We don't generally take the time to review cheap and cheerful games, but Duckpocalypse is something special that hit us right in the nostalgia zone. It's like a smart reboot of gaming classic, Duck Hunt, but with a twist - it's in VR.

Our quick take

Duckpocalypse is a cracking little VR shooter that's easy to pick up and simple enough for anyone to get into. Priced at little more than a bottle of pop, it's well worth a purchase if you fancy a good giggle. 

The scoreboard challenge gives it a competitive edge which will keep friends and family competing for the winning score. But what we love most of all is the nostalgic joy of shooting virtual robo-ducks out of the sky.

Duckpocalypse is available to buy on Steam and in the Oculus Store

Duckpocalypse - 4.0 / 5

FORAGAINST
  • Cheap and cheerful
  • retro style graphics
  • simple gameplay and a competitive scoreboard
  • Lacks replayability given the single level of play

Ok, so it's not technically "Duckhunt VR", but many will think given some design that's reminiscent of the classic - the pixelated ducks that you need to shoot out of the sky look much the same, only this time they're robo-ducks. Yep, robot ducks.

Available for Oculus RiftHTC Vive and Gear VR, Duckpocalypse only costs a couple of quid. Here's why you'd be quackers to miss it.

Duckpocalypse review: Two guns and a whole lotta fun

The premise of Duckpocalypse is simple: you spawn in a wooden hunting hide with two pistols and a scoreboard. Shoot down as many of the angry robots ducks as you can in a short time limit.

We only remember playing Duck Hunt on the SNES with a single light gun, but there's something to be said for having two guns to shoot instead. Being able to shoot 360-degrees through the hide's windows, roof and a door leaves you spinning around blasting every which way.

Scoring is based on how many ducks you hit, how fast you shoot them down and how you prioritise targets. There are bigger baddies that pop-up or fly by which hold greater points value, so it's all about practice, practice, practice if you want to reach a high-score for the privilege of blasting your initials onto the scoreboard.

Duckpocalypse review: Solo or with friends

It's a great game to play with friends, giving how competitive people get about outshooting their pals.

Duckpocalypse official screenshots image 5
Capitola VR

It's not a game with much in the way of longevity or replayability, unless you keep getting knocked off the top spot, as there is basically only one level to complete and it's exactly the same every time. Go into the game knowing that though you won't be disappointed. And, who knows, maybe there'll be a more expansive sequel, eh? "Turkeygeddon", anyone?

Achievements add a little extra challenge too: killing 15 ducks with an exploding car gets you one achievement; while killing 15 with a barrel explosion gets you another. For the poor shooters among us, there's even an achievement for missing 30 times in a row. So for those who love fully completing a game, there's plenty of action to keep you going.

Duckpocalypse review: An old-school feel for a cheap thrill

Despite there only being one level, the design is superb. Where most games try to use fancy graphics and visuals to immerse you in the VR world, Duckpocalypse adopts a simple graphical style - a style that works really well in VR, too.

Duckpocalypse official screenshots image 2
Capitola VR

There's no need for bells and whistles here. The colours, the pixels, the sound effects all work perfectly to throw you back through a timewarp back to an era when games were simple... and ducks were evil.

We especially love the catchy soundtrack, which perfectly suits the game's retro style.

To recap

Duckpocalypse is a cracking little VR shooter that's easy to pick up and simple enough for anyone to get into. A great piece of nostalgia for less than £2.