Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded Review – Undead Rodeo

Originally released a few years ago, Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded serves as an enhanced version of the VR action-packed racing game for PSVR2. The game draws inspiration from the mechanics of classic light gun shooters like House of The Dead, Virtua Cop, and Terminator 2, while also defying traditional game expectations with its unique blend of goofy humor.

Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded tells the story of a non-traditional “family” unit that takes on a zombie apocalypse together. Under the leadership of the tough yet amusingly coarse Tallahassee, this unconventional group that is both resilient and hilarious saves you, a zombie apocalypse survivor, from the clutches of the undead and takes you to the eccentric mansion of a deranged millionaire. Set within this mansion is the Zombieland Invitational, a tournament where daring participants compete to clear the circuit swiftly while taking down hordes of zombies.

There’s one noteworthy twist to the plot. The aforementioned millionaire was your boss until he met his unfortunate fate as an aspiring zombie slayer. Consequently, he now awaits you at the climactic Zombieland Invitational. He has established a shooting range within the estate, offering challenges of speed, precision, and even quick-draw abilities.

Training manifests itself through thrilling missions, wherein you face hordes of zombies. Each character from the group offers three unique missions, beginning with the relatively more straightforward quests of Little Rock and culminating in Tallahassee’s ultimate trial at the Zombieland Invitational. However, even after you successfully make your way to the top, your entry is not guaranteed. You must, therefore, earn your way in by gathering this post-apocalyptic world’s valuable currency i.e. toilet paper. As you accumulate enough toilet paper and pay the entry fee, you get closer to the arduous challenge that awaits.

Tallahassee enhances your arsenal, and unlocks perks, while Wichita escorts you to the shooting range. Columbus is available for conversation and provides access to achievements and supplementary materials, although his role may be less engaging compared to others. Little Rock also shares dialogue and assigns missions. Before embarking on a mission, you can tailor your loadout to suit the impending dangers that lie ahead.

With each of the four group members offering three of their missions, Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded offers some decent variety in terms of gameplay. Every mission entails four primary objectives: survival to achieving specific combos, completing missions within designated time limits, and uncovering hidden objects. Your performance in these endeavors is rewarded with scores recorded on the leaderboard. The game tends to dwell on the idea of improving your stats through trial-and-error and incentivizes competitive rivalry with other players. As such, higher scores are rewarded with additional toilet paper, paving the way for improved weapon upgrades.

As expected, Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded doesn’t offer much for its story and merely presents it as a signal for the gameplay which remains the main focus. The game offers some humorous dialogue which feels natural and as expected from the Zombieland series, but not all of it is fun since the jokes tend to get repetitive.

The reload system in the game is easy and the enemy variety is decent, but I was not a big fan of the repetition that tends to set in. It is more suited to quick bursts of gameplay rather than trying it for a long haul, and this can be seen in the design of the levels which are more fit for a speedrun. While weapons are fun to use, the secondary weapon is tied to the trigger button which means that by continuing to use it, the gameplay feels a bit cumbersome. On the other hand, I enjoyed the double tap system which means if we hit a zombie in the head two times, we can enforce a slow-motion mechanic which feels incredibly satisfying in motion.

The replay value is also pretty decent thanks to its speed-run style levels and weapon variety. You can also just mess around with the PSVR 2 with a target range and complete shooting challenges there with friends. The game is more enjoyable when played with a group of friends rather than solo.

Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded is a VR action game that offers a unique blend of humor and classic light gun shooter mechanics. While the story is thin and the humor can feel repetitive, the game shines in its gameplay, with a variety of missions and objectives that encourage competitive rivalry. The game’s replay value is bolstered by its speed-run style levels and weapon variety, making it a fun choice for group play. However, the game’s design leans towards short bursts of gameplay, and the secondary weapon control can feel cumbersome. Overall, it’s a decent pick for fans of the genre, but it doesn’t break any new ground.

Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded Game Information

• Price: $24.99
• Publisher: XR Games
• Developer: XR Games
• Platform: PSVR 2 (Reviewed)
• Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher