“An arcade light-gun shoot ‘em up in 2021? PAH!” was my first impression, but within the first 10 minutes of gameplay, it slowly became apparent that this lighthearted and fast paced shoot ‘em up was determined to make sure whoever was holding the controller had fun. There also came a wave of nostalgia which got me hooked fast. Something about the combination of the Zombieland franchise’s iconic crass humor and The House of The Dead-like gameplay just makes your brain go a little sentimental. Although not much of a storyteller, Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever, by developer XR Games, knows what it’s trying to accomplish quite well, combining elements of traditional rail shooters and newer VR game design to provide an addicting modern arcade experience.
Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever, in contrast to most zombie entertainment, makes you more the hunter than the hunted. This isn’t a survival game, your life isn’t really the main thing you’re fighting for, rather, the game encourages you to chase the sweet, sweet clout that comes from being at the top of the leaderboard. Although levels increase in difficulty as the game goes on, it’s not really the progression you’re going to sink most of your time into. Likely, you’ll get sucked into the loop of playing one level over and over to get the best run time possible. Levels are sweet and short, plus, with every enemy spawning in the exact same location on every run, the satisfaction came from figuring out how to clear the map in the least time possible. The game’s core mechanic revolves around this speed running mentality where headshots activate bullet time. Slowing of time isn’t just for show either, the game shaves off your total run time according to how much time you spent in bullet time. This means that the game cares quite a lot about headshot accuracy, but at the end of the day, it’s the run time that counts, not how many bullets you wasted on the wall.
Now, the big question is how well do the guns handle? If I told you that the guns are light and without kickback in a joyful tone you would probably question my sanity, but in reality, the handling is perfect for the “action hero” vibe the developers are going for. You wouldn’t want realistic bolt action mechanics getting in the way of your running and gunning. The feeling of bullets soaring through the air while you’re tossing clips like they’re pennies is its own breed of satisfying. The bullet time and weapons handling components surprisingly work really well together, making Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever feel like some love child of The House of The Dead and Superhot. Reloading is similarly hassle free: slamming down the control drops empty mags while moving the gun to your belt area automatically reloads another. The large variety of enemy types plays its role in this blood pumping experience and makes it a requirement for you to think (at least a little bit) about how and where to shoot.
Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever isn’t exactly the prettiest game, but its commitment to pure adrenaline driven fun can’t be overlooked. Play it for what it is, don’t take it too seriously, and anyone can have a good time.
Score: 7/10
You can check out the Zombieland VR: Headshot Fever trailer here – https://youtu.be/esjpKfbq1rU
For more information, visit: https://linktr.ee/zombielandvrheadshotfever
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Steam VR Review
I remember when I was a little kid, I watched my dad talk to a cowboy robot in a post-apocalyptic open world game. He kicked me out of his office, stating that the game is inappropriate for children, but I think that’s where my love of western RPGs started. Since then, I’ve grown up playing competitive games, interacting with the community, and exploring immersive worlds. I’m definitely an old soul as my favorite games include all of the old Fallout games, RPGs with classical elements such as Divinity: Original Sin 2, and the all-time great Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
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