PS Vita Game Reviews
Review Shake Spears! (PlayStation Vita)
Meh-dieval
Free-to-play. Whenever these three words are uttered, it's hard to stifle the shudder that follows when you begin to think about microtransactions, "pay-to-win", and the other deceitful, annoying practices often associated with the whole model. There are the rare few with compelling gameplay and fair microtransactions such as Warframe,...
Review Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition (PlayStation Vita)
Hail to the king, baby
With only a few first-person shooters gracing the PlayStation Vita to date, there's plenty of room on Sony's handheld for anything offering up some half decent blasting. Since the bar hasn't exactly been set particularly high either, there's a perfect chance for classic titles such as Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition to stomp...
Review Fat Princess: Piece of Cake (PlayStation Vita)
Royal fumble
You can't have your cake and eat it with free-to-play. The model's non-existent entry fee tends to pave the way for intrusive money making schemes, and in Fat Princess: Piece of Cake, it actually spoils what could be a mighty fine slice of iced sponge. Similar in concept to GungHo's uber-popular Puzzle & Dragons, this regal spin-off...
Review Joe Danger 2: The Movie (PlayStation Vita)
Joe man's sky
While developer Hello Games has arguably moved on to bigger and better things with No Man's Sky, we suspect that Joe Danger will always remain a part of the Guildford-based outfit's DNA. The original game was a smash hit on the PlayStation 3, prompting the four-man studio's stuntman-like soar to popularity, and its successor, Joe...
Review Joe Danger (PlayStation Vita)
Not so dangerous
Joe Danger was a stunt hero, right up until he bit off more than he could chew and ended up hospitalized. It was a gruelling process, but he's back on his bike, and only you can help him to get back to the top. Expect to spend a huge amount of time flying through the air, making the kind of landings that'll make reproducing all but...
Review Woah Dave! (PlayStation Vita)
Danger Dave
If brevity is the soul of wit, Woah Dave! must be the funniest game we've ever played. This retro-inspired arcade title shows you just about everything it has to offer within 30 minutes of the first time you see its title screen. However, this seemingly simple gameplay belies a deep and incredibly satisfying experience. Our hero – a...
Review Gravity Badgers (PlayStation Vita)
Honey badger don't care
Don't let the incomprehensible combination of words that make up Gravity Badgers' title fool you. Taking more than its share of inspiration from the bird-tossing behemoth that is Angry Birds, does this flick-to-throw clone do enough to stand on its own four paws in a genre that's quite literally overflowing with trash? To...
Review Fantasy Hero: Unsigned Legacy (PlayStation Vita)
Nothing but a fantasy
If there's one thing that the PlayStation Vita seems to be in abundance of, it's JRPGs. Not all of these are great, of course, but some of the more popular ones will keep you occupied for hundreds of hours or more – particularly the sensational Persona 4 Golden. Sadly, time is a rude mistress that waits for no one, so if...
Review Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee HD (PlayStation Vita)
A remastered oddysee
When the Oddworld franchise made the move to 3D, the developer decided that many of the older 2D mechanics needed to come along with it. Saving captured innocents while solving puzzles and farting way more than is funny was still the name of the game, only now there were beautiful, wide environments to explore and a new...
Review Resogun (PlayStation Vita)
Pocket rocket
Housemarque’s cylindrical shooter Resogun is still one of the major highlights in the PlayStation 4’s library. Its simplistic mechanics epitomise the very idea of pick-up-and-play, while its flashy visuals and smooth performance make it something of a showcase for Sony’s next-gen hardware. The title’s oft-requested PlayStation...
Review Don't Die, Mr. Robot! (PlayStation Vita)
Avoid droid
Once upon a time on a PlayStation Vita far, far away lived a fast-paced 2D puzzler named Don’t Die, Mr. Robot!. The little ‘bot looked around at all of the other arcade games on the PlayStation Network and couldn’t help but feel that he was different from the rest. With their polished visuals and flashy lighting effects, his...
Review Tales of Hearts R (PlayStation Vita)
Pacemaker
Tales of Hearts R is an enhanced version of the popular Tales of Hearts on the Nintendo DS. Originally only released in Japan, this title represents the 11th entry in Bandai Namco’s long-running role-playing series – but does it live up to the property’s esteemed standards, and is it the type of title that famished PlayStation Vita...
Review Senran Kagura Bon Appétit! (PlayStation Vita)
Food poisoning
With the Senran Kagura series, developer Marvelous has already served up several saucy dishes – but PlayStation Vita exclusive Senran Kagura Bon Appétit! sprinkles a little extra spice into the bubbling broth. A rhythm game with a culinary twist, this curious cook-‘em-up sees the property’s now infamous buxom ninja babes...
Review LEGO Ninjago: Nindroids (PlayStation Vita)
Portable ninjas to go
The ever growing collection of LEGO video games has become a mammoth in the industry. With over 50 titles to choose from, including both licensed and original properties, fans of the digital bricks have had a vast variety to explore. Showing no signs of slowing down, the latest game in the pantheon has made its way to the...
Review The Muppets Movie Adventures (PlayStation Vita)
Green around the gills
The Muppets has always been a franchise for families, so it’s not exactly surprising to see The Muppets Movie Adventures – a brand new PlayStation Vita exclusive – strive to occupy that exact same space. Sadly, in doing so, this comedic escapade ends up being a little simplistic for its own good – even if youngsters...
