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    2014-05-30

    Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Announced For Vita

    Warner Brother Games has officially announced that they will be bringing Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham to the Playstation Vita! The game was developed by Travellers Tales.

    In Lego Batman 3 players are tasked with teaming up with the Justice League to take down the evil Braniac in space. The game will include the usual brick smashing fun that is to be expected with Lego Games. Lego Batman 3 is also said to have a nice bit of exploration, however the Vita version of Lego games are often downsized. Only time will tell how this game turns out.

    Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will launch some time this Fall on the PS Vita. We will keep everyone update on any new developments.

    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!

    The Ratchet and Clank Trilogy Has Officially Been Annouced For The PS Vita

    After several different leaks and rumors surrounding the game, Sony and Mass Media have officially decided to announce that The Ratchet and Clank Trilogy will make its way to the Vita.

    Insomniac Game's James Stevenson said
    “Since the HD trilogy was released, one of the biggest requests from many of you was for a version of the Trilogy to come to PlayStation Vita. We’ve heard you loud and clear, and thanks to Sony and Mass Media, the Ratchet & Clank HD Trilogy will be something you can play on the go from 2nd July ”  
     
    The game will release in Europe with a price of 29.99 euros on July 2nd, and the following week in Australia. The game should make its way to North America shortly after that, just like The Sly Collection. We will keep you update on any further details.
     
    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!

    PS Vita Playstation Store Sneak Peek For June 3rd

    Each tuesday the playstation store updates and brings us many new games to enjoy. Therefore each week we will bring you a sneak peak of the games to come for the Vita. Keep in mind this is for North American Vitas only and the news is subject to change.

    June 2nd PS Vita Releases- 



    1001 Spikes- 1001 Spikes is a 2D platformer that claims to possibly be the most challenging game to come to the Vita this year. The player has only 1001 lives to complete the extremely challenging platformer that has a hint of Spelunky about it. 1001 Spikes also has co-op and versus multiplayer!
    PS Vita Pets- Playstation Vita Pets is the first pet simulator to launch on the Vita. However this is not like any other pet simulator. In PS Vita Pets players can pick from four different puppies, raise the puppy a little, and then venture out onto the island is search for a lost King and his puppy. Oh, and these dogs can also talk.... so yeah theres that.
     

    Hyperdimension Neptunia PP- HyperDimension Neptunia is a RPG in which players are tasked with being a producer. Players will have to help singers to become pop-stars, by managing things such as vocal training, and dance training. The assumption is that this game will cost $29.99, however the price has not been announced.
    2014-05-28

    Steel Wool Games Announces FlyHunter Origins


    The "Pixar Legends" Steel Wool Games have announced their new title "Flyhunter Origins" will be making its way to the PS Vita very soon. This news comes via a press release from the amazing Ripstone Games, who will be publishing the title for Steel Wool Games.

    In Flyhunter Origins players take on the role of Zak, an alien spaceship janitor who wants nothing more than to be a flyhunter. Well when the extremely precious cargo of exotic insects is somehow accidentally sent shooting off into space, it is up to Zak to save the day and collect the cargo. Your job is to help him complete his mission before "the investors" discover their cargo is missing.

    Flyhunter Origins launches this summer on many devices including the ps vita. The games price has yet to be announced. Stay tuned for more details as they arise.

    Follow us on twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!
    2014-05-23

    PS Vita Playstation Store Sneak Peek For May 27th

    Each tuesday the playstation store updates and brings us many new games to enjoy. Therefore each week we will bring you a sneak peak of the games to come for the Vita. Keep in mind this is for North American Vitas only and the news is subject to change.


    May 27th PS Vita Releases-

    Sly Cooper Collection- The Sly Collection will be making its way to North America this week after appearing in Europe several weeks ago. The bundle includes the first three original Sly Cooper games, which includes Sly Cooper and The Thievius Raccoonus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves.

    Mind Zero- Mind Zero is a first person dungeon crawler where players are tasked with fighting with their MINDs. Players take on the role of Kei, who is a normal high school student until he comes into contact with a MIND. Kei will need to discover the secret of his MIND before it is too late, because the government is searching for him.

    Monster Monpiece- Monster Monpiece is a card battle game. Players are tasked with playing in a world called Yafaniel where humans and "monster girls" co-exsist. You play as a character named Elza who travels the world in attempt to save her friend, and thus save the world.
     
    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!
    2014-05-22

    Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto Vita

    Rockstar games sent out A tweet announcing Grand Theft Auto for the ps vita. The announcement came early this afternoon (5/22/2014). 

    The tweet announced that Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories will be remastered and making their way to the Vita very soon. Let us know what you think in the comments below. 

    The picture comes via @JH_Boos on twitter.




    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!

    Minecraft PS Vita Release Date Announced

    Mojang has finally given us details of the long awaited Playstation Vita version of Minecraft. They released all of these details earlier today in a post, after having given us many hints over the last few weeks.

    Minecraft Ps Vita will release in August with a price of $19.99! Even better, the game will implement cross-buy with the PS3 version of the game. The Vita version will be the exact same as the version on the PS3. The game will also include cross-save, allowing for players to build a structure on the PS3, save, and continue building on the Vita.

    Let us know what you think of this huge news in the comments below!

