Part of the first grip of HTC Vive/Oculus Rift launch releases, Windlands helped me get my VR sea legs and I can't be more grateful to it for that alone. It's also a pretty baller 3D platformer: you play as a golem that can run, jump, walljump, and fire twin elastic grappling hooks that exclusively latch onto leafy foliage. These mechanics allow you to fly through the air at high speeds and reach staggering heights, and can be used to manipulate your body's momentum with a surprising level of finesse. The game is combat free, the joy is to be found in movement and taking in the scenery.
When I first played it the heights resulted in me gripping the floor with my toes and I'd have to stop playing after 10 minutes; I can handle it no sweat now. There are few pure 3D platformers in the VR space, and it's a shame; Windlands demonstrates a surprising amount of potential for the genre that I hope is fully realized one day. I've enjoyed what I've played of the sequel, too, but it's a different beast entirely with a different story, bow-and-arrow combat, and (sadly) slightly shorter hooks.
