Truth be known I had heard very little about Gun Club VR until around a week ago when I realised it was set for release on PSVR. The game initially released on Steam back in August to great user reviews and developer The Binary Mill is now ready to make the jump to Sony’s console. Let’s break down some of the finer points of the game.
GRAPHICS
Graphically the game is very solid. Environments are detailed and sharply designed which help the targets burst out the screen at you. The targets themselves, while no more than wooden shooting range cutouts all look on point and as you would expect if you were to visit an actual gun range.
Where the graphics really excel though are in the actual firearms. A lot of care has been taken to make these weapons look and feel realsitic. Any experience I have of guns up close are from games and movies, but a quick Google search on the pieces in question reveals the lengths the developer has went to give gun enthusiasts a real thrill.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay is tight and responsive. Move controllers are required to play and in very few cases have they felt as good as they do in Gun Club VR. Accuracy is spot on and you really feel like there is skill involved in executing rapid fire head shots to all the 2D assailants.
The only issue I have came across is the awkwardness of cocking some of the guns. In particular the assault rifle was a real pain because for added support this weapon can be wielded with two hands and every time I went to cock the gun my hand would instead stick to the shaft of the gun while I wasted valuable seconds.
This is hopefully something that could be addressed in a future patch because the idea of having to manually reload and cock the gun really does add to the realism of the experience. This qualm aside though, Gun Club VR has a level of authenticity beyond anything we have seen on the headset to date.
Each attachement you buy for your gun has to be manually attached and removed. You could spend ages cycling through all the different guns, scopes, ammo types, clips and more to customise the weapon that suits your needs. You can even spray paint it, giving it that personal touch.
AUDIO
Music in menus and between the action is all serviceable yet fairly basic. It does it’s job without leaving any lasting impression. As with the realism of the look and feel of the guns though, the sound when shots are fired is very impressive and satisfying.
GAME MODES
There are modes a plenty packed inside Gun Club, each with a bunch of different levels within. The action levels are to me the core of the game. You are in a warehouse and have to quickly dispatch pop-up cardboard enemies. From time to time you will be asked to move vantage points and this is done by aiming the gun at the desired location for a few seconds.
Another favourite of mine is zombies which is basically a horde mode. The zombies, while still cardboard cutouts actually do shuffle towards you. The aim is to dispatch them all before getting swarmed. In later levels the wooden undead pick up the pace a little and as with other modes, you have levels that require a flashlight on your gun. This adds to the tension brilliantly.
With the likes of allied and sideshow modes as well there is so much content to keep you going. For me The Binary Mill completely overdelivered when it came to content, which is a refreshing surprise given the relatively cheap price tag.
VALUE
Absolutely well worth the money. You may look at it and wonder if a shooting range can have the depth to justify your purchase. The answer is yes and then some! There are massive amounts of both guns and levels for you to test them out on.
The beauty of it as well is that you will want to go through modes multiple times with different weapons and there is a rating system in place that gives you a high score at the end of every round. This is a great incentive to come back and try to beat high scores. I expect this game to keep gun enthusiasts and first person shooter fans busy for a long time.
VERDICT
As you might have guessed by now I am very high on this game. For me it is without a doubt the best shooter on PSVR to date. The Binary Mill have went over and above in every aspect of the game to deliver something special for fans. Despite a few nagging control issues this is absolutely a must buy.
While the cardboard cutout enemies are cool and it works for this game I would love to see them now move on to a full 5 hour FPS single player campaign. Couple the mechanics in Gun Club VR with a good story and you would have a something that could be a trailblazer for virtual reality gaming.
-VDZE
Reviewed on PS4. A review code was provided by the publisher.