    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!
    2014-05-21

    The Walking Dead: Season 1 Review


        As I write this, Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead just released issue 127 of the comic series. With reprints, trade paperback, and even a television show, the zombie craze has allowed The Walking Dead name to be recognized by a much larger audience than just comic fans. It was only a matter of time before someone would make a game of the increasingly popular franchise. When it was Telltale that stepped forward with the announcement that they would be  handling the game, there were all around mixed views. Their previous game, Back to the Future, got lukewarm  reception, while Jurassic Park did not fair as well. The game was released in 2012 for various platforms including the PS3, Xbox360, and ios devices with great reviews. It later found it's way to the PS Vita, and in my opinion, it's one of the best platforms to experience it on. Grab some headphones, turn off the lights, power up your Vita and get ready to experience one of the most thrilling adventures the system has to offer.



    Gameplay- 9/10 The Walking Dead game is what you would call a graphic adventure. There are a lot of QTE like situations, decision making, and exploring different environments, it's kind of a new age point and click/choose your own adventure game. The choices you make actually matter in this game(well, most of them), determining what will happen next, and at times,even who lives and dies. How you treat people will determine who will be there to help you in the time of need, and who won't be so quick to respond. Some choices have immediate results, and certain decisions even carry over to later episodes, making them all the more important. You aren't given much time to make them either, so you have to think quick, sometimes under great pressure. It's something that I really enjoyed about this game, the feeling of almost freezing up at times with all that is happening around you, cause it can get hectic. Walking around environments, which can either be done by touch screen or use of the analog, allows you to click on items and people to investigate or speak. All of those actions, including the choices made in conversations, are mapped to the Vita's touch controls, and it works wonderfully. This game was, for the most part, made for a touch interface, and I feel it's what makes this version better than the console ones. I actually began playing this game on a PS3, all the way up to episode 3. As much as I loved it, the controls just never felt comfortable, resulting in "game over" more than a few times. It all just feels much more responsive on the Vita, though there were a few instances where I swear I did the correct swipe, or was certain I tapped the screen at the correct time, yet I died, but these easily could have been my fault, and the checkpoint system is pretty generous, so it didn't matter too much. One thing that did bother me though, was that second analog just sitting there being unused. Camera control or "looking around" is done by touch screen. While it does work, being able to adjust your view using that second analog stick everybody begged for, would have been real nice. Still, the game is very playable as is, that's just me being picky.



    Story-10/10 This game is based on the world from the comicbook and not the television series. It is separated into five episodes all taking about two to a little over three hours to complete, depending on how you play. You play as Lee Everett, a man recently convicted of murder. While being transported to prison, the outbreak is just beginning, and a related accident sets the story into motion. You soon meet up with Clementine, a young girl who has found herself all alone during this horrific event. Not having the heart to tell her that her parents probably will not be coming home again, Lee sees it as his responsibility to look after her for the time being. Lee and Clementine set out to escape this nightmare and seek safety, beginning your adventure in The Walking Dead. Throughout your journey you will meet new friends, come across and even make enemies, witness death first hand, and experience some unspeakable events, both from the undead and the survivors. When all is said and done, The Walking Dead's story is what will keep you playing to see how all of it will end, and while I won't spoil anything, I will say it is one memorable ending. There is also a sixth stand-alone episode included in season 1, titled 400 Days. It follows the story of 5 different characters, all at different times during the breakout. Each of these stories are fairly short and can be completed in any order, with a wrap up story to tie it together. It's included in your purchase on the Vita, and is just as enjoyable. I'm a fan of the comic, and I feel one of the main reasons The Walking Dead has lasted so long is because of it's story, and this game was written with much respect to that fact. The undead are quite a problem, obviously, but this series has always done an outstanding job at focusing on the more intelligent threat. That being what becomes of the human psyche after such a catastrophic event. Cannibalism, rape, murder, twisted new world orders, some of the worst, most unspeakable acts that mankind is capable of, this series has never shied away from confronting these subjects and more. The translation into a game is no different, they didn't hold back. While most zombie games are just shooters that happen to have zombies in them, this game is so much more. There are times when I had to pause and set the Vita down, just to fully take in everything that just occurred. The story will have you actually disliking certain people, but more importantly, caring about others. It will affect you as people die, and not in the cheap videogame way of forcing you to take notice and develop feelings for certain characters only. It's all your choice whether to build better friendships or not, who you will get attached to, or who you will act negative upon. Each character has their own way of dealing with what is happening, and some of them you just won't agree with. Nobody is perfect, even Lee himself isn't your typical "hero" character. 
        The idea of zombies, themselves, isn't really that scary. In fact, they always seem kind of like a joke, especially when not in large numbers. It's the feeling the threat can invoke though, and a great zombie story knows that. It's the thought of your little brother, your wife of 20 years, the people you care about getting bitten, knowing what is going to happen. It's the horror of watching your mother or father being eaten alive, it triggers an emotion, something unthinkable, unimaginable. Nothing in this game portrays that better than the feelings you will develop for young Clementine. She is, perhaps, the best done child to ever grace a videogame in my opinion. I have no kids, but the feeling I had to protect this child was unreal. Hearing her scream, cry out in fear, stopped me dead in my tracks, quickly scrambling to figure out how to rescue her. It is something I have never felt in a game before. Something as little as responding to her in a way that made her feel uneasy or frightened made you feel bad, wishing you could make that last choice over. Simply put, outside of RPG's, games rarely contain a story this thought out and well written. There are times when it could be considered slow, but it works well with the game, feeling more like a time to relax a bit before the next heart pounding, game changing event.
        While all of this doesn't hold true as much in 400 Days, you will still find yourself feeling a bit of all of these emotions, just not as deep. With each of the 5 stories being very short, you won't have the time to connect with the characters presented to you like you were able to in the main game. You still have the choices that you must make quickly, and those choices do still have consequences, but without the time to develop any real affection towards anybody, those consequences just don't have the same weight. It's all just as enjoyable to experience, and I liked 400 Days very much. It was a different feeling though, being tossed in situations without much back story, it made your choices uncertain, not really knowing any of the characters around you. From survivors holding up in a diner, to ex-convicts, you are forced to just kind of "wing it" and hope for the best. It's a more instinctive type of game, will you agree with that person because she is attractive, maybe side with an elderly person because he reminds you of your grandpa, it's a separate experience that feels different and holds it's own.   


