GAME REVIEW | Virtual Reality Has Never Been This "SUPERHOT"
Last year one of the most unique and original video game experiences was SUPERHOT. One-half first-person shooter, the other a strategic puzzle, the object of the game was to rid each realm of red-colored foes. What made it stand out was its means of gameplay: time only moves when you moved, meaning lots of careful precision and calculative techniques were key to victory. The original game was brilliant enough to find its way onto last year's Top Ten Video Games list, cementing it as one of my most memorable titles of 2016.
Now the world of SUPERHOT has returned, this time in the form of a virtual experience. (Oddly enough, it was at E3 2014 when I first played SUPERHOT via the Oculus Rift, so bringing it to the virtual realm was a no-brainer.) Those thinking that it'd be the exact same game as before will be in for quite the shocker, as SUPERHOT VR brings forth a brand-new experience. What's more, it easily contends as one of the top essential games to grab if you have a virtual reality setup.
Like in the first game, SUPERHOT VR has you taking part of a brand-new virtual reality experience that is all the underground rage. Using what looks like a bunch of IBM PS/1s duct-taped together and a headset that looks like a pasta drainer with googles, you dive quickly into the madness as you use any means to take out the enemy. Punching, kicking, stabbing, slashing, shooting, chucking, and even using your brain to blow up people's minds is how you'll get out of each and every mess you've found yourself in.
Gone are the super-creepy messages that come with the territory. Originally you were constantly warned by an unknown force that you shouldn't be playing SUPERHOT. Instead you are constantly coerced into moving forward, inserting floppy disk after disk as you reach your main objective: destroying a mysterious pyramid. Also unlike the original game is the fact that the ability to move is limited to where you're standing, as the PlayStation VR doesn't have the same maneuverability as the Xbox One or PS4 versions.
Thankfully SUPERHOT VR does a pretty damn good job with reading your headset movements. Many times I found myself bending my body like any of Keanu Reeves's recent film roles as I evaded bullets and punches from my enemies. The fact that it can read that I'm just a hairline away from a bullet is simply mesmerizing, bringing forth an immersion level that I've never quite experienced with any other current VR game. Dare I say, it made me feel like a bonafide action hero practically every moment of its three-hour timeframe.
However there is a certain flaw with the means of it reading the PlayStation Move controllers. In later levels I noticed it was having difficulty reading where the controllers were, resulting in the in-game hands to glitch out here and there. Whenever this occurred, the game counted it as movement, resulting in me quickly having to evade enemy fire or being greeted with death. Needless to say, this is one aspect of the game that needs a good patching.
PROS:
- Extremely immersive virtual experience
- A nice mixture of FPS & puzzle elements
- Reads the headset perfectly...
CONS:
- ...but the PS Move controls need some tinkering
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Despite its minor PS Move bug issue, SUPERHOT VR is the sort of virtual experience that we've all been clamoring for. Where Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-Ality took the gimmick and placed it in the realm of satire, this one takes the experience to hardcore action levels. SUPERHOT VR isn't just a brilliant follow-up to the original classic, it's one hell of a physical and mental workout!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Evolve Terminal. Reviewed on the PlayStation VR.
Background Noise: Paranormal by Alice Cooper - The King of Shock Rock is back, and he's as pissed off as ever. Teaming up with legendary producer Bob Ezrin and featuring tracks with the original band members, ZZ Top's Billy F. Gibbons, and U2's Larry Mullen Jr., Alice let's the crazy loose in “The Rats" and "Paranoiac Personality," while playing it cool in "Holy Water" and "Dynamite Road." When you need a good album to take down foes in a calculative manner, Alice Cooper easily has your number.
