Hellsweeper VR Review

Are you still present? Or did the mention of “Rogue-like” alone suffice to make your decision? The book advises against judging others, as you may be judged in return. However, let’s not deceive ourselves. This is a review, and our purpose here is to pass judgment.

[Note: We are currently running a giveaway contest where you have a chance to win 5 Hellsweeper VR keys. To participate, please go to our video review on YouTube and follow the instructions mentioned in the description.]

Many VR gamers are tired of Rogue-like games, even though some of the top VR games, such as In Death: Unchained, Synapse, and The Light Brigade, belong to that genre. The primary complaint is that some gamers believe Rogue-likes reuse environments and assets to artificially extend the game’s lifespan, without offering much in return. This perception leads to the belief that these games are somewhat lazy.

Well, let me reassure you, Hellsweeper VR, coming to you from Mixed Realms, who previously gave us the action-packed Sairento VR: Untethered, is anything but lazy. There are some things Mixed Realms does really well: giving you lots of ways to murder, maim, and destroy your enemies, offering gut-wrenching VR traversal that’s not for the faint of heart, and putting VR in their game titles even when there are no pancake versions of those games.

“I can hear you saying, ‘Enough already, just tell us about the game!'”

Ultra Violence

Without unnecessary explanation, your instructor is a buzzing bug that willingly enters your ears if you don’t insert it yourself. Hellsweeper, ideal for those who lack patience, doesn’t require immediate comprehension of all its workings. It offers a basic tutorial and then immerses you in the hellish environments that serve as the setting for its gameplay.

The is a game that likes to mix it up. You have a pistol, a sword, fire magic, force powers, frost magic, and laser magic. You can double jump and float in the air like Neo while twisting around, reloading your guns, and unleashing your might on the wide range of monsters and demons bent on your destruction. Hell, you even have a hellhound; we’ll call him Dexter, because… why not?

The game offers a total of 18 levels, which are organized into three acts. Each act concludes with a boss battle. The level missions vary to some extent but mostly follow the expected pattern for this genre. These missions include tasks like staying alive for a certain amount of time, defeating a specific number of enemies, destroying totems that spawn enemies, and locating McGuffins before time runs out. Additionally, there are chests scattered throughout the game that can be opened to obtain extra benefits such as perks, blessings, or gold. Furthermore, at the end of each level, players are granted new powers or enhancements to choose from.

System Shock

Hellsweeper VR truly excels in its approach to game mechanics, particularly in its systems-based design. Similar to a Nintendo flagship title, the game allows for endless possibilities and unique combinations to experiment with. For instance, if you have a pistol and fireball power, you can merge them to create scorching fire-boosted bullets. Furthermore, you can summon fireballs in both hands, combine them, and create a fire vortex around yourself. If you happen to drop your gun, you can use telekinesis to retrieve it and shoot it from a distance. Essentially, if you can imagine something cool to try, chances are it will work in the game. You can even enhance your hellhound’s attacks by charging them with fire, resulting in even more devastating blows as long as the flames persist.

Hellsweeper VR provides unparalleled freedom when it comes to the different ways you can go about your killing spree. You can somersault, and you can do wall runs. I have no idea what else you can do, because it takes a long, long time to unlock absolutely everything, and I’m not quite there yet, but I’m glad the game got delayed because clearly, the extra development time has been well spent.

50 Shades of Red

Visually, the PCVR version is clearly better than the Quest 2 release, which is not surprising. The game looks great on PCVR and decent on Quest as a standalone. The environments are detailed, although some textures may appear a bit unclear on Quest. The weapon designs are impressive, and the magical effects are much more elaborate on PC compared to Quest. Overall, the game demonstrates good level design, well-designed enemies, satisfactory bosses, and exceptional art direction. The only drawback is that the hell theme dominates the color scheme, making me wish for some breaks or even levels with different, less infernal, and less RED environments.

The sound in the game is well-executed. Similar to the often overlooked bass in rock music, we usually don’t pay much attention to sound in games as long as it’s done well. In this case, there are no noticeable flaws or weaknesses. The spatial audio effectively helps you locate enemies, the sounds of your weapons are enjoyable without being overwhelming, and each enemy has a distinct sound. Overall, it’s very impressive.

Mumble Mumble

What is there to dislike?

As previously mentioned, there are individuals who simply do not enjoy Rogue-likes, making this game unlikely to win them over. However, the sheer excitement of its mechanics and the freedom it provides in terms of movement and combat should be appealing to most VR gamers, except for the most skeptical ones. Nevertheless, the intense movement and combat may make it difficult for those who are new to VR to play. Although there is an option to teleport, using it would limit the game’s potential. Another point to consider, which some may view as a positive aspect, is that unlocking all of its features will require a significant amount of time and effort. If you wish to access everything, be prepared to invest time in repeated attempts.

I am not a fan of the restriction that prevents me from destroying explosive barrels by shooting at them, even with bullets that are incredibly hot and infused with fire. It seems like nothing else works, except for using telekinesis to grab the barrels and throw them at something. If Mixed Realms is reading this, please allow me to shoot the barrels!

One more complaint about the game’s current state is that the co-op multiplayer feature only permits players to go through one act, consisting of four or five levels, along with a boss battle. Although the act is randomized each time, it is not possible to team up with a friend and play through all 18 levels and face all three bosses together. Pete and I discovered this unfortunate limitation through personal experience, resulting in feelings of disappointment.

Hellbound

Hellsweeper VR is a no-holds bar VR action game, made by developers who relish quick traversal, mad weapon combos, ambidextrous warriors, and relentless combat. It’s easy to recommend for gamers with solid VR legs, and a thirst for adrenaline, and if you’ve been anticipating it since it was first announced, are familiar with Sairento, and who knew what kind of game to expect, I can assure you that, yes – this is indeed the droid you’re looking for. Hellsweeper VR is a no-holds bar VR action game, made by developers who relish quick traversal, mad weapon combos, ambidextrous warriors, and relentless combat. It’s easy to recommend!