Feature: Eight Exciting Indie Titles to Anticipate on PS3, Vita, and PS4

Sony is doubling down on indie game development. While the platform holder has no intention of shunning the multi-million dollar blockbusters that sit atop the sales charts every year, the company is eager to bring some diversity to its software catalogue. As such, the firm has partnered with a number of svelter studios in order to secure a roster of smaller smash hits that would make even Steam shudder. In order to celebrate, we’ve compiled a list of eight of the more exciting titles extending to the PlayStation 3, Vita, and PlayStation 4 over the coming months.

Divekick (PS3, Vita)

Borne out of a joke between buddies, Divekick takes the very essence of the fighting genre and boils it down to a tense two-button affair. With your only abilities comprising the titular dive and kick, you must hone your skills in order to fight off a series of stereotypical foes in a first-to-five format. Outsmarting your opponents and mastering the Kick Meter will prove essential to victory in the cross-buy release – just be sure to avoid getting thumped on the noggin, as a temporary dalliance with concussion will slow your character down.

Hotline Miami (PS3, Vita)

Dressed in neon and kitted out with racquets and assault rifles, Hotline Miami takes a dark detour through the eighties, putting a bullet in the bouffant bonce of George Michael in the process. Armed with a synth-laden soundtrack and a scanline-riddled art style, the cross-buy title puts you inside the padded jacket of a murderous antihero who’s tasked with taking down the shady underworld at the behest of the messages on his answer machine. We suspect that the protagonist could have avoided the bloodshed by returning the faulty peripheral to Dixons, but that probably wouldn’t have made for a very exciting game.

Ibb and Obb (PS3)

A topsy-turvy co-operative platformer in which you must use opposing gravitational forces in order to navigate a series of increasingly puzzling environments, Ibb and Obb is the product of Dutch outfit Sparpweed. Set in a surreal fantasy world that promises a dark twist or two, you’ll need to employ plenty of communication in order to bundle your way through the title’s numerous stages. The release features audio by melancholy musician Kettel, augmenting a moody feel to the otherwise uplifting two-player adventure.

Men’s Room Mayhem (Vita)

Based upon the unwritten rules of the bathroom, Men’s Room Mayhem hopes to split your sides by prompting you to guide growing waves of cross-legged patrons to open cubicles in the nick of time. Developed by a selection of former Studio Liverpool veterans, the Flight Control-inspired arcade adventure sees you awarded with additional points for observing the laws of the lavatory and ensuring that standards of personal hygiene are always maintained. A baffling concept, but one that we’re personally pleased wasn’t flushed away by the powers to be.

Metrico (Vita)

Inspired by the always interesting art direction of infographics, Digital Dreams’ slightly surreal Pub Fund financed Vita puzzle platformer Metrico promises an atmospheric romp through a pseudo seventies scientific television show. Playing as an Echochrome-esque silhouette, you’ll need to navigate your way through pie charts, bar graphs, and other data extrapolations. The title’s previous prototype snatched a design award in 2012, so expect this to make its parent portable’s OLED screen gleam.

Primal Carnage: Genesis (PS4)

An episodic adventure built using Unreal Engine 4 for Sony’s next generation console, Primal Carnage: Genesis endeavours to take you on a romp through the dangerous world of dinosaurs. Loosely based upon an asymmetrical PC shooter, the launch title from Lukewarm Media aims to shed its competitive origins in favour of a more immersive first-person experience. The title will be deployed in instalments, with each release offering a fusion of linear gameplay and open world exploration. Oh, and there will be prehistoric creatures, too.

The Witness (PS4)

The next title from Braid visionary Jonathan Blow – and arguably the most prominent feather in the platform holder’s indie plume – The Witness aims to deliver an open world puzzler akin to PSone classic Myst. The title will find you wandering a secluded island solving conundrums, in an experience that the title’s somewhat pretentious creator pitches as an interactive epiphany. The game’s been in development ever since the completion of Braid, and will arrive on the PS4 ahead of any other console. Despite its status as an indie game, it will supposedly boast over 25 hours of content.

Velocity Ultra (Vita)

A full remake of last year’s PlayStation Minis smash hit, Velocity Ultra is the first native Vita release from award-winning upstart FuturLab. Featuring a rebooted art style, online leaderboards, and more spit and polish than a camel-powered car wash, the title looks set to further fuel the Brighton-based developer’s surge to the summit of the PlayStation elite. We’re secretly hoping that the superfluous Minesweeper mini-game makes a comeback, too.

There are dozens more indie games set to arrive on the various PlayStation platforms over the coming weeks, so what are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments section and poll below.