HEARTSHOT
- March 3, 2024
- Meadow Studios
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"HEARTSHOT is a single-player Action game with an interesting plot, set in a high-octane VR espionage world. Utilize magnet gloves for unique weapon retrieval and environmental manipulation, with a variety of customizable weapons and intuitive interaction systems. The game is full of humor and features stellar graphics, a good soundtrack, but is also reported to have plenty of bugs."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a unique art style that evokes nostalgia while providing a fresh experience.
- The sound design and voice acting are top-notch, enhancing the overall immersion and enjoyment of the gameplay.
- The combat mechanics, particularly the use of electromagnetic gloves for interaction and the fast-paced shooting, create an engaging and fun experience.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including misaligned hand controls, inconsistent weapon handling, and frequent crashes.
- There is a lack of essential features such as smooth turning, graphics settings, and a proper save system, which detracts from the overall experience.
- The story and character development are underwhelming, with dialogue that feels out of place and a plot that fails to engage players.
- story83 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its engaging narrative and humor, while others criticize the character development and dialogue as lacking depth. Many reviewers noted that the storytelling feels cinematic and entertaining, reminiscent of a mission impossible parody, but the overall execution suffers from gameplay mechanics and technical issues, particularly on certain VR headsets. Despite its early access status and rough edges, there is optimism for future improvements and additional content.
“The story is cool.”
“Great storytelling, and some very funny moments.”
“The story presentation up to what I played was also fantastic; it felt really cinematic and actually has me excited for the rest of the story content.”
“The plot tells enough story to give the player some meaning for engaging in fights, but the characters don't fit the game's cinematic feeling whatsoever.”
“For how little the story says, the characters sure love to yap your ear off.”
“I think matching the voice actors' talent with the level of professionalism the rest of the game delivers on would be a strong enough bandage to make the story tolerable, but the game would need to be rewritten before I would consider it anything but mediocre.”
- graphics54 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique retro-inspired art style and atmospheric details, while others criticize the overall quality as subpar and buggy. Many noted the nostalgic pixelated visuals reminiscent of older games, but also pointed out significant issues such as lack of graphical options, visual glitches, and a general feeling of low quality. Overall, while the art style has charm, the execution appears to be lacking, especially in its current early access state.
“I love this game; it's very charming and looks great with the art style.”
“The graphics are well-suited for this type of game as there is enough detail to make it believable, but not so realistic to make the PC rig gasp for breath.”
“The game has a great atmosphere, especially considering the graphics are PS1/2 style.”
“I had hoped to give this game a positive review, but the amount of bugs, absolutely atrocious graphics, and finally the inability to turn on night vision (leading me to finally be unable to finish the game as for some reason they force this) caused this to be a negative review.”
“The graphics are absolutely horrendous; even with the highest settings, it still looks worse than Half-Life (literally).”
“Wow, this game is super buggy. You would think it would run smoother being as low graphic as it is. Speaking of graphics, there are no options for it at all and no options for smooth turning. I know this is early access, but this is just horrible. What a shame; the trailers make it look so much better than it really is. Very disappointed.”
- gameplay46 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay experience is a mixed bag, with many players enjoying the gun mechanics and overall fun factor, but expressing frustration over clunky controls, bugs, and janky mechanics that detract from immersion. While the game features a charming story and solid visuals, the current state of gameplay often feels unpolished, leading to a recommendation for potential players to wait for further updates before diving in. Overall, the core mechanics show promise, but significant quality-of-life improvements are needed for a smoother experience.
“The combat mechanics are incredible and it’s so fun to play.”
“Add in some great comedic moments, good variety and spacing of gameplay moments, satisfying gunplay, and just straight-up good game design, and it all comes together perfectly!”
“The mechanics I've experienced make for some really fun gameplay; when it's polished up, this should be a special little package.”
“The weapon stowing mechanic is horrible to say the least; I constantly lost my guns because it wouldn't stow them and they would just drop to the ground without me knowing.”
“But the absolutely monotonous gameplay and environment quickly get boring.”
“Unfortunately, the actual gameplay and VR mechanics seem to take a backseat.”
- stability18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- -11 % neutral mentions
- 94 % negative mentions
The game is currently plagued by numerous bugs and stability issues, making it a challenging experience for players, especially those not accustomed to early access titles. While some users have managed to navigate these problems and enjoy the gameplay, many recommend waiting for further updates to address the significant glitches and unpolished elements. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, with frequent bugs impacting gameplay and immersion.
“No bugs, no glitches, nothing.”
“The game runs smoothly without any interruptions.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or performance issues.”
“Would not play it currently because of how buggy it is.”
