The PlayStation Vita hits American shores on February 22 with an impressive lineup of launch-day and launch-window titles, plus, many other games are on the way. Here’s our list our 10 most anticipated.
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.
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