PS Vita Game Reviews
Review Destiny of Spirits (PlayStation Vita)
God complex
The free-to-play sector is packed to the brim with straightforward match three puzzle titles, but Sony’s first foray into the microtransaction laden market is anything but accessible. While popular products such as Candy Crush Saga and Temple Run 2 rely on easy to communicate gameplay systems, it’ll take you at least a couple of...
Review Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f (PlayStation Vita)
Square, square, swipe, swipe, meow
Most music games sell based on the popularity of the licensed songs in their roster and gimmicky plastic peripherals. But what about a title where the majority of the gaming marketplace may not even recognise the songs, let alone understand the lyrics? Enter Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f – a rather unique...
Review Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster (PlayStation Vita)
Love is eternal
After playing Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster, it's hard to believe that both games are now over ten years old. Back on the PlayStation 2, Final Fantasy X was something of a revolution not just for Square Enix's popular series, but for Japanese RPGs in general. It was filled with voice acting, paved a route for more linear gameplay...
Review Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition (PlayStation Vita)
Han-held
Sporting a name that's almost as ridiculous as its core gameplay, Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition consists of both Dynasty Warriors 8, which released on the PlayStation 3 last summer, and the Xtreme Legends expansion, which can also be purchased separately as a standalone title on Sony's ageing console. The latter...
Review Deception IV: Blood Ties (PlayStation Vita)
Showing some skin
Did you ever watch Home Alone and ask yourself whether it’d be more entertaining with giant, bloody traps and massive buildings? Deception IV: Blood Ties is just like that, only instead of the main character being a lucky little albino kid whose parents hate him, you play as Satan’s daughter, a young woman who has a horrible...
Review Gunslugs (PlayStation Vita)
Bang, bang, bang for your buck
Gunslugs offers the promptest path to a dose of explosive Rambo-esque action on the PlayStation Store. When you first boot up this 2D side-scrolling shooter, you’ll be greeted to an electrifying arcade song and the image of an 8-bit inspired military agent decked out in a facemask. A dead ringer for famous cartoon...
Review Toukiden: The Age of Demons (PlayStation Vita)
SlayStation Portable
Toukiden: The Age of Demons tells the tale of a world engulfed in war between rampaging demonic hordes – known as Oni – and humanity's last hope of survival: Slayers. This overarching narrative paves the way for gameplay that's undoubtedly similar to Capcom's popular Monster Hunter franchise – but with the addition of a...
Review Dustforce (PlayStation Vita)
Deep clean
Have you ever wondered why there’s not a game about dusting? Ponder no more, because developer Hitbox – with the aid of publisher Capcom – has released Dustforce, a platformer built around the idea of everyone’s least favourite household chore. While the premise isn’t full-on Freddie Mercury in that one Queen video, this slick...
Review Ys: Memories of Celceta (PlayStation Vita)
Never forget
The Ys series has a peculiar past consisting of large gaps between sequels, a slew of different developers creating non-canon side projects, and an overall lack of localisation in Europe and North America. However, despite all of this turmoil, its refined mechanics and generally dependable quality has earned it a loyal following all...
Trippin’ balls tremendously
You could look at TxK and pass it off as a simple indie game that harks back to the arcade shooter days of old. However, dismissing it as such would not account for the history and significance behind it. Jeff Minter, the game’s creator, has been in the industry since 1982, and is arguably best known for his 1994...
Review Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (PlayStation Vita)
Addicted to despair
Hope's Peak Academy: a social melting pot for Japan's best students, and home to a horrific killing game that provides teenagers with the motives for murder. This is Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, a title that's part visual novel, part point-and-click adventure, and part courtroom craziness. But is this sinister scenario worth...
Review Surge Deluxe (PlayStation Vita)
Index addiction
There’s something deadly about the combination of addictive gameplay and online leaderboards. It’s something that we sampled in Rock Band, where grown men would blast out Hannah Montana songs in the hopes of nailing those few extra notes. Surge Deluxe is equally moreish, without ever serving as a gateway to twerking. As such, if...
Review Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse - Episode 1 (PlayStation Vita)
Not broken, just bent
Kickstarter has been the proud parent to many creations over the past few years, the latest of which is the fifth instalment in the legendary point-and-click adventure franchise, Broken Sword. Split into two parts for some bewildering reason – with the second episode due out in the first quarter of this year – Broken Sword...
Review Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z (PlayStation Vita)
It's under 9000
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z is a strange beast. It sports some gorgeous looking locations, catchy tunes, and Akira Toriyama's fantastic art style, but those who were expecting a somewhat traditional fighting game in the same vein as the Budokai series or even the Tenkaichi series will be left rather surprised with this team-based...
Review Mahjong World Contest (PlayStation Vita)
Top tiles
Mahjong World Contest is a mahjong solitaire variant with two twists: there’s a three star rating based on objectives, and clearing the board isn’t necessarily your overall goal. These tweaks augment a degree of tactical thinking to a rule set that arguably lacks the original Chinese game’s strategy – and it’s better for it,...
