The 10 most anticipated PlayStation Vita games
The North American launch of the PlayStation Vita is just a few short weeks away, so for those of you considering picking up Sony’s new uber-device, it’s time to start thinking about what you will do with it. As you might expect from a device of its sort, the Vita will have all the bells and whistles of a modern handheld media device: It will stream Netflix, have access to the PlayStation Store and all that it offers including video and music rentals, and have other neat-o things like Facebook. It would be odd if it didn’t. It will also play your own video and music files, and it even has front and back cameras. And oh, hey, it can also play games! Who knew?
If you’ve read DT for a while now, then you probably know that we’ve been underwhelmed by the Nintendo 3DS’s weak launch title selection. It was like buying a brand new 55-inch OLED flat screen TV and only being able to watch CSPAN on it. Assuming you didn’t go insane outright, it would still feel like a waste of money and a waste of 55 inches of your wall. It doesn’t matter how great the hardware is if the software isn’t there to back it up. Sony, like genius people, saw this and decided to address that.
The Vita’s launch window line-up is strong like bull, and the rest of the year — including games that may or may not be out this year but have been officially announced — is robust. In fact, you should go ahead and begin saving money for games now. Or ideally, about six years ago.
So here is our list of the top 10 most anticipated games on the way for the Vita. A few of these are launch title games, some will fall within the launch window (within the first month or so) or the first year. Others do not have a release date, but still have enough shine to get excited about.
Touch My Katamari
(February 22, 2012; Namco Bandai; Namco Bandai)
For those that haven’t played the Katamari titles, it is hard to describe them — they are extremely weird, and in many ways, quintessentially Japanese. Basically you are the son of the King of the Galaxy. In the first game, he got blackout drunk and kinda lost a bunch of the stars in the sky. In another Katamari game, the King hit a tennis balk through reality and created a black hole that destroyed most of the stars. In order to make things right he sends his beleaguered kid to various planets, where the Prince then rolls around and collects junk in an increasingly massive ball. That ball of assorted things is then taken to make stars — it’s best not to think too much about it. But moving past the bizarreness of it all, the game is just fun. It’s a blast to turn into a giant ball and suck up things like pencils, erasers, and kittens. It is a matter of gameplay over story, and it just works. Make no mistake, this game is not for everyone. It has issues with repetition, the graphics won’t blow anyone away, and it is more of a cult game than anything. But for fans of the series, and for those looking for something a bit different, this game is definitely worth the look.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
(February 22, 2012; SCE Bend Studio/SCE)
If we really have to explain why this game is a must own for Vita owners, then there is something wrong with the world. Sure, not everyone likes the Uncharted series. Even though they are some of the best games on the current generation of consoles. And even though they are exceedingly well written. And even though they are basically movies you play for 10+ hours. And even though — well, you get the point. Even if this game turns out to be tragically awful (which it won’t be), it is the biggest launch day release for the handheld, and if you are looking for a single-player game with an engrossing story, look no further.
Street Fighter X Tekken
(March 6, 2012; Capcom; Capcom)
There are a surprising number of fighting games due out for the Vita within the first year — at least six have been announced (although not all have a release date yet). Something about the system is just attractive to fighting developers. Perhaps they see the Vita as the one, true handheld. The one portable gaming system to rule them all. The Vita is precious to them… Oddly, Capcom’s Street Fighter X Tekken will actually be competing against another Capcom fighting game, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, a port of the console game. You can’t really go wrong with either if you are looking for a fighting title, but SFXT is the new kid on the block. Honestly, it is a toss-up between Capcom’s two fighters, but in terms of anticipation, the potential of the unknown beats the familiarity of the known.
Silent Hill: Book of Memories
(Spring 2012; WayForward Technologies/Konami)
Typically, survival-horror games have never been all that atmospheric on a handheld system. It is one thing to be at home alone with the lights turned off and the stereo amplifying the spooky noises, and another to be on, say, the bus. Granted, that can be equally scary depending on where you live, but usually for other reasons. Still, if someone was really into these games and looking for somewhere to play that would add to the tone, they could go somewhere like a cemetery, thanks to the Vita. Now that would be atmospheric. Also a little stupid and creepy, but definitely atmospheric. Regardless, the Silent Hill franchise is alive and well, and will be heading to your pocket in the next few months with a new type of game, including a focus on multiplayer gameplay.
