Mortal Blitz PlayStation VR Review

Mortal Blitz costs £16. True, this isn’t the most expensive game that you can buy, but it’s one that doesn’t really give you good value for money, and it’s just a shame that there isn’t a bit more of it. It’s a game that is just begging to be expanded, and fortunately the developer has suggested that it will receive further levels in the future.

What Mortal Blitz does offer is plenty of fun VR shooting. It’s a game that can be played both seated and standing, although it feels a lot more natural to play it on your feet, and much more fun as well. If you have plenty of space to play with, you are able to move around to put yourself into cover and to avoid enemy gunfire and other projectiles. This is definitely the most desirable way to play the game, and is easily the most satisfying.

As the game is a rail shooter, and somewhat similar to lightgun games from the past, you won’t be moving in the ordinary fashion, but rather you’ll be moving to certain points in the area – signified by a circular marker – by holding a button down. This means that motion sickness should be kept to a minimum for those who suffer from it.

Mortal Blitz can be played with the DualShock controller or by using one or two PlayStation Move controllers, and it’s even possible to play with one DualShock and one Move controller, so it’s definitely what could be called a very thoughtful set of control options. The tracking also works excellently for the most part, even if you are moving and ducking all over the place. If you are using two controllers, you are able to dual wield weapons – a pistol and a shotgun is even a possibility.

As somewhat of a standout feature, Mortal Blitz also boasts an Anti-Gravity Control system, which is basically a telekinesis whip ability. Switching from gun to whip, this allows you to pick up new guns with limited ammo, pull switches to open doors, and also pick up objects in the environment, lobbing them in the direction of your enemies or using them as makeshift shields. When enemies are in a groggy state, it’s also possible to pull them into the air, slowing down time and allowing you to have your way with them. The more bullets you fire into them during this period, the more points you’ll receive, and you’ll also have a deep voice announcing such words as hunter, slayer, and annihilator, determining the damage you have done, which is rather satisfying. This will also contribute to your final score and ranking at the end of the level.

So the game plays very well, but sadly it’s not a great sign that even though the game can be completed in under an hour, there’s a feeling of repetition in both the enemy types as well as the level design. If the developer is to expand the game, I just hope that extra variation will be on the agenda.

Mortal Blitz does have replay value if you are wanting to better your previous scores and grades, and the game also features tougher unlockable difficulty levels. Finally, there’s also a 50 stage training mode, which has you shooting at and destroying targets, which is a nice little extra, but more levels in the main mode would have been appreciated straight out of the starting gate instead.

Mortal Blitz has much to like in its action, but the steep price and lack of variation and low amount of levels does mean that the game doesn’t really feel as if it fits its current price point. If the game is to be expanded in the future, I just hope that any updates will be free, but for now we have a very competent and hugely enjoyable VR shooter, albeit one that would have greatly benefited from attention in a few key areas.