Saturday 7 February 2015

Addictive Nature - Top 10 Vita Essentials

Some have condemned it for a weak launch, others have thrown it aside for not having enough compelling content, but I believe that the Playstation Vita offers some of the most unique & addictive experiences in recent years.

Most of the games are bite-sized while some are monstrous & spewing with content. Whether you’re into addictive bites of gaming or crave the depth of a hardcore Japanese Role-Playing Game, there’s something for everyone. These titles may not be Vita exclusive, but their control schemes & gameplay belong on Sony’s handheld device.

So, without further ado, here’s a look at my top 10 Playstation Vita essentials.


10. Gravity Rush


After falling from the sky with no memory, Kat discovers that she can alter the gravity around her with the help of her galactic feline, Dusty. As her new home becomes invaded with black goop, she must learn to master her newfound powers and save the town before it’s too late.

Players shift the gravity of the world to maneuver around enemies and pinpoint their weak spots. Although this type of combat becomes clunky with bigger & quicker rivals, it’s one of the most unique touch experiences you’ll find on the Vita.


9. Super Stardust Delta


From the creators of ‘Dead Nation’ and the Playstation 4 hit ‘Resogun’, Housemarque refurbished this 2007 hit for the launch of the Vita in 2012.
Super Stardust Delta’ is a game that begs you to chase high scores.

It’s technically about killing thousands of enemies, but most of the time you’ll be chasing scores. This twin-stick shooter demands your skill and patience then beats you over the head if you’re not up to the challenge. Having one of the most addictive forms of gameplay for any of the titles on this list, ‘Super Stardust Delta’ is definitely worth your time & frustration.


8. Uncharted: Golden Abyss


For those looking for a truly cinematic console experience on the go, then look no further than ‘Uncharted: Golden Abyss’. Once again playing as Nathan Drake, players are thrown into a treasure hunt in Central America.
Developed specifically for the Vita by the team over at Sony Bend, this game casts off the shekels of ‘mobile experience’ & gives players a control set tailored for a handheld device. The game follows the standard third-person control set but offers an almost completely touch-focused one as well. The beauty of that is either set can be used separately or both at the same time.


7. Luftrausers


Much like the pick up & play style of ‘Super Stardust Delta’, ‘Luftrausers’ is the first indie-feeling game on the list. Set in World War 1, players assume the role of a fighter pilot who’s life expectancy is anywhere between 30 – 60 seconds. If you can master the art of flying & harness your inner flyer, you can conquer the skies.

With over 125 weapon, body & propulsion system combinations, players will take to the skies in an attempt to last long enough to take down the Nazi air division. All of this is presented in a sepia pixel art style.


6. Little Big Planet Vita


Speaking of games that feel like they belong on the Vita, ‘Little Big Planet’ is a perfect fit when it comes to level editing & touch controls. It’s a pure joy being able to abandon buttons & slide, tap or place objects throughout a level with a gesture. Possibly not the best entry in the series, ‘Little Big Planet Vita’ still has all of the charm & fun of its console counterparts, and all of the costumes & levels are accessible too.


5. Freedom Wars


What if the world’s population was crammed into multiple mega-cities around the globe, with each city competing against one another for the worlds resources? Those who are deemed ‘sinners’ are slapped with a 1 million year prison sentence & sent to work that time off by completing various tasks for the government. This is ‘Freedom Wars’.

Players use grapples called ‘thorns’ to bring down giant enemies called ‘abductors’.  From there, they are to retrieve trapped citizens & return them to base. Following standard third-person shooter mechanics, players will shoot & sprint their way through levels that grow in difficulty.


4. Rogue Legacy


Hampering back to the time of ‘Castlevania’ & ‘Super Metroid’, ‘Rogue Legacy’ sees players assuming the role of the ancestors of their previous character every time they die. The fun of this gameplay comes in its procedurally generated levels & character trait randomisation. For instance, one of the playable characters may have dwarfism and therefore be able to run through an area that was otherwise inaccessible to a larger character. This & much more lies in the depths of ‘Rogue Legacy’.


3. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth


The Binding of Isaac’ had a rather popular launch on PC. From the mind of Edmund McMillan, ‘The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth’ combines all of the previously available content & packs it into one game.
Inspired by the biblical story of the same name, players assume the role of a child called Isaac. Isaac’s mother hears a voice from above and in an attempt to save Isaac from sin, the voice asks her to sacrifice Isaac & prove her devotion. It is from there that you enter top-down, procedurally generated dungeons in the hope of stopping Isaac’s mother from killing him.

2. Hotline Miami


Receiving abnormally large amounts of praise from its PC release in 2012, ‘Hotline Miami’ has been released on just about every gaming system under the sun - and for good reason. Levels see players systematically and mercilessly killing off enemies in hopes of not getting brutally murdered. After receiving a phone message at the beginning of every mission, players must choose from various ‘masks’, with each mask having a different effect on gameplay. Then your objective is simple - kill everyone!

This top-down-level style of game is definitely worth it for that same frustration fueled motivation offered by ‘Super Stardust Delta’.


1. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Golden


Here we are at number one.

A remake of the classic 2008 Japanese Role-Playing game, ‘Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 Golden’ puts players in the shoes of the new kid in town. Moving to the country from the big city, you meet new friends & slowly form powerful bonds with them. When a woman is found murdered, it’s up to you & your new friends to unravel the mystery.

