Review – Zombieland VR Headshot Fever
Courtesy of the folks at XR Games, I’ve been running the gauntlets of the Zombieland Invitational, as I checkout Headshot Fever on the standalone Oculus Quest 2. I’ve spent a good week or two getting to grips with this one, so that I can bring you our full written review, alongside the usual common-sense parent’s guide.
The Basics
Zombieland VR Headshot Fever is a strange but compelling mix of classic light-gun titles like house of the dead, with a split-second time trial racing up the leaderboards. Through each of the levels you’ll be aiming to dispatch the hordes of undead in the quickest possible time, with extra bonuses to be gained by the film-faithful double tap mechanics.
For every double tap headshot, you’ll activate Adrenaline Mode, slowing down time and giving you a better chance to take aim as well as gain all important seconds on your race through the level. In order to get the best time and beat your friends and those competing around the world, you’ll need to keep up with your double tap chains.
Throughout the title you’ll undergo training to enter the Zombieland Invitational, an in-universe time trial zombie race course devised to quell the increasing boredom of post-apocalypse Earth. The title brings back film-favourite characters including Tallahassee, Wichita, Columbus and Little Rock, and all the usual morbid humour you would expect.
As well as continuously unlocking new challenges through different levels, you’ll also grab new weapons and perks along your way. Combining these with the double tap and a little practice, increasing your times and having a little fun along the way you’ll need to be bang on to challenge the best in the game.
As an odd mix between shooting and racing, it’s one I’ve really quite enjoyed, even though I’m a bit of a jessie when it comes to the zombie genre. While there are a decent number of zombie shooters and arcade shooters, the Adrenaline Mode within Zombieland really gives the title an added hook.
Parent’s Eye View
Zombieland Headshot Fever is rated by PEGI at 16 and above, and it’s one which I’d probably not let the Micro-Bandits get their hands on. As a VR title the immersive nature of the game can give a few squeaky bum moments even for an adult, and with the sort of language you’d expect from Tallahassee it does lend itself more towards the older market.
As a note it is possible to turn blood off within the game’s settings, the fear, drugs references and language elements of the title, coupled with the fact that you’re still blowing the heads off the living dead, do mean it’s one we’d say was suitable for adults only.
Accessibility
In terms of accessibility I’ve been fairly impressed with this one. There are plenty of difficulty modes, left and right handed options, and subtitles available, with a fairly low barrier to entry. The title asks you on each boot if you’d prefer to play sitting or standing, and your regular gun hand requires one finger for a trigger and grips automatically.
Reloading is likely the most significant challenge in terms of physical requirements, where you’ll need to flick the thumbstick down and lower your weapon. For VR specifics, this is an on-rails teleporting title, and I’ve not had even a jot of motion sickness, so it’s definitely one I’d suggest for newcomers to the genre.
The Run Down
Visuals – Good: The aim here is for a little cartoon skew rather than real life, and it does work well for the title. Visuals are good, and while not perfect the bright and colourful graphics do lend themselves well to the game, and the universe as a whole.
Audio – Good: The music and effects in the game are decent and while there were no wow moments they’re still pretty good. Voice acting has also been done well, with Abigail Breslin reprising her role as Little Rock. Tallahassee is still voiced by Harrelson… Brett Harrelson As Woody’s real-life brother Brett has done a pretty good job of bringing Tallahassee to the title, and also provided plenty of arguments here in the PB office before we checked out the cast list.
Narrative – Good: The title is a time-trial racing shooter so we didn’t come into this one expecting a story which competes with an RPG. We had a pleasant surprise when we got in game, with a slice or two of narrative here and there. What really shone through is the faithful way the title brings through the tone, humour and attitude of the film franchise.
Replay – Great: There are a great number of different levels, which each bring their own environment and we found that each level managed to feel different to the rest. Alongside the good number of levels, each has four challenges to beat, in order to unlock new weapons and perks. Over all of this, the leaderboards and constant competition to better your times do keep bringing us back in to try and improve our (woeful) personal best.
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The Verdict
Overall the Pixel Bandits Double Tap Level for Zombieland Headshot Fever on the standalone Oculus Quest 2 is Grab It . I’m a big fan of the film franchise, but you don’t have to be to enjoy this one. As well as providing a decent zombie-shooter experience along with the numerous others available, adrenaline mode really makes this one stand out.
I’ve had some great fun with Headshot Fever, and have really been hooked by the “just one more go” feel which comes with daisy-chaining double tap headshots. It’s a relatively cheap title, and while from the outside it might seem to be a bit of a cash grab in typical “film tie in” tradition it manages to be so much more. If you’re looking for a new fast-paced arcade shooter, you should definitely take a walk into Zombieland and show Tallahassee what you’ve got.
If you’re here with me in the UK and fancy getting chatty with Quest users, we’ve found the Oculus Quest UK group to be a friendly and helpful place for both old hands and newcomers.
