"Action Hero is without question one of the best action games on the Meta Quest 2 & 3 "
Singleplayer.
I must admit that when I first saw Action Hero on Meta Quest’s upcoming releases list, I bypassed it, assuming it would be another low-effort run-and-gun VR game.
However, I was advised to give the title a go and was shortly afterwards offered a key by the publisher for review purposes, so here we are!
Right off the bat, I must say I was entirely wrong about Action Hero; it is a much better and more nuanced game than its cringe-inducing key art would suggest, and far from being a mindless run-and-gun shooter, it has more in common with titles such as Superhot, Desperados III, and even a little bit of Goat Simulator than anything as simplistic as a “shoot all the bad guys” game, that is unfortunately all too common when its comes to similarly priced VR titles by indie studios.
The precision of Superhot, the tactical planning of Desparodos III, and the cheeky pop culture references of Goat Simulator combine to create one of the most enjoyable and entirely unique experiences on the Meta Quest Platform, and it’s a fairly decent workout to boot.
After dodging boulders, punching Nazis, and avoiding traps like I was Harrison Ford or Tom Cruise, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many calories I had burned up.
Physical exercise aside, Action Hero is a great exercise for the mind, and more than one, I had to plan how to handle each mission carefully, only to be forced to reevaluate those plans several times before being able to complete each level successfully.
While being forced to perfect, memorise, and successfully execute a near-pixel-perfect series of movements may not be for everyone, I personally loved it, and I know that many others will also.
That said, no game is perfect, and that includes Action Hero.
If I could change one thing about Action Hero, it would be to add a checkpoint system or accessibility mode for those with limited physical ability.
While I love the challenge of performing a series of split-second manoeuvres perfectly to avoid being forced to start the whole level over from the beginning, for some people, this simply would not be possible through no fault of their own.
Adding an accessibility mode would make Action Hero as widely accessible to gamers as titles such as Beat Saber and Pistol Whip, which offer numerous ways to adjust difficulty better to suit each player’s skills and requirements.
Every platform has games or services that define it:
Xbox has the best deal in gaming (Game Pass), PlayStation has its library of AAA single-player exclusives, and Nintendo has Mario, Pokemon and Zelda games in abundance.
Yet when it comes to VR, no matter which brand of headset you use or how you play, a few games, such as Beat Saber and Pistol Whip, should be in every VR library.
After playing Action Hero for a few weeks, I honestly feel that Action Hero (assuming it is ported to more platforms) is another game that belongs in everyone’s VR library.
It is loads of fun to play and a great way to introduce friends and family to the joy of VR gaming.
While Action Hero is unlikely to become as popular as Beat Saber or Pistol Whip (which are some of the bestselling VR games of all time), I hope it does well enough to enjoy several years of updates.
I, for one, will happily buy any DLC the developer releases, as long as it is as fun to play and affordable as the base game.
Action Hero is a first person shooter video game developed and published by Fast Travel Games, it was released on 12 December 2024 and retails for $19.99.
Action Hero is available on the following platforms: Meta Quest 2, and Meta Quest 3.
The following peripherals are officially supported:
Action Hero is rated PEGI 7+ and contains:
I have a vast (and ever-increasing) collection of VR games, and I must say that Action Hero is one of the best throughout out and executed titles on the Meta Quest Platform.
While it is very difficult at times and would benefit from additional locomotion controls, Action Hero is a perfect game for anyone who enjoys Superhot or high-quality VR titles, and I fully recommend it.
We found Action Hero to be a great game, meaning it delivers a memorable experience with only minor imperfections that don't detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
