The PlayStation 3 has MGS and Final Fantasy, while the Xbox 360 has Halo titles. But what about PS Vita owners? Although there might be disagreements over game titles regarding any gaming console, Sony’s latest portable gaming device includes SCE Japan Studio’s Gravity Rush game.
The floating city of Hekseville, a hybrid of steampunk and old European architecture, is Kat’s first destination in Gravity Rush. Compared to other Vita games, Gravity Rush has the prettiest graphics.
A mysterious black cat gives Kat the ability to control gravity much as Gordon Freeman did in Half-Life. However, it offers more freedom and a much cooler way to do it. Furthermore, she can use it to stick to walls ala Spider-Man, or even fly by gravitating to distant surfaces as she floats.
The player is provided with an open world for Kat to explore and undertake side missions. In addition, Kat must protect civilians from the Gravity Storm and monsters known as Nevi that appear throughout the city. Heksenville has mission points scattered all over it, which Kat can access by pointing to the glowing markers.
Kat floats and stays on the target when the console is tilted to the target surface. While it’s a bit disorientating (and annoying), once you learn to run on walls and surf on air, it becomes second nature.
Integrated fully with the PS Vita’s three-axis gyroscope, Gravity Rush makes this possible. The targeting mechanism not only uses Kat’s gravity powers to get from point A to B but also targets her Gravity Kicks. These are her stasis fields when she throws heavy objects at her Nevi enemies.
Similar to collecting coins and repairing broken machines, purple diamonds can activate fountains.
In Gravity Rush, Vita’s fantastic power and abilities are displayed in a way that other portable platforms cannot match. Regardless of its somewhat gloomy depiction, Gravity Rush is a must-have for any PlayStation Vita owner. It’s one of the best portable console games on the market today.
I give it a 9 out of 10.
