The well-known arachnid slaughtering sim Kill it with Fire has made its way to the PSVR2. A game that began its life as a regular flatscreen game has added an extra dimension in order to try to terrify arachnophobes everywhere. And for the most part, it works.
Kill it with Fire is definitely not a mainstream title, nor will it be for everyone. At its core, it is a very simple game where the player needs to enter a room and kill spiders. In order to progress to the next room, you need to also carry out some simple tasks. These can range from scanning groceries to run up a specific amount on a bill, to smashing plates against the wall.
Shotgun Webbing
The way in which you dispose of the eight-legged freaks is quite well-varied. You start off by smooshing them with whatever is next to you. Want to squash them with a book? Sure thing. Want to crush them with your television? Go ahead. Want to blow up a petrol station in order to kill a tiny spider? Erm, you can… but perhaps seek help.
Obviously, the more extreme ways of exterminating your creepy crawly enemies are unlocked as you progress, but the more bizarre they are, the more fun they become. There are guns, Molotovs, garden strimmers and many, many, more available to unlock.
The objectives that don’t involve mayhem and destruction aren’t as much fun, but they do not outstay their welcome enough to become tedious. Your surroundings are highly interactive and almost everything you can see can be used, destroyed or thrown which is hugely entertaining.
You’re Fired!
There is a sense of humour throughout the game, and it never once takes itself seriously. There is a charm to every level and a nice variety to your surroundings in the different rooms you find yourself in.
Graphically, it does not look pretty, and it certainly doesn’t look realistic. This was a deliberate choice from the developers though. For someone who has just a slight aversion to spiders, it is still deeply unsettling when you begin the game. Even with super pixelated and dated graphics, you still get a great feeling of immersion which is key for any VR game.
The sound is great especially if you wear earphones with the VR Headset. The sound of the scurrying spiders really gets under your skin. It also helps that the in-game music changes to something that sounds like a swarm scene from a horror film. It’s just good stuff.
It’s VR-ry good
The controls are perfectly in keeping with what you would expect. If I could pick up on one slight negative, is that Kill it with Fire doesn’t take full advantage of the PSVR2 hardware. If the haptic feedback is utilised, it is barely noticeable. That could have been a nice additional feature. As I previously mentioned, it certainly doesn’t use the VR’s graphical capability to its full extent. On the plus side though, the eye tracking works great and allows you to choose your items of annihilation with ease.
This really is the kind of game that lends itself brilliantly to PSVR2. Although you can run through the game in 3 to 4 hours, that is what you want from this title. While AAA non-VR releases (I am looking directly at you Modern Warfare III) rightly come into criticism for their brief runtimes, Kill it with Fire is a perfect length for VR release especially at this price point.
Will it be in my top 10 list of games at the end of the year? Absolutely not. But I can say that it is undoubtedly fun and brilliantly entertaining. If you have PSVR2, it should be in your library.
You can pick it up from the PS Store for a bargain €14.99.
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