A new perspective on the action.
It has been a while. Not only since I reviewed a VR game, but also since I got time to talk about Gungrave. The original games were flashy action titles in an era where wielding dual pistols and mowing down tons of enemies was all it took to be cool. Gungrave now returns in a new perspective. Tossing the game into VR seems like a great idea. Flashy action and dual-wielding sounds like a winning formula for VR.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: PS4
Price I’d Pay: $9.99
I enjoyed the original Gungrave games. They were big and dumb. Mindless shooters that didn’t offer massive amounts of variety, but they made up for it with style. So I was excited to jump into that insanity in VR. While there are a ton of shooters available in VR, there are so many that nail this much better. Gungrave VR feels like a recycled demo. Every level works the same, there are not many of them, and the functionality surrounding it feels minimal at best.
Everything about Gungrave VR feels minimal. The movement is limited to the click turns, so moving the analog stick only allows for degrees of movement as opposed to smooth motion. Sure this is great for those that get motion sick in VR, but at least give the option for those that do not. Aiming is done with head movements and it feels fine, but the arenas are limited and feel reused over and over. There are a couple special moves that are simply not satisfying, and each level consists of the same formula. Find enough dedication to finish the game and you will quickly realize just how short it is.
Gungrave VR doesn’t even wow in the visuals department. This is even more perplexing considering its limited scope. The in-your-face attitude of the experience falls flat and the bosses and grunt enemies are just not that interesting. I get that VR games are still somewhat in their infancy, but this one feels like something that would have been included in the very first demo disc when the technology launched.
I was excited for the return of Gungrave. Especially since PlayStation VR had been so impressive for me recently diving into the technology. Sadly this experience is just not worth dropping the cash for. There are a ton of better VR experiences for Sony’s headset.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
