Australia is home to the most venomous arachnids on the planet, so we are certainly no strangers to leaping into action at the shrills of our arachnophobic friends. Now, you can slay these eight-legged freaks until your heart’s content in Kill It With Fire VR, developed by Casey Donnellan Games and Charm Games, and published by tinyBuild.

The VR version of Kill It With Fire means the ultimate freedom to hunt and destroy mankind’s most ancient and deadly nemesis. You’ll have more control than ever over how you take down the eight species of spider menace, and don’t worry, you’re not going in alone. You’ve got a huge arsenal of weapons and technology to help you do a little population control. So what if there’s a little collateral damage caused along the way? Well, it’s best to be certain that they’re dead.

Players will fill the boots of the licensed Kill It With Fire exterminator, tasked with eradicating the spider threat in and around the home, as well as the local area. Carve out your own story and hunt down your prey while collecting a variety of equipment, such as a makeshift flamethrower, silent pistol, shotgun, and even a rocket launcher that’s hidden around the levels. Each level is broken up into several zones, and you must seek out and destroy a certain number of spider foes to unlock the next area before eventually making it to the exit.

In addition to our primary objective, players can also complete optional objectives to earn points that can be used to purchase game-changing upgrades. Always running out of flamethrower ammo? Unlock the Touch of Fire upgrade to your gloves and all flammable objects you grab will ignite.

Then, you simply throw and watch the world burn. Collecting batteries that are also hidden around the levels will unlock upgrades for your tracking gloves, and these will allow you to upgrade the length of time that your radar stays active, and even add the ability to track the species of spider you are hunting.

When starting, I was arming myself with a trusty book from the bookshelf and giving the spiders a good old smack, at least until I encountered my first jumping spider. It was around then that I realised just how expressive and chaotic the combat could become. I whipped out my makeshift flamethrower, set the book I was holding on fire, and threw it in the direction of my attacker. Not only did I set that little bugger on fire, but I also managed to burn down the entire garden, and it’s worth noting that the fire followed a very realistic path as it passed from one item to the next as the garden quickly became ash.

Picking up items off of the ground, tables, or shelves is a breeze thanks to the handy use of eye-tracking. This meant I could quickly grab onto the next item and launch it toward the spider menace. One thing that I found that broke the immersion factor was the fact that opening drawers, cupboards, and essentially anything with a handle felt very clumsy and inaccurate. This can be quite frustrating and often leads to a creepy crawly landing on your face. Awkwardness aside, seeking out and obliterating the threat is super fun, chaotic, and often leads to maniacal laughter.

The art style being utilised is very minimalistic and packed with bright colours that make everything pop. This, combined with the over-the-top, chaotic, and destructive gameplay makes my inner child scream with joy, and it fits extremely well with the game’s aesthetic.

I enjoyed that each environment felt unique in design, following a theme for each of the levels. In terms of the destructive environments, a highlight worth mentioning was the complete and utter demolition of the petrol pumps at the convenience store. That will teach that spider to get in the way of my all-important progress.

The audio throughout is relatively pleasant, though it’s not without its quirks. Squashing a spider with a book sounds pretty satisfying – a nice thud as the book makes contact, and the squelch that follows is music to my ears. Weapon sounds are also just as satisfying, especially the jet of fire spewing forth from your makeshift flamethrower. Spiders have an audio cue that sounds similar to a small rodent, but it does make for an easier time in telling where they might be hiding.

The background soundtrack does a great job of adding to the feelings of dread as you approach a potential threat, always picking up at exactly the right moment. Couple this with a jumping spider launching at your face and you’ve got yourself a great jump scare, and perhaps even an accidental whack to your face as you forget that you’re in a game and just experiencing the terror. Because I’m a terrible shot, I did notice that when throwing items in quick succession, the sound effect of the item hitting the ground would sometimes not register. It isn’t anything game-breaking – it hurt just enough to notice it.

Overall, Kill It With Fire is a fun experience that’s full of chaotic, flame-fueled, and over-the-top spider extermination, and I’m all for it. Completing the campaign, optional objectives, and challenges will set you back around 5-6 hours, which does feel a little short, but it’s well worth the experience, and you can get it now on PSVR 2.

Written by: Gary Nielsen