“Gameplay is fun and the art style looks pretty cool, but the game is very buggy and janky right now.”
“I really wanted to like this game, but ultimately the game is missing incredibly important settings like turning options, graphics settings, and has horrible early VR feeling gunplay. It is distracting just how buggy it is, with frequent issues like enemies getting stuck outside of the map, doors not opening, and items falling through the map.”
- music17 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received praise for its ability to enhance immersion and create epic scenarios, contributing significantly to the overall experience. While many reviewers appreciate the engaging soundtrack and its integration with voice acting and visuals, some express frustration with the abrupt transitions in music during combat, which can disrupt the atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point, elevating the game's cinematic feel and enjoyment.
“The music creates these epic scenarios that are genuinely very, very fun.”
“Heartshot presents an intriguing concept with stylish presentation, enjoyable voice acting, and an engaging soundtrack, promising an exceptional VR experience.”
“With the mix of the voice acting, musical score, plus the environments and scenery, this game really does an amazing job with the immersion of being a secret agent.”
“The music starting and stopping so fast every time you go in and out of combat kinda ruins the vibe a little; I would like to hear the music more rather than it just going away.”
“Incessant beeping/alarm sound effect during music before opening the big gate (at least I hope this is a bug and not actually part of the soundtrack).”
“Incessant beeping/alarm sound effect during music before opening the big gate (at least I hope this is a bug and not actually part of the soundtrack).”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a blend of serious undertones and silly jokes, with standout moments from the mission assistant and intercom announcements that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the wacky animations, engaging voice acting, and humorous writing, which contribute to a fun and intense atmosphere, despite the campaign feeling unfinished. Overall, the game successfully combines thrilling gameplay with genuinely funny moments, making it an enjoyable arcade VR shooter.
“The only saving grace was the humor in the game, which was decently funny from your mission assistant and the man on the facilities intercom.”
“Great storytelling, and some very funny moments.”
“The voice acting is great and the humor is spot on.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 42 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues such as lag, stuttering, and motion sickness, particularly on various hardware setups. While some users noted improvements in smoothness and texture quality, others criticized the lack of graphical options and persistent bugs, leading to a frustrating experience. The game's performance on VR headsets, especially the Quest 2 and Quest 3, has been particularly problematic, indicating a need for further optimization.
“The game runs smoothly and looks pretty good even with the PS2-era textures.”
“Performance enhancements: the game now runs more smoothly, with fewer hiccups and stutters.”
“Performance seems decent, though textures are better than Quest quality but below what you'd really want for a PC VR game.”
“On an i7-12700k and a 2070, I find the game constantly lagging and stuttering when moving between areas, causing disorienting motion sickness.”
“It also felt like the game wasn't optimized for Quest 2 headsets, which is understandable, but compensations should still be made.”
“Wow, this game is super buggy. You would think it would run smoother given how low the graphics are. Speaking of graphics, there are no options for it at all, and no options for smooth turning. I can't holster guns. I know this is early access, but this is just horrible. What a shame; the trailers make it look so much better than it really is. Very disappointed. Tried playing it with my Quest 3 using Virtual Desktop and Steam Link, and the performance was horrible on both.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its nostalgic early 2000s aesthetic, effective sound design, and well-crafted environments that enhance the overall experience. While some users feel there is room for improvement, many appreciate the retro graphics and vibrant color palette that contribute to a compelling mood throughout the game. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, adding to the enjoyment of gameplay.
“I love the magnet glove puzzles, I love the writing and the voice acting, and I especially love the look and atmosphere the game gives with the early 2000s video game feel with the pixelation aesthetic.”
“Btw sick sound design, atmospheric environments and visual storytelling.”
“The game has a great atmosphere, especially considering the graphics are PS1/2 style.”
“Atmosphere is fine, can be improved but can also be left where it's at.”
“The weapons feel and sound great, navigation is pretty easy (major thanks for the updates) but boy let me tell you about the atmosphere...”
“- atmosphere - 4.5/10”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to the game is largely negative, with users expressing feelings of discomfort and frustration due to technical issues.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game somewhat tedious, particularly due to the repetitive action of dropping and picking up magazines, which can detract from the overall experience.
“The game allows you to pick up magazines just by walking over them, which is fine, but it became a bit tedious to have to keep dropping magazines and walking over them.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that significant effort has been invested in the character designs and personalities, resulting in well-developed and engaging characters that enhance the overall gaming experience.
“Actual thought was put into character designs and personality.”
“The character arcs are incredibly well-crafted, making each journey feel personal and impactful.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, with their decisions and experiences shaping who they become.”
