PS Vita Game Reviews
Review KickBeat (PlayStation Vita)
Fists of melody
The concept of fusing fighting and rhythm games seems so obvious, as the act of combat already has a rhythmic feel to it. Timing is, of course, crucial to both pastimes, with complex moves requiring metronome-like precision, just like the beat of a song. KickBeat, then, is pretty much the perfect marriage of genres, and the Zen...
Review Real Boxing (PlayStation Vita)
Undisputed champion
Having performed extremely well as an app on both iOS and Android devices, it was only a matter of time before Unreal Engine 3-based punch-‘em-up Real Boxing made its way to Sony’s handheld. The good news is that it makes the perilous jump almost seamlessly. Upon starting the game, you’ll be asked to customise your boxer,...
Review Killzone: Mercenary (PlayStation Vita)
The price is right
We may be on the cusp of a new console generation, but we’d be surprised if any of the PlayStation 4’s launch window titles made a bigger visual impression than Killzone: Mercenary. The hotly anticipated spin-off from the recently restructured Guerrilla Cambridge is a sensory showstopper, pushing the PlayStation Vita’s...
Review Spelunky (PlayStation Vita)
Fortune and glory, kid
How far are you willing to go for the sake of a solid gold bar? Are you prepared to take a leap of faith over what could be a bottomless pit? Would you test your mettle against a horde of vicious snakes? Is the promise of that shiny metal enough to make you risk all of your progress so far? These are just some of the questions...
Review Dragon's Crown (PlayStation Vita)
Worthy of the crown
It wasn't long ago now that Vanillaware released Muramasa Rebirth for the PlayStation Vita, and showed us exactly what it's capable of doing with an OLED screen. In an apparent effort to prove that it isn't done yet, the developer’s second game has already landed on the handheld in the form of Dragon's Crown. Though it may...
Review Open Me (PlayStation Vita)
Box clever
There's finally a reason to dust off those augmented reality cards that came with your PlayStation Vita. While there have been an abundance of titles that support the laminated rectangles, Open Me's brain teasers really make digging them out a worthwhile endeavour. This is a fun, engaging, and quirky puzzle game that forces you to, ahem,...
Review Die! Die! Die! (PlayStation Vita)
Battles of the body
As you may suspect from the awkwardly dubbed Die! Die! Die!, your primary objective in this PlayStation Vita release is to kill everything that you come into contact with. However, what the name doesn't convey is that this isn't exactly an avenue for yet another murderous rampage. As it turns out, this is a Missile...
Review BreakQuest: Extra Evolution (PlayStation Vita)
Another brick in the wall
The humble block breaker has been stuck in a rut ever since Arkanoid introduced weapons and allowed you to shoot down bricks with Moonraker-esque submachine guns. BreakQuest: Extra Evolution, an enhanced PlayStation Vita port of last year’s well-received PlayStation Mini, aims to smash that sorry spate of stagnation by...
Review PixelJunk Monsters: Ultimate HD (PlayStation Vita)
Tiki-tastic
If you thought that you'd saved the Tiki tribe from the perilous monster hoards attacking your settlements, then think again. Waves of vicious beasts still roam the wilderness, and Tikiman still only has one defence. It's time to construct towers augmented with powerful weapons and once again protect your kin from being gobbled up in...
Review Total Recoil (PlayStation Vita)
Grind-o-rama
The way that an individual perceives video games as an endeavour, not just in regard to their favourite genre, but their attitude and approach to this fine pastime, determines their entire gaming experience. For example, ask a retro gamer which game they first think of when you mention Naughty Dog and they may answer Crash Bandicoot,...
Review International Snooker (PlayStation Vita)
Match ball?
British developer Big Head Games racked up International Snooker on various other formats prior to this high-definition PlayStation Vita port, and generally to favourable reviews. So, given the handheld's repertoire of quality controls and processing power, does this enhanced version of the title build a big break, or sink the white on...
Review Pinball Heroes: Complete (PlayStation Vita)
Flippin' heck
If there’s one area that the PlayStation Vita is not underrepresented, it’s the simulation pinball genre. While the fledgling handheld may have struggled to trigger the multiball on big blockbuster releases, the console already plays host to two flippin’ good bumper-based affairs in both Zen Pinball 2 and the Pinball Arcade. Sony...
Review Kung Fu Rabbit (PlayStation Vita)
Carrot-y chop
Adding to the slew of mobile-developed indie games that are finding their way onto Sony’s portable console, Kung Fu Rabbit brings basic yet addictive platforming to the table. It’s a title that won’t win any awards for originality, but its neat presentation and simple charm ensure that it’s a difficult game to put down. As you...
Review Hotline Miami (PlayStation Vita)
Do you like hurting other people?
Like the Hollywood classic Drive which provided a large helping of inspiration during development, Hotline Miami is a visceral assault on the senses which often leaves you breathless and sweaty-palmed, but also isn’t afraid to offer up moments of shocking frustration. Part action game, part puzzle title, part...
Review Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (PlayStation Vita)
Icky mouse
It’s ironic that the latest blockbuster starring Walt Disney’s most iconic cartoon creation is a bit of a Mickey Mouse affair. Last year’s PlayStation 3 release of Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, the sequel to development juggernaut Warren Spector’s popular Nintendo Wii game, fell flat on its button nose due to shoddy...