    Replay- 7/10 Whether or not you care to see the various outcomes of making different choices throughout the game ultimately determines the replay factor, at least the immediate one. I, myself, played through the game twice and enjoyed it both times. There are many different choices and outcomes depending on them, if you care to see them all. Other than that, there isn't much reason to play it again, besides the experience. The trophies are all unlocked as you play through the chapters(easy platinum) and there aren't any hidden or bonus trophies in the main game. 400 Days does have a few you might not get the first time through, but the problem with this is you have to keep the entire game on the Vita just to play it. With memory cards being so pricey, and space being a valuable thing on the system, it's a fairly large game to keep on it just to play one part. That being said, I did find it much easier to replay 400 Days, with the stories being shorter and a bit more self containing. The great part is, you can play, or replay, the episodes in any order, picking and choosing as you like. So if you just wanted to experience a certain part of the game again, you can freely do just that. It should be noted though, you can not skip anything. Cutscenes, dialog, even the beginning recap of the previous episode, everything must be played out, there is no way to skip through them. If not right away, this is definitely one of those games you will wake up someday in the future and want to play again, and that makes it a keeper.



    Graphics/Sound- 8/10
    The game has that Telltale look, a bit cartoony, hand drawn graphics. That doesn't mean they shied away from blood and gore though, by the end of the game, main character Lee looks like he just stepped out of a Die Hard movie. The zombies come across as creepy, and they will be tearing various people to pieces, this is definitely a mature title. The game is all really well drawn, with the characters noticeably loosing weight, and looking quite a bit unclean as the game progresses. The various environments are all gorgeous, whether it be a destroyed town or a abandoned mansion. Everything just looks right, like something definitely happen. There are plenty of times you will walk into someplace and just think, "whoa, I do not want to know what happened here." Things like flies buzzing around, blood stains and trails, and scattered trash and debris all add that all important detail needed in a game like this. There are some parts where the animation becomes choppy, with the game itself kind of clipping, but I also found this to happen in the PS3 version. This game in no way pushes the Vita graphically, but what is here is all done beautifully. The sound is also just as impressive, with every line of dialog being spoken, and the cast did a spectacular job. There are no outlandish or overly done stereotypes, even the most annoying of characters are well voiced. All the sound effects are appropriate(I was going to say, dead on) and the soundtrack is outstanding. Moments of tense action, scenes of heroic sacrifice or losing someone you came to know as a friend are all made even more emotional by the chilling score supporting the scenes.



        One of the main flaws of this game is not even the game's fault, and is why I didn't mention it in any of the previous scoring sections. It's the fact that the Vita's screen dims so quickly when there is no "activity". This happens in any game with longer dialog or cutscenes. You will find yourself continually tapping the analog, or gently touching the screen during conversations and movie type events just to keep the screen lit. It's not game breaking, but it is annoying, and I wish Sony would address this problem. Again, this is not the game's fault and it shouldn't, in any way, be held against it, but I do feel it is worth mentioning because of the number of times it will occur. The Walking Dead is simply a must have game. I found it very difficult to find much flaw in the experience of playing through it. The few times it could be considered slow, actually adds to the game. Like I mentioned previously, it feels like a much needed down time, like a roller coaster ride. After going through five death drops and four 360 degree loops, it's nice to have a slow period for a bit before the next heart pounding climb. The few instances of choppiness is found in other versions as well, and can't be counted against this one alone. The amount of gameplay and the time it will take to complete, not to mention the curiosity of "what else could have happened if I made a different choice", to inspire at least a second replay at sometime, all make this well worth the price. The added 400 Days story is just icing on this sweet cake. I cannot recommend this game enough. With season 2 just being released, you will have quite a story to experience, one of the best, well written stories a gamer could ask for. It's a zombie game that's about more than mindless shooting, covering the aspect of what it might be like to survive in an event like this. It's a nice change too, besides this, State of Decay, and a few others, there aren't many zombie games willing to explore more than blasting heads off.  I am not a fan of these QTE, clicking around the screen type games usually, but I am so glad I gave this one a shot, it offered me an experience that very few games are capable of giving. With the touch controls, everything just felt smooth, as I would have never finished it on the PS3. This is the perfect game for the PS Vita, and should be in everybody's library. Walking Dead fan or not, I highly recommend picking this game up.


