Hitman: World of Assassination VR PSVR 2 Review. IO Interactive has once again taken on the huge task of bringing their stellar World of Assassination into the World of VR Assassination, with mostly great results – minus a few VR niggles and some content not getting the full treatment, that is.
Hitman: World of Assassination VR – A Killer Time
World of Assassination was the natural progression from Hitman 3 that streamlined the entire collection of Agent 47’s previous missions, with a whole host of new features, along with a host of improvements and free additions such as freelancer mode and the various challenge missions. And they’re almost all playable in this awesome VR mode.
All of these extra goodies and massive amounts of content that came for free courtesy of the fantastic IOI. Making the already brilliant trilogy a must have; has had the full treatment. But this isn’t a lazy VR port. It goes well beyond just a first person perspective. There are a few omissions from the VR treatment that’s a shame however, but the majority is there and It’s been such a good time.
Don’t Look Down
All of the beautiful locales and map designs are fully realized with the power of PSVR 2. Being able to gawk at the stunning vistas as well as the finer details of all the well crafted maps is a treat on the senses. It’s visually impressive in VR. I played it on PS5 Pro and it is enhanced, but I’m not sure how much of a difference there would be on the PS5 (if at all) when it comes to VR.
If anyone has played Hitman VR on PSVR they’ll know the caveats that came with the forced use of the DualShock 4 controller. You didn’t feel as free to be the character of 47 as you could or should have been because of your arm movements being restricted.
Stick ’em Up!
The fantastic Sense controllers largely alleviate this problem. With the introduction of full separate arm movement and a more intuitive inventory and holsters on your body you feel much more like the Silent Assassin this time around, albeit with a few janky issues and hiccups, largely down to tracking and the usual suspects of VR’s sometimes finicky approach.
One thing I would say is definitely make sure you do the tutorial. One of the issues for me was I don’t believe the controls are as intuitive as they could have been. As a result other games I’ve played have been quicker to get to grips with, although this may not be an issue for other players.
D’OH!
Occasionally the arms looked a bit strangely positioned and I sometimes found myself dropping items by accident as the touch sensors on the controllers felt a bit overly sensitive to me as opposed to other games I’ve played.
It did lead to equal parts frustration and hilarity hiding in a bush only to accidentally drop a penny at your feet leading the guard, that you had a perfect distraction plan for, directly to you.
Wash Away Your Sins
There were certain design choices that felt a bit strange at times. You can interact in brand new ways with added features like washing blood off your hands. But when it came to blending in it opts for an out of body 3rd person prompt until you move away.
It would have been cooler if there was a little interaction mini game at the blending in areas where you could interact with items around you to blend in physically. It stood out to me more because of the extra effort put in elsewhere, such as the weapons.
As with most VR games, the shooting is what people like to do. Which is why IOI have excelled here. This VR effort lends itself brilliantly to the game. All the guns have been given their own reload and cocking mechanics and animations to boot.
Lock and Load
A lot of extra love has been given here. Enhanced further by the fact that the gunplay is so tight too. I had a ton of fun with snipers in particular. Every gun was satisfying to use, which was also why the blending in looked a like a bit of an oversight to me.
And no, it isn’t lost on me that people are more interested in shooting and looking at guns than pretending to be a bartender. But that doesn’t sound too bad in VR if you could.
The weapons also have another awesome feature for VR: The ability to dual wield. This VR exclusive feature adds an extra layer of creativity and hilarity when it comes to taking out your targets. It was an hilariously good time experimenting with it in the giant gunfights I occasionally found my self in.
Twosome Time
VR I felt would have enhanced modes like freelancer too. It wasn’t something I was too interested in initially so being able to explore the finer details of my safe house and decorate would feel more meaningful to me when I was thrust right into the environment. It’s a shame then that this didn’t get the full treatment.
However, one of my initial worries going in was that it would feel tacked on; like it would kind of work but a lot of things wouldn’t translate as well in VR. It has well and truly proved me wrong here. IOI have covered almost all bases here, enough so that my complaints are positively niggles in retrospect.
I do hope IOInteractive makes it a tradition giving their games a fully fledged VR option. Hitman lends itself so well perfectly and I’m certain the James Bond game in the pipeline could have a great VR version too. And who doesn’t wanna be Bond in VR?
Pick Your Poison
Hitman: WOA is an essential experience for both newcomers and longtime fans. With all three games in the series bestowing an expansive set of missions and treasure trove of content; these new VR mechanics can, at times, elevate the experience—bringing fresh immersion and creativity to every contract.
This isn’t just a novel way to replay the game; it’s a transformative way that makes Hitman feel more alive than ever. A must-play for anyone looking to step into the shoes of Agent 47 like never before. Feel free to check out our reviews of games 1-3 for a more in depth analysis of each game!
Review code kindly provided by publisher.
Hitman: World of Assassination is now available for PSVR 2.