So, I bought a PlayStation Vita...
...mainly because of WipEout 2048! Well, it IS one of my favourite gaming series! More on that title later, here's my thoughts and experiences with Sony's second generation of handheld systems.
I first experienced this powerful handheld a year ago, at a gaming convention, and finally this year I bought one! How does it compare with my last handheld, the PlayStation Portable? Read on!
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From PSP to Vita
In 2006, I bought the original PlayStation Portable, the PSP, together with two fantastic titles, wipEout Pure and Ridge Racer. While I did enjoy the powerful handheld, it had a few downsides. Many releases were just ports of PlayStation 2 versions, it only had one thumbstick, videos had to be a certain format to run and the UMD drive was slow to load.
Luckily, Sony have taken to heart some of these complaints and fixed them for the Vita. I'm guessing the system got a green flag mainly from Japan where handhelds are very popular. In the West, if you're not a huge fan of obscure Japanese titles, the PSP left you with a less impressive library.
Luckily, Sony have taken to heart some of these complaints and fixed them for the Vita. I'm guessing the system got a green flag mainly from Japan where handhelds are very popular. In the West, if you're not a huge fan of obscure Japanese titles, the PSP left you with a less impressive library.
The PSP seemed to take a few years to build a decent amount of games and towards the end of it's lifespan it had a very decent library. I'm guessing the PSP was fast and easy to develop for. The Vita, on the other hand, is quite powerful and the games, I'm only guessing here, probably take more effort and money to develop.
The first and most obvious change from PSP to Vita, is the addition of a second thumbstick. If you recall, the PSP had problems with bad controller setups with only one thumbstick. The "thumb-nub" from PSP is gone too and in it's place are two proper thumbsticks. They feel far better than the nub and give way for dual-stick controlling, especially important for third and first person shooters.
The first and most obvious change from PSP to Vita, is the addition of a second thumbstick. If you recall, the PSP had problems with bad controller setups with only one thumbstick. The "thumb-nub" from PSP is gone too and in it's place are two proper thumbsticks. They feel far better than the nub and give way for dual-stick controlling, especially important for third and first person shooters.
The thumbsticks feel precise and have a fair travel distance considering their size. They really help shooters give the feeling of being played on a stationary console with a full size controller.
The optical UMD disc format is also gone, in it's place are small cartridges, which should help battery life. Though, we're still hampered by lengthy load times for my taste, which is a little disappointing.
Vita's screen is far superior to the PSP, with a sharp and colourful OLED screen, which has been replaced for a great LCD one in newer models. My version has the OLED screen, which is on the overly colourful side. It's a touch screen and the Vita even has a touch panel at the rear too. Although I rarely use the panel at the back, the touch screen is useful for navigation in menus, bridging the link between handheld gaming and mobile phone navigation.
The main OS menus on the Vita are fast and responsive, not that the XMB menu on the PSP wasn't either, though I find the circular and wobbly bubbles for icons slightly cheap and childish looking. I mostly navigate using my fingers on the touch screen, which is neat!
The design of the Vita lends a lot to the first series of the PSP and I really appreciate the design choice. Much like how Nintendo kept the design of their handhelds in the DS family. The Sony handhelds look more stylish in my opinion compared to Nintendo's bulky and boxy look.
Sadly, once again, Studio Liverpool fails to make a WipEout with a more forgiving learning curve. Once again, they add a "pilot assist" option, which really just messes with the feeling of WipEout, rather than making an easier A.I., simpler beginner circuits and less cluttered weaponry. The complex features shoudl be introduced further into the game.
It's a game that will punish you to annoying levels and, more often than I should have, I got stuck in the campaign. While other times I won one event after the other. I would've loved to see more consistency to the difficulty, together with a clearer circuit layout and a less aggressive A.I.
Over time, I did learn a few tricks to improve my racing and ended up using the outside camera angle. It helped give a better view of the wide circuits and what's happening around the race shipt. Once I mastered it fairly well, I got to appreciate it's excitement and fantastic graphics more.
WipEout 2048 turned out to be Studio Liverpool's last game, but sadly it didn't end on a perfect note. WipEout HD remains as the last gem the team made. However, 2048 is probably one of Vitas greatest racers and will probably please some of the fans of the WipEout series!
Next to WipEout 2048, Killzone Mercenary is probably the other showcase title for the Vita hardware. It almost looks right up there with Killzone 2 & 3 on the PS3! For a handheld it's an incredible looking release.
It's a short, but highly enjoyable affair, taking around 5 hours to complete. However, it has a lot of replay value, with the option to play each mission with various mission tasks. These tasks depend on the play style chosen prior to each mission. Either covert, demolition or precision.
