Throw Anything PSVR Review

There are already plenty of zombie games on VR, but Throw Anything is something a little bit different. There are no scary moments in dark alleys as you fight for survival against a horde, no jump scares, and no inventory management. Instead, Throw Anything is a comedic game made of bright colours and absurd mechanics, where the zombies climb up the side of your building and you no option but to, well, throw anything at them.

sThe “anything” in question refers to the objects and furniture that furnish the room you are in, everything from books, darts, and bowling balls, to baseball bats, book shelves, and sofa cushions. If you can see it, you can probably throw it, including other panicking humans in the room!

Bigger, heavier objects are the ones to look out for as they’re quite a bit more effective at dislodging undead – a book will do very little, but a bowling ball can take out multiple enemies. Larger objects like book cases will need to be broken up first, so that you can throw individual parts down onto the ascending hordes. You can also find or purchase assault rifles and other guns, though these are best saved for the end of level bosses, huge zombies that absorb quite a lot of damage.

Frantic, absurd shenanigans are the aim, with Throw Anything being at its best when there’s three climbers on your  window sill and you’re fighting them off with an AK47 in one hand and an electric guitar in the other. The game’s aesthetic lends itself well to this, with bright, vibrant colours and cartoony wackiness.

Unfortunately, there are a few issues. First, whilst the levels are themed, each offering different items and gameplay mechanics, such as a photocopier that can be used to copy items, or a safe you can open with a code that is revealed part way through the level, the gameplay gets repetitive very quickly. There is only so long you can grab items and throw it at a zombie before the objects and enemies start to bleed together in your mind. There are very few levels as well, though they do have difficulty levels.

This also isn’t helped by the need to constantly turn around to see everything in the room. This issue was worse at launch, which required you to physically turn around to pick up objects and didn’t gel well with PSVR’s narrow field of tracking, but the game has now been updated so you can press a button on the Move controller to swivel. It’s an improvement in one sense, but highlights just how cumbersome it can be to constantly turn back and forth.

Some items, namely the guns, aren’t oriented correctly when you are holding them either, with them pointing up from your hands rather than as if you are actually holding it like a gun. Finally, when the zombies make it to the top and start climbing into the room, they can clip through the camera, which is unpleasant to say the least, but also makes them more difficult to fight off.