A Review of Wanted Killer VR – Playsnak’s New VR Bullet-Time Shooter

If you like bullet-time, Matrix style shooters, you are going to love Wanted Killer VR. Last week, Berlin based Playsnak, in partnership with Nchant, released their new VR FPS shooter, Wanted Killer VR on Steam Early Access.

With support for HTC VIVE, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets, this game will really get you moving and sweating. as you dodge bullets, morph into enemies to commandeer their weapons, and navigate through the inner depths of an evil corporate empire.

Based on the popular mobile game Wanted Killer, Wanted Killer VR, adds a new twist to the plot. As you progress through the game, you take the form and fighting characteristics of the main character Ricky, an assassin named Mia, a fighter named Teo, and the mysterious Aya.

The goal of the game is to infiltrate the evil Genetic Minds Corp, hack the computers and get revenge for the deaths of Ricky’s parents. Along the way, you encounter a multitude of enemies with different weapons that you can take control of after the kill. As you progress through the game, you earn points which allow you to upgrade your weapons and learn more about the story.

Gameplay

One unique aspect of the game, which is different than other VR shooters, is that you actually see your simulated arms, which are connected to the hands and weapons. It adds a new level of connectedness, which is normally missing in most VR experiences. As you start the game, you wake up in the laboratory of the Genetic Minds Corp and are guided by a drone and the voice of your assistant who leads you through the game.

When you first begin a level, you are equipped with only your weapons but as soon as you kill an enemy, you can then warp to their “ghost” position (immediately, or in slow motion) and take control of their weapons. If you warp in slow motion, you can shoot other enemies or perform other actions along the way. As you are fired upon, you can dodge the shots in bullet time, which is sometimes easy, but very quickly gets pretty challenging as you are fired upon from multiple angles.

Getting through the first level was relatively easy, but very quickly gets harder and harder. This is a very physical game because you have to move around to dodge bullets, seek shelter behind walls and there is a lot of reaching, jumping and ducking.

I have played a LOT of VR games on different devices, but I can honestly say, I have never sweated so much, or moved so much as I have in this game. Although super fun, you will quickly discover the limitations of your hardware because you will start to sweat and you will have to take a break to cool down and clean your lenses. (We need fans in new headsets please!)

The graphics in the game are interesting because Playsnak uses some sort of cell shader, which gives the characters an old school GI-Joe cartoon-style look, so it really is like being inside your favorite 80’s action figure cartoons.

Admittedly, I am a pretty lame FPS player, and I am still waiting for my new eyeglasses, so I haven’t progressed through all the levels yet, but as I understand, since the game is still in Early Access, there is much more coming, beyond the first 3 apparent levels. The game lobby has tons of unlocked stuff, so I expect a lot of surprises and interesting twists and features to come.

Pros

• Super fun, high action gameplay
• Easy to use controls
• Bullet time warping is an exciting new feature
• Lots of stuff inside with lots of different characters, weapons, upgrades and secret unlocked stuff visible in the game lobby.
• Cool graphics and fast performance
• Guns and shooting galore!
• Early access price of $9.99! They could easily charge a lot more for this, and I bet they will, so get in on it now.

Cons

• The game is high energy and very physical so you can only play for short periods of time without having to dry off your headset. (Not really a negative because it just means there is constant awesomeness, but the hardware limitations and the sweat will limit your gameplay.)
• Requires a large play area with front and rear-facing sensors. (Again, not a complaint because the freedom of movement is awesome, but it is definitely something to consider. Not an easy play if you just sit at your desk.)

Summary

The game is 100% awesome. It is fast, physical and you’ll sweat your ass off. It’s like a virtual reality Zumba workout with guns and anime, and best of all, it is still in early access, so it’s just going to get better. Click, Click Boom!

For more info, check out Wanted Killer VR on Steam

You can also check out the website at: https://www.playsnak.com/wantedkillervr/