    Gameplay- 9/10
    Story- 10/10
    Replay- 7/10
    Graphics/Sound- 8/10
    Overall- 9/10

    "Hunger" Announced By LBP PS Vita Developers

    Tarsier Studios, the developers of Little Big Planet PS Vita, has announced their new IP "Hunger". The game has not been officially announced for the playstation vita, however due to Tarsier's history it is very likely the game could make an appearance on the Vita.

    In Hunger players take on the role of a nine-year old girl who is kidnapped and taken to an underwater resort where she is forced to work as a slave for the powerful elite. The game implements exploration and stealth elements into a 3D action adventure game.
     
    The game has not been announced for any systems yet. However we felt due to the high quality content that Tarsier Studios produces we should keep an eye on this. We will keep everyone updated on any new details that may arise.
     
    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!
    
    2014-05-20

    Child Of Light Coming To The PS Vita Very Soon

    Ubisoft has announced on their official blog that they will be bringing Child of Light to the playstation vita. The game was announced earlier today, and is said to be coming due to the overwhelming number of Vita owners who have asked for the game to make a showing on the Vita.

    In Child of Light players take the role of Aurora, a girl who wakes up in a strange land with the goal of returning home. The game received raving reviews for the original versions.

    Child of Light will release July 1st on the playstation vita. Ubisoft also announced that the price will be set at $14.99 and will be a digital only release. Let us know what you think of the game in the comments below.

    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!
    2014-05-19

    Minecraft PS Vita Listing Appears on Amazon

    A listing for a physical copy of minecraft ps vita has officially appeared on the UK Amazon. The listing allows customers to pre-order their copy for only 13.99 euros. This could potentially mean that Minecraft is nearing release for the ps vita. However, often times companies like Amazon put up a pre-order page with the option of receiving the game on release date, even if the release date is months away.
    What do think of this, let us know in the comments below.

    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news, and game giveaways.
    2014-05-16

    Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse Episode 1 Review

    
    
    In 1996 the Broken Sword franchise was introduced to the world. A classic point and click type adventure, it must have gained quite a following. I say this because this latest adventure was saved by raising funds from both Kickstarter and Paypal, over $823,000 in funds to be exact. Topping several charts for one of the most anticipated games of 2013, there were many people who looked forward to this game's release. Past entries in the series have all been fairly well praised and are looked upon quite fondly by fans all over. Five sequels, a few remakes, and some switching back and forth with graphic styles and gameplay, the Broken Sword series has finally found it's way to the PS Vita with the release of Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse. With it's vibrant screen and touch interface, the PS Vita seems like a perfect choice for such a game, and in many ways it is. Unfortunately, while a good game, there are a few issues holding it back and it leaves you wondering where all that money went to.


    Gameplay- 5/10 Throughout the game you will take control of series' stars George Stobbart and Nicole Collard as they try and solve a murder and catch an art thief. While games such as The Walking Dead and Danganronpa have reinvented the feel of these types of games, the gameplay here definitely has an old school point and click feel. Any fan of classic PC games will feel right at home here, well, besides the controls. Unlike most Vita games, you have no choice in the control inputs, it's all done by the touch screen. The only thing the buttons do is scroll through text faster. That means walking, interacting, and going through menus are all done by touch interface. For the most part it's not a huge problem, but the type of touch screen the Vita uses is not known for it's precision. You slide your finger around the screen searching for little blue pulsing circles, which indicate you can interact with an object or person. Many times these are cluttered together very closely and tapping the one you are aiming for can sometimes be difficult. Maybe it was my fat finger, but I found this interface very clunky at times, making me wishing I had a stylus. Walking around is as simple as tapping on the screen where you wish to move to. There were many times I was trying to interact with something but accidentally just kept moving my character around, and they tend to stand in the way and block your view. As you travel from location to location you will come across several items your character will put into their inventory for later use. Tapping this inventory(represented by a suitcase icon) will allow you to drag an item around to use onscreen or combine two items together by dragging them into each other. These items will also be used to activate specific conversations when interacting with NPC's. This menu also allows you to save/load, and access the all important hint icon. The majority of this game consists of searching areas and solving puzzles. Anyone who doesn't play these types of games often may find some of the puzzles and situations pretty tricky. Don't get me wrong, that's a good thing, for the most part, it's the only challenge in the game. While there are a number of brain teasers, there are also times where the game is just confusing, not quite being clear on what you are expected to do or not being able to activate the next event because you haven't fulfilled the necessary requirements. This is where the hint option becomes extremely handy. It allows you to just get a vague hint of your next objective, or you can choose just to have it straight up tell you what to do. You have the option of turning this feature off if you really want the challenge, but I personally found it very helpful. While the games description does remark that your character can die or fail at certain times, I found no instance where this happened. The entire game is simply trial and error, and it seems there are no real consequences for mistakes, regardless of the above mentioned description. The game may insinuate a sense of urgency at times, such as finding the right clues before someone discovers you, but it's all a facade. As far as I can tell, nothing will happen until you correctly gather all the necessary clues to activate the next scene. The same goes for items, as using an incorrect item at the wrong time merely gets you a snide remark. You are free to continue until you stumble across the correct choice. With some of the more confusing puzzles, I just found it easier, and a lot less time consuming to just spam the hint option. Some may find this "cheating", but this game tends to leave you more than often confused as to what exactly your goal is with little to no explanation. All in all, I found the game to play and control awkward, leaving you with the feeling of uncertainty at times. The touch controls in no way make the game unplayable, but I would have liked the option of having an analog controlled pointer, as it would have helped some of the investigating sequences feel a bit more precise, as tapping the screen can feel clumsy at times.


