Drop Dead VR Review Using Oculus With Touch Controllers

Most Samsung Gear VR owners will know about Drop Dead VR and there is very good reason for this as it was one of the best games ever created for the Gear VR! Now the creators have remade the game and it includes the ability to use the Touch Controllers to take down the zombie apocalypse!

Upon starting the game you will be greeted with the home menu, from here you will have multiple choices of where you want to go with things. Drop Dead features both multiplayer and single player modes, the multiplayer mode is horde mode and players will have to do their very best to last as long as possible, this is by no means easy and the top player has only made it to wave 16 on the single player horde mode!

Don’t think it will be an easy ride!

Drop Dead is actually extremely hard and the Horde mode proves that, one bad reload and it can all be over! Zombies tend to absolutely swarm players and it’s a struggle to hold them all back at times, only with a combination of head shots, perfect reloading and the occasional bonus items and weaponry will the player survive.

Single player story mode

Into the story mode players take the role of Cipher, an agent with time travel abilities out to stop Dr. Monday and save the world from a zombie apocalypse that DR. Monday has started! The game is split up into 3 different timelines where players will play-through the story driven plot, each timeline will have a selection of levels all of which will take the player through a hard fight to the end. After the first two levels in the first timeline which are mainly to explain the plot of the story and give players a small tutorial, players will need to fight off massive waves of enemy hordes all bearing down onto their position. Each level will measure your skill rating and give you a score and star count at the end to see how you fair on the obligatory online leader board.

The way the story has been set out requires Cipher to go back in time so each of the 27 levels on offer throughout the three timelines are actually pretty much the same levels just with improved weapons, harder enemies and different story for that time, it’s a clever setup and even though players are technically just doing the same level it keeps you playing to see what happens in the end and also to try out all the near gear along the way!

As you progress further into the time lines you will be required to do slightly different things such as making sure civilians get out and taking zombies to bits collecting limbs by placing shots directly at certain parts of the undead green corpse. This mechanic can make the game even more difficult and works well to vary things up even more.

Enemies although do look the same for the most part do have variety in the different types available, these different types really affect how the level needs to be played as not taking down a zombie with a rocket launcher or a zombie spitter could spell the end for Cipher! One minute the level will feel safe and then out of nowhere players will be overrun with zombies appearing out of the floor, out of doors, windows or even jumping down off roofs, this combined with some spitting and firing rockets can makes things pretty tough and will make players focus on head-shots and stringing a combo together to gain a bonus weapon or item to help survive!

After dying a few times which you will, you can kind of get an idea of the level layout and where enemies will come from so you can be ready. This can make levels a little predictable but still extremely good challenge and will really test your fast aiming and accuracy!

Don’t hit any survivors!

Ok this one has got me so many times already throughout the levels, it is so frustrating as well because the game is unforgiving! You hit a survivor and it is game over and back to the start, protect them at all costs but sometimes they will run at you and instinct on your part will get them killed!

The immersion side of things on Drop Dead is good I found myself actually jumping back when Zombies had snuck up beside me, there is a small red indicator that comes up on the screen to show what area they are approaching from but in a panic trying to hold off waves zombies these indicators are easily missed and before you know it your completely overrun!

Graphics are the next thing I want to talk about, now as with most VR games graphics are a step down to the 1440p or even 4K that some are used to but in all honesty Drop Dead looks good, It has a Walking Dead Telltale series art style to it and with the settings on Ultra and Super-sampling up to 1.5 i found no lag whatsoever using my 980TI (Hopefully upgrading soon) so the game does feel well optimised.

Characters are all voice acted well too and do have some funny but cheesy lines at times but on the whole, music that reacts well and fits in with the surrounding atmosphere and good voice acting can’t really be faulted.

Going back to the weapons, accuracy was really good and looking down the iron sights aiming felt great! As you progress into the timelines more guns will become available and really vary things up, Items such as grenades also unlock once you reach timeline two, once players have picked one up it can either be thrown to push back an oncoming wave or saved for later by inserting it into the belt on the players waist, same thing goes for energy drinks and both items can be stored on the belt at the same time.

Slow Motion Anyone?

Yep if things start getting tough and you have managed to pickup a bonus energy drink laying around, drink up and time will slow for a short period of time allowing players to time them head-shots and drive the hordes back. The energy drink will actually have to be drunk by the player by moving it up to around the players mouth and tipping it up, nice feature and great that it’s not a button press.

Weapons……….. Minigun? Yes Please!

There is a nice selection of weapons on offer as you progress through the time lines, including a shotgun, assault rifle, long range rifle, small machine gun, some weird exploding dart gun and the minigun, one let down for me was only being able to hold one weapon at a time and not being able to holster a picked up weapon. The ability to dual wield the smg’s would have been brilliant but sadly right now that isn’t an option. You can however hold a grenade or energy drink in the other hand and then store them on the belt. Items such as grenades unlock once you reach timeline two, once players have picked one up it can either be thrown to push back an oncoming wave or saved for later by inserting it into the belt on the players waist, same thing goes for energy drinks and both items can be stored on the belt at the same time.

Accuracy was really good and looking down the iron sights on the guns to aim felt accurate and tight!

Reloading is done by lowering the gun below the in game belt, players can then either wait for the progress wheel to go all the way round to reload or can chance hitting the trigger in a certain section of the wheel to reload faster and get a comment from the background saying excellent! Mastering this reloading is key to Drop Dead and will be one major way to keep Cipher alive!

Tight on play space for room scale? Drop Dead will be fine!

Space in VR can always be an issue but it isn’t for Drop Dead, as long as you have room to swing your arms that will be well enough! There is no real need to move and enemies will only approach from the front and sides so there will never be a need to actually turn round also making it a perfect VR game for just two sensors!

There is also two different ways to play, comfort or normal. Comfort mode lets players take it easy with movement controlled by teleportation which is the ideal mode if you do suffer from motion sickness. Normal mode is the full Drop Dead experience, Cipher will move around the level on a pre-set track without the player needing to do anything, obvious downside is motion sickness due to the sudden movement forwards and stops every now and again, in my few hours of playing I felt fine but I generally don’t get motion sickness so it may be different for you, at least the two modes will cover everyone though. Even if your stomach is strong though the only one place I felt a little nauseous was on the zip lines so be ready for them that is all I’m saying….

Below is a lengthy video showing some of the story line if you don’t want any spoilers I would avoid watching it.

Verdict:

It’s fairly easy to recommend Drop Dead, it’s old arcade shooter feeling is great, the story line and new weapons throughout keep players entertained. Drop Dead also includes horde mode and a multiplayer mode so the replayability is still there after playing through the story mode. The game isn’t without it’s flaws though, movement can pull you from the immersion a little, some players may find the levels repetitive and being able to hold more than one gun would have been a massive plus, but if your after something to have a quick game on and enjoy blowing zombies limb from limb Drop Dead is easily worth the low price tag of £15!