As far as I’m concerned, I’ve perfected one of Unit 13’s early levels enough to finally move on. It’s a stealthy one, and probably only lasts a few minutes, but I can now get in and out without anyone even noticing me, let alone me having to off them with my silenced pistol. I’ve played it a dozen times, and got better every single time I tried it.
To some, that won’t mean anything at all, but I’m the sort of person that normally beats a level then happily skips onto the next without ever thinking about going back. Race games, sure, I’ll try and beat my time for a few laps, but third person shooters? No. Shoot, kill, next.
But Unit 13 is different. By making everything score-based (think few year old console game The Club) and then immediately ranking your progress with a star rating and the scores of everyone around you (literally, it uses Near) and beyond in several ranked leaderboards, the compulsion to go back and better yourself is almost irresistible.
[drop2]But behind all the popping-up of numbers, the combo meter and (frequently) a timer, Unit 13 is underpinned by some neat level design and a structure that absolutely fits the Vita and portable play. Throughout the game’s 36 main levels there’s plenty of variety and challenge, even though there’s considerable re-use of the locations.See, there’s not actually that many areas to the game, but they’re constantly connected differently and approached with considerable change of pace and direction for each mission, making them familiar but never over-used. And as the difficulty ramps up (from ‘easy’ to ‘specialist’) your mastery of each section also improves, by the end you’ll know every last inch.
Until then, the game’s smooth difficulty curve expects little except your co-operation, easing you in with ‘short’ missions (the game lets you know how long each one is before you start) and easier targets. Finishing a mission opens up new ones, harder ones, ones with timers and specific enemies to down. Ones you’ll want to play again and again.
It’s really, really good.
Aside from a couple of slightly kooky aiming issue that we hope will be patched out before release – please, Zipper, get rid of the silly right-stick acceleration, and the lack of gyro aiming seems baffling after Uncharted did it so well – the game controls brilliantly. Up the aiming speed with the sliders and the game feels natural and swift, the Vita’s buttons mapping perfectly.
Even up against multiple enemies, you never feel like you’re not in complete control and – if you’re good enough – completely bad ass. Circle snaps to cover, triggers to aim and shoot, tap a button for iron sights, tap another to reload. The more you play a level, the more you learn, and the more hardcore the game makes you feel.
It’s a constantly rewarding experience, one that offers up a progressive RPG-like leveling system for each of the game’s selectable characters (for new weapons and abilities) and – as you gain stars – access to one-off high profile assassinations and other neat side-missions. There’s even a daily mission which swaps out every twenty four hours, with leaderboards.
The icing on the cake? The ability to play co-op with another player over the internet: nothing feels better than two of you going at a mission, it’s remarkably good fun and if you’re both decent then it’s really enjoyable. The game looks and sounds great too, with nice lighting effects, nicely high resolution textures and a smooth framerate.
But more than anything it’s clear that this is a game that’s designed for the ground up for the Vita and understands exactly how to make a game like this work for both short periods of time and extended sessions equally well. It’s bite-sized, sure, but you can quite happily spend a couple of hours with it before you’ve realised. And then somebody beats your score…
What makes a good mobile third person shooter? Ask Zipper, it looks like they’ve nailed it.
Full review soon.
colmshan1990
I’m going to find somebody with the attitude of gaming is for babies, and make them mind my money, or I’m not going to be to afford the train to college anymore…
Burgess_101
Where is all the competitive online going? I am tempted due to the co-op though. I just still wish Uncharted had online.
Kivi95
Well there is Wipeout 2048 and in May Resistance is going to release. I guess as most games on launch don’t have too much time to devolpe(I know I have not spelled that right) there games they want to focus on the singelplayer.
Burgess_101
Well Wipeout I dont really like and Resistance is terrible IMO. I dont really know if I count a supposed lack of development time as a reason. I have FIFA thats it really. Ah well like you say its only launch.
B1ack_Magic
Everybody’s Golf has online multiplayer too.
Pesico
I’ve been so stoked for this game lately, and I can’t say I’m any less stoked about the game now. The way you describe it, is the way I want to feel about this game when I get it.
uncleniccius
Once Gravity Rush and this are out, i’ll be set for life :D
aerobes
Sounds very more-ish, really well put together and especially ideal for the Vita.
This is exactly the sort of thing I’ve been moaning about. Games made /for/ the Vita, not just shrunken PS3 games. If I decide to get one, this will definitely be a game I’ll look at very closely. Nice one, Zipper!
JohnnyBoy
After Unchartered this was the one Vita game I was really looking forward to, the only problem was lack of information about it anywhere. But thanks to TSA I’m going to order it NOW!!!
Why do you keep costing me money???
mypetfrog
So is it DEF only out March 9th? Loads of retailers still saying 22nd Feb! Plus it appeared on an email from Sony yesterdy going on about Vita and I thought it strange they’d be trying to push a non-launch day title?
nofi
Yes, this isn’t a launch title.
mypetfrog
Ah, scratch that… Sony link working now and says 7th March. Boooo! Are all Vita launches going to be Wednesdays? That’s a bit odd for the UK isn’t it?
nofi
I guess it’s to tie in with PSN Store updates?
Omac_brother
Already got my pre-order in. Except its with GAME…
kjkg
Hmmm, I might actually get this now. Starting to run out of money now.