On Point (Early Access) Review – Hitting the Mark

On Point on Meta Quest 3

In virtual reality gaming, any game involving shooting usually works better than any other gameplay mechanic. That meant that expectations were high going into Actuator Digital‘s On Point on the Meta Quest 3, and for the most part, this is an enjoyable shooting gallery made for light gun shooter fans.

If you have had the pleasure of playing Bandai Namco’s Point Blank in the arcades or in the comfort of your home back in the ’90s, then you already know what On Point is all about. Wielding the controller like a light gun, you will partake in a series of challenges that test your reflexes, accuracy, and ability to perform under pressure.

There are over 90 minigames spread out across three differing difficulties, which means you will almost always have something fresh and new to try out. There are the more standard shooting galleries; then there are more interesting concepts like finding hidden chocolate eggs or matching challenges that help keep things interesting.

What changes is the difficulty level that players can choose to put themselves through. With only three lives in each run and not much room for error, there is an undoubtedly learning curve here that rewards mastery over hasty bravado. Starting on Easy allows you to ease into the tempo required in On Point, and once you are ready, get ready to ramp things up with either Medium or Hard difficulties.

Things get more hectic and faster, forcing you to either step up or face elimination. The ability to choose your next level from four possible options provides a slight respite, but it is your skill with aiming and shooting that will ultimately save you. At the very least, you will only ever lose a single life at any level, so it is more player-friendly in that sense.

As frustrating as it can be to lose lives over near misses and erroneous shots, it is also where the game is the most fun. That thrill of just getting across the line never goes away, and adding in global leaderboards to show off against other players becomes a recipe for enjoyable repetition. If you are keeping it within the family or friends, there is also local play to determine the crackshot in the household for all the bragging rights.

With On Point having you present in virtual reality, environments play a much more significant role. Thankfully, every level hits the mark in delivering that quirky atmosphere as you take on the varying challenges, even if they can be distractions from your main objective. The often buoyant music accompanying the action is also quite good at amping up the mood.

On the performance side, the game functions quite well in detecting both general movement and aiming with the virtual light gun. There isn’t anything taxing that would cause problems, and the only issue that can crop up is not being able to overcome the tougher challenges in On Point. The game knows what it is, and it does the job competently.

As a homage and modernised take on a beloved arcade fixture, On Point checks the necessary boxes for a delightful and replayable time. Sure, some levels feel iterative of each other, and the jump from lower difficulties to the top can be steep, but that’s pretty much a given for the genre. With more levels added as the game heads towards a full release, picking the game up is a no-brainer for anyone looking to relive the good old days without shelling out quarter after quarter.

On Point is available now on the Meta Store for US$19.99.