Arcade shootouts can be a lot of fun. Being able to hit moving targets all while trying to do the most accurate shots you can. But sometimes it’s the setting that can help make everything. So does Developer Black Dragon Studios bring something new to the Wild West setting? Let’s find out with The Copper Canyon Shoot Out for the PlayStation VR.
In The Copper Canyon Shoot Out, you are in the Wild West, but you will notice something different in this setting. You see this theme park…this setting is supposed to take you back to a time where the sheriff’s words were the law. Sure you had outlaws that tried to test that law and sometimes the outcome may have not been the smartest choices that were made, but it was the way of the land. But here in Copper Canyon, you will notice that there are no people around but is staffed with what used to be hardworking and efficient robots. And being the Wild West, you gotta have the presence of law and that job if fulfilled by none other than one Sheriff Bolts with his robotic deputies.
So we have the setting…check. We have the robots who are running the place…check. So what could possibly go wrong here? When the robots take over and it’s up to you to take back Copper Canyon to the peaceful and fun place it used to be. But how does one do this? One will need their trusty firearms, some good aiming skills, and the ability to move around, and make sure your health does not end or it’s game over. Got it? Good…now make sure your Move controllers are fully charged and let’s continue on.
So now that you have your guns in your holsters, all you need to do is pick them up and go to the starting point. But as you teleport, you may need to rotate the Move controller so you can be pointing in the right direction. Once the wave starts, get those guns and start firing at whatever moves your way. What I like is the ease of the reloading. Just point the guns down and you are good to go. When firing at the enemies, I do like how you can shoot the hats off, the heads, as well as other parts. But be careful what part you may shoot off as the evil robots will have a tendency to rush you and explode.
Now along with the Town environment, there is also Desert Canyon as well as my favorite of the three, Crystal Power Mines. There is something about shooting evil robots in a darker environment that is just some simple fun to be had. When your health is running low, be on the lookout for green health bottles that you shoot to replenish your health. If you don’t like the pistols as your primary, you can pick up the more powerful shotgun type weapons that have a spread like fire to them or mix an match with the single fire pistol. I went for the more powerful ones and even though it is more powerful, it just doesn’t shoot as far as the single shot. So this is where you will need to move around some in order to shoot those upper enemies.
Of course, having evil robots in a battle, there will be a boss battle. The first boss battle is fine, but it’s the second and third time of coming face to face with the boss that his abilities increase. From rockets that aim for you to this wave of the ground that comes towards you like a tidal wave that you need to jump over to get the upper hand. But once you start to see the pattern, it really is not too big of an issue to worry about. Some may want a different boss for each battle, but I appreciate how the boss comes back in an “I’ll show you” type of attitude with the newly added abilities.
At the end of each location, you are presented with how well you did. Depending on your score, you will get a star with the goal of trying to get all three stars. But I do like how you get points for the limbs, head, and boiler shots you did. Honestly, it is kind of refreshing to shooting the evil robots and seeing their limbs fly off.
Let’s talk about the sound. I did really enjoy the soundtrack as it did seem to match the setting. Explosions and gunfire sounded good and were not too overpowering and hearing the robots appear had this sci-fi sound to it that helped give warning of where they would be appearing from. Looking at the graphics, I loved the cell-shaded art style that added to this Wild West setting. Enemies looked clear and being able to see detail with all the action is a nice thing to have. And I did like how your points would come at you, but when the action was going on, I just couldn’t keep an eye on everything at the same time. Being able to battle the boss while seeing the bolts in the body just made me appreciate the work that went into The Copper Canyon Shoot Out.
There are a few things that I would love to see added. The two different weapons are good and feel different from one another, but maybe introduce a third type or have a weapon that could be thrown or maybe a secret weapon that you have to be on the lookout for would add some additional variety to the mix. The only other thing that would be awesome here is leaderboards. Being able to see who is the top of the top and the best in the world is something that just makes you want to keep coming back to show who the law is in this town.
If anything, The Copper Canyon Shoot Out gives us some fun in Virtual Reality. Like in life, sometimes we must go through the waves of negativity to overcome it with positivity.
The Copper Canyon Shoot Out is out now on PlayStation VR and is also available on the Oculus Store, Steam, and Viveport. A review code was provided.
To learn more about Black Dragon Studios, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy. Until next time, I am going back in to increase my score.
Mr. PSVR, September 16, 2019, theplaystationbrahs.com