Video Game Feature: Hands-On With the Sony PlayStation Vita

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Little Deviants”

Little Deviants
Little Deviants
Photo credit: Sony

It started with this pick-up-and-play title, a game that even comes bundled in one of the versions available of the PlayStation Vita. It’s essentially a platforming game that is designed to show off the potential of the machine you just spent your hard-earned babysitting money on buying. I was shown two levels that were clearly designed with this in mind. In one, your “Little Deviants” character is rolling around a landscape that you shift and “push” with the back touch pad. It takes some getting used to. At first, I just wished I could control it with the traditional controls. But you get used to it — pushing your guy around, collecting stars, avoiding enemies, and reaching the end of the level. The second level turns the machine into an augmented reality device. You hold it up and the camera on the other side of the machine turns the room you are in into a shooting gallery where you try to blast character with the shoulder buttons. I can’t wait to see people on the bus swinging their Vita around and shooting at objects that only they can see.

First Impressions Verdict: A fun title that reminds someone of “Little Big Planet,” but might be a little too light on creativity for some players. It seems like a perfect fit for a bundle because it shows off the unique functions of the Vita. Players will unwrap the Vita and think it’s relatively similar to the PSP. This game will show them how it’s different.

“Uncharted: Golden Abyss”

Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Photo credit: Sony

Considering the influential, landmark caliber of the PS3 adventures of Nathan Drake, this has to be the most anticipated launch title for most players. It was surely the one I was most excited to play. Jen fired up chapter 4 and the first thing I said was, “God, it looks great.” The framerate, shading, responsiveness — it’s the best-looking handheld game that I’ve ever seen. As Drake escapes a burning building in this prequel adventure (he’s always escaping collapsing buildings somewhere), Jen showed off the touch screen functionality of the title. You can swipe to move or interact with objects in the game. At one point, I reached a blockade and swiped to cut through it. At another, I had to use the Sixaxis controller and balance on a beam with the entire machine. Another chapter featured Nathan picking up a sniper rifle, zooming in, and I could actually lift the Vita and use the display as my scope. Moving it to the target without traditional controls.

First Impressions Verdict: It’s going to blow you away. I was skeptical that a game could merge the unique controls of the Vita with traditional ones, but it was seconds before I was swiping, lifting, and balancing along with what one already expects from this award-winning franchise. Your Vita isn’t doing its job if you don’t have this game and I can’t wait to get back into it.

“Unit 13”

Unit 13
Unit 13
Photo credit: Sony

It won’t be released until March 6th, but developer Ara Demirjan, Associate Producer at SCEA, was there to show me his baby, a clever take on the shooter that, once again, truly shows off what the Vita can do. Imagine a game where you can reload with a tap of the screen. Or pick up new weaponry with a finger. “Unit 13” is a mission-based shooter in which the player has short (5-20 minutes) missions to complete and earns points based on streaks or creativity. Compete with your friends. Earn stars. Or even compete and play with people near you. Ara explained how the game will allows players to share unlocked missions. Let’s say you’re on a bus and your buddy has unlocked something you haven’t. He can share it with you through the network. It seems like a title built for DLC (new missions, weapons, etc.) and Mr. Demirjan confirmed this was something they were discussing.

First Impressions Verdict: It’s a pick-up-and-play shooter that merges campaign mentality with multi-player. In other words, if it’s a hit, it could be a game-changer as to what we expect from an FPS. I felt some limitations of the machine here for the first time when I tried to shoot a guy through a bucket and realized that the environments weren’t responsive at all, but all I know is this and it’s all that really matters — I want to play it again.

“Mortal Kombat”

As a final demonstration, the man who developed the latest incarnation of “Mortal Kombat,” Brian Lebaron, introduced me to the Vita version of his title, expected to hit in May. That very morning, Brian was still tweaking his baby, adding a little fluff to a teddy bear that was being destroyed. A perfect fit for the Vita, “Mortal Kombat” is being imported, enhanced, and upgraded in fascinating ways. EVERYTHING from the console version (including DLC characters) is included along with dozens of new Challenge Tower levels that employ Vita technology. For example, in one you’ll have to stay alive while tapping missiles falling at you with your finger. In another, blood splatters against the screen and you have to wipe it away. And get this — you can perform fatalities with the touch screen. If it’s forward-forward-back-back, just do that with your finger. Lebaron admits that the ease of fatalities (and you can activate X-Ray attacks with a tap as well) is because handheld gamers are a bit more casual. The demonstration ended with getting to play Mr. Lebaron ad-hoc. Yes, I got to fight the guy who makes “Mortal Kombat.” I’m pretty sure he let me win.

First Impressions Verdict: Pre-order it when you buy your Vita. It’s a beauty.

Final Thoughts

I have to admit that I went into this hands-on demonstration with a heavy dose of skepticism. I don’t think the PSP ever lived up to its potential and I think the Nintendo 3DS has been a disappointment at best. I feel a bit of “new toy exhaustion,” worn out by the idea that as soon as I buy a new phone, tablet, or computer that it’s outdated. For the first time in a long time, I feel like something is hitting the market that is not only not instantly outdated but ahead of its time. It’s a merge of everything you like in a handheld gaming machine from your iPhone gaming experience to what you know expect from an amazing company like Sony (without that gimmicky 3D thing to give you a headache). It looks beautiful and it incorporates the social networking trend for the first time that feels like more than an add-on. It’s a fully immersive experience. And the minute I left the hands-on, I just wanted to play it again.

The Sony PlayStation Vita will be available for $249-$349 (Wi-Fi, WiFi/3G, and Bundle determining price) on February 22nd, 2012.

Stay tuned to HollywoodChicago.com for more coverage of the Sony PlayStation Vita and a special thanks to Jennifer Hallett, Ara Demirjan, Brian Lebaron, and everyone who made this opportunity a possibility.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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