My top Vita games (2018) – Top 10!

(Editor’s note – please check out my newest, up-to-date list of the 100 best Vita games ever made!)

So here we are – following my lists of my 75-41; 40-11; PSP & PS1 games – at my favourite Vita-native games for the console. Each one of these is an essential buy for the platform and something I feel needs to be part of any Vita gamer’s library, regardless of genre preferences or taste. Make sure you check them out if you haven’t already!

 

10. LittleBigPlanet

The definitive LittleBigPlanet experience in my opinion – it’s not a franchise that was born on the Vita but it feels like the series was waiting for this hardware for it to truly find its home. The platforming is better than ever; the touch-screen features only enhance the experience; the visuals are sublime and the music is even better and the community-created content is simply brilliant.

 

9. Atelier Totori Plus

Another franchise that arguably found its home on handhelds, Totori is the second entry in the Arland sub-series and elevates things with a brilliant cast of characters and emotionally touching story about the titular title’s quest for her mother. The fact that it’s wrapped in an addictive time-management RPG wrapper full of world exploration and alchemy just makes it all the better. Check out my review here.

 

8. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD

The Metal Gear Solid series has always woven thrilling narratives with enjoyable stealth-action gameplay, but Snake Eater took the series to new heights with an origin story that proved the best in the franchise. The jungle setting proved to be a masterstroke for introducing new gameplay ideas while the plot following Naked Snake’s investigation of the defection of his former master The Boss continues to pull at my heart strings to this day.

 

7. Killzone Mercenary

Aside from being a brilliant technical showcase for what the Vita is capable of, Killzone Mercenary is simply a fantastic FPS – handheld or otherwise. It’s story following mercenary Arran Danner is nothing special but the way it weaves into existing lore is masterful, yet it’s the way the missions are designed to be constantly replayable that makes it so unique. Throw in a robust multi-player mode (that supports offline bots!) and you have a game which deserves a place in every Vita owner’s library. Check out my review here.

 

6. Atelier Meruru Plus

By making subtle tweaks to the formula that they’d arguably already mastered with Totori, Gust created their greatest game ever in Atