Adopters of the PlayStation VR2 headset finally have something to get excited about. A serious contender for the best experience on the system has been added withHITMAN World of Assassinationon PS VR2.This is a purchasable mode within the game that unlocks a first-person virtual reality experience that supersedes previous versions of HITMAN VR thanks to the tech in both the PlayStation 5 and the PS VR2 headset.This game joins the likes ofGran Turismo 7and both recent Resident Evil titles as an official platform seller of this headset on the PlayStation 5 due to its content, control and visuals.
The Upgrades over the Meta Quest 3 Version
While not having played the Meta Quest 3 version and simply judging by videos, there’s a big leap on PS VR2 forHITMAN. There are some clever ways about doing this, but most importantly, the horsepower in the PlayStation 5 will allow for more overhead. Having access to 4K OLED HDR screens is a bonus, but the big takeaway is that the game looks just as good, if not better, than the actualHITMAN: World of Assassination.
There’s no doubt that super sampling has a lot to do with how well this game looks. Any area that’s within close quarters is a one-for-one swap of the actual game.FSR really shines here and it’s most noticeable when in an area with objects up close.The mission area that takes place in Miami with the river and bridge full of live boats looks tremendous, and that’s at a distance. The only real issue comes with foliage and distance rendering if objects are on the horizon.
For the most part, the immersion factor is rarely broken due to graphical issues.The initial mission at the gala with the sun pouring in through the glass feels completely different. Animations, lip movement and the overall realism on the surface showcase the potential of the PS VR2 and PlayStation 5.The visuals alone seem to be a major upgrade over the Quest 3 version, but that doesn’t include the controls.
The mission area that takes place in Miami with the river and bridge full of live boats looks tremendous, and that’s at a distance.
Adding More Immersion with Controls
While the HITMAN series is touted as an open sandbox, you still have to adhere to what the game wants you to do. There’s a steep learning curve to understand how to do certain actions, especially in VR. Too many times while playing and attempting to strangle someone, if it’s not set up properly, it doesn’t register. Also swinging on someone felt like trying to punch someone in a dream. Shooting is also majorly difficult as even aiming down the iron sights on the pistol wasn’t close. Clicking the left stick to run also takes literally a second or two to register. You’ll have to readjust your thought process and adhere to playing the game by the game’s rules.
You’ll be expected to manually reload a gun by grabbing a clip from your pouch in front of your waste, inserting, then cocking the gun. Each gun cocks differently. The controls are confident, though, and you won’t be fumbling around, but it takes time to learn the routines. The inventory is easily managed and changing clothes from a knocked-out body is a simple drag and drop. Speaking of dragging bodies, the devs wanted to emphasize the difficulty in that. It takes forever to drag a body to hide it. Doors, locks and objects are interacted with precisely thanks to the PS VR2 controller design.
Players can dual-wield weapons and multi-task with full ambidexterity, something that can’t be done in the regular game. Good luck reloading while dual-wielding, though. These are advanced controls for users who are familiar with the previous VR version of the game and for those that understand how this sandbox universe works.Players will be physically mimicking actions such as turning off a TV, pouring poison into glasses with that motion, swiping keycards and many other small details. The problem is the game isn’t going to come out and tell you how to do these things as some actions are rather inconsistent. Again, it’s part of playing the game on its terms.
HITMAN 3 to Become HITMAN World of Assassination
Other things that come with VR in general will help to open up this game. The stealth aspects are much more immersive simply from having the ability to physically peak around corners and through doors. While there’s a button to sense enemies in the area, being able to do these extra things create something different. It’s cool to line up a shot to get it right without any pressure. Just like the regular version, however, the enemies always seem to have a few friends around. Being able to throw objects works well and it includes a lock-in mechanic to ensure the objects are going to a direction when the arm motion is complete. While it doesn’t have the same tech to pick up items that is seen inHalf-Life ALYXorTWD: Saints & Sinners, this game picks up objects well without any issues.
HITMAN: World of Assasination has released separately on three platforms: Meta Quest 3, PlayStation VR2, and the original PlayStation VR. HITMAN 3 released with PSVR compatibility at launch.
Immersive but not Completely Perfect
It’s easy to get pulled into this universe, so taking off the headset for eye fatigue will be important. These aren’t specific short missions, rather the actual missions in the game that includes the live missions which are released periodically. There are 22 locations in the game to experience including Miami, Dubai, Paris, the Jungle and more. There are Mission Stories that showcase many possibilities within a mission designed to help guide players. This creates smaller objectives, but this may be more of an issue with how convoluted the game has gotten after switching away from HITMAN 3.
HITMAN WOA Part One - VR2 Editionis $39.99, and this is the only portion that has the VR so the rest of the game doesn’t.
The most glaring issue comes from the lack of auto saves, only in VR. It seems the option can be turned on, but it’s off by default. It was recommended by the development team to save the game frequently.This might have something to do with accidental interactions that trigger an enemy conflict and you end up dead. Albeit, this happens in the regular game too, but it’s defeating trying to learn an area, wasting 45 minutes then running into someone by accident or setting something off and having to start over.
From a technical aspect and on paper,HITMAN: WOAon PS VR2 showcases what this platform is capable of. Bringing excellent visuals and detailed controls to an open sandbox game that provides hours of ongoing content makes this game a system seller. This upgrade is only $9.99, but there’s another process behind buying the game.HITMAN WOA Part One - VR2 Editionis $39.99 and this is the only portion that has the VR so the rest of the game doesn’t. You get access to the third person flat-screen version and the VR version, and there’s enough there to offer two different experiences. The learning curve to the game in VR is probably the biggest hurdle, but simply exploring the areas looks beautiful. You’d be hard-pressed to find another title on PS VR2 that offers everything HITMAN does.
