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Geek Review: Superhot VR

Superhot was one of the best games I have had the chance to play in 2016, the time-stopping mechanic made a first-person shooter into a tactical, strategy experience like no other.

The feeling of being like Neo from the Matrix movies is an apt description of the core Superhot gameplay, and such wonderful gameplay it was.

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Yet, if there is one more thing to add to its successful formula, immersion wouldn’t be too far off the top of the list. Thankfully, Superhot VR fills the void rather successfully, only slightly hampered by the PlayStation VR’s capabilities.

If you were not familiar with how Superhot works, time only moves when you are in motion. In VR, every bit of movement is complemented by time moving forward. Even in the tiniest fraction, the beauty of watching bullets fly through the air frame-by-frame is never lost.

Dismantling your foes step by step makes you feel overpowered most of the time, but Superhot VR does a great job at ramping up the difficulty when it counts.

At your disposal are ranged firearms, whose usefulness as blunt objects can be as important as the bullets flying out of them. Melee weapons like swords and knives also come into play, and who doesn’t like being a time-freezing ninja that can slice bullets in half?

On the PlayStation VR, Superhot VR does the sensible move by fixating you on the spot. VR can be a nauseating experience, and this design does well in focusing on the action while ensuring your movements still count for something. It is less fast-paced than the vanilla game, but a great addition nonetheless.

With two PlayStation Move controllers, the movement on-screen and in real life is almost 1:1. Motion tracking was great when everything works out, which is essential for a game relying on movement heavily.

That said, occasionally tracking can get wonky, with my in-game hands getting out of control and not registering grabs. This often led to deaths and frustration.

Once this happens you’re required to recalibrate the headset, camera, and controllers to achieve the perfect balance. Every. Single. Time. This makes it extremely annoying when you find time moving along while you fumble.

With 18 stages to blast through and admire in VR, Superhot VR remains one of the better experiences on the PlayStation VR, albeit with some technical hiccups.

If you were a fan of the first game, this upgraded version should be right up your alley. It never gets old when you are drilling headshots into your foes while simultaneously pistol whipping others and dodging a storm of bullets.

This is gunplay fantasy at its best, and a definite must-try for all PlayStation VR adopters.

GEEK REVIEW SCORE

Summary

Superhot was already great, but playing in VR makes the experience a whole new, and better, ball game.

Overall
7.9/10
7.9/10
  • Gameplay - 8.5/10
    8.5/10
  • Story - 7/10
    7/10
  • Presentation - 8/10
    8/10
  • Value - 8/10
    8/10
User Review
0 (0 votes)