I'd much have preferred a CoD based closer to the main series. Although I was warned through bad review scores online, I was hoping for more substance other than just good shooter gameplay. It feels like a missed opportunity, it's definitively got potential if they'd optimised the visuals more, added a proper singleplayer and made each level larger.
Vita's screen is far superior to the PSP, with a sharp and colourful OLED screen, which has been replaced for a great LCD one in newer models. My version has the OLED screen, which is on the overly colourful side. It's a touch screen and the Vita even has a touch panel at the rear too. Although I rarely use the panel at the back, the touch screen is useful for navigation in menus, bridging the link between handheld gaming and mobile phone navigation.
The main OS menus on the Vita are fast and responsive, not that the XMB menu on the PSP wasn't either, though I find the circular and wobbly bubbles for icons slightly cheap and childish looking. I mostly navigate using my fingers on the touch screen, which is neat!
The design of the Vita lends a lot to the first series of the PSP and I really appreciate the design choice. Much like how Nintendo kept the design of their handhelds in the DS family. The Sony handhelds look more stylish in my opinion compared to Nintendo's bulky and boxy look.
I'm really annoyed that Sony have gone for a proprietary system for the memory cards, though. Making the prices insanely high and leaving no room for competition by other manufactures.
Remote play
There's a really neat feature with the Vita built for the new Sony console generation: you can remotely play the PlayStation 4 with it! Either as a second screen or connecting through it and playing the PS4 off-screen. This works much like how the Nintendo Wii U controller does, however, the Vita can also remotely boot up and play on your PS4 over the internet from any location.
How responsive this internet remote play is, is determined by your internet connection speed, but it's a nice feature to play PS4 titles, of a slower pace, on holiday! I tried the new Call of Duty: Ghosts with remote play, sitting in the same room as the PS4, and it played with little input lag. Although, it reduced the framerate down to 30fps, but it looked incredible to have PS4 graphics on a small handheld!
Summary
Overall, I found the Vita as a powerful and nice looking handheld. The graphics are somewhat close to the PS3/360 generation and showcase how far handhelds have come technically. The high resolution and sharp screen makes the device perfect for modern games and watching movies on the move. The PS4 connectivity is a neat feature for extending the systems lifespan and usage.
The concern I have with the Vita is the lack of titles, especially unique ones that differ from the console variants. I've got a feeling that my library for this system will be small. It's a difficult niche to develop titles for: they can't be so simple that people rather just play them on mobiles and they can't be so technically heavy that it makes more sense to play and develop these games for a stationary console instead.
The concern I have with the Vita is the lack of titles, especially unique ones that differ from the console variants. I've got a feeling that my library for this system will be small. It's a difficult niche to develop titles for: they can't be so simple that people rather just play them on mobiles and they can't be so technically heavy that it makes more sense to play and develop these games for a stationary console instead.
I feel Nintendo have hit this sweet spot between simplicity and complexity through their handheld gaming library, building a lot of unique games aimed at handheld gaming. Sony seem to be aiming at a stylish, mature look with the Vita. While Nintendo aim for a family oriented approach and gaming on the go. I think the Vita will sell less doing so, as there will always be more powerful stationary consoles to many of the same games for.
If you often find yourself on the move, don't have access to a TV at any given time, the Vita is a solid purchase. The amount of typical Japanese titles is an issue to consider, if you're into them it's definitely a system to pick up. There are many PSP titles available on the PlayStation Network to play on the superior screen too, expanding the library even further!
If you often find yourself on the move, don't have access to a TV at any given time, the Vita is a solid purchase. The amount of typical Japanese titles is an issue to consider, if you're into them it's definitely a system to pick up. There are many PSP titles available on the PlayStation Network to play on the superior screen too, expanding the library even further!
The Vita is a powerful handheld, offering multi media features like internet browsing, music listening and video playback in addition to just gaming, then again the latter features are on your mobile too. For your gaming needs there's a Japan dominated library to dig into, backwards compatibility to digital-only PSP titles and PS4 remote play. If this sounds like something you need, get one!
Vita game reviews
Review
Played on: PS Vita
Released: 2012
Released: 2012
My main reason for buying the Vita was actually this title. I've loved the WipEout series since the first PlayStation. After the great WipEout HD on PlayStation 3, my hopes were high for this release. I found WipEout HD to look a little too futuristic and space-like. So, when WipEout 2048 was revealed as prequel, with rumours of tracks that were more down-to-earth, I was very excited.
However, the end result is both impressive and disappointing.
Good news first. WipEout 2048 looks incredible, truly one of the best looking handheld titles I've seen so far. It may not run at 60fps, like WipEout HD, but it looks equally as good, if not more detailed.
Good news first. WipEout 2048 looks incredible, truly one of the best looking handheld titles I've seen so far. It may not run at 60fps, like WipEout HD, but it looks equally as good, if not more detailed.
