Vita may mean life, but things are looking grim for Sony’s handheld.
The PlayStation Vita’s store is shuttering its doors on August 27, meaning there’s no better time to fill up your Memory Cards with games. Before that time rolls around, here are the 5 best PlayStation Vita games on the PlayStation Store that will keep your portable happy.
The 5 Best PlayStation Vita Games on the PlayStation Store
Muramasa Rebirth
Originally released as Muramasa: The Demon Blade for the Nintendo Wii in 2009, Vanillaware and Aksys Games’ Muramasa Rebirth expands on the award winning formula with this PlayStation Vita release.
Players will once again follow the story of the princess Momohime and the ninja Kisuke as they build up an inventory of up to 108 blades. New to this release are HD graphics that have been designed with the PlayStation Vita’s OLED screen in mind, along with a localization that is more faithful to the original text.
This title also pays host to four additional downloadable scenarios with different characters. Dubbed the Genroku Legends, the only way to play these is to grab them before the PlayStation Store shuts down later this year.
Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines
Alfa System and Sony Computer Entertainment teamed up on the PlayStation Vita to release Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines, a sequel to a series with roots dating back to the PlayStation 1.
Players will join a cursed bloodline that is destined to fight against a demon as they traverse caves, forests, mansions and temples. The turn-based JRPG combat allows players given the chance to master abilities known as “arts” and “secret techniques” along the way. There are eight different job classes to master, including spearmen, archers, dancers, breakers, martial artists, and cannoneers.
The title is fairly rare, with eBay having almost no listings for the English version of the game. For those looking for convenience, the PlayStation Store is the way to go for this cult classic.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Nathan Drake is a household name among gamers at this point, but Bend Studio and Sony Computer Entertainment’s Uncharted: Golden Abyss likely flew under the radar for a lot of fans.
This spinoff serves as a prequel to the series, and has Nathan Drake searching for the lost city of Quivira. He is joined by fellow treasure hunter Marisa Chase, and the two must solve puzzles and fight countless enemies along the way.
For those who feel like this might be filler, note that the entire project was overseen by the team at Naughty Dog and that John Garvin served as both director and script writer. The game has also earned a score of 80 out of 100 on Metacritic, proving to be favorable among critics.
Freedom Wars
The dream team of Japan Studio, Shift, Dimps, and Sony Computer Entertainment came together to make the action RPG Freedom Wars for the PlayStation Vita.
Set in the distant future of 102014, this grim world has most of humankind imprisoned in penal city-states known as Panopticons. With support for up to eight players, players can utilize a grappling whip to zip across the battlefield and pull larger-than-life enemies down to the ground. Threats can also be disposed of with weapons like swords, spears, and firearms.
Back in 2014, Destructoid called this title the biggest PlayStation Vita release of the year. For fans weaned on Monster Hunter and God Eater, be sure to add this into your rotation.
Soul Sacrifice Delta
An expanded version of the game, Marvelous AQL, Japan Studio, and Sony Computer Entertainment’s Soul Sacrifice Delta pays host to a concept that was created by the one and only Keiji Inafune (Mega Man).
When enemies or allies are defeated in battle, the player is given a choice. One can choose to save them to restore a bit of health, or can alternatively sacrifice foes to restore charges to items known as offerings, which are required for the casting of magic. This mechanic keeps things fresh as players make use of its point/objective system to collect mission rewards.
Note that the online component of the game requires an online pass, which can only be found with new copies and through the PlayStation Store. Those looking to take on these “Avalon Quests” best pick up the game from the store, as new copies are harder to find than hen’s teeth.
