You can’t help but pity the poor PS Vita. The hand-held console was delivered by Sony in 2011 to much fanfare; at that year’s E3, Chairman Kaz Hirai read the teleprompter with as much faux enthusiasm as he could muster, declaring that “What you’ve come to know as NGP, or Next-Generation Portable, is officially named PlayStation Vita. So what does Vita mean? Vita means life.” But, like some illegitimate offspring, the Vita never seemed to get the follow-up support it needed from the company. Similar to the PSP Go and PS TV, the Vita seemed curiously abandoned by its parent right from the get-go, and the discussions about its impending death have raged ever since.
But don’t count out the Vita just yet. The console is still alive, amazingly, and is actually starting to win over a cult following. Why? Well it’s no secret that first-party support for the device has all but dried up, but third-party games, including small and indie titles, are finding a huge audience on it. And 2015 promises to be one of the biggest years ever. Can the PS Vita be saved? Well, these 5 titles coming in 2015 just might do it.
Persona 4: Dancing All Night – Releasing Q2 2015
I will admit that I am not normally a fan of rhythm games, but I am a huge fan of the Shin Megami Tensei (Persona) series. In fact, I love Persona 4 Golden so much, I think that game alone makes buying a PS Vita or PS TV worth the money. And Persona 4: Dancing All Night looks really cool. It is sort-of a sequel to Persona 4, in which you once again solve a mystery involving missing persons – but this time, the people you save are members of a J-Pop idol group. You engage in dance battles with the usual Shadows to a soundtrack created just for the game. If you played the previous games, you know that the music was one of the strengths of this series – so a music rhythm title actually makes a lot of sense – just maybe don’t have the volume turned up if you play this in a crowded public place.
Alone With You – Releasing Q4 2015
Alone With You is by the people who brought you Home, and the connection is noticeable. There is the same focus on exploration, and you once again have to work to piece together a slowly-unfolding story. Oh yeah, and it has similar old-school 16-bit-style graphics. If you liked Home as much as I did, then you’ll probably love this game – it promises an even deeper story, in which you must recreate dead colony members to help you achieve your goals, and give you information on just what happened. There is also apparently some “romance” involved too, which begs the question: if you recreate a dead person and then have sex with them, is that … uh, forget it. Moving on.
Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls – Releasing Q3 2015
A spinoff of the critically-acclaimed Danganronpa series, this installment is a third-person action game, rather than the usual visual novel with horror elements. It’s already been released in Japan and is a big hit over there, so there are big hopes for it when it arrives in North America. The graphics in this title look amazing, and it has the feel of a big AAA title, but shrunk down nicely for the PS Vita’s screen. The combination of sometimes-brutal violence and quirky humor might seem incongruous – it’s hard to process a cute fuzzy teddy bear who is also psychotic and wants to kill you – but Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls makes it work.
The Banner Saga – Releasing Q2 2015
If you have always dreamed of being a Viking – and patiently waiting while other people take their attacks – then this is the game for you! This turn-based RPG has already impressed a lot of people on other platforms, and it will soon arrive on the Vita. With sublime, hand-drawn visuals that make this as much a work of art as a game, playing The Banner Saga in the Vita will make you feel like you have died and gone to Valhalla. In addition to the beautiful look of the game, you will love the deep story, much of which you directly influence with your conversation choices as you play. Just don’t stop and stare too long at the gorgeous surroundings – this little fella has a surprisingly demanding combat mechanic that will bitch-slap you to Niflheim if you don’t pay attention.
Volume – Releasing Q2 2015
Do you love the Metal Gear Solid series? What a stupid question, of course you do – all good-hearted people love MGS. Then Volume will be one of your new favorite games when it comes out later this year on the Vita. Inspired by the stealth-action gameplay of the aforementioned series, Volume puts you in the shoes of a Robin Hood-like character who must pull off heists without being detected. You can’t kill enemies in Volume – you can only distract them with your various gadgets – so this game will really test your sneaking skills. One of the coolest features that Volume will have is a built-in level editor, allowing you to create your own heist scenarios, in a process that has been described as being much like building with Lego. So let’s sum up – Metal Gear Solid, stealth, Lego … other than a boss-battle with Darth Vader, you can’t ask for much more in a game.
So there you have it – five games coming out that will make 2015 one of the strongest years yet for the system-that-refuses-to-die, the PS Vita. What do you think? Does the Vita still have some fight left? Which Vita games are you excited for this year?