The PS Vita is without a doubt the greatest handheld gaming device ever created, no arguments. It’s got the functionality of a fully fledged home console whilst still being small and sleek enough to remain portable, as well as the physical controls to make gameplay feel natural and responsive. It even has a few decent games…
That’s where the greatness ends unfortunately. Now, I’m not saying the PS Vita has no games, but it has no recent big-hitters that appeal to a wide audience. Of course we’ve had the numerous games from Japan released in recent months, but where are the first-party and third-party games? Where’s the support?
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation remains my favourite title on the PS Vita, despite the HD re-release on the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, I always opt for the PS Vita version. It plays relatively well and is an enjoyable experience for the most part, and ever since I first finished the campaign I’ve longed for a sequel, or even a completely different Assassin’s Creed for the Vita. The same rings true with Uncharted: Golden Abyss and the abysmal Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified.
These big titles came without much fanfare from Sony or their respective publishers; Activision more or less ignored the existence of Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified when it released.
Instead the PS Vita has become the home of indie titles. That’s not a bad thing, indie games are great and I’ve enjoyed more than my fair share of Thomas Was Alone, Guacamelee and the like. However, 90% of these titles just don’t use the power of the PS Vita. The Vita was designed to be the home console on the move, so it’s only right to expect console quality content. Sony’s flagship started out well, but then we all lowered our expectations and just seemed to accept that 2D sidescrollers is all the Vita is fit for…
I know some will argue that the PS Vita can play PS4 games via Remote Play, which is fantastic (my toilet breaks have increased in length five-fold since,) but it’s not enough. Remote Play may actually be the reason we won’t be getting a new Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted or Call of Duty for the PS Vita. Why would a publisher invest the extra finance to create a game for the Vita when they can just release on the PS4 and have the game streamed to the Vita? If it was my money being invested, I know I’d go down that route.
So is the Vita done for? No. Sony just needs to acknowledge the device, market it better and grab the support of third-party developers, even if means footing the bill for games to be made. Consoles without AAA games just don’t sell.
Anyway, that’s just my opinion on the matter, in the mean time I’m going to smash through Killzone: Mercenaries. Still no platinum trophy for this hunter…
What AAA would you like to see come to the PS Vita? Let us know down in the comments section below.
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