSVR; rated Teen

Part survival game, part mystical journey, 17 Bits Song in the Smoke is a single-player adventure that drops you into a prehistoric world inhabited by strange beasts.

Your goal is to stay alive by gathering and using items found in the various worlds eight of them, to be exact, including forests, snowy mountains, and deep valleys to make weapons, clothing, tools, fire, shelter, and brew medicinal potions.

Along with foraging and crafting, youll need to hunt to stay alive, and use a bow and club to fend off enemies.

While the graphics are far from photorealistic, Song in the Smoke is captivating as much as it is challenging.

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$39.99; for Oculus Rift; rated Teen

If space adventures are more your pace, Ready at Dawn Studios Lone Echo 2 is a gravity-defying sci-fi epic that reintroduces us to an android named Jack, repaired and reawakened by his friend, Captain Olivia Liv Rhodes, both of whom are stationed on an abandoned space station.

As with its 2017 predecessor, youll tackle various puzzles and challenges to unravel mysteries in the far future, all wrapped in breathtaking imagery and an emotional story. So long as you can stomach the weightlessness zero-G elements, youll no doubt enjoy playing this 10+ hour single-player game.

It's truly gorgeous, and features well-produced sound, too.

While you can play this game on Oculus Quest 2 by connecting it to your Windows PC, Lone Echo 2 is considered a swan song for the now-discontinued Oculus Rift platform.

Also check out Echo VR, a free-to-play game for Oculus devices.

$24.99; Oculus Quest/Rift, PSVR, and PC VR; rated Teen

Puzzle fans should download Schell Games I Expect You To Die 2, a secret agent sequel that has you go deep undercover to thwart a diabolical plan for world domination.

Yes, like in the original game, Dr. Zor, the head of Zoraxis Industries, is at it again. And so, youre assigned to take on six James Bond-like spy missions, beginning with protecting the U.K.s prime minister.

Sci-fi fans may notice the character John Juniper is voiced by actor/writer Wil Wheaton.

Youll solve puzzles, use powers (like telekinesis) and wear disguises to stay alive long enough to complete this fun (and funny) 1960s-style single-playeradventure.

Check out the games trailer.

$29.99; for Oculus Quest; rated Everyone

Suffer from acrophobia? The Climb 2 isnt for you.

As the name of this sequel suggests, your goal is to scale skyscrapers, ascend dangerous peaks and find hidden shortcuts as you climb your way up and up, and up.

While feeling the rush of realistic heights, you can glimpse over your shoulder to take in the gorgeous scenery, continue your climb to the top, and compete against others in multiplayer modes (which are asynchronous opposed to in real-time).

You can also earn gear like gloves and watchesand unlock a range of achievements.

Best known for its Crysis games, Crytek has crafted a thrilling arcade-like climbing sim that takes advantage of VR technology.

Follow Marc on Twitter for his Tech Tip of the Day posts: @marc_saltzman. Or subscribe to his weekly Tech It Out podcast at marcsaltzman.com/podcasts.

Follow Marc on Twitter for his Tech Tip of the Day posts: @marc_saltzman. Email him or subscribe to his Tech It Out podcast at https://marcsaltzman.com/podcasts.The views and opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.

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5 must-play 2021 VR games to play over the holidays: Resident Evil 4, The Climb 2 - USA TODAY