Lethal VR: RoyBoy's Review

Since the release of the PlayStation VR (PSVR) last October there has been a variety of different styles of games and gameplay introduced and enhanced as a result of the latest technology. Even though the library of titles available is slowly growing there have been some great titles, as well as a few that utterly disappoint. Whilst still in its infancy, the PlayStation VR (and VR in general) does bring some old rules and old style gameplay into a new experience that is simple, fun and entertaining.
Released last December from Team 17 Software and developed by Three Fields Entertainment, Lethal VR is a virtual reality weapons experience that brings the old style arcade shooters and shooting games of the past into the world of Virtual Reality. Originally released on the HTC Vibe, Lethal VR is now available on the PSVR and puts the player into the shoes of an FBI Trainee, where you're shooting skills of precision, accuracy and timing are put to the test through a series of challenges in a 360 degree shooting simulator. The beginning of the game places you in a holodeck style room of which you remain in for the entire game, with each challenge or level set up around you.
The gameplay is simple yet varied with around 30 scenarios or challenges to get through. Each challenge sets you a score to achieve through shooting or throwing weapons at various targets before the timer runs out. If you achieve the required score, you progress onto the next level. It’s very much in the same vein as Point Blank and Police Trainer however with the game being set in VR it places you in the actual simulator as opposed to pointing your controller at a screen. This is taken to full advantage as targets will appear from the side, above and below as well as from in front. In some challenges you will find yourself on edge looking all around you waiting for the targets to pop up. You have to be quick too as too long a pause between firing will result in cutting the simulation short, and if you accidentally shoot that poor innocent old lady instead of the bad guy it’s also game over.
The weapons that appear in the game are a nod to a range of action movies, such as Robocop, Crocodile Dundee “That’s not a knife” and at one stage I had the Golden Gun from James Bond, and Lethal VR does a good job to display information on each weapons real life characteristics as you unlock them. The sound from each weapon firing is loud and realistic, especially Dirty Harry’s .45 Magnum. Another thing to be mindful of is how many bullets are left in the chamber, as timing your reload can be crucial in some parts as to whether you succeed or fail.
You will need two PlayStation Move Controllers to play the game, and initially it was hard to commence the game and get started, however that was only due to having the wrong controller in the hand. The Move Controllers work generally well, with only a couple times where I had to readjust and recalibrate the headset and controllers and more often than not I would find myself with two hands on the one Move Controller positioned as one would with a real gun. The aim from the Move Controllers are accurate, but unlike previous VR shooters I have played there is no laser beam pointing your gun towards the target, (although it does it appear in menus). The only downfall to the gameplay was when wielding dual weapons (one in each hand), where accuracy went out the window with the left hand, but I would put that down to the player rather than controller.
Lethal VR is a decent virtual reality shooting experience. Whilst it may be a little short in content, its graphics and ease of play help provide an enjoyable experience. It really is a throwback to the old arcade shooters, simple yet a tonne of fun. With over 30 different scenarios on offer, the way of repeatability to increase your score and obtain the highest ranking. Although it may not blow the VR world away; it is one of the more decent VR titles out there. It probably won’t have you sitting or standing for hours on end gaming, but Lethal VR is fun in short stints.


Score: 7/10

Publisher: Team 17 Software
Developer: Three Fields Entertainment
Ship Date: December 20th 2016
Category: Action Shooter
Platform: Playstation VR
ESRB: PG

RoyBoy
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