    Story- 6/10 The story offers quite a intriguing mystery involving murder and theft. After a brief intro movie(which you have the option to skip), you will find yourself in a small art gallery exhibit in the shoes of George Stobbart. After the gallery is suddenly robbed of a single painting and the owner shot dead, it is up to you to unravel this murder mystery and find the stolen piece of art. With the help of "Nico", Nicole Collard, you will both traverse a number of locations around London, looking for clues and questioning suspects in order to piece this case together. As you progress you will find yourself dealing with a bumbling detective, questioning shady characters, searching seedy locations, and meeting up with friends both old and new. The story does a fairly good job at bringing all of this together, and tries it's best to include humor and suspense. It's quite linear, and even though you are, at times, given an option of where to go next, nothing will progress until you complete the part that the game wants you to complete. There's nothing wrong with this, as a mystery, being allowed to stray too far would only add confusion. While I found the game to start out very slow, it does pick up toward the end, though not by much. One of the biggest problems I had with this game was the cliffhanger. This is a two part game, though nowhere in the title does it say "Part 1", so if you are not familiar with it you would never know. The whole experience ends with the feeling that it was just a long, drawn out prologue. Still, as far as mysteries go, this game has all the necessary parts including, clues, twists, and multiple suspects. It's all up to you to find everything and put the pieces of the puzzle together, the plot unfolds very nicely, albeit a bit slow.



    Replay- 2/10 As far as reasons to want to play through multiple times, there are none besides 2-3 trophies you might miss. One of those trophies can be missed due to a bug, and it happened to me. Apparently, it's completely random whether you'll get it or not, and as of this being written, there is no way around it besides a smart save right before the scene and replaying it until you get it. Does that make me want to play through it again just to grab that last trophy? Not at all. There are no branching paths, nothing you can do differently, and there is only one correct answer for every scenario. The story is just too slow, and having to deal with the tasks more than once would just be tedious, especially since nothing changes. The game is bare bones, no extra modes, mini games, or features, it gives you no reason to keep it after completing.


    Graphics/Sound- 6/10
    Graphically, the game is set in a static world with 3-D character models that are pre-rendered as 2-D sprites, and while it is all very nice and colorful to look at, the character animations leave a lot to be desired. All of the background are like paintings, and even though there are only a few settings in the game, they are all very nicely detailed and in beautiful HD. Little things like handing a character coffee or a slice of pizza, and the items are actually there, onscreen, are nice touches, but the actual interactions between characters felt quite robotic and stiff. After initiating dialog with someone, there were too many times where there were long pauses, it felt as if you had to press a button and wait for an animatronic puppet to activate and respond. While the cartoon look does work for the game, everything just felt a bit dated. Movements were at times extremely choppy, and smoother character animations would have done wonders. Obviously, most of the funds went to the voice cast, because it's one of the best parts of the game and the reason why this category scored so high. The dialog may be long and at times boring, but it is all wonderfully done, with all text being spoken. There is quite a lot of it too, show someone an incorrect clue or use the wrong item and you'll get a quirky or snappy response, it adds quite a bit of charm to the game. The problem is, a lot of the conversations are pointless, as you don't really need to speak to most of the characters at times, for it adds nothing to the story and you can just skip it. There is music in the game, but nothing you will really take notice of, and certainly nothing you'll remember. That's a shame too, a good music score would have made some of the longer, more drawn out parts of the game much more tolerable. 
     
     
        I had to consider a few things while reviewing and scoring this game. One being that, from what I've seen on Youtube and read about in various places, this is just like the majority of the older Broken Sword games. That means, to the fans of the series, this is probably exactly what they expected and wanted, and those are the main people who will be buying this game. I had no choice but to keep that in mind when giving the game it's final scores, would a long time fan enjoy this? The answer to that is yes, this is what these games have always been like. That being said, to anybody else, I simply cannot recommend it. I admit, I went into this with no clue of what to expect, I have never heard of the series, and after playing this game, it didn't make me a fan. With dated graphics, a clumsy touchscreen interface, and some really confusing puzzles do to the lack of direction, this game just wasn't very fun and the absence of any type of consequences when making mistakes just made it all feel kind of pointless. It tells a nice story, but the narrative is just way too slow for the majority of the game, and when it does pick up, it leaves you with an unsatisfying cliffhanger. While the voice cast did a splendid job, it's not nearly enough to save this game, the whole thing leaves you with a feeling that it's unfinished. It definitely would have helped if they had waited and just included the second half, at least you would have gotten a complete game. Perhaps someone looking for an old school PC like point and click adventure will find some joy in it, but Broken Sword 5 was pretty much made for Broken Sword fans, after all, they did provide the funds to have it completed. For the rest of us, there are just too many great games being released for the Vita, I have to say skip this one and save the space for one of them.

