Harpagun Review: Colorful Arcade Action With A Compelling Story

Harpagun delivers a colourful VR arcade shooter-smasher with a compelling narrative. Learn on for our full ideas.

On-rails motion is not probably the most thrilling proposition for VR gaming as of late, but Harpagun exhibits such motion titles can nonetheless get the job completed. Following final 12 months’s work on the comfortable puzzle recreation Toy Trains, One thing Random’s subsequent title opts for a fast-paced arcade-style shooter. Regardless of a restrictive motion system and unpolished edges on Quest, the core motion stays extremely fulfilling.

Harpagun provides humorous sci-fi absurdity with a futuristic Soviet twist when you discover a post-apocalyptic world, weaving an intriguing narrative with a satisfying decision. Taking part in as a ‘Harpagun’, our titular protagonist finds their comrades lacking, with armies of mutant fungus able to kill you. Guided by two dysfunctional leaders through a floating TV, this compelling story explores what occurred to this society that leaves me invested in our hero’s survival.

The marketing campaign splits into bite-sized missions with three issue settings, which is beneficial should you desire taking part in in brief bursts. You may restart from a checkpoint should you die, although these are frustratingly absent throughout boss fights. Our objective is to search out protected passage off this abandoned planet and again to the mothership, armed with two gravity weapons that allow you to shoot stuff alongside merely grabbing objects.

Customary gunfire does what’s wanted, however launching objects like rubble, chairs, doorways, and even components of an enemy we have torn off into these fungal foes is rather more entertaining. Every stage is plagued by throwable objects for entertaining kills, although grabbing enemies instantly and destroying them by throwing them into one another can also be enjoyable.

Timed provide drops helpfully present further well being or restricted ammo sorts for elevated harm. Killing a number of foes without delay as lasers bounce throughout one another feels good, shotgun-style ammo for heavy hits at shut vary present helpful crowd management, whereas electrical upgrades cost a lightning ball that outright smokes these wild mushrooms. It is excessive, dramatic, and nice enjoyable throughout.

I admire the creativity with some enemies too, and Harpagun provides a superb selection as you advance via missions. For instance, one foe requires you to tug them upwards with the gravity gun and use your different hand to shoot the bubble that quickly seems. One other requires ripping its wings off, which sounds extra brutal than it truly is. Extra superior enemies and weapons regularly roll out at a superb tempo, although you may all the time be geared up with gravity weapons.

When enemies spawn almost as quick as you kill them, this turns into a juggling act that may overwhelm you should you aren’t cautious. Throwing again a foe’s projectiles with the gravity gun feels nice throughout these moments, as does blocking them by selecting up different enemies. Nevertheless, all it takes is a couple of hits to kill you, so you want to maintain transferring.

Harpagun has a powerful basis, but its design feels constrained, and that shortly turns into obvious when combating these enemy waves. Teleporting to set factors throughout the map often works effectively till you are making an attempt to dodge enemy hearth, supplying you with restricted choices for the place to maneuver. You may sometimes strafe left, proper, forwards, or backwards from the central space, and that is it.

One thing Random evidently designed Harpagun’s motion to prioritize consolation over immersion, which works as I’ve not had any points to date even with minimal consolation settings. Nonetheless, a number of further points might additionally use fine-tuning. Clean digital camera turning is just too quick, making it robust to be exact and in contrast to snap turning, the digital camera pace is not adjustable. Lengthy loading instances are additionally current on Quest 3, most notable when booting up the sport.

I’ve additionally discovered efficiency hiccups on Quest 3, and the framerate drops are evident in later ranges when extra enemies are onscreen. I additionally observed some moments the place the textual content bubble on display screen from the leaders through the TV would jitter, which wasn’t uncomfortable however your mileage might differ. I’ve but to strive the Quest 2, PC VR or PS VR2 variations, so I can not examine any variations proper now.

The principle marketing campaign takes round 5 hours to finish, which neither feels overly lengthy nor too quick for Harpagun. Different choices can be found akin to a handy arcade mode for replaying particular person ranges past the marketing campaign, alongside an Enviornment mode the place you battle enemy waves. I am not notably compelled to maintain replaying the latter, although it is a good choice to have.

What advantages Harpagun enormously on Quest 3 is the colourful cel-shaded presentation, providing well-designed environments and an typically unsettling array of enemies. The soundtrack fits the sport comparatively effectively, even when it is not something too riveting, and it is nice to see a selection of efficiency settings out there for individuals who’d slightly prioritize efficiency or constancy.

Harpagun Overview – Last Verdict

Harpagun continues a powerful streak by One thing Random after final 12 months’s Toy Trains, delivering an entertaining VR smasher-shooter with an intriguing narrative that instantly grabs your consideration. Some tough edges on Quest uninteresting its shine and the restrictive motion system limits fight, but there’s nonetheless loads to love with its sturdy motion gameplay. As such, it comes really helpful.

UploadVR makes use of a 5-Star ranking system for our recreation opinions – you may learn a breakdown of every star ranking in our assessment pointers.