In the not-to-distant future, North Korea and the United States are at war.  You play the part of a US army gunner, and you must defend your post with your turret armed with machine guns and rocket launchers.  Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.  It’s also compatible with PSVR, but since I don’t have any VR equipment, it’s just reviewed on PS4 here.

In the game, you’re stationed in one spot, but you can move your gun around in 360 degrees.  Use your reticule aimer to find out where the enemy is at, and whether they are stationary, on the move, or currently attacking you.  Fire your machine guns at them with the R2 button, and the R1 button will deploy rocket launchers to destroy vehicles and boats quickly.  You’ll earn more rocket launcher missiles after defeating a certain number of minor enemies.

As you defeat enemies, a meter will fill.  Depending on how full it is, you can call in a number of air strikes with the L1 button.  Airplanes can drop boxes to refill your health when you shoot them, or you can deploy infantry, helicopter support, and more.  Side missions will appear from time to time, and if you complete those, you can get promoted and win perks.  Complete a certain number of waves to pass a level, and if you run out of energy, it’s Game Over.  The game really seems more like a VR novelty than anything, and it really wasn’t my cup of tea.  Plus it gets pretty hard early on.  But if you need a simple army themed VR game in your life, this may do the trick.

Kid Factor:

Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is rated T for Teen with ESRB descriptors of Violence and Blood.  You do shoot people with machine guns and missiles, and when you get hit, blood splatters on the sides of the screen.  Younger gamers and less experienced players may find the game too difficult anyway, so it’s best for older folks.

Tags: Game Reviews