                                                                           
    Gameplay- 5/10
    Story- 6/10
    Replay- 2/10
    Graphics/Sound- 6/10
    Overall- 5/10
    



     
    2014-05-14

    Nuclear Throne Coming To PS Vita

    Nuclear Throne will be making its way to the ps vita in a few months. Rami Ismail of Vlambeer Studios went over to the Playstation Blog to detail the development process, and let fans know a little about the game.

    Nuclear Throne is a top down action game, where players take on the role of mutant in order to "conquer the elusive nuclear throne." The games levels are procedurally generated making for a different experience each time you play. Nuclear Throne also has over 60 different weapons to choose from, and 25 different mutations.

    Nuclear Throne is expected on the Vita in the next few months according to Mr. Ismail. Nuclear Throne will also be on the PS3 and PS4, as well as the PS Vita. This most likely means the game will support cross-buy, however that is not confirmed. Let us know what you think of this game coming to the Vita!

    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!

    Sony Expected To Drop Ps Vita's Price, and Quit Selling PS Vita 1001

    An anonymous source who works very closely with Sony has informed VitaBoys that E3 will bring many changes for the Vita. The most influential of which includes a price drop of $50, making the Vita only cost $150. The other large change coming will be the attempt to quit selling the PS Vita 1001 after the stock runs out, and begin only selling the 2000 model.


    Understand that this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt. With that being said this same source was correct about every other rumor we have been told. Including last years price drop, and the release of Borderlands 2. What do you think of this rumor, let us know in the comments below.

    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!
    2014-05-12

    4J Studios Gives Us A Screenshot of Minecraft PS Vita

    Just about every playstation vita owner is licking their chops waiting for Minecraft to release for the system. So just about any update we can get on the game is welcome. Therefore I thought I would bring you this tweet that 4J Studios sent out with a screenshot of Minecraft PS Vita.

    The tweet was sent out in response to @MarleyBeare asking about minecraft on the ps vita. 4J Studios Responds by saying " We're working on it!" and throws in a nice screenshot



    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!

    Sparkle 2 Coming To Vita on May 20th

    Sparkle 2 was officially announced to be coming to the Vita today by 10Tons. The news comes via a post on the playstation blog where Jaakko of 10 Tons lays out some details of the game. The first Sparkle came to the Vita last year and we at the VitaBoys loved the game, even in all its simplicity.

    Sparkle 2 is a "match-three puzzle game" similar to that of Bejeweled. Except Sparkle takes the Bejeweled style and transforms into a much more enjoyable game. Players will be shooting various colored marbles at a snake-like structure of marbles. The point of the game is to make color matches to break the bricks in an attempt to break all the marbles before they reach the end. The game includes all sorts of powerups and skills to break the marbles in unique ways.

    The game will be lauching on the Vita May 20th. The game will support cross-buy with the PS4 and will only cost a measly $7.99. Keep an eye out for this game, because it truly is a special game. Keep it tuned to VitaBoys for all your PS Vita needs.

    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news, and monthly game giveaways!

    LEGO: The Hobbit Review

    Over the past few years of the Vita's lifespan we have received over eight different lego games. Each of which fell substantially short of the quality that their console brethren received. It seems as if each lego game that the ps vita has received was either the same version the Nintendo DS received, or was just a rushed attempt to make a few bucks off of the fact that the Lego brand was in front of the title. Even the many Lego games that graced the PSP were much better than the versions that we receive today on the extremely more powerful PS Vita. Sadly Lego: The Hobbit does not do much to change this poor scenario. We once again were given a poorly executed Lego game. Just once I would love to see a Lego game on the Vita that lives up to its name, unfortunately I don't believe that will happen any time soon. Lego: The Hobbit is better than a few of the last Lego games we received, just not by much.

    Gameplay 6/10- Lego: The Hobbit more or less maintains the familiar gameplay mechanics that one would come to expect of a Lego game. The game has you using a Hobbit themed lego minifigure to play through levels that contain platforming and the usual stud collecting. The game doesn't progress through levels like past Vita lego games. Instead players use the world map to move from point to point. This is a nice step in the right direction when it comes to adding something slightly unique.  

    When playing, players will have the camera set at a nearly top down angle instead of a third person view like various other Lego games. This feature isn't too much to complain about until you realize that it doesn't just effect the way you view your character, but also the way you use him. The character is unable to jump into the air, unlike other Lego games. The fact that the jump ability is removed is not necessarily attributed to the camera. However, regardless of why players are unable to jump, the feature is needed and the game suffers without it. There are many instances where it feels as if the ability to jump really is needed in the game. It is replaced with powers to grab walls, thus allowing players to climb them. However it is not a good replacement, and jumping is still necessary.