Dust 514
(Summer 2012; CCP Games; CCP Games)
Set in the universe of Eve Online, this game is interesting for a few reasons. The PS3 version of the game is listed as an MMOFPS, and will likely feature a 32 v. 32 multiplayer matchup. The real question is where does the Vita version fit in? Will it be a direct port of the game, meaning you can switch your game from your PS3 to the Vita on the fly? After all, that is the dream of the portable system. Say you are at home playing a game like Dust 514, and are forced to go outside and enjoy that pesky “fresh air” that people are always talking about. Maybe you are scheduled to go for a long hike or something. And sure, the mountains are majestic, and the forests are beautiful and blah blah blah, but seeing an acorn on the ground isn’t nearly as cool as being able to sit down next to it and dominate an incoming wave of real-life players. If that is how this game is developed, nature better learn its place.
Call of Duty
(November 2012; TBA; Activision Blizzard)
So far, Activision has only announced that there is a Call of Duty game in the works for the Vita, and that is it — but we can make some vague guesses. It will be based on the upcoming game that Treyarch (we assume) is developing, and it will be released on either November 6 or 13. Oh, and it will probably be Black Ops 2. Ok, so maybe that isn’t all that vague. Of course, that is all just educated guesswork. Perhaps there won’t even be a Call of Duty game this year. Sure, Activision may just decide that it doesn’t really need to release this year’s iteration of the annual franchise that has consistently made a billion dollars each year for the last few years. Perhaps in its place, it will release Popeye 3: The Revenge. But probably not. The odds are that it will be Treyarch developing this year’s game, which makes it likely that we’ll see Black Ops 2. Whatever the name on the box though, you can count on there being a Call of Duty title later this year.
LittleBigPlanet
(2012; Double Eleven & Tarsier Studios/SCE)
Sackboy returns, but despite the regifted name of this game, this is a totally original entry into the series—this will actually be the fourth game in the franchise, but the third game in the series with the exact same name. Seriously, for the next game in the series, how about LittleBigPlanet 5: The Reckoning. Or maybe LBP 5: Sackboy’s Revenge. Just give us something. But what the games lack in originality when it comes to the titles, they make up for in content — thanks in no small part to the numerous creation options that allow users to make their own levels. In theory, with enough people involved, LBP could continually produce new content forever. Well, at least for several years until Sackboy 6: The Sackening hits shelves. For fans of the series, the Vita should offer pretty much everything its grown-up PS3 cousin can.
BioShock
(TBA; Irrational Games/2K Games)
This may seem like a bit a stretch, since all we really know about the game is that it has been announced, but it makes this list for good reason. Beyond the fact that it is coming, the other thing we have heard is that the game will be totally original for the Vita. That alone should be worth your attention. The thing that really sells new hardware isn’t the fancy controls, or how powerful the hardware it is — at least not on its own. The thing that sells new hardware is exclusive titles that you can only play on that hardware. How many PS3s were sold just so people could continue the Metal Gear Solid franchise or the God of War games? Probably a bunch. Of course, having Netflix, music, and all that jazz in a handheld device helps, but knowing that developers like Irrational are taking the Vita seriously enough to create brand new games in popular franchises is a great sign. Plus, ya know, BioShock is awesome. So there’s that.
Killzone
(TBA; Cambridge Studio/SCE)
The biggest advantage that the Vita has is the stable of exclusive hits that Sony has at its command. Sooner or later you can be sure that there will be a new God of War and possibly a Gran Turismo on the Vita, but both are in the middle of development cycles of their own, so it may be a while (especially Gran Turismo). Thankfully for Sony faithful, there are plenty of other long-standing franchises to get people to chuck down their cash on, including Killzone. This will mark the second time that the Killzone series has headed to a portable device — 2006’s Killzone: Liberation for the PSP has the honor of first. That game is notable for shying away from the standard FPS genre that the other games in the series operate in, and instead shifting to a third-person POV that played a bit like a dungeon crawler. From what we’ve seen it looks like the Vita game will follow the more familiar FPS path of the other games, but there isn’t much confirmed yet. Regardless, you get to shoot the space Nazis (aka the Helghast), so it is a win-win.
Resistance: Burning Skies
(TBA; Nihilistic Software/SCE)
One of the premier franchises on the PS3 since the day the system was released has been Resistance. The series has spawned three console games, one PSP game, novels, comics, possibly the odd and much-regretted tattoo, and more is on the way. Set in an alternate Earth where a race known as the Chimera invaded and diverted the timeline, the Resistance games offer a twisted look at familiar settings. Set in the 1950s, the landmarks of America and Europe are warped reflections of their real counterparts, which means one thing: it is time to kick alien ass. As with the PSP game Resistance: Retribution, Resistance: Burning Skies is a spin-off story with a new character following his own path. In this instance, you play a firefighter watching New York take it on the chin before the events of Resistance 3. If you played Resistance 3, then you know things did not work out so well for the city. In Burning Skies you can make them pay for it.
{Update: LittleBigPlanet will not feature level sharing with the PS3, but it will include some DLC sharing on things like costumes.
This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
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