If there’s one thing VR really needs more of, it’s casual multiplayer games, right? Carnival Games launched early in the PSVR cycle and initially had me pretty excited. Unfortunately, it felt a bit rushed and unfinished, with some events being nearly unplayable without a lot of trial-and-error frustration.
About a year later, a little surprise called The Pierhead Arcade suddenly appeared on the PS Store. For many of us, it was an instant buy—and then… silence. Hardly a word about it since, at least not on the forums most of us frequently visit.
The goal of the game is to capture the spirit of a classic funfair arcade, and it does exactly that. The moment you step in, you’re greeted by rows of vending machines and a variety of mini-games—most of which you’ve probably played countless times before, though likely never in VR.
The first thing you’ll notice is how clean and simple everything looks. For some, this might break immersion a little and even lower the fun factor, but as most VR players know by now, graphics aren’t everything—it’s about the overall experience. Despite being a PS Move title, The Pierhead Arcade is still miles ahead of Carnival Games and Sports Bar VR 2.0.
The controls in Sports Bar VR were clunky and frustrating, while Carnival Games suffered from odd challenges and a lacklustre trophy list. In contrast, The Pierhead Arcade offers solid controls and an excellent trophy list, making it a far more enjoyable package.
It might look a little plain in screenshots, but in VR, this game really shines. It feels like stepping into a proper shooting gallery at a real arcade, thanks to its immersive sound design and VR-focused mechanics.
You actually have to interact with the machines as if they were the real deal—crouching down to reach the coin slot, inserting coins before you can play, and handling everything with realistic movements. It can feel a bit fiddly at first, but it quickly makes sense and adds to the authenticity—after all, you don’t have two-meter-long arms in real life either.
Skeeball is a blast in real life, and when done right, it’s just as fun in VR. You actually have to move around and develop some skill—making it feel surprisingly close to the real thing. Sure, there are moments where you might feel like smashing your PS Move controller against the wall thanks to the occasional random tracking hiccup, but despite that, it’s still bloody brilliant.
You’ll have to move around the arcade yourself, and the only way to do so is by teleporting (sigh) with the somewhat tacky—but still effective—PS Move controllers.
It works well enough and is probably the best control system we’ve had so far for a game like this, but it’s hard not to think about how much better it could have been with DualShock support and smooth locomotion.
As it stands, you’ll often find yourself teleporting back and forth a few times before landing in the perfect spot in front of a cabinet or vending machine. Honestly, that’s the only real downside to the whole experience.
It might look a little empty at first glance, right? Well, in a way it is—but with 15+ machines spread out across the arcade, the spacing actually makes sense. If everything had been crammed closer together, it probably would have been a messy and frustrating experience to play and move around.
Take the Super Punch cabinets, for example—they work just like the real thing. It’s a proper workout and delivers an adrenaline rush like no other. Just make sure you’re not standing too close to a shelf or table before you start swinging! 😄
Zombie Shootout is another shooting gallery, but this one has a nice reloading mechanism, and the targets move towards you, brilliant fun.
Scarab Toss quickly became one of my favourites—it’s a mix of precision and luck, and it works surprisingly well in VR. The gameplay feels natural and does a great job of capturing the feel of the real thing.
This was my first time trying bowling in VR—and unfortunately, it turned out to be the weakest part of the game. It feels broken and imprecise, which is especially odd considering how solid the rest of the experience is.
The throw never feels right, aiming is off, and even the lane itself feels wrong.
Dear developer (Mechabit): PLEASE fix the bowling!
Whack a mole (Dino Whack) works really good in the game, too. It does feel a bit odd to play this without a heavy hammer that is chained to the table, but one has to admit that it works really good and feels like the real thing after a while.
The Pierhead Arcade feels solid and delivers, giving us, for the first time in VR, a complete funfair/arcade/carnival experience that doesn’t feel rushed. The graphics and sound are decent, and the control scheme works well—my son absolutely loved it (the crane/claw machines are his favourite), and the free coin system adds a nice touch.
While it won’t keep you glued for weeks, it’s the kind of game you can easily pick up between other sessions and have a bit of fun. The trophy list will make you work for it, but it’s entirely doable for most players.
It’s such a pity there’s no one around in that arcade. It looks so empty and loneliness. It would have been a blast to have a greater sense of presence.
It’s such a pity there’s no one around in that arcade. It looks so empty and loneliness. It would have been a blast to have a greater sense of presence.