Superhot

Superhot VR is a splendid awe-inspiring blend of the Matrix and John Wick. Dodging bullets in slow-mo in VR makes you feel legendary. This thought only is more then enough to make this game your next PSVR must-buy.

There isn't much of a story to go on in Superhot VR. You're inside a run-down apartment room with the only source of light being your monitors and you are forced to go through a series of trails to "prove your dedication." You also know nothing of your main protagonist either, adding a sense of mystery in the game. However after the 3 hour campaign, I was still just as uncertain of why these bizarre events were happening. It would of been very useful to understand our protagonist and why he's doing these tests. But hopefully this is covered up in the original Superhot.

However, the gameplay is the main star of the show in Superhot VR. You stay in the same spot all the time in Superhot VR, but like in the original version of the game, time only moves when you move, which I find to be a very entertaining game mechanic as it makes you feel like a god but also makes you alert and more careful because even though enemies die in a single hit, so do you. Physically moving your body and head in VR to pick up weapons with the required move controllers and dodging bullets or slicing them in half using a knife and watching red glass heads explode in slow-mo feels incredible and makes Superhot VR a reference quality transfer to virtual reality. But like virtual reality itself, it's got to be seen to be believed. I haven't played normal Superhot yet, but after playing Superhot VR, I'm not sure I want to. But the gameplay does have flaws on the PSVR. Since Superhot VR is a game where you have to move around a lot, tracking with the PlayStation Camera can go haywire at the worst possible moments, resulting in some frustrating deaths. In addition to this, throwing objects in VR can be hit or miss when your using your hands and checkpoint are quite far apart from each other meaning if you die at the very last part of a segment, you will be forced to play that segment again from the beginning, which can also get frustrating, especially if the tracking is at fault. However, due to the amazing gameplay I can look past these flaws and still have a blast.

Superhot VR also has a unique look to it as well. All the environments you'll be fighting in are all white but enemies are a red colour and everything you can pick up and use as a weapon are in black. This art style is very effective because I was never confused on what was a weapon or enemy and what wasn't which is really useful in a game where a split second of indecision can cost you your life. There are a wide array of weapons at your disposal, from wine bottles to shotguns. Smart players will probably grab a weapon such as a gun or knife and a shield like a saucepan to block incoming shots, adding a new level of tactic. However, white, red and black colours do look kind of muted on the PlayStation VR which is likely to be expected due to the PlayStation VR's limited graphical process. I've played this game on the standard PS4 so I'm not sure as to how it looks on the PS4 Pro.

Sound is also used really well. The 3D audio in VR allows you to recognise exactly where shots are coming from, making playing with headphones a must. Hearing the unknown announcer say the words "Super... Hot" at a checkpoint feels well earned after a tense encounter as the words constantly pop up to where you look.

There's also a lot to challenge yourself to once you finish story mode. There are a wide range of challenges from speed runs, hardcore, headshots only, completing the game without dying, endless and of course, playing story mode again. However, I wished that there was a way to exit the story mode at any time and that I didn't have to complete the story mode just to get my choice in what I played. The modes are all labelled on these big memory cards on your desk which are kinda of tricky to see in such a dark room and you physically pick them up to put them into your computer. However, I wished I could put my choices down again instead of having to insert them into the computer to let them go and change my mind by inserting the card I wanted. I could drop things easily when I was playing, why couldn't I do it here? Despite all these shortcomings, I found Superhot VR to be one of the best purchases I've ever made for my PlayStation VR. At just £20, I think you get more then your money's worth as Superhot VR's challenging additional modes will keep you coming back for more. This game is an absolutely must if you own a PlayStation VR! 9/10