Review – Zero Calibre Reloaded VR
Courtesy of the folks at XReal Games, I’ve been spending a few action-packed hours in their standalone VR shooter Zero Calibre Reloaded. This title has released on the Oculus Quest and Quest 2 standalone platforms, and I’ve been checking it out without PC link, as ever you can find both video and written review just here, alongside our common-sense parent’s guide
The Basics
Reloaded is a great little follow up to the original Zero Calibre, released by Xreal on premium VR platforms. Working in complete isolation, Zero Calibre Reloaded runs natively on the Quest, providing a decent experience for those looking for a VR shooter without further hardware requirements.
Reloaded brings a solid number of different weapons, including rifles, shotguns, SMGs, grenades and a whole lot more. In addition there are a huge number of different attachments, allowing you to customise your weapon of choice in nearly any way you can think of.
There’s a decent single-player campaign within Zero Calibre Reloaded, with a near-future water crisis providing a number of enemies for you to shoot at. In addition to a lot more narrative than I was expecting, the title also lets you play through the missions cooperatively with friends, adding another arrow to a relatively well-stocked bow.
You’ll unlock weapons as you move through the different levels, and the title also provides a firing range for you to test out various guns and loadouts. With a vast array of attachments including scopes, sights, lasers, muzzle, stock and grips, there’s a lot of choice here. In terms of action and environments it’s not the most realistic title I’ve ever played, but overall it is one I have enjoyed.
Parent’s Eye View
Zero Calibre Reloaded is rated by PEGI at 16 and above on the Oculus store. Being a military shooter it is one which comes with a fair amount of blood and of course not a little violence. Strangely even with this in mind, the bad language in the game has been moderated with crackling radio static and even outright bleeps.
Overall, with the first person immersive nature of the battlefield, I’d say it’s probably one not for the younger generations..
Accessibility
In terms of accessibility, Zero Calibre Reloaded picks up a rating of Moderate, the same as it has on the official Oculus store. The control system isn’t quite as on point as other titles like Onward, but it’s still not a bad showing, and one you’ll get used to.
The flick stick controls to stand and crouch do mean that it’s playable sitting or standing with limited mobility, and there are the usual right and left handed options too.
The Run Down
Visuals – Fair: Graphics are the most notable difference between the Quest’s native version and the standard pc-backed Zero Calibre. While they’re not shockingly bad, and the detail on the weapons themselves is fairly good, the different environments do look quite basic, even for a standalone title.
Audio – Good: There is good use of audio effects and music in this one, and the voice acting is actually much better than expected, even if it’s far from perfect. It’s clear that focus has been put into the armoury effects, which really is the thing most people would be grabbing this one for
Narrative – Good: Again this is much better than expected here, and there’s a decent little background narrative through the title. While I was looking forward to the gunplay here, I’ve actually found myself quite engaged with the story which was a very welcome surprise.
Replay – Great: The many different campaign levels, huge number of weapons and customisation options and the multiplayer options really mean that this one has a good place in our Quest library. There are a good number of reasons to either push on or replay levels, and bring your friends in for a nice team-shooter experience.
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The Verdict
Overall the Pixel Bandits Hoora Level for Zero Calibre Reloaded is that you’ll probably find it Enjoyable . It’s not the strongest shooter on Quest, but if you are looking for a title with a great range of different weaponry and a nice campaign, this one is certainly worth a look.
There’s some good replay here, and while it’s not the most realistic, and the environment visuals could do with a little more polish the detail on your weaponry and multiple options available will please those looking to play around with a slightly more arcade than realistic shooter.
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.