VR and wave shooters seem a match made in game heaven. Guns’n’Stories Bulletproof VR is yet another addition to the ever growing amount of VR wave shooters. As with all of them, the trick is to stay fresh enough to be enjoyable for the whole duration of the game. Guns’n’Stories Bulletproof VR is set in a Western background which makes it instantly stand out from the excessive amount of zombies and robots the genre seems to suffer from.
Embellished stories
Guns’n’Stories Bulletproof VR offers its story through a grandfather narrating his Wild West adventures to his grandson. During the stages, the story-telling continues. The grandfather – like all good grandfathers – keeps adding certain embellishments to the story. At first, these additions still seem plausible but after the grandfather keeps getting whiskey served by his grandson, some elements start sounding ridiculous. However everything granddad adds also gets added to the game. All this was done so developer Mirowin could add crazy stuff to their game. Drones and advanced weaponry in the Wild West don’t seem so odd in the world granddad creates for you.
Change makes it interesting
Every wave shooter has a tendency to get dull after a few stages. Guns’n’Stories tries to counter this by either changing the weapons or by adding to the scenery mid-stage. These changes all occur when the grandson points out some flaws in the story of the granddad. After battling a while with classic Colt .45 like guns, they will suddenly be switched out with a futuristic machine gun. These changes help break the monotony of the game. A switch in weapon or scenery additions, makes you play differently than before. Just before you get used to the game, Guns’n’Stories Bulletproof VR finds a way to make the same stage still feel fresh.
Arcade mode
The game consists of three acts which have 3 stages and a boss fight. After completing a stage you’ll unlock the stage (and the weapons used during the stage) to play in arcade mode. The “story-stages” force you to use the guns the granddad talks about but sometimes you just want to go full rampage with those dual wielding grenade launchers on the whole stage. Arcade mode lets you just do that.
Score attack
After each stage is completed – in both story mode or arcade mode – you get a scorecard. Killing enemies in quick succession or getting a lot of headshots gets you the most points. How well you did gets translated in “Sheriff stars”. After completing the story mode, you can play a few bonus rounds. These don’t fit the story but do offer a new challenge. Completing these even lets you unlock a final new weapon.
Bulletproof
Each stage felt really long and the sheer amount of enemies you’ll need to get rid off are almost overwhelming. The bullet hell you’ll face is almost relentless. Cover is virtually absent but the game does offer a defensive mechanism. You can dodge bullets while moving but I preferred to use my guns to sling the bullets back to where they came from. When you’ll find yourself in a haze of bullets, the option’s always there to wave your guns around to avoid incoming damage. When you take too many damage, the screen goes darker and the enemies move in slow-motion for a brief time. This gives you the opportunity to get back on top of the situation. If you happen to take too much damage the game offers a replay and the chance to change the difficulty if needed.
Graphics look great
The Western background offers a nice change of scenery from other VR games. The graphics all look vibrant and the backgrounds are well thought out. Everything in the front looks really sharp which adds to the immersion you feel when playing. Since enemies come from all sides the 3D sounds come in handy. Hearing drones in the distance alarms you to take a look in the sky to disarm the danger as fast as possible.
Conclusion
Guns’n’Stories feels great to play. The tracking of the Move controllers is excellent and the shooting feels like it should feel. The humorous narrative and fitting setting add to further distance this wave shooter from others. If your not totally worn out by the genre, add this one to your collection for a nice enjoyable experience.
