The Vita may be struggling, but the recent price cut may just help it survive into the next year. Of course, price isn’t everything as games are equally, it not more so, important. That’s why Sony has enlisted dozens of indie developers to make games for the device, but its own in-house studios are busy making games for the Vita as well.
At Gamescom, Sony showed off more footage from two of the most promising Vita titles of 2013 – Killzone: Mercenary and Tearaway. The first is Guerilla’s attempt to shrink down the Killzone experience and keep it fully intact on the Vita. The second is a delightful platformer from Media Molecule that uses the Vita’s unique features to the fullest.
In Killzone: Mercenary, players take on the role of a mercenary with no loyalties. That means you’ll be completing missions for both the ISA and Helghast all for a bit of cash. The game promises to be the first shooter for the Vita that really feels like a shooter, unlike the disappointing Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified. If the recent public beta is any indication, I’d say Guerilla Cambridge has something pretty special on its hands.
As for Tearaway, it’s a whimsical platformer from the team that brought us LittleBigPlanet. Players take on the role of a small messenger that has to navigate its way through a world made out of paper. The player can directly interact with the world through the use of Vita’s numerous features, including the back touch pad.
Killzone: Mercenary will be released on September 10, and Tearaway will be released on November 22. Both titles represent the best Sony has to offer on the Vita, and it may just be enough to spur sales of the struggling handheld.