In the end, Heavy Fire: Red Shadow definitely harkens back to a time period where point/shoot had a different meaning in an arcade experience than it does now. The game maintains a nostalgic design, which certainly makes sense for the experience, but the experience’s longevity will be questioned depending on player expectations. This goes back to what you understand about a game’s intentions. If you know going into it that you’re going to get an arcade shooter, then you may not be disappointed. If you’re expecting a deeper experience than just point/shoot, then you may not find it here.

All in all, Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is a game that is easy to overlook and doesn’t really give you much reason not to. There’s fun to be had and it’s an easy way to waste a half hour, but that’s really all you’ll be doing. With repetitive gameplay, a strange storyline, and a tone that oddly feels more like a recruitment video than anything else, Heavy Fire seems like it probably should have stayed dormant. Seriously though, if it does unlock a special invite to join the military, someone please let me know!

A poor shooting game (VR compatible) set in a war between North Korea and United States. Sadly, it feels like an old arcade, repetitive and short.

Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is just not good. It tries to be a decent game, but just fails on every level. The inclusion of VR just adds hope that it will at least be fun for a little while, but it turns out just being more of a headache. I figured VR was included to generate some interest in what is essentially a bargain bin title. It’s very basic but there is just no fun to be found here. I cannot recommend even trying this one out, even to experience the VR mode, as it just doesn’t deliver any kind of lasting appeal.

Honestly, the nicest thing I can say about Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is that it’s over in two hours. It is at least technically playable with some interesting mechanics. But even if you are specifically looking for a wave-based, arcade-style turret game, I’d still stay away. This game offers little of value and is fun only if I stretch that word beyond its absolute limit.

Heavy Fire: Red Shadow is short, and for once in a linear game, that’s a good thing, because I wanted to move on with my life the second I had finished playing it. Casually prejudiced, generic in nearly every way, and an absolute bore to slog through, it genuinely might be the worst game on PlayStation VR. If you’re given this as a gift, cut out that person from your life, even if they’re a blood relative. It isn’t worth it.

There's a certain audience that'll find Heavy Fire: Red Shadow to be a decent game. For those people, the turret sequences in other shooters must be their favorite part of the game. For everyone else, including fans of the series, Red Shadow is an utter disappointment. From a regression in gameplay to overly long stages and terrible presentation, there's nothing to recommend here, even if you just want to Trophy hunt. Unless you absolutely need to have every game in the console's library, stay as far away from this as possible.