Top 10 PS Vita Games So Far

Tough Times.

 Sony's PlayStation Vita had been through hard times, especially since its launch back on February 2012. The price was higher than that of its competitor, the Nintendo 3DS, the memory cards were (and still are) expensive, and even lacked major first-party games from Sony. However, three years after launch, the Vita slowly gained momentum with PS4 streaming, a slash in its price, a new model and console-like incarnation, and most importantly great games started to grace  the system. However, it has yet to reach Nintendo 3DS levels of sales to be considered a successful handheld for Sony. Nevertheless, the PS Vita has still a long way to go, and so far here are the top 10 Vita games to own if you're planning on purchasing one.


10 - PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (SuperBot Entertainment, SCE Santa Monica, Bluepoint Games)

 Sony's answer for Smash Bros.. PlayStation All-Stars features all of PlaySation's best going all-out in battle, in a Smash Bros. fashion. The gameplay is faced-paced and fluid, playing as Drake, Sly, Sackboy, and many more is neat and fan of those series's might enjoy it. Also, developer SuperBot Entertainment was created specifically for the game, and they did a great job with execution. Despite receiving a "Smash Bros. copycat", All-Stars Battle Royale is a must play for any PlayStation fan, fighting enthusiast, or PS Vita owner.

9- TxK (Liamasoft, Jeff Minter)

Upbeat, addicting, and stylish.

 Heavily borrowing some elements of Atari's Tempest, TxK is a modern take on it with cazy neon visuals and faced-paced gameply. Despite, being overwhelming at times, TxK is a fun and enjoyable shooter that fits the Vita. Its one of those simple pick up- and- play games that are worth a look. 

8 - Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster (Square Enix)

Spira revisited on the Vita.

 A remaster well-done of both Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 released in 2001 and 2003 respectively, that's looking great on the PS Vita. This Square Enix remaster tells the tales of Tidus, a famous "Blitzball" player, and Yuna, a summoner, as they journey to destroy the vile monster simply known as Sin. The games both have improved graphical improvements and audio changes, the JRPG gameplay holds up well and Final Fansaty X is still one of the series' best games. In terms of the Vita version, its just as great looking as its PS3 and PS4 counterparts, the games play and perform well. The PS Vita version is the ideal for those who wants to experience games on the go. 

7 - Muramasa Rebirth (Vanillaware)

Style, lots of it.

 Muramasa Rebirth is an enhanced port of the original game on the Wii released back in 2009. Rebirth is a faced-paced 2D hack-and-slash with tons of content. There are two campaigns to choose from, multiple endings for those campaigns, 108 swords to collect, and much more. Basically, you are in for a long treat if you're planning on playing Muramasa Rebirth. Thankfully its portable, so you can find all of the secrets in the games.

6 - Virtue's Last Reward (Spike Chunsoft)

Ally or betray?

 Serving as a sequel to the 2010 cult hit, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, the newest entry in the Zero Escape series, Virtue's Last Reward continues the story with new 3D character models, fully voiced characters, and obviously new perplexing puzzles to solve. It's a visual novel game, meaning there is a lot of story to it, one that's so good its best not to talk about because of spoilers. If you're looking for thriller-mystery game with heavy emphasis on story, then Virtue's Last Reward gets the job done.


5 - Gravity Rush (SCE Japan Studio)

Defy gravity in this neat adventure.

 Originally developed as a PS3 title, Gravity Rush stars the adventures of Kat, along with her black cat, a she manipulates gravity throughout the town of Hekseville. While the gravity mechanics may seem as complicated at first, its simple to get into as the missions progress. The cel-shaded visuals are crisp and clear on the Vita's screen as well as the soundtrack, which packs great tunes. Its a must-check for adventure fans and those looking for a good story, considering its replay-value.


4 - Freedom Wars (Dimps, SCE Japan Studio, Shift)

Fight for your freedom.

 Taking similar cues from the Monster Hunter series, Freedom Wars features a dystopian future with a good plot (though the gameplay is the star of the game). Speaking of gameplay, Freedom Wars plays differently from Monster Hunter. Taking a more action-oriented approach against enemies called "Abductors", you are tasked to eliminate them until you gain your freedom. There is a lot to talk about Freedom Wars, which I'll be giving a review soon.

   3 - Danganronpa 1&2 (Spike Chunsoft)

Beware the bear.

 There are many visual novel games on the Vita, some are good while others are bad. However, both Danganronpa games are considered among the best visual novel games and overall games on the PS Vita. The games follow high school students as they struggle and survive to find a way out from their despair infested high school run by a psychotic bear. 

 Taking some elements from the Ace Attorney series, Danganronpa 1&2 both offer a lot of variety in terms of gameplay and the fun-factor is guaranteed, if the visual novel genre is to your liking.

2 - Killzone Mercenary (Guerrilla Cambridge)

A shooter worth playing.

 After many lackluster shooters on the Vita, Killzone developer Guerrilla Cambridge finally released Killzone Mercenary, the best first-person shooter to land on the Vita. Using the modified Killzone 3 engine, the game runs smoothly and keeps the action going, and despite the very minor frame-rate drops, it still looks good. Killzone Mercenary is filled with replay-value with multiplayer, challenges, etc. even after you have finished the rather short campaign, its a must play if you're looking for shooter on the PS Vita.

1- Persona 4 Golden (Atlus)

The #1 reason to own a Vita.

 Persona 4 Golden was the reason I fell in love with the Vita. While its just a remake of the PS2 classic, developer Atlus took the time and effort to add many new features to Golden. Solving Inaba's bizarre killings again with new social links, events, and characters, make it a fresh, new experience for veterans and newcomers alike. Add in a few features to the gameplay such as new difficulty levels and dungeons and its a blast. Golden is a great chance for those who missed out on the 2008 original adventure to experience it for a great value on the portable Vita.


 These are the best PS Vita games to play so far and they are all essentials and must-owns if you're planning on purchasing a Vita or looking for some games on it. 

 Note: I'll be regularly updating the list as I play more games on the Vita, so until next time.