Review BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2 - Future Legend of Rhythm Alien (PlayStation Vita)
Marathon man
Commander Video must be the envy of every eight-bit gym attendee. The intrepid athlete at the heart of – wait for it – BIT.TRIP Presents: Runner 2 – Future Legend of Rhythm Alien never seems to tire of jogging from left-to-right, making our Wendy’s weighted legs shudder at thought of such strenuous exercise. Still, with the...
Review OlliOlli (PlayStation Vita)
Cool boarder
Once at the apex of industry excitement, the extreme sports genre’s popularity has faded faster than the artwork on an abused skateboard. Now a pastime for Hanson imitating teenage misfits, the days of earnestly discussing kickflips over a curry in the office canteen have long faded. British indie Roll7’s hoping to turn back the...
Review Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God (PlayStation Vita)
Keep calm and curry on
What would you do if a big chain curry restaurant opened up in town threatening to take over your family owned curry business? You’d pursue the legendary magical curry recipe, of course – which is exactly what protagonist Pupuru and her fuzzy sidekick Kuu get up to in Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God. In order to...
Review King Oddball Ends the World (PlayStation Vita)
Rock royalty
After an extended royal tour of pretty much every mobile platform on the planet, King Oddball Ends the World has rolled onto the PlayStation Vita. Offering projectile flinging fun in the vein of Angry Birds, this puzzle game looks to usurp the throne from the long time ruler and avoid being thrown into the dungeons for treason. With a...
Review Terraria (PlayStation Vita)
Landheld gaming
Back when Terraria launched on the PlayStation 3, we praised its diverse collection of content and its overall depth, but felt that the title's awkward user interface and time consuming gameplay held it back from greatness in our review. On Sony's handheld, however, the game makes use of the system's touch screen – but is the new...
Review The Amazing Spider-Man (PlayStation Vita)
Not-so-amazing
Cast your minds back to 2012. You may remember seeing The Amazing Spider-Man reboot at the movies, and you may even recall playing Beenox’s anticipated PlayStation 3 tie-in on your beloved console – but you probably won’t remember booting it up on your PlayStation Vita. That’s because someone at publisher Activision forgot...
Review Indoor Sports World (PlayStation Vita)
Six pack
There isn’t a platform on the planet without some form of pub pastime compilation. Simulating the excitement of otherwise social sports such as snooker, pool, and darts has been a fascination among game developers since programming boffins realised that computers could be employed for more entertaining applications than solving the seven...
Review Eufloria HD (PlayStation Vita)
Seedy business
Eufloria HD is quite possibly the most serene real-time strategy game that we've ever played, which seems like a strange thing to say given that the genre typically sees you taking control of armies during tense battles. You'll still be guiding forces and crushing your enemies here, but the title's natural, calm aesthetic makes it a...
Review A-Men 2 (PlayStation Vita)
Pray before playing
The A-Men have returned to challenge your deductive skills in another set of devilishly difficult combat scenarios. The rouge robot army that you accidentally unleashed in the original title is still at large, and it’s up to you and your squad of specialists to eradicate them – or perhaps just skirt around them as you get to...
Review Rainbow Moon (PlayStation Vita)
Richer than a pot of gold
Lore has it that leprechauns leave pots of gold at the end of a rainbow. Seeking out the end of the colourful arch will bestow vast riches upon the adventurer – the reward for a dangerous and long journey, where the goal is often hidden from sight. Similar treasures can be uncovered in the PlayStation Vita port of Rainbow...
Review Worms: Revolution Extreme (PlayStation Vita)
Extreme port
Originally released for the PlayStation 3 last year, we found Worms: Revolution to be “a game that will appeal more to old school fans, as newcomers will find it frustrating due to its control issues”. Having made the jump to the PlayStation Vita with all three of its DLC packs and a subtle name expansion, does the touch-friendly...
Review Valhalla Knights 3 (PlayStation Vita)
This ain't heaven
With such a miserable and lacklustre franchise history, you’d be forgiven for expecting Valhalla Knights 3 to fall short of almost all expectations, and unfortunately, you’d probably be right. Where does this apparently doomed franchise keep making wrong turns – and has anything improved over the three years since the last...
Review Tearaway (PlayStation Vita)
Royal mail
It's been over five years since LittleBigPlanet made a huge impact on the gaming scene – its 'Play, Create, Share' slogan paving the way for what was almost a new genre entirely. With developer Media Molecule's latest title Tearaway we find a smaller but much more focused adventure that's delightfully charming, accessible, and...
Review Furmins (PlayStation Vita)
Fuzzy feeling
Furmins is likely to feel familiar. It's a mixture of Lemmings and Cut the Rope: a physics based puzzler that challenges you to construct a passage for the titular creatures to roll through, all while collecting sweets, avoiding death, and reaching the goal in a fast enough time to gain three stars. These stars can then be used to...
Review Sparkle (PlayStation Vita)
Glitter bug
The aim of Sparkle is to fling different coloured marbles at a procession of similarly styled balls that are rolling progressively closer to the centre of an on-screen maze. Put three of the same tinted spheres in a row and they will detonate, with your ultimate goal being to spontaneously combust all of the orbs as promptly as possible...
