Of course it will be quite some time before the PlayStation 4 launch titles take center stage for WeView, so in the limelight for you this week is Killzone: Mercenary, which ties in quite nicely with the release of Shadow Fall, but is this the first person shooter the PS Vita deserves?
The game boasts a Metacritic score of 78 which makes it easily the highest scoring FPS on the Vita, where previous attempts were just poor, but it’s also one which divided opinion in reviews. It is without doubt a technical and graphical marvel on the handheld, with sumptuous visuals provided by the Killzone engine, ported over from the PS3 releases.
It sets you as Arran Danner, a mercenary for hire, fighting on both side of the Vektan-Helghan war. Every action you take earns you money, with which to buy new weapons and equipment, as you go on more covert and dangerous missions, rather than risking the regular frontline troops.
In terms of gameplay, it’s a solid shooter, which brings across much of the weighty feel and stylings that the Killzone games are renowned for. In addition to that familiar formula, it adds in some ties to the touchscreen controls which the Vita is capable of, with special VAN-Guard weapons and melee QTEs making use of them quite regularly. The VAN-Guard also sees an outing in the multiplayer, which brings a smaller scale 4v4 arena of battle to the handheld, while evolving and tweaking the rough Warzone formula which is at the heart of the home console games to accomodate the handheld game’s differences.
However it did draw flak in many reviews for being little more than a run-of-the-mill shooter. Solid game mechanics tied to a fairly straight forward plot, but nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing that really breaks beyond the familiar FPS formula.
In his review, Blair does raise an important point, though:
So, while Mercenary might not be the best shooter in the world, in its own field – as a handheld title – it’s almost perfect; there’s no other experience like this on a device as small as this. And, judging the game from that perspective, it’s an experience that will stick with you for a long time, much like GoldenEye, Call of Duty 4 and other revolutionary shooters have managed in the past, and one entirely worthy of its acclaim.
It’s for this reason, that the game is able to go toe to toe with those on more established platforms, that he awarded it an exceptional 10/10.
But now it’s time to hand over to you, and see what you think. Put down your thoughts in the comments section, and be sure to give the game either a Buy It, Sale It, Plus It or Avoid It rating. Get your thoughts in by Sunday evening and we’ll collate them in Monday’s verdict article.
element666
It’s a buy it from me! I just need to get round to playing it again :-)
phantom5813
buy it,play it,love it. as others have said, judge it on its own merits…it may not be as big as the console counterparts but as a fps crafted for a handheld system it is absolutely brilliant and well worth the money.
AddictedAndy
Buy it!
Solid mechanics, great visuals, and lots of replay value. It’s also a good extension of the universe and the Van-Guard is just damn good fun. This game is why I bought a Vita at launch. Just wish it had come a bit earlier. Don’t miss out!!
stueeeee
It’s a fantastic game for the Vita, and even if it was on ps3.
I was amazed by the first level with the graphics and situation , felt like it was a ps3 game. Very impressive. And the levels are pretty good all the way through IMO.
I enjoyed the single player a lot, and liked that your not just ISA again but a merc who sees both sides of it all. Added a different twist to it I thought.
But multi player appears to be where it’s at. Although a lot of people couldn’t get in to begin with, I had no problems except if I put vita in sleep mode and awake again without quitting the game. That can be annoying. But I find multi player healthily addictive. The money system, valour cards, trophies for online, all great stuff!
Buy it!
Greg Turner
I totally agree with the 10/10 TSA gave this – it is simply the best handheld shooter ever made. Nothing else comes close.
Dar-Kaus
I am on my 3rd run through of the game picking up the missed intel the first 2 times round and trying to get some of the more elusive trophies. It’s a blast of a game and one I think I’ll be playing for a long time yet as the replay value is high and rewarding, top of the list for must buy games for the Vita.
lambchop
I enjoyed the Beta of this very much. I did getting used to the movement on the little vita sticks took a little bit of getting used to though.
RadicalMave07
A great game,the best portable shooter,really liked the story and the multiplayer is really fun,definately a BUY IT