Review Freedom Wars (PlayStation Vita)
Grind and punishment
Easily one of the PlayStation Vita's most anticipated titles, Freedom Wars plops you into a dystopian future that's full of typically stylish teens and giant mechanical beasts, and tasks you with whittling down a one million year sentence of service to your not-so-lovely community. For many owners of Sony's portable console, a...
Review Samurai Warriors 4 (PlayStation Vita)
More than a slice
Warriors titles have enjoyed a good run on Sony's underappreciated handheld, with ports of recent releases proving to be decent alternatives to their home console counterparts. At times, portable play suits the hack and slashers better, as you can jump in and out of battle at a moment's notice. The only consistent problem is that...
Review Minecraft: PS Vita Edition (PlayStation Vita)
Brick slayer
So, let’s get the obvious gag out of the way: Microsoft has a better PlayStation Vita lineup than Sony this year. Following the Redmond-based organisation’s somewhat unexpected acquisition of Mojang last month, it was touch and go for all of a few minutes whether Minecraft: PS Vita Edition would ever release at all. Fortunately, it...
Review Don't Starve: Giant Edition (PlayStation Vita)
The mysterious beyond
Our review for roguelike survival title Don't Starve and its Reign of Giants expansion discussed the gaming equivalent of Marmite. With its unforgiving, trial-and-error gameplay, it will either leave you in utter frustration, or hook you like fellow crafting sim MineCraft. But with the title now available on the PlayStation...
Review Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus (PlayStation Vita)
Well rounded
First impressions count for a lot in this fickle industry. Whether it's art style, design choices, or DLC policies, it's surprisingly easy to lose all interest in a game that doesn't initially match up to your personal preferences. For Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus, this is a big problem, as from the word go, you're bombarded by big,...
Review Arcana Heart 3: LOVE MAX!!!!! (PlayStation Vita)
Girl power
When a game title has five exclamation points, there should be no doubt that it will attempt to blow your mind with a furious amount of explosions and wow moments. Arcana Heart 3: LOVE MAX!!!!! is certainly in your face, focusing on large full screen specials that will blind you with brash colours, while still maintaining classic 2D...
Review Frozen Synapse Prime (PlayStation Vita)
Fail to plan, plan to fail
Never has the phrase ‘No plan survives contact with the enemy’ been truer than when playing Frozen Synapse Prime on the PlayStation Vita. This turn-based tactics game has a real talent for throwing a spanner in the works, forcing you to hastily change your combat plans. Taking on the role of a tactician, you’ll...
Review Run Like Hell! (PlayStation Vita)
The running plan
Thanks to frighteningly ubiquitous smartphones, endless runners have become quite literally a dime a dozen. However, rather than attempting to separate itself from this pack, Run Like Hell! embraces its heritage, taking some serious cues from popular titles in the well-worn genre. But does its adherence to tradition see it take out...
Review Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate (PlayStation Vita)
The handheld ultimatum
These days, publisher Koei Tecmo is all but forced to shove its Warriors games onto handheld consoles. With portable devices ruling the Japanese market, it makes perfectly logical sense, and what kind of musou fan would turn down the opportunity to wreck thousands of enemies on a small screen from the comfort of a seat on the...
Review Murasaki Baby (PlayStation Vita)
Balloon fright
Murasaki Baby made this typically composed critic want to toss his figurative toys out of the pram, and that’s never a good sign. Ovosonico’s long in production PlayStation Vita exclusive whisks you away from the hustle and bustle of the real world to a nightmarish fantasy land, where you must guide a wailing infant and her purple...
Review Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited (PlayStation Vita)
On the move, dood!
When someone mentions “hardcore gaming,” your mind probably either springs towards the image of an overweight shut-in with poor hygiene and an obsession with the evils of Call of Duty or, failing that, one of those Korean chaps who inexplicably play Starcraft for six weeks straight. You probably don’t think about a cutesy...
Review Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (PlayStation Vita)
Hello addiction
Anyone who played and enjoyed Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is likely to mention one of its greatest strengths when praising the game: its ability to make you think about and consider the title's events, even when you're not playing. Its narrative structure and cast of interesting personalities meant that you'd end up pondering...
Review Mahjong Gold (PlayStation Vita)
Shiver me tiles
The Mahjong solitaire variant is a popular genre for handheld devices. In fact, it’s ideal for touch screen handhelds due to the nature of the game: bite-size puzzles solvable by matching pairs of symbols. And, indeed, 8 Floor Games' collection of Mahjong titles with their three star challenges, limited special abilities, and...
Review Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed (PlayStation Vita)
Undressed to kill
To describe Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed as a simple action role-playing game would do it a disservice – a bit like describing a vampire as a mere blood gulper. The aforementioned nocturnal beast has gone through several iterations over the years, ranging from fear inducing monsters through to promiscuous teenagers –...
Review Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 (PlayStation Vita)
Queen of Lastation
Irrespective of allegiance, we’ve all witnessed the console wars. From the days when Nintendo and SEGA contested store shelves, all the way to the triple pronged struggle of the current generation, it’s something that, as gamers, we’re all familiar with. This eternal war is at the heart of Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1...
