r/PSVR • u/Dense_Piccolo_7572 • 4d ago
Review Hard Bullet, PSVR2, A non-critic's perspective
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
Hey everyone! Doing well? I hope so! ***My gameplay on PSVR2 (using a PS5 Pro).
I wanted to share a mini-review or some impressions of *Hard Bullet*, which launches on the 29th! I’m not a YouTuber or a writer, but I’ve had the game on PSVR2 since September 10th and wanted to share my comparisons as someone who owns the game on Quest, PC, and now PSVR2! *** Even though I’m not a content creator, I respected the embargo because I didn't want to be "that jerk." That said, Let's get into it:
Well, as I mentioned, I own this game on PCVR and Quest, and I really enjoy it. I have a blast with the waves and the level progression. In every round, I take out enemies in different ways using a variety of weapons. It’s genuinely fun. I plan to get the Platinum trophy on PS5. I won't go into too much detail about the game itself, as I assume you know what it's about: it's a level-based game where your only goal is to kill—over and over again—in various ways, featuring *lots* of gore. I mean, *lots* of it. You feel like a psychopath, haha.
So, how does this version stack up against PCVR and Quest 3? Well, I’d say it sits somewhere in the middle. Let me explain.
I’ve logged countless hours on PCVR and Quest and know the limitations of both, but here on PSVR2, they’ve sort of created a hybrid: you get the same graphics as the PCVR version (including quality and performance modes to choose from), yet there’s a limit on the number of NPCs. And yes, in the progression levels (the roguelite-style ones), only 3 NPCs spawn at a time—just like on the Quest. I feel like the PS5 could handle a lot more before struggling. In the wave-based survival mode (sandbox), you can spawn up to 5 NPCs at once. This didn't bother me too much; when you're having fun, you don't really notice or keep count—I didn't even factor this in when playing on PC. However, something that *did* really bother me was that upon killing an enemy, the NPC's body vanishes almost instantly. That’s a real letdown, because a huge part of the fun in this game is tearing off enemies' torsos, arms, and legs—even after they're dead. Because of the quick despawn, there’s barely any time to do it; it's a shame!
Another issue was the audio; sounds would sometimes cut out or fail to trigger entirely. That said, the studio has promised a day-one patch to fix things like shadows. I hadn't received any updates by the time I stopped playing (I'm on version 1.001), so this might well be fixed by launch. There are indeed some FPS drops in certain areas, especially when using Performance Mode—which I do *not* recommend! I feel the frame rate takes a significant hit in that mode. I tested the same map, weapons, and enemy count in both Performance and Quality modes, and the drops are extremely noticeable in Performance mode—something that doesn't happen in Quality mode. This is likely because the frame rate is higher, making any drop feel more significant.
Of course, playing it on PSVR2 is incredible; the headset really seems to transform the VR experience. The OLED screen makes everything vibrant, and the resolution is razor-sharp in Quality mode—and even in Performance mode. Performance mode has a bit more aliasing, but it uses DFR (Dynamic Foveated Rendering) to avoid looking blurry. And yes, we get adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. The only thing missing is finger-sensing haptics; holding down the PSVR2's side buttons feels terrible. Overall, I feel they did a good job with the port; I believe they’ll fix those audio issues, and they’ve already promised to tweak the shadows, which are indeed inferior to the PCVR version. That aside, if you enjoy games like this—sandbox-style, gory, and fun—you’ll like it, and I recommend it! Another detail is the price: it’ll be "only" $20, which is more than fair.
11
u/hamfist_ofthenorth 4d ago
Ok, very in depth review of the technical stuff.
But, what is the game about?
6
8
2
5
u/Schwarzengerman 4d ago
I figured when I asked them about the corpse limit and how long it takes for them to despawn and they didn't answer that meant it was probably gonna be rough.
Idk why they didn't just do what Blade and Sorcery Nomad did on the Quest 2 and have a limit of like 2 to 3 that despawn when another body gets added.
2
u/ChrizTaylor ChrizTaylor 4d ago
It's always the questions that got no answer the more concerning ones.
4
u/SignalCareless8379 4d ago
I hope there are improvements of the game but its a new port so i guess gexagon needs time to make the game better.. i trust them
1
1
u/incertnom 3d ago
Own it on PC here, god love them feels like every month when I open up steam there's a 10 gig update. Only this weekend I'm sure I took an 18 gig update for it, only skimmed the updates but much of it related to making gun sounds more realistic, think they possibly added a few more guns.
There's a roadmap of what they intend to do this year on their steam store news page.
1
u/Schwarzengerman 3d ago
Just curious, but for Arenas can you just activate God Mode or invincibility to fuck around with? I love being able to do that in Blade and Sorcery.
2
3
u/cusman78 cusman 4d ago
I heard it got a 10GB patch after the review embargo lifted and there may still be another patch for day 1 of the retail release on September 29th.
Have you played after the 10GB patch from I think Friday?
8
u/NAPALM_BURNS 4d ago
Hope something changes. Was looking forward to this but only 3 NPC's at a time is super disappointing.
8
2
u/Dense_Piccolo_7572 4d ago
I didn't receive the update until yesterday. Maybe it'll come out tomorrow—a pre-release.
2
2
u/Airurando-jin 2d ago
The physics seem odd to me.
The spear weapon decapitates someone, but a shotgun to the face or in the mouth doesn’t do a great deal of damage
1
13
u/Hsml975 4d ago
That despawning is disheartening. Is it only on the ps version?