The twist is that the murderer is killing their victims by throwing them into another world through television screens. From there, the player & their new friends must travel to this TV world & fight through to the victims.

Gameplay is turn-based, a little like ‘Pokemon’, due to the fact that each character battles with their persona. Acting as avatars for the player & friends, personas are swappable, which means that the process of collecting them is an OCD sufferers dream… or nightmare!


So there it is, my top 10 Playstation Vita Essentials list.


If you like what you’ve just read & you want to see more, why not whack a comment below. Follow me on twitter, @DylanPerrett. 

Friday 16 January 2015

The End of an Era & A New Beginning

I awoke one day last week and went about my normal routine only to find that that a pivotal change had occurred in the games journalism industry. Posts from Colin Moriarty & Greg Miller announcing that they had resigned from their jobs at IGN & kicked their four man YouTube setup, ‘Kinda Funny’, into overdrive. As many of their long-term fans would have realized, this announcement has been coming for quite some time now with the team posting various pictures on twitter alluding to big changes in the future. Don’t jump the gun though, they’ll still be hosting & posting IGN’s Podcast Beyond as freelancers but their main focus is now directed to their existing & newfound YouTube channels ‘Kinda Funny’ & ‘Kinda Funny Games’.


At first, this change hit me a little harder than I would have anticipated but after further thought I believe that this would lead to better creative content. Colin & Greg now have a brand, a creative outlet that posts all sorts of content. But as I sit here writing this, listening to old episodes of Podcast Beyond, I’m beginning to realize the impact & influence that these key members of the IGN team, have had on me & my own creative endeavors. Needless to say, it will be a very sad day when Colin & Greg depart IGN completely but fortunately, today is not that day. Until then, Greg Miller, Colin Moriarty, Nick Scarpino & Tim Gettys will be laser focused on both ‘Kinda Funny’ & ‘Kinda Funny Games’.

Who do you think of when I say 'The Face of IGN'? Of course it's Greg Miller. We've seen Greg grow; we've seen him mature. We've seen him at his highest & we've seen him at his lowest. From the youngster on Podcast Beyond Episode 1 to the Hodgkin's Lymphoma survivor then to the host of The Game Over Greggy Show. Greg Miler has always gone above & beyond (Beyond!) the things he's required to do. But seriously Greg, can't you just eat a meal?



It's no secret that Greg's a loud guy. People say he can talk the talk but ladies & gentlemen; this man can also walk the walk. Greg was on the receiving end of multiple chops from Hulk Hogan. Spreading himself over as many creative avenues as possible has aided in his journey to be one of the internets most recognisable personalitities, From Podcast Beyond, Oreo Oration & Up At Noon to The Game Over Greggy Show, Knockin' Boots & Kinda Funny. Greg is just about everywhere & he's loving every second of it.


Greg, ‘Ass to Ass’; ’A Bakers Dozen’; ‘As I Live & Breathe’; ‘BEYOND’, you’re the king of meet-&-greets, you’re a personality, you’ve got a big heart & an even bigger appetite. On behalf of the IGN community, Thanks Greggy, go Team Fat.

I think of myself as an amateur content creator. I’ve written (& am still writing) game reviews from time to time for my blog ‘The Quiet Gamer’. I’m currently trying to expand my skills by writing articles on anything in the entertainment space… you’re reading one right now. I feel that my goals are greatly inspired by the men & women at IGN, specifically Greg & Colin. I’ve been watching, reading & listening to IGN content for years now. But if I could, I would pinpoint the single most important piece of inspiration to two tweets from Colin Moriarty while he was at the Playstation 4 reveal event in 2013.


Let me take you back about two years. I had just started my first full time job. I was young & optimistic; things were looking and feeling good. Colin had been tweeting photos of his PS4 reveal event passes. Social networks were ablaze with rumors & excitement. It had been a long wait for the 8th generation of gaming consoles. My eyes were glued to my twitter feed, eagerly awaiting Colin to live tweet the event. Then the above tweets were posted. At that exact point, I made the choice to harness Colin’s encouragement & words of inspiration and run with it. My goal, still to this day, is to improve my craft and strive to create content as well written & as informative as his. It’s not going to be easy but anything that’s worth it, very rarely is.

Colin, ‘The Pride of Long Island’; ‘Magnet Man’; ‘He Only Does Everything’; ‘Dos Colin’, you’ve produced some truly great work during your time at IGN and behalf of the IGN community, Thanks Punkhead.


Although they may receive a lot of criticism & hate, Greg & Colin continue to create & they continue to succeed. They are pillars of the Playstation Nation. They’ve helped build a community of passionate fans & become friends to those who go beyond (BEYOND!) the ideology of a gamer. They’ve pissed off some but inspired thousands more. They’ve written fantastic articles & features but now their time at IGN has come to a close. They move on to bigger & better things but their legacy with IGN will live on. It may be the end of an era at IGN but it’s also a beginning of a new one & the beginning of Greg & Colin’s next big adventure.

Greg & Colin, on behalf of the silent majority, thank you for your incredible work, coverage & most of all the memories. All the best in the future.


Greg:
Up At Noon with Greg Miller:


IGN Blog:


Podcast Beyond Episode 1:

Support:
Kinda Funny Website: http://www.kindafunny.com/