There's a large variation in race types, circuits and race ships to choose from. The game takes place through three seasons of racing, 2048, 2049 and 2050, with exceedingly faster leagues.
More often, than preferable, the races end in random chaotic events. Even though the circuits are much wider than previously, you end up in a cluttered group of competitor race ships, firing endless rockets at you. Winning or losing a race feels like flipping a coin, rather than actual skills being involved.
In addition to chaotic racing, some of the circuits, especially the Sol one, simply have no side fences and annoying obstacles to ram into. There's some skill involved trying to keep your race ship on the circuit, but it help so little when the competitors keep ramming or shooting you off the edge. At times it almost reached SSX (2012) frustration, falling off ledges over and over.
In addition to chaotic racing, some of the circuits, especially the Sol one, simply have no side fences and annoying obstacles to ram into. There's some skill involved trying to keep your race ship on the circuit, but it help so little when the competitors keep ramming or shooting you off the edge. At times it almost reached SSX (2012) frustration, falling off ledges over and over.
Over time, I did learn a few tricks to improve my racing and ended up using the outside camera angle. It helped give a better view of the wide circuits and what's happening around the race shipt. Once I mastered it fairly well, I got to appreciate it's excitement and fantastic graphics more.
WipEout 2048 turned out to be Studio Liverpool's last game, but sadly it didn't end on a perfect note. WipEout HD remains as the last gem the team made. However, 2048 is probably one of Vitas greatest racers and will probably please some of the fans of the WipEout series!
Tip: You can purchase and download a HD and Fury pack to play the circuits and campaigns from the PS3 WipEout HD and Fury games. If you own them already, then they cost nothing! The WipEout HD Fury singleplayer proves, for my second playthrough, that it was a better game.
These DLC pack looks almost identical graphically to the PS3 version, though only 30fps and on a small screen that conceals the downgrade! Amazing value for money and recommended!
These DLC pack looks almost identical graphically to the PS3 version, though only 30fps and on a small screen that conceals the downgrade! Amazing value for money and recommended!
Review
Played on: PS Vita
Released: 2013
Released: 2013
The gameplay also feels a lot like it's console versions. Bridging the gap between handhelds and stationary consoles for shooters.
There's also a wealth of weapons and armoury, which are purchased with money you earn in-game, some will definitely be preferable for each play style. Snipers, assault rifles, sub machine guns etc.
Collecting all weapons, gadgets and armoury will take a lot of time, it also offers a comprehensive multiplayer to earn money in. If you're into online gaming then this is probably the best shooter on the Vita. Online has levelling and lots of unlockables, much like any other shooter post Call of Duty 4. However, I'm not sure a person that plays a lot online will be playing on a Vita much, maybe if they're on holiday?
Collecting all weapons, gadgets and armoury will take a lot of time, it also offers a comprehensive multiplayer to earn money in. If you're into online gaming then this is probably the best shooter on the Vita. Online has levelling and lots of unlockables, much like any other shooter post Call of Duty 4. However, I'm not sure a person that plays a lot online will be playing on a Vita much, maybe if they're on holiday?
If you're the kind of person that plays through games only once, then KM will feel fairly short, though it has a lot of variation throughout. It's a game for the replay value and those looking to dig in to shooter on the Vita and want all the options a full-size console shooter has to offer, this is warmly recommended.
Review
Played on: PS Vita
Released: 2012
Released: 2012
CoD - Black Ops: Declassified was actually one of the first games I tried on a Vita, a year before buying one in fact. It helped showcase that shooters work well on the system. However, going back to it now, especially after playing Killzone Mercenary, it doesn't hold up well. The actual CoD gameplay and gun feeling is present on the handheld, but its perhaps the only good about the game.
The levels are tiny, often being just a few rooms and a small building, and the whole mini-mission structure feels lacklustre and low budget. There's a thin narrative stringing each random mission together with the next, but its a huge disappointment considering it bridges some of the Black Ops 1 & 2 story.
At first glance it visually looks okay, running 60fps and all, but as you take closer look it's very low resolution and muddy. The environments look lacklustre and have simple textures.
The game bases itself on replaying missions over and over, trying to get higher scores or completing them on a higher difficulty. This quickly gets repetitive and frustratingly difficult. The amount of content we normally expect from a CoD game just isn't present. It feels as if they just wanted to release a bunch of missions with the CoD brand present on the Vita, then call it a day.
The game bases itself on replaying missions over and over, trying to get higher scores or completing them on a higher difficulty. This quickly gets repetitive and frustratingly difficult. The amount of content we normally expect from a CoD game just isn't present. It feels as if they just wanted to release a bunch of missions with the CoD brand present on the Vita, then call it a day.
