Time Carnage – PSVR Review

Reviewed by: Ian R Betts

The Sony PlayStation VR (PSVR) is now 18 months old. With 100s of games, experiences and videos to entertain yourself with. Many of these are from small, indie developers. The little-known developer, Wales Interactive have released Time Carnage, a static wave shooter (or turret shooter if you like) where you basically stand still, and fire in multiple directions. In fact, you get to shoot your enemies, who come running towards you in a 180-degree viewpoint.
To start off, graphically, the game looks impressive. From futuristic cities to dinosaur-infested jungles, each of the 16 stages is a joy to view in VR. The action is super smooth, and blasting and aiming your gun is very precise. The enemies, however, whether they are Zombies, Robots or Dinosaurs, look a tad basic, and you never really feel scared.

The big problem with the game though, are the sounds. The actual soundtrack is instantly forgettable, but the main problem is the lack of enemy noise. Instead of enemies running towards you screaming in anticipation of drawing blood, they silently approach you, and at one stage, I was getting chewed on by a Dinosaur behind me and I didn’t even know. The weapons sound flimsy, and you just feel as if you aren’t actually there in the game.
The actual gameplay though is good fun. If you have played the excellent Gunjack, then expect a similar deal here. You get 4 weapons, of which you can only hold two at once, and just keep blasting until your weapon runs out of juice. You then put your weapon down to charge up, and use the other guns to fry those Zombies brains. It’s important to note the that you need the PS Move controllers to play. Unfortunately, you can’t use a DualShock 4 pad.

The game isn’t overly challenging on the two easier options, and you can shoot your way through the entire game relatively quickly. However, hard mode offers a much bigger challenge, and there is always that top score to beat. Time Carnage is best played in small doses if I’m being honest. Completing each stage is quite exciting because you get to move to a brand new environment each time. Be aware that there is basically no story, apart from some drivel about you being a time traveller.
Overall, is the game worth the price? If you loved Gunjack, then this perhaps is a genuine alternative. Especially if you like playing in VR in short doses. I played Time Carnage for a good solid couple of hours in one sitting, and never felt any nausea like I did in Gunjack once or twice. But obviously, everyone is different. If you haven’t played Gunjack and fancied a wave after wave shooter, then it’s probably best playing Gunjack first and picking up Time Carnage in the sales.
Overview
Decent turret shooter which offers plenty of stages, but best played in small doses. Offers very little original but is quite good fun.
What’s Hot

• Good graphics
• Lots of variety in the enemies and stages
• A good selection of weapons

What’s Cold

• Poor sound effects
• Gets repetitive
• Hardly any story

Overall Score – 5/10

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