It may not be the hot seller Sony had hoped, but that doesn't negate the fact that PlayStation Vita is still very much a fantastic piece of portable gaming hardware, home to loads of great games. With a multitude of built-in features, plenty of power under the hood, and a gorgeous display, Sony's handheld truly offers a console-quality experience on the go. That said, it's also home to a number of unique indie games that round out its library nicely. Here are the 25 best titles money can buy on the powerful little device.
25. Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Last year's racer from Criterion Games is easily one of the finest in its genre, and very few compromises were made in bringing it to Sony's handheld. Most Wanted is a visual marvel, boasting blistering fast car chases, a massive city to explore, and some of the best car handling ever conceived. If you're a fan of racing games, this one is an absolute staple, especially is you're looking for a quick fix while on the go.
24. Lumines: Electronic Symphony
The Lumines titles are some of the most addictive puzzle games around. Despite being a block-based puzzler, Lumines: Electronic Symphony is absolutely stunning, thanks to some brilliant art direction and the Vita's vibrant screen. Couple that with an amazing soundtrack, and you'll find yourself lost within the experience for hours on end. If only the game supported an online multiplayer mode…
23. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend
Thanks to PlayStation Vita's excellent d-pad, fighting games are an absolute blast to play on the device. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend is easily one of the platform's best, with crisp visuals, responsive gameplay, and a cast of excellent and diverse fighters. It's got a fantastic soundtrack that fans of the franchise will instantly recognize, and serves as the perfect accompaniment to the super fast gameplay.
22. Escape Plan
Making excellent use of PlayStation Vita's touch functionality, Escape Plan from developer Fun Bits Interactive, offers one of the most creative and innovative experiences on the platform. With a bleak yet charming art style starring two unforgettable characters, it's hard not to love this game on the basis of its aesthetic alone. Thanks to some incredible puzzle design, it's actually quite fun to play too.
21. WipEout 2048
Despite offering one of the fastest racing experiences on the market, WipEout 2048 runs like butter on Sony's handheld, serving as a true testament to the device's power and the talent at the now closed Studio Liverpool. It's got a great online mode and excellent track design. Trust me, if you're a fan of racing games of this ilk, you'll be hooked on 2048 for hours upon end.
20. Unit 13
This third-person shooter from Zipper Interactive is an underrated gem. It unsurprisingly plays strikingly similar to the SOCOM games and rewards gamers who take a thoughtful and tactical approach. Its mission structure is also set up perfectly for gaming on the go. Those looking for quick bursts of intense action-packed fun will find plenty of value in Unit 13.
19. Hot Shots Golf World Invitational
The Hot Shots Golf games are known for their lighthearted fun and cute art style, both of which translate perfectly to PlayStation Vita in World Invitational. Better yet, it boasts a solid online multiplayer option, plenty of goodies to unlock, and lots of challenges that will have you swinging that club for hours on end. If you're a fan of golfing games, or even if you're not, this charming sports game is worth a look.
18. Velocity Ultra
This stellar high-definition remake of Velocity serves up one of the best portable shoot 'em up experiences around. In the game, you are tasked with rescuing ships, all the while blowing stuff up, navigating around obstacles, and teleporting like crazy. It's incredibly designed and thanks to the improved visuals, looks absolutely great on Vita's gorgeous display.
Who says you can't have an epic, console-like experience on the go? Uncharted: Golden Abyss serves up a fully-fledged action adventure on par with the Naughty Dog-developed console entries. The visuals are absolutely stunning, the set piece moments are everything you could hope for, and the dual sticks make the combat and platforming a breeze. With added touch functionality, there are plenty of other control options as well, which is never a bad thing.
16. Sound Shapes
Musical platforming may sound like a weird concept at first, but the ingenious game that is Sound Shapes proves that it very much is a great way to kill a few hours. Jumping and sticking to surfaces, collecting little musical orbs along the way, all the while listening to an incredible soundtrack, is nothing short of euphoric. The art style is great too. Simple, but incredibly creative.
15. Flower
While thatgamecompany's Journey is undoubtedly the greatest experience the studio has created thus far, Jenova Chen and his team likely wouldn't have ever dreamed it up if they first hadn't developed flower. A game that features absolutely no violence and takes full use of the console's Sixaxis controls, flower is a serene experience that imbues you with a sense of peace. It's abstract, gorgeous, and emotional all at the same time.
14. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
This Chunsoft-developed adventure game is unlike anything you've ever experienced on a Nintendo handheld. It's incredibly dark and mature, serving up a disturbing and deep story that isn't for the faint of heart. If you appreciate games for their narratives and can do without all of the gameplay frills, then Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward will serve up an experience you won't soon forget.
