SUPERHOT VR PlayStation VR Review

SUPERHOT may have had its issues, but it was still a good example of gaming excellence, showing what can be achieved if plenty of thought and work is placed into a project. PS4-only owners have recently had the game released on their platform of choice, which is good news – the more people that get to experience the game, the better.

SUPERHOT is a very stylish first person game that had the hook of time only moving when you do, and was executed masterfully, despite giving the developer a number of issues to work around while it was being worked on. As good as it is that PS4 owners have been treated with SUPERHOT finally becoming available to them, they have actually received a double dose, with SUPERHOT and SUPERHOT VR, which are available to purchase separately or as part of a very attractive bundle. A VR release was always going to be an enticing prospect, and now we have it, and it’s this VR release that we are taking a look at in this review.

SUPERHOT VR isn’t a quick turnaround of merely the original game in VR, but it’s a completely new game, retooled for VR. Like the original, time only moves when you do, but the difference here is that you are rooted in a particular position and are unable to move backwards and forwards in the way that you can in the original game. Like that game, you’ll be stylishly dispatching red enemies, which appear to be made out of glass, and, like said original game, smashing them up is one of the most satisfying moments in this VR release.

SUPERHOT VR requires PlayStation Move to play it, but this soon makes sense when you are aiming and firing dual guns, wielding melee weapons, and throwing objects to smash enemies. Tracking is also mostly reliable and rarely lets you down, with only the occasional twitchy response throwing you off your game from time to time, and Move really does add to the immersion.

What I will say is that the game requires a fair bit of space to play it in the way that is meant to be played. I had to rearrange my living room to give me the space that I required, but the more space the better, as it really does allow you to make use of everything that each level offers you, and the tracking is also at its most reliable when you have the room. It’s also all the more fun when you are able to move around properly to avoid incoming gunfire, and to have bullets with their red tracer lines flying past your head. It adds in physicality, which arguably makes the game even more fun to play than the original.

Levels are laid out in a way that allow you to be creative and varied in the way that you shatter the enemies. You may smash an enemy with a punch and then grab his airborne gun, and shoot the remaining enemies, you may pick a gun up that is just lying close by, or you may opt for throwing weapons at your enemy, slicing up incoming bullets with knives, and so on. Scenarios are varied enough, and it’s always satisfying when everything goes according to plan. It’s also fun to tackle levels in new and creative ways, which does give the game some return appeal.

Along with Holoball, SUPERHOT VR is also one of the few PlayStation VR games that has made me sweat so far. The game is satisfying in that way as well – if you have the space to do so, it really does feel like you are giving your body somewhat of a workout. There hasn’t been a single occasion in which I haven’t sweated under the headset while playing the game. There’s even a fun Fitness club trophy to aim for that tasks you with burning at least 1000 calories while playing.

Like the original game though, SUPERHOT VR is very trial and error, and this may prove to be frustrating for some, particularly as you may find yourself having to restart a selection of levels, and this can result in things feeling slightly repetitive on occasion. Throwing objects with the PlayStation Move controllers can also be a little hit and miss, and can feel a little clumsy during gameplay.

Something that is sorely missed in this VR release are the replays. In the original game, after completing a string of levels you’d be given a replay in full motion, which truly made you feel special as you watched all your fancy moves being played out at normal speed. It’s a shame that this wasn’t included in this VR release, as it does feel as if there is something missing due to its absence.

SUPERHOT VR’s main mode can be completed within two to three hours or so, but it really is a slick and genius slice of VR goodness while it lasts, and this PSVR release also includes the Forever update. With that said, once you complete the main mode, there’s various new modes unlocked, which includes Speed Run, Headshot only mode, Hardcore, as well as an Endless mode to make use of all your fancy skills. The Forever update added a lot of value when it was released as a free download in the original release of SUPERHOT VR, so it is very welcome to be included from day one in this PSVR release.

SUPERHOT VR is a genius action and puzzle game hybrid that I found difficult to not fall in love with, and this is even if I had to attempt to complete a handful of levels time and time again, or the tracking wasn’t always perfect, which would ruin some of my efforts. This is a game that truly does make you feel like an action hero, and the added physicality makes the game all the more fun to play and quite different from the excellent original game. SUPERHOT VR is definitely one of the standout PlayStation VR games, so I do hope that SUPERHOT Team are not done with VR yet, as I really would like to see a lot more from them in the future.