Review: Hitman PSVR2 Is the Fix I Didn’t Know I Needed

So, I recently played the Hitman franchise for the first time. Yeah, I know, super late to the party. What finally got me in? The new PSVR2 upgrade!

I was skeptical at first, figured it’d be another generic stealth game. Turns out, it’s an absolute masterpiece! And honestly? VR mode is probably doing a ton of heavy lifting here. I don’t think it would’ve hit nearly as hard on a regular flat screen. As it stands? Easily my Game of the Year for me.

Hitman: World of Assassination includes all three games: Hitman 1, 2, and 3. There are a bunch of extra DLC missions too, but I’m probably gonna skip those unless they get VR support.

What makes it so incredible? The locations. Each mission drops you into these elaborate, almost touristy spots that feel alive and packed with atmosphere. Every map is massive, and it feels like every corner has its own story. Honestly, it feels like traveling, like actually going places, and in real life, that kind of trip would probably cost me close to $100,000 USD.

Top 3 Places

Here are the top 3 locations that really stood out to me:

Sapienza, Italy
A vibrant coastal town with a charming town square. I was genuinely tempted to explore every little shop tucked into the winding streets. Walking along the beach under a bright blue sky was surprisingly relaxing. It felt like a vacation; turns out, that’s exactly what I needed.

Hokkaido, Japan
One of the most unique and memorable levels in Hitman 1. It’s the final mission of the main campaign and offers a major shift in tone. You’re surrounded by peaceful snowy landscapes, with stunning mountain views, Zen gardens, heated walkways, and saunas. The steam on the glass walls felt weirdly real, super immersive.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
A breathtaking skyscraper above the clouds; easily my number one so far. It gave off serious Final Fantasy vibes. The luxury interior was next-level, with gold leaf, marble floors, fountains, and this rich Arabian-inspired design. You really have to experience it in VR to get the full effect. My jaw was on the floor the whole time!

Thrilling Gameplay

Now, while the environments are super immersive, the NPCs are where the illusion cracks a bit. They’re solid, but none of them really look or act like real people. It’s a good reminder that you’re still in a game, not in the Matrix (yet).

That said, the AI is surprisingly sharp, and the gameplay is insanely fun with tons of replay value. I’m loving every second of each mission. There are probably like 500 NPCs in some missions, so stealth and strategies really matters. The game doesn’t push you toward needless violence either; your main goal is just to eliminate two specific targets, and they’re all total scumbags who kind of have it coming. If you take out anyone else, you lose points.

But it’s not preachy about it, either. If you feel like going full chaos and wiping out the whole map, the game lets you. And honestly, on a few missions, I did just that, because hey, it’s a game, and sometimes mayhem is part of the fun.

Hitman vs Metal Gear

It reminds me a lot of Metal Gear, maybe even better in so many ways. I went back to MGSV: Phantom Pain last winter and man, dealing with the camera was painful after getting used to VR. So many walls blocking the view, like 70% of the screen was just… stuff. In Hitman VR mode? Zero obstruction. Your head is the camera, which makes stealth way more intuitive and immersive.

Fingers crossed Konami makes VR ports of Metal Gear, and hopefully Kojima gives some thought to bringing Death Stranding to VR as well.

One area where Metal Gear still wins is story. Hitman is pretty barebones in that department; minimal cutscenes, not much narrative depth. I don’t mind, though. These days, we’re drowning in TV shows with intricate plots on tons of streaming services. Back in the early 2000s, games were our best shot at long, detailed stories. Now, I’m okay if a game just lets me play. That said, I do still appreciate a good cinematic experience now and then. Final Fantasy 16 was a great reminder of that. But devs should always make sure cutscenes are well-integrated and skippable, especially in VR where too much sitting around can get exhausting fast.

Speaking of VR fatigue—puzzle games in VR? Not a fan. Static scenes in a headset just feel so damn claustrophobic. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t handle games like The 7th Guest. Maybe future headsets will fix that, but for now, I prefer games that keep me moving. Like Hitman!

I thought I needed new releases like Resident Evil 9 or Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners 3 to feel satisfied with my PSVR2 headset, but Hitman turned out to be the perfect VR fix. I was honestly out of new stuff to play, just looping through old VR titles for the past two years. Nothing new was really hitting. Then Hitman dropped unexpectedly into my life, and now I’ve got three full games to devour again and again for the next months to come. Pure bliss.

Score

Solid 10/10, no question.

This game deserves to be bundled with the next PSVR2 kit — it could really help bring VR back in a big way.

I also wrote: Why I Can’t Go Back to Flat Games After PSVR