Review OMG HD Zombies! (PlayStation Vita)
Do you have the deadication?
After some zombie target practice as a PlayStation Minis title, the addictive OMG-Z is back as a full PlayStation Vita game, with Trophies, leaderboards, and a fresh lick of paint. OMG HD Zombies takes the original release's compelling mechanics, and gives them a good old polish, prompting you to venture deeper down the...
Review Jak & Daxter Collection (PlayStation Vita)
Naughty Dog's legacy
When you think of the developer Naughty Dog, quality and genre-defining are certainly two terms that come to mind. But for many people the Uncharted series on the PS3 was their first experience of the developer, unaware of the legacy of titles on the previous home consoles with Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter. The later of...
Review The HD Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character (PlayStation Vita)
"I'm spinning around, get out of my way"
The latest title to make the jump from PlayStation Minis to budget PlayStation Vita release, The HD Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character has a lot to live up to given its unusual and quirky name – but it doesn’t quite pull it off. In a hellish alternate universe where sea life has claimed the land,...
Review Velocity Ultra (PlayStation Vita)
Starship super
One year ago, FuturLab's Velocity was released on the PlayStation Minis label and flew right into a meteor shower of praise. At a glance a vertical shoot 'em up, it excelled above this label, wonderfully welding smart puzzle elements to speedy, frantic laser-play. If you were foolish enough to ignore it when it was originally...
Review Men's Room Mayhem (PlayStation Vita)
Spend a penny
The public toilet is a complex environment, bursting with unwritten rules and accepted traditions. While these standards are not governed by laws, only a brave person dare break them. Men’s Room Mayhem, a brand new PlayStation Vita pee ‘em up from Ripstone and Sawfly Studios, aims to tackle these complex issues in a comical arcade...
Review Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery: Episode One - A Bump in the Night (PlayStation Vita)
Challenging puzzles that will defeet you
Although your adventure is only just beginning with this downloadable PlayStation Vita point and click puzzler, Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery: Episode One - A Bump in the Night's fiendish challenges will truly put you through your paces. The first instalment in the series is barely four hours long, yet...
Review Nun Attack (PlayStation Vita)
Mother superior firepower
Much to Sony’s dismay, the PlayStation Vita has struggled since launch. There’s constant debate over what the handheld needs – does it need more AAA titles that really show off the hardware’s power, or does it just need more software in general? It’s a dilemma brought about by the vicious cycle of development...
Review Farming Simulator (PlayStation Vita)
Separating the wheat from the chaff
There’s something oddly compelling about Farming Simulator. It’s certainly not the lure of cattle, as this handheld edition of Giants Software’s agricultural opus focuses its attention firmly on crops. It’s not the lush outdoor visuals either, as the title looks like it’s been dragged through a hedge...
Review Soul Sacrifice (PlayStation Vita)
Sins of the skin
Soul Sacrifice deals with morality in a manner that few games manage. While the likes of Mass Effect and inFAMOUS deliver negligible narrative tweaks in response for your borderline binary ethical decisions, Keiji Inafune’s grotesque fantasy adventure aims to explore the core of your moral makeup. Are you willing to surrender the...
Review Hungry Giraffe (PlayStation Vita)
Head and shoulders above the rest
Originally launching over a year ago as a free PlayStation Mini with PlayStation Plus, Hungry Giraffe is the latest game to make the jump from watered-down budget piece to fully-fledged PlayStation Vita title. But while we enjoyed Mr. Giraffe’s original outing, do the new features in this upgraded version warrant...
Review Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken (PlayStation Vita)
Not cluckin' easy to pigeonhole
It may not be as perplexing as the cause and effect quandary of which came first, the chicken or the egg, but describing PlayStation Vita title Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken by assigning it to a single specific gaming genre may leave you flapping. Take a glance at screenshots and you could be tempted to make...
Review Let's Fish! Hooked On (PlayStation Vita)
Plenty moe fish in the sea
The closest that we’ve ever come to a fishing rod is the one that shipped alongside the Dreamcast – which is fitting seeing as PlayStation Vita exclusive Let’s Fish! Hooked On was designed by many of the people that worked on SEGA Bass Fishing. And it really shows: from the overenthusiastic speech samples to the...
Review Orgarhythm (PlayStation Vita)
Beat it
A little music can be a powerful thing. A blast of a favourite track can give us a burst of energy to complete a gruelling gym session; it can give us the strength needed to battle back against the monotony of another dreary work day. An impassioned chant, or the beat of a drum, can lend us the resolve to overcome a foe, whether it's on the...
Review Sumioni: Demon Arts (PlayStation Vita)
Not worth the Monet
Sumi-e is a form of ‘ink wash painting’ popularised in Asia approximately 1,400 years ago. It’s a striking art form that aims to capture the soul of its subject rather than attempt photo-realism and has been used to great effect in videogames before, with Okami being a notable example. Developers are always looking for...
Review Dokuro (PlayStation Vita)
Undead good
Are you itching for a smart and interesting puzzle platformer? One with an undead theme and a hero faced with the challenge of rescuing a princess from his evil master? Then Dokuro's got you covered. Having witnessed the Dark Lord capture a beautiful blonde monarch, your envy and renewed moral standing compels you, a mere skeleton...
