Pixel Gear
By David Chapman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Clever VR shooter comes up short in too many ways.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this game.
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Pixel Gear
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What’s It About?
In PIXEL GEAR, the forces of darkness have descended upon the land, and now it's up to you and your trusty six-shooter to fend them off for good. Starting with a pistol that's equipped with unlimited ammo, players earn coins to unlock additional weapons, power‐ups, and ammo by collecting gold from defeated monsters. Unlockable weapons include submachine pistols, sniper rifles, and various other items for taking down level bosses. Don't get too trigger-happy, though. Innocent angels are roaming the countryside as well, and they're none too keen on getting caught in the crossfire. Blast your way through six stages of this arcade-style shooting gallery and try to claim your spot on the top of the game's leaderboards.
Is It Any Good?
This shooter could've been something really special, but it ends way too quickly to be more than a glorified demo. On the surface, it's got the makings of a great, fun VR experience. The game is visually impressive, with a distinct retro flavor and pixelated style that sets it apart from other games in the genre. The controls feel surprisingly natural and intuitive for a shooter. Outside of the occasional calibration issue, it's easy and comfortable to accurately aim and shoot at targets. It's hard to deny that Pixel Gear has all the makings of a great shooter -- for about 20 to 30 minutes. After that, everything just falls apart.
For starters, Pixel Gear is repetitive to a fault. Eventually, you stop feeling surprised by anything the game throws at you, and you just feel like you're going through the motions. Point, shoot. Point, shoot. Admittedly, the repetition would be more frustrating if you had to deal with it for any real length of time. There's no real time for that, though, as there are only six stages total in the game. These aren't particularly long stages either. You just fend off a few waves of enemies, fight a boss, wash, rinse, and repeat. If the game were any shorter, it would feel like a demo. In fact, as it stands, it almost feels like it's an episodic game. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Pixel Gear is a basic score-rush game given a VR coat of paint. With no real plot and no depth, it ends up feeling like an anemic version of something that had the potential to be amazing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. How does the more immersive virtual reality environment affect the way we look at gaming violence? Also, how does art style affect the impact of the on-screen violence?
Talk about virtual reality. What are some ways that virtual reality can be used outside a gaming environment? What do you think the future holds for VR?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Oasis Games
- Release date: October 13, 2016
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence
- Last updated: March 16, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Play
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate