Hitman 3 VR Reloaded, for all intents and purpose, is an incredibly faithful recreation of Hitman 3: The Reboot Trilogy’s final installment. This standalone version is not faithful to the original experience. The game fails to compromise the experience in a way that I would consider essential. It’s a beloved experience that has seen dedicated players pour hundreds of hours into unique ways of killing, while the recent Freelancer mode further expanded this. It’s a beloved experience that’s seen dedicated players pouring hundreds of hours into unique ways of killing, while the recent Freelancer mode further expanded that.
Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded – The Facts
: A sandbox stealth game that adapts Hitman 3’s original VR Mode for standalone headsets.Platforms
: Release DateQuest 3
: Out nowDeveloper
: XR GamesPrice:
$29.99Unsurprisingly, Hitman 3 VR Reloaded feels unapologetically Hitman. Quest 3’s exclusive version of Hitman 3 VR Reloaded delivers all the levels and story from the third entry in the reboot series. The original flatscreen game received VR support in 2021. However, it’s not just a port of the base game but a faithful recreation of the finale, bringing it 1:1 with the original experience.
For anyone jumping into Hitman 3 VR Reloaded after playing the World of Assassination, everything will feel very familiar. You’ll be asked to “assassinate” a target in the tutorial on a boat, and the last test will require you to launch an actor using an ejector chair. Then, you’re sent to Dubai for your first true mission.
Hitman 3 VR Reloaded screenshot
Fortunately, the original gameplay is great. It’s easy to get into the game with the mission stories, which give you a guide on how to take out your target. The challenges become more manageable as you progress through the levels. Pulling off a clever kill, like leading your target into an accidental death, feels spectacular, and getting the ‘Silent Assassin’ pop up at the end feels rewarding.
Hitman 3 VR Reloaded also feels fun when things inevitably go wrong, quickly snowballing from an effortless kill to a VR Call of Duty as you enter gunfights and chase down your target. It’s not the end, but a very interesting way to finish the assassination. Hitman 3 Reloaded offers a different VR experience than the World of Assassination Mode. Quest 3 allows dual-wielding of items and weapons. Throwing a coin to distract a guard with the fiber wire equipped in your other hand feels natural, and besides a few issues that I’ll get into, makes it difficult to return to my save on the PC VR version of Hitman.
Hitman 3 VR Reloaded screenshot
There are also two slots in your wrists for storing items, which you can quickly change using the inventory interface. There is no chest like in the previous version. You can quickly access your equipment when needed. You can use your hands now to physically climb ladders and poles. Throwing items is a simple button press. Vaulting, too. And reloading weapons… you know the rest. These are just button presses which take you away from the experience and make you feel like you’re not Agent 47.1001010Pair this with disappointing graphics, and you get a game that is underwhelming. When I’m able to immerse myself in the world of Hitman there is always something that takes me away from it. It’s not easy to immerse yourself in the world of Agent 47. Players can select between the smooth camera mode or snap-camera modes. Movements are limited to stick-based artificial locomotion. You can change your movement from fixed to left-hand, head or even fix. Admittedly, the slow pace of the game makes it a fairly comfortable experience from the get-go, but I wish there were options to move via teleportation.
Hitman 3 VR Reloaded screenshot
Speaking of disappointment, it’s a shame that most of the flatscreen version’s post-launch content isn’t here. Reloaded does not include the Freelancer Mode, which offers a roguelike-style experience
that seems made for VR. The previous games’ side missions or levels are not included. There are only the Hitman 3 base levels, and nothing else. So don’t look for Ambrose Island. It’s too similar to the original, which makes it hard for newcomers and fans to both recommend. It’s great that it’s available on a standalone headset, but there are a number of gameplay and visual-related issues which make it difficult to enjoy. Of course, it’s great that it’s available on a standalone headset, but various gameplay and visual-related issues make it difficult to enjoy.Hitman 3 VR Reloaded: Final Verdict
Hitman 3 VR Reloaded is a
very
faithful recreation of the VR mode found in World of Assassination, to the point that it holds back what should’ve been an impressive entry into Quest 3’s growing library of exclusives. The visual issues and flatscreen gameplay assassinate the potential of a fantastic Hitman VR experience.