Shooting games in VR are nothing new. The medium lends itself well to the FPS genre, with its intrinsic immersive nature and motion controllers as standard. So standing out from the crowd isn’t easy, and while Harpagun won’t be the right fit for everyone, you’ll learn in 131XR’s review that it’s at least doing something different.
What is Harpagun?
Harpagun is an odd combination of FPS action and on-rails movement. Also like a lightgun shooter, or Star Fox played in first-person. The player is led along movement rails – in this case, literally teleporting between designated points on a visual line through the world – until they reach a blockade. This could be light puzzling, or an enemy engagement. The former is all fine and dandy, but as you’ll learn in the Harpagun review below, the latter can be quite intense.
Harpagun Review
After a brief tutorial, the player will be permanently equipped with two weapons in each hand. Of course, a ‘normal’ gun is one of these, offering both single and charged shots. But in addition, there’s an attract ray. This works like a whip beam, not too dissimilar to that of Bulletstorm. And now, it’s time to let your imagination run wild as to the possibilities here: grabbing rocks and throwing them at enemies; picking up bad guys and smashing them into the ground; grabbing projectiles out of mid-air and returning to sender. If you can think of it, you can do it.
So while the odd combination of on-rails movement and FPS gunplay may not appeal to everyone, as 131XR’s Harpagun review will attest, it’s an enjoyable time for gamers looking for something a bit different.
About Something Random
Harpagun is available now available on Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, PSVR 2, and Steam VR for $19.99 USD. The game was previously available as an Early Access title, but is now at full release.
The game was developed by Something Random, the team behind Toy Trains. According to the studio; “Its name, Something Random, came from an old Discord channel, once a hub for exchanging game ideas. At the time, Harpagun was just one of those random concepts.
“Our mission is simple: Making games for people, not just for gamers, but for everyone. This philosophy shapes Harpagun and will define all future titles from Something Random.”
Have you been following Something Random’s work in VR? Are you excited to play Harpagun? Let us know in the comments below!
