Heavy Fire: Black Arms 3D

If there's one game that did not require a sequel, it's Heavy Fire: Special Operations 3D.

And yet here I am, reviewing a follow-up to that rather bog-standard arcade shooter. What's even more strange is that developer Teyon has actually managed to make the sequel worse.

That's right - Heavy Fire: Black Arms 3D manages to both copy the original game and be worse than it.

Self 'arm

Once again, some naughty terrorists have decided to take up position in random places around the world, and shoot at anyone who comes knocking. You are part of an elite army unit sent to deal the pain to these no-gooders.

This involves a first-person perspective and an on-rails camera, as you'd find in your average shooter down at the arcade. The difference is that instead of aiming with a plastic gun you're aiming with your stylus on the touchscreen.

Tapping the shoulder button fires at terrorists, while the B button reloads. Aiming is precise, and the controls work as you'd expect.

But this is essentially the only praise I give to Heavy Fire, since, as a video game experience, it's rather boring, and a little bit unfair.

Enemies run onto the screen and rarely try to hide behind anything. You're left to just keep popping them as quickly as possible, with no cover of your own. There's no strategy involved here - it's all about bashing the R button as fast as you can.

You're fired

Where Black Arms 3D manages to mess up compared to its predecessor is in the execution.

Usually in these types of games you're given some kind of sign that an enemy is about to hurt you.

But in Black Arms 3D enemies run onto the screen and will randomly fire at you, seemingly regardless of any sort of time delay. Some enemies are dealing damage to you within a split-second of appearing.

This means that you have no idea who to shoot first, or what order to attack in. Essentially, you have to be quick enough to hit absolutely everyone the moment they appear, or else you aren't going to see the level through.

Notably, the game also tries to be more action-based this time around, with numerous cutscenes thrown in - but these turn out to be utterly hilarious attempts at drama, with sound effects that are more of a parp than a bang.

In one early scene, a rope-bridge breaks with you on it. The hero climbs back up to be confronted with a terrorist who just stands there waiting for you to shoot him. What can you do but laugh?

Heavy Fire: Black Arms 3D isn't very good at all. If you are truly longing for a video game about pointing at terrorists and hitting a button, then go for the previous Heavy Fire instalment instead.

Heavy Fire: Black Arms 3D

Heavy Fire: Black Arms 3D is the sequel that no one asked for. If you're a huge fan of shooting wave after wave of lifeless terrorist, you still won't want to play this game
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Mike Rose
Mike Rose
An expert in the indie games scene, Mike comes to Pocket Gamer as our handheld gaming correspondent. He is the author of 250 Indie Games You Must Play.