Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR brings back the nostalgic action rail shooter from the 80s and earlier 90s arcade era – and those gamers old enough to have seen it will remember it as “that cabinet with the machine gun mounted on it”. A classic from the time where rail shooters were 2D affairs with pixel-based visuals, years before Virtua Cop and House of the Dead. Developed by Virtuallyz and published by Microids, this VR adaptation aims to capture the essence of the original game while adding a fresh coat of paint. While it succeeds in delivering an enjoyable experience, it falls short in certain areas. We played it on a Meta Quest 2 – here’s our review.
As a lightgun shooter, Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR stays true to the original gameplay mechanics – but transports it to a 3D VR environment. The movement is still on rails, and your goal is still to eliminate enemies without harming civilians. The game maintains the over-the-top, bombastic style of its predecessors, but featuring stylized art and cartoonish characters. It faithfully recreates the essence of the original game, evoking a sense of nostalgia for those familiar with the franchise – but the change in visual style is drastic.
The campaign consists of six levels, each divided into three sections, and offers about an hour and a half of gameplay in total – on the short side, but consistent with the old school arcade experience, where an hour would usually cost you a bunch of quarters. The levels start off in a fairly generic manner but progressively introduce more over the top elements, including mechanized monsters, helicopters, and fighter jets. The game provides different difficulty levels and rewards players with an aggregate score based on various factors such as mission time, kills, and hostages rescued.
Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR features a selection of weapons to dispatch your foes, including a pistol, submachine gun, assault rifle, and shotgun. Headshots are particularly effective, instantly taking down most enemies. But while the pistol provides unlimited ammo, you also don’t want to be caught with no other option during a challenging scene. The submachine gun offers close-range firepower but lacks accuracy, while the assault rifle strikes a balance between accuracy and limited ammo. And while the shotgun is powerful and fun, it’s also not very precise and relatively useless for enemies who are further away.
The game incorporates interactive elements such as rescuing hostages, who will thank you or keep running if accidentally shot. Power-ups, ammunition, and health packs can be found throughout the levels, often hidden within animals like pigs, chickens, and mice (this is where the cartoon-like presentation helps). Special weapons like grenade launchers or rocket launchers are rare, but provide amazing amounts of firepower.
Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR introduces some surprises in the campaign, including sections where you can man a twin-barrel gun aboard a helicopter. These moments add variety and fun to the gameplay. The boss fights also offer a twist, requiring players to discover and exploit tricks or weaknesses to overcome the challenges.
But while the game provides an entertaining experience, it suffers from a relatively short duration. Completing the campaign in about 90 minutes may leave players wanting more content. And while Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR successfully captures the nostalgic essence of the original arcade game in an enjoyable VR experience, your enjoyment will depend on how much you enjoy going back into a shorter arcade experience a few times. We liked it, but grew up in the arcade era.
Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR’s a nicely executed take on a classic formula that’s a great choice for introducing new players to VR shooting – the on rails mechanic eliminated any kind of motion sickness for us. The relatively short duration holds it back a little, but with its affordable price point, Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission VR is worth playing for those nostalgic for a lightgun shooter.
Score: 7.0/10
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