13. Guacamelee!
This stellar action platformer is one that fans of Metroid and Castlevania must play. It harkens back to those old-school 2D platformers, while still serving up an experience that is wholly unique with an identity of its own. There are plenty of hidden power-ups and goodies hidden within the expertly crafted levels, and the pitch-perfect gameplay makes traversing each level an absolute joy. It's just a shame this hilarious game ends too quickly.
If you've ever played a Super Stardust game, you don't really need me to explain to you why Delta is so high on our PS Vita list. With insanely addictive gameplay, a visual style that really pops on the Vita's OLED display, and some excellent music, it's scary how easy it is to sink countless hours into this game. The fact that Sony's handheld has a second analog stick only makes the experience all the more compelling.
If you're longing for an experience that isn't afraid of indulging in retro-fueled references over and over… and over again, Retro City Rampage is the game for you. With so many callbacks to games and properties from so many years ago, it serves up the ultimate nostalgia trip. It's got an insane narrative and plays like the earliest top-down Grand Theft Auto games. Having the ability to bring this wonderfully wacky action game with you wherever you go can't be understated.
10. Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
The Assassin's Creed games have gone on to become a staple franchise in this industry, and the series finally made the jump to handhelds with Liberation. Serving up a stellar experience that made little compromises in its transition to Vita, Liberation is not only a visual and gameplay achievement, but it also stars a powerful female protagonist.
The first-person shooter genre never fit particularly well on a handheld… until Killzone Mercenary came onto the scene. Taking full advantage of PlayStation's Vita's incredible power and dual sticks, this portable shooter succeeded where games like Resistance: Burning Skies and Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified failed. If you're looking for a solid FPS on the go, this is undoubtedly your best option.
8. Tearaway
The game that perhaps makes the very best use of nearly all the bells and whistles packed into Vita has got to be Media Molecule's charming little adventure, Tearaway. Seriously, this game will have you grinning from ear to ear in childlike wonder as you tap along the device's rear touch to see your finger tear through the paper world. It's insanely creative and even more charming than LBP, if you can believe that.
Those looking for a work of visual splendor for their Vita simply have to purchase Muramasa Rebirth. This excellent action role-playing game re-designed to take advantage of Sony's handheld hardware is an absolute joy to look at and play. There are loads of different weapons and attacks you can acquire to take down your enemies, which are incredibly detailed and varied in their own right.
Keiji Inafune, the brilliant mind behind Mega Man, decided to make a dark and gripping Monster Hunter-inspired experience for PlayStation Vita called Soul Sacrifice. The result is a twisted action game that offers one of the deepest gameplay experiences you'll find on the platform. It's got a great story, an incredible co-op component, and some of the best audio around.
This indie darling may be available on plenty of other platforms, but having the ability to play Hotline Miami on the go makes the Vita version one of the best ways to experience Dennaton Games' disturbingly dark action game. It's got that old-school challenge and aesthetic, and thanks to some brilliant design decisions, the two marry together to create an experience that is greater than the sum of its parts.
You'll be hard pressed to find many better role-playing titles for PlayStation Vita than Ys: Memories of Celceta. With a deep and engrossing story, stellar gameplay mechanics, and characters you won't soon forget, this JRPG is one that will go down in history as a one of the best experiences on the platform. It's also mind-numbingly gorgeous. Seriously, if you have any affinity toward role-playing games, you must give this one a look.
3. Gravity Rush
This insanely unique action game is an absolute staple for every Vita owner. With awesome and incredibly inventive gravity-based gameplay, you simply won't find another experience out there quite like it, across any platform. Once you wrap your head around the controls, it's an absolute blast to play, and the story and visuals only enhance that level of immersion.
With a stunningly beautiful hand-drawn art style, Dragon's Crown is easily one of the best visual showpieces for Sony's handheld. Sure, some of the characters may have overly exaggerated physiques, but that aside, the overall character and environmental design is absolutely jaw-dropping. It's also got a really rewarding combat system that plays astoundingly well.
Who would have thought a glorified PlayStation 2 port would make its way to the very top of our list? The fact of the matter is that P4G is without a doubt the very best experience available on PlayStation Vita. It's a vastly improved port of the beloved high school-centric RPG from Atlus, with one of the greatest casts of characters around. The story is absolutely fantastic and will stick with you for quite some time after the 80+ hour experience is all said and done. There's no better game you can buy for your Vita. Period.
What do you think of our picks? Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below.