    A very nice addition to this entry in the lego series is the addition of side-quests. While very limited, the side-quests add a new dimension to Lego: The Hobbit that the other Vita Lego games were missing. The side-quests can add about 3-4 hours of gameplay to an otherwise very short game, which is a nice feature. However the added gameplay time does not make up for how short this game is, and it is hard to justify the purchase of the game for just a few hours of more gameplay. Including the side-quests Lego: The Hobbit can offer approximately 8-10 hours of gameplay. The most unfortunate thing about this is, that the few hours of gameplay that exist are hardly even fun.

    The worst thing about the Lego: The Hobbit gameplay, and every other Vita lego game's gameplay, is that it could easily be played on an IOS device. The Vita is an extremely powerful device, yet we are stuck with a game that is not only extremely short but extremely downgraded from the potential AAA that it could be. The gameplay is just not a good experience, and is a very rushed game. Even with the nice new feature of side quests the game still suffers. Ultimately all the Vita Lego games downfalls are attributed to just not offering the player enough meat.

    Story 8/10- There is obviously not too much to discuss when it comes to the story of Lego: The Hobbit. The game follows the storylines of the two recent Hobbit movies, which include The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Then obviously the movies follow the storyline of J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, The Hobbit. In other words this Lego game's story goes way back, and there is not anything to complain about.

    The obvious difference between lego game's stories and their respective movies would be the added humor. In the case of Lego: The Hobbit it is safe to say that the added humor is a welcome addition. It makes for a slightly more enjoyable game and also adds to the appeal towards children, which is obviously where Lego games are mainly marketed towards. The humor also helps to create a sense of not having already heard the story before in the books or movies.

    The one downfall of Lego: The Hobbit's story is that it is just too short. The game follows the story of two long movies, yet it feels as if the story is a tad rushed when playing the game. Other than the slightly shorter than expected story, Lego: The Hobbit's story is not anything to really complain about. It encompasses the story of The Hobbit while blending the lovely humor that has come to be expected of Lego games. Lastly I would also like to point out that the characters do in fact actually speak in Lego: The Hobbit which of course helps move the story along better than the Lego games where characters do not speak.

    Replay 2/10- Quite frankly the replay value in Lego: The Hobbit should be ranked even lower than I have it listed here. The only reason it gained the 2/10 instead of a 0 is because of the potential to return to the game in an attempt to platinum it. So unless you are a trophy junkie the replay value here is fairly non-existent.

    Lego: The Hobbit should also be given a little credit for the potential replay value that adding side-quests brings to the game. If you didn't take part in the side-quests during the first playthrough you can always go back to do this. However it is extremely unlikely that players would not take part in the side quests during the first playthrough. Especially since without them the first playthrough would only be about five hours long. 

    Lego: The Hobbit is way too linear to allow for a second playthrough. This Lego game makes a small step in the right direction of allowing replayibility by adding side-quests. However there are not enough side-quests or a long enough(or good enough) story to make players want to play through the game twice.

    Graphics/Sound 4/10- The graphics within Lego: The Hobbit are not terrible. However they aren't good either. When playing the game the colors look ok, not very vibrant, but they are ok. However, if you play the console counterpart you will realize just how steep of a difference the games graphics are. Now I am not fully judging the games graphics by comparing them to the console versions. However with the Vita's OLED screen and amazing capability, much is left to be wanted from the game graphically.

    The cutscenes are fairly decent as well. They seem to be the same from the console version, with slight downgrading having been done. The animations are smooth and flawless as well. These two features are possibly Lego: The Hobbit's best assets. The fact that the game is actually playable with little lag and the cutscenes are enjoyable, help to give players the nudge they need to actually complete the game.

    Overall Lego: The Hobbit is another disappointment. The lego games continue to be pumped out onto the Vita, but the value and quality of the games are left at the door. It is hard not to say that each of these lego games are just a way to make fast money off of young Vita owners and those who just enjoy the Lego brand. It is disappointing to think that these games are just "get rich quick schemes", however they sure feel like it. The gameplay is okay and not too glitch, but it only lasts a few hours. With practically no replay value, and poor visual quality it is safe to say you should stick away from Lego: The Hobbit. Its one good quality is the fact that it has a decent story, but the story is just taken from a classic novel and movie. So how much credit can be given to the developers for that. I cannot recommend buying this game, it is just another Lego game on the Vita that doesn't live up to its name.


    Gameplay- 6/10
    Story- 8/10
    Replay- 2/10
    Graphics/Sound- 4/10
    Overall-
    5/10
    2014-05-10

    Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate Coming To Vita

    An ESRB rating has appears for Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate. The game was rated for both the PS Vita and PS3. Although we have heard little to nothing about this, ESRB ratings are always a good indicator that the game will be making its way to the system soon.

    Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate is an action fighting game. The game is very similar to that of Dynasty Warriors. The game rating also indicated that there will indeed be online gaming capabilities.

    Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate will presumably be making its way to the Vita very soon. There is no information on an official release date, cross-buy, cross-play, or price. We will keep you updated when these details do develop. 

    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news and monthly game giveaways!
    2014-05-09

    PS Vita Playstation Store Sneak Peek For May 13th

    Each tuesday the playstation store updates and brings us many new games to enjoy. Therefore each week we will bring you a sneak peak of the games to come for the Vita. Keep in mind this is for North American Vitas only and the news is subject to change.

    May 13th Vita Releases: 
    Borderlands 2

    Soul Sacrifice Delta

    We will keep you updated as new games are announced. Until next time keep it tuned to VitaBoys.

