I've given some games a neutral to distinguish the truly great games from the rest of the pack. Keep in mind that I'm the kind of person who makes tons of research and make sure to get the games that I like only. Thus the list is unsuprisingly positive. I've had tons of fun on all of these games in different ways, it's difficult for me to pick one over the other at the moment. It would help to read what is being written instead of focusing on the scores
Retail Games
- Uncharted: Golden Abyss +-
Prior games played: Uncharted 1 and the beginning of Uncharted 2.
This would be the first Vita game I had the pleasure to play. Its beginning was rather iffy, the chapters felt generic and not too impressive besides being a technial showcase. However the game picked up greatly, the chapters kept getting better and the game felt pretty varied. It had a great sense of being a treasure hunter, it felt varied and an overall solid title to show what the Vita is all about.
The game has its fair share of flaws though, the game touch screen segments weren't all succesful and the game's aiming need a bit of getting used to. Nontheless it's a fine Uncharted game, I thought it was definitely more fun than Uncharted 1 as far as gameplay and variety goes.
Prior games played: A fair bit of Everybody's Golf 1 on the PSP and the demo of its sequel.
Even though I've played the first PSP game a fair bit, it has been such a long time that it feels like this is my first entry to the series. Also I played the first game as a casual without trying to learn its rules or mechanics. This EG feels like it's better at introducing its rules to new players but it's more hardcore and punishing. The game starts out easy enough but it ramps up rather quickly.
I don't really have any flaws to point out, the game is pretty good to look at, the gameplay is fun and solid and it's just very addictive. It has tons of replay value for those that like to collect a lot. It's definitely worth a try if you enjoy golf games and don't mind some challenge to get to the rewarding part.
This is the kind of game that is going to receive a lot of hate purely for being a mini-games collection with non-traditional controls. For those that don't mind those qualities, they'll find a fun game with some favourite mini-games and not as favourite ones.
The game is gorgeous to look at as it's 60fps, on a native resolution with vibrant colours. There is enough content there if you enjoy collecting moggers (cats) and obtaining gold scores. It's a very highscore type of game too where you can compete with scores of other players and challenge your friends. I feel like the game was received harshly and it deserves more love for people open to these kind of games, it's certainly better and more gamey than a lot of mini-games collections I've played. They tend to be more deep and have more content than what you'd expect of its kind.
Prior games played: None.
This is one that's going to show a lot of similarities to Tenchu games both in feel and mechanics. This isn't the kind of game that is going to compete with the best looking vita games. Consider it a PS2 game with high resolution (it's native on the Vita). Not only when it comes to the graphics but also physics and how stupid the AI can be and you get the idea. It feels like this game looks better than those PS2 ones and it has progressed in comparison. When it comes to style, I like the designs of the enemies, characters and minor details such as moving fish in the water, lightning and flags with marks. I'm content enough with the way the game looks.
That aside the game is TONS of fun. It's Tenchu but with some light RPG elements such as level up, buying items and making them in the alchemy system. The alchemy system is very deep and addictive. You have different pots where you put items there with values, the higher the value the stronger the item you'll get out of it. For instance if you produce Elixer 50, you'll recover 50 of your health. You can boil your pot or dilute it for different effects. Like increasing the quantity but decreasing the values and vice versa. There are also scrolls that help you make special items such as sushi. The combat is servicable and fun too. The game has that open world feel to it where you can make choices, serve different warlords and see different endings. For that the game has high replay value and it has new game plus that carries everything and I mean EVERYTHING over.
For tenchu fans, you're ought to get it no question asked. For dudebro fans and graphic whores, don't think about it. For the people in between, make research and decide for yourself. You have to know what you're getting yourself into.
Prior games played: WipEout HD, a fair bit of WipEout Pure, a fair bit of WipEout 1 and played a demo of WipEout Pulse.
This game is a strong one. It doesn't feel dumped down in comparison to WipEout HD as it looks gorgeous and has a more current setting to it instead of too modern. The game has everything what you'd expect out of WipEout, only it's more accessible and easy to get into. A lot of the very challenging tracks have been made optional rather than mandatory, there is now elite and normal pass instead of gold, silver and bronze, and the game has somewhat wider tracks. Also weapons have been divided to defensive and offensive pods instead of just one pod. This is a good idea as it helps you be more specific with the weapons you need depending on the situation. The game still feels challenging and maybe even more so if you play the optional A+ tracks. The control lay-out has been changed for a bit but you can change it back to what you're used to. I didn't mind it and kept at that.
