Zombie Hordes: A Kid-Friendly Approach

Vampire Survivors has left an undeniable impact on gaming, and that certainly applies to VR too. Rogue Pinatas VRmageddon aims to be a game like the

in that it wants you to feel badass and fight 100 enemies or more at the same time, using bibles, garlic, and other items as weapons. It starts out on an absurdly funny note as now-sentient Pinatas are tired of humans beating them with sticks. Six characters with varying stats are available, including a child, a father, an ex-Marine, and grannies. Although my build has everything unlocked, I cannot directly evaluate the progression system for the time being. As you collect these candy treats, your level will increase during the missions. This allows for some useful perks like gadgets which cause enemies to take counter-damage or dual-wielding weapons. There’s an innovative weaponry that younger audiences will love. It was funny to see a dad using a pizza paddle weaponized as an axe, and the six baseball bats taped together with another baseball bat. The enemy diversity is also good, with a variety of weaknesses. Shielded enemies are resistant to distance attacks and require you to get up close. On one map we were unable to do much more than fight off the villains. On another map, you had to activate generators within a certain radius. I like how they encourage exploration by introducing hidden events, such as loot that offers increased rewards. Each level also ends with a final boss battle. My biggest critique is that Rogue Pinatas could benefit from a greater physicality, which would really use VR’s abilities beyond just aiming guns. There’s a lot of flatscreen-derivative design which, while certainly easier for younger players or VR newcomers to understand, leaves something to be desired. Standing around an area and fending off foes isn’t the most exciting thing, though I need to try more stages before I can fully judge the objectives.Survivors of XcaliburEven if it’s simple actions like having pushing a power-on button on those generators to activate the countdown, this would go far in letting you feel more involved in the action over just wandering from area to area. It’s not even possible to have an on-body system of inventory. You need to push A to switch between weapons, which is a little disappointing.

Exclusive screenshot of Kit Bash, one of the main characters.

At launch, the game will feature 20 weapons, 18 gadgets, six stages, and 27 different enemies. Mixed reality support isn’t included and though Nerd Ninjas isn’t opposed to such an idea, I’m told the team is prioritizing development resources elsewhere.

Ultimately, I need more time with Rogue Pinatas: VRmageddon before making any further judgements, but smashing through pinatas in co-op is entertainingly silly. I certainly want more VR interactivity, what’s here is often flatscreen-derivative, but it’s a humorous, family-friendly twist on the tired idea of killing zombie hordes. As of now, I believe younger audiences will enjoy the game.

Rogue pinatas VRmageddon is available on both