SuperHot VR (2016)

The same as with The Lab, I feel that this is a really good expresión of what VR can and cannot do.

Superhot in VR is fantastically immersive in the freedom it gives the player. You can duck, slide nad move your body/character in ways that are not possible with tradicional controls. Once cool feature is the abity of double-wield weapons. Grab to Uzis, take your time aiming with each one and press both triggers for a satisfying double kill. When it works, it really really works.

But you also cannot jump, or move around the level. This takes away a lot of what superhot did so well. In the original game each level was almost like a puzzle that you could solve however you wanted. Kill enemies in almost any order, run around and surprise enemies from behind, jump on top of them and slice them with a katana. In VR, you're limited to a single small space per short segment without being able to move around. This makes it a much more passive and restrictive affair. Instead of actively using the environment in your favour, you just stand there, almost glued to the spot while enemies move around you. Each section has less variety since you can only use the specific set of tool/weapons in the vicinity.

Still, it's a great experience and super fun to play.

So me and my girlfriend finally decided to cave and buy an Oculus Quest 2. She mainly for beat saber. I haven't had too much interest in VR, but the one thing I knew I wanted to play if I ever got the chance was Superhot VR, because I love the other two non-VR Superhot games.

What a fantastic experience. This is what VR is meant for, imo. The aesthetic, the simplicity of the gameplay which is easy to pick up but hard to master, the control you have, the satisfaction of shattering these red assholes like a porcelain vase. Similar to the first Superhot, literally my only complaint is how short it is for how expensive it is, and how abrupt and anticlimactic the ending is. I beat the campaign in less than two hours and was literally in a state of disbelief that it was already over.

They give you some endless modes and speedrun and challenge modes afterwards, which is cool, and I'll probably dive into some of them just because the game is so fun and I want an excuse to keep playing it, but it's really not a substitute for more content. If this game was six-ish hours long like Superhot: MIND CONTROL DELETE it would've gotten five stars from me.

Oh my god, what a surreal experience. This is coming from who's never played any of the original SUPERHOTs, but this is just one of my favorite VR games that I own. You feel like a badass just beating these guys and you can do some of the sickest shit you'll probably ever do in life.

I think there are flaws, but that has to do with my gripes with VR games as a whole. It's very awkward to move your hands around and the time mechanic doesn't help with that at all. Throwing stuff is so dope, but trying to aim it is like properly throwing a rock that's been dunked in lava the distance of a football field, it's very hard.

If you have any VR headset, go pick this up. It has a very cool aesthetic, with very fun levels where you can shoot, punch, and stab red people who shatter apart. I'm actually kind of worried about the regular SUPERHOT now though. I think VR is the best fit for this, and I'm not sure if that's gonna work.

8.3/10. A must-buy VR game for any platform it's on.

The original Superhot had fun and challenging gameplay with a novel core mechanic, a bold and unique look, and an interesting story setup. The sum of those parts was an occasionally frustrating but memorable experience. Superhot VR is in many ways more of the same, and as such there is a limit to my possible enjoyment, but let's see how this entry turned out.

Pros

• VR escalates this game way beyond what I expected. I found myself flinching constantly, sweating as I dodged under or even between spraying bullets. Physically grabbing guns midair, turning around in real space to punch a guy in the face, it all surpasses any feeling the original could hope to evoke. Going from "press this button to be in cover" to, you know... being in cover... is a tremendous upgrade.
• Like the original, this game's minimalist design with bold colors helps get a quick read on the situation. It's especially welcome here as it makes the overwhelming nature of VR a lot easier to get a grip on.

Minor suggestions for improvements

• Replaying prior segments when you die can be fun as you perfect and experiment with them, but like the original game, when harder segments pop up, this just becomes frustrating. A single "second wind" / retry per each set of levels would balance it out
• "Time moves when you move" is a cool idea, but often I ended up just waving my hand in a circle awkwardly to move the level along - just add a fast-forward button
• Throwing objects is too awkward and inconsistent feeling to be this big of a part of the game - the game already takes liberties with reality, so this seems like a good place for a small bit of AI aim correction to help overcome technical limitations to make this mechanic feel more natural

As the third Superhot game I've played after the original and the fun Mind Control Delete spinoff, I have definitely gotten my fill of the core concept of this game, but Superhot VR is by far the most exciting iteration.