    Follow us on Twitter @PSVitaBoys for up to the minute news, and monthly game giveaways!

    Demon Gaze Review

    The Vita is completely full of JRPGs. So many that discerning between the good and the bad can become a real task. Many great JRPGs such as Person 4 Golden, YS: Memories of Celceta, and Disgaea grace our Vitas. However they are accompanied by many "wastes of money" and overall bad gaming experiences. When it comes to JRPGs fans are looking for stories that draw players in and gaming experiences that stick to the JRPG fundamentals, but offer unique and sometimes never before seen gaming experiences.

    Demon Gaze manages to pull off all of this, and officially place itself in the list of good JRPGs on the Vita. The game is not without its faults, however the experience Demon Gaze offers is unique and captivating. Demon Gaze does takes the JRPG experience and morphs it just enough to create a "different" experience while keeping JRPG fanatics happy.

    Gameplay 9/10- Demon Gaze's gameplay is partially where the game truly shines. Demon Gaze is a dungeon crawler at heart. Most of the games fun is spent roaming through dungeons, gaining new hidden items and equipment, while building up your party.

    While most of the game is spent dungeon crawling there is still a lot to do outside of the dungeon. When not in the dungeon you will spend most of your time at the Dragon Princess Inn. Like most RPGs the Inn provides everything a player needs to prepare to enter into battle again. The Dragon Princess Inn consists of four floors, each of which has a certain task that you can complete. While not every feature is initially available eventually while you are in the Inn you will be able to shop for new weapons and armor, change difficulty settings, revive dead players, upgrade weapons, decorate rooms, and so much more.

    The craziest thing about Dragon Princess Inn is that the player will be charged rent to stay there. Initially the rent is low and as you progresss the rent becomes much higher. You also have to pay rent each and every day. The "paying rent feature" is in no way a bad feature. It is a very fun and welcome feature that takes the traditional JRPG and adds a little flavor to it. It is amazing how something so simple as charging rent in a JRPG is so innovative. It is just so refreshing to see different features in a JRPG that most games do not have.

    Fighting in dungeons is very similar to any other dungeon crawler. You will fight demons, rinse and repeat. However the game gets more interesting than that, because of various features put into the game. You will be able to defeat demons and then capture them to use in another battle. This amazing feature definitely adds to the experience. The demons are AI and will choose to either attack your enemies or help heal you.

    Overall the gameplay in Demon Gaze is very amazing. The ability to summon demons, and oddly enough even the feature of having to pay rent adds some flavor to the game that sets it apart from just being another JRPG. The game has at least a good 40+ hours of gameplay, and from the gameplay alone is a great reason to buy the game.

    Story 8/10- The story of Demon Gaze is pretty good as well. You take on the role of Oz, a young man that has a special eye capable of allowing him to capture the souls of enemies he defeats, hints why you can use demons that you have defeated in battles.

    Oz is in the kingdom of Mislid, which has been overrun by demons. Oz then decides that because he owes the Inn owner a favor he will set out to capture the monsters and demons. He then becomes a mercenary for the Inn.

    The story is not necessarily anything extremely special, you will not get attatched to the characters at all. However I do not believe that is what the developers had in mind anyways. As with most NIS America games you can expect a lot of humor infused into the storyline. I personally love the humor, however the game often contains a lot of crude humor and suggestive content.

    Overall the story is your general story from a JRPG. It does not really have anything that is extremely special or that pops out. The humor is definitely a plus and adds a bit of light to a fairly dark game. However the sexual dialogue can be a bit much for many gamers.



    Replay 7/10- Every game has some replay value to an extent. Most of the time the replay value being the option to go back and platinum the game. Demon Gaze has fairly decent replay value, however it truly depends on whether or not you are a big fan of JRPG games.

    Other than gaining trophies there is no real reason to go back and play this game again. Demon Gaze is an amazing game to playthrough, however I believe that there is not a whole lot of reason to play through the game twice. Once again though it obviously just depends on whether you are a big JRPG fan or not.

    Graphics/Sound 9/10- The artstyle of Demon Gaze gets a lot of criticism for being pre-rendered, and apparently a lot of people dislike the first-person aspect of the game. I personally did not have a huge problem with any of this.

    The arstyle is actually very great in Demon Gaze. The colors pop and the artstyly is a perfect match for the style of game that Demon Gaze is. I also should add that I never ran into in lags or slow downs during the games cutscenes or gameplay in general. The sound here is perfectly fine as well. Not a whole lot to talk about involving the sound. The hardest part is getting used to the way the artstyle looks when playing from a first person perspective.


    Overall Demon Gaze is a truly fun game. It has various issues that are not necessarily issues. All of the problems with the game are not even truly issues, they are just gamers personal preferences. Whether it be the crude humor or the slightly odd first person gameplay, each issue that I have with the game are just personal problems. Other than those few issues the game is a truly must have. The games story won't wrap you up but the games story is meant to humorous not captivating. Demon Gaze truly deserves to be considered one of the better JRPGs on the Vita.

    Gameplay- 9/10
    Story-  8/10
    Replay- 7/10
    Graphics/Sound- 9/10
    Overall
    9/10

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