HeroCade PlayStation VR Review

When you get a collection of games like this, it’s typically the normal thing to expect that some of the games are going to be decent, some are going to be rather middle of the road, and some are going to be terrible. Yes, such collections are rather predictable, and HeroCade is certainly no different.

HeroCade has been marketed as a 9-in-1 gaming bundle which has a diverse range of games, and that’s not a total lie, as there is some variation to be found in some of the featured games, and even some quality. Viewed as a bundle of games though, it’s a rather predictable package.

Let’s start with Jurassic Survival. This is a wave based shooter in which you shoot dinosaurs, although it gets boring really fast, and isn’t even incredibly interesting to begin with. The dark background that the game takes place on is boring, there’s only a handful of enemies, and it just becomes so dull that it barely even feels worth playing to unlock new guns. You can play the game with either the DualShock or a pair of Move controllers.

Alpha Turkey Hunt is another wave based shooter, which has you shooting at cardboard chickens with either the DualShock or a pair of Move controllers. While it’s a little more interesting than Jurassic Survival, it’s still one of the lower points of the package.

Z-Strike is the best wave based shooter in the collection. This game is played with the DualShock controller and has you seeing the world from an overhead view, blasting zombies and saving people. It’s a decent enough game that is a lot better than Jurassic Survival and Alpha Turkey Shoot, but I could only really describe it as throwaway fun.

Moving away from wave based shooters, and onto something that is a lot more of an experience than a game. The award winning Sisters doesn’t involve anything else other than just looking around the environment with the DualShock or a single Move controller. It only lasts for around 5 minutes, but it’s worth a play for the creepy horror experience that it offers you.

PolyRunner is also pretty decent as well. It’s an endless runner, which has you flying a spaceship through different environments by either using the DualShock controller or head movement, avoiding obstacles, and getting as far as possible. It’s fun, but it’s one of those games that doesn’t really benefit from VR in any single way. A first person view would have certainly added to the VR experience.

Another endless game in the collection is 405 Road Rage. This is another game without a first person view, and kind of feels unnecessary in VR, but it’s still fun enough for what it is. The game has you driving along a road and avoiding the traffic, tilting your head for movement. There’s even a Speed inspired mode in which your vehicle blows up if you slow down too much. The engine sound of your vehicle may grate after awhile though.

Space Bit Attack is also enjoyable enough. This is basically Space Invaders in VR, and also has rather catchy music. The downside is that shooting feels rather slow, and it can feel a bit dull from time to time because of this. The difficulty of the game is also rather steep. Space Bit Attack can only be played with the DualShock controller.

Gumi Nu Yene is a puzzle game, which tasks you with completing puzzles in as few moves as possible, and has support for the DualShock controller only. The game stars a cartoon fox, and you have to push and move coloured gummies into their coordinating positions. If you want a game to make you think, then this is definitely the one to go for in the package. It’s a charming enough puzzler.

Finally, we have reached the star of the package. Dreadhalls is the closest relative to a proper game in the bundle, and is therefore the meatiest of the bunch. It’s a horror game which has you wandering around randomly generated corridors by using the DualShock controller, with map in hand, the task is to find eyeballs, and you’ll also have to run away from grotesque creatures. You carry a lantern in the game, which requires fuel, and said lantern can also be extinguished at any time in order to avoid capturing the attention of certain enemies that are roaming about the place. You’ll also come across locked doors, which can be either forced open or unlocked with lockpicks. You can also find coins, and a couple of these can be used in exchange for your questions being answered by stone heads, allowing you to shed more light on the mysterious story. Speaking of which, there’s also scrolls that you can stumble across which also shed further light on the story. Dreadhalls is definitely a creepy and atmospheric experience, with shadowy creatures, twitching women, and fleshy monstrosities often appearing out of nowhere. This is easily the highlight out of the 9 games.

What we have here is a mixed collection then. There are some very playable titles in here, some that are passable enough, and others that are just completely shown up by the superior games that are in the package. For under £10 though, there’s definitely enough to appeal here, even if some of the included games are best forgotten.