The game has three seasons you go through, each season getting a bit more challenging. The speed rank is simply named C, B and A this time. The grid world works very well with the touch screen, it's very addictive how you're following a skill tree and wanting to see which challenges you're going to unlock. The new tracks look very beautiful and there are already favourites out of them.
There is one real flaw with the game, and that's its loading time. They're fairly long and they were longer before the game got patched. You'll still get used to it though. More minor nitpicking would be the soundtrack, I really enjoyed it but I hoped there would be more selection. It felt like there aren't many and I listened to all of them a lot. And one last VERY minor niticking, the game is not 60 fps. It doesn't feel as fast as some of the WipEout games I've played but it still runs very smoothly and it's not much of a deal to the gameplay.
It's a great racing game that is worth playing, people who never played WipEout and want to know what all the fuss is about might want to start here.
Aaaah...Gravity Rush...the game that would sell systems and save the vita. I don't think it's fair for the game and not entirely sure if it's as universal as that. The game starts with a very unique scene where you're looking at a tree with an apple, you touch the apple and then it falls underneath, neverending until it reaches another ground?! Suddenly you wake up as Kat with an amnesia, it's not as cliché as it sounds as Kat is not your typical game babe. She has a character, she acts natural, she can sound rude and yet honest and more. The game has very interesting characters, lore and world. The dialogue is thankfully very good and portrays this good enough. In fact the lore is so interesting that it wasn't enough to cover in one game. You'll find out if you get to play it.
The game is all about you controlling Kat in unique ways, her special powers to be precise. The ability to use gravity and stand in all edges and different directions. Gravity powers are also used in combat. The way you use gravity to travel is very well implemented, it feels like you're flying and you just want to use it all the time instead of walking the normal way. Speaking of walking, the game has many proper towns. They're absolutely gorgeous to look at, they're distinct and have a lot of detail to them. You can speak to some townsfolk but you can't do that with all of them. That's understandable since that could get overwhelming quickly. You can do around 20 optional missions, search for couples 16 times and find as many crystals as possible. Thus the game is full on exploration and discovery without it getting overwhelming with things to collect or do. For many people, they were hoping to do more things in town, I enjoy it just the way it is.
Now the combat...that's a different matter entirely. You can also stay in the air and attack with a gravity kick but you'll also be fighting on ground. There is the normal kick with combo's, there is dodging, throwing items, sliding and three special gravity moves. That might sound limited and to a certain extend it is a little, but it's made varied by the monster variety and being put in situations. Here's where the flaws start to creep, gravity kick is sometimes necessary, you'll be using it often. Aiming doesn't work as great, you'll be missing enemies in the air and it's not as easy to adjust quickly. The fights feel clunky and not as smooth. Also there could have been more variety with the monsters, they start getting repetitive by the end of the game.
The graphics look very unique and pretty, it's very impressive to see those towns. The game has a very unique and has an appealing style, its music is great for your ears. It's nice that you can improve your skills with a level up kind of system thanks to the crystals you collect from challenges and exploring.
In the end, this is a very good game as a first entry. Its flaws are not just mere flaws, they can distract from the game and to some people they might be unbearable. However if you're one of those people that want to play special games and cherish it for that, you know the kind of games that show similarities to Ico and Rez for instance, then you need to play this game. It might not be as polished as those games, but it delivers that something unique and different. I'm hoping a sequel comes and expands on this game.
- Lumines Electronic Symphony +
Prior games played: demo of the first one.
Prior games played: A demo of Virtua Tennis 3 on the PS3.
Prior games played: Little Big Planet 1 and a demo of part 2.
PSN Games
Prior games played: A fair bit of the first Motorstorm and demos played of Motorstorm 2 and 3.
Prior games played: None.
Prior games played: Super Stardust HD.
Free Games
- Treasures of Montezuma Blitz +
Playstation Mobile Games
Prior games played: A little bit of the PS3 version.
I'll continue with the list later to give it the proper attention. Notice that I've completed all these games, at least the ones that you can technically complete with an ending and credits.
but the updates are excellent...I personally do like links to each review..but it will be hard work if people aren't writing in-depth reviews..