Of all the game genres that could come to a VR platform, real-time strategy and management is probably on the bottom of any list I would put together. It really just doesn’t seem to fit but, after spending some time with No Heroes Allowed VR, I stand somewhat corrected. With that said, it is good to remember that No Heroes Allowed VR is not exactly the kind of game that RTS fans will clamour for… but it does carry together some components of resource administration and technique quite sufficiently, all things contemplated.
Right off the bat, it should be noted that No Heroes Allowed VR falls solidly into a casual bracket. It doesn’t feature the massive armies and deep strategy – at least not in terms of combat. It is more of a map domination idea, with the player tasked by the God of Destruction (and wheedled by said deity’s daughter) to take over several maps and ultimately destroy the castles that serve as the homes of heroes.
To do so, the player is presented with a VR table top that they use to place monster nests and take the fight to the enemy. And that’s where the game gets a little more interesting than expected; No Heroes Allowed VR is not only based on a system of generating monsters, but also of maintaining the food chain that those monsters are a part of. Weaker monsters will be eaten by more powerful ones, allowing the more powerful ones to grow and evolve. It’s an intriguing idea that really does bring a new facet to the whole package.
Or, at least, it sort of brings the idea. Managing a food chain can get pretty tricky, because the game does very little to indicate just how healthy a food chain is. Determining whether you’ve got enough low-level monsters on the map to sustain a strong army of more powerful monsters comes don largely to guess work, ultimately, which is a little frustrating.
The entire game is controlled using the Dualshock controller. Although Move controller support would have been more than a little welcome, the whole affair works well enough when all is said and done. The player doesn’t always feel all that in control anyway, with the whole thing taking on a sort of macrocosmic feel overall.
There is a lot of fun to be had here, though, and some great jokes find their way into No Heroes Allowed VR, which pokes fun at numerous gaming tropes (even swiping at loot boxes). It is, if nothing else, a bit of light entertainment, with a little replay value in terms of replaying levels to level up monster types. The whole thing, though, is over far too soon; No Heroes Allowed VR tops out at around seven hours of play time, which is very little.
It does feel like the developers could have done a bit more here, particularly considering that the game is a bit pricey for what you’re getting. In the end, a little more content and a tiny touch more polish would not have gone wasted. However, as it stands, even despite its somewhat unfriendly price point, No Heroes Allowed VR is a brave foray into an idea that is pretty fresh in VR terms, and the overall experience is quite enjoyable.
It would have been great to see a little more depth, and a little more incentive to return to the game once you’re done. But if you’re happy to part with the cash for an enjoyable and rather unique VR experience, No Heroes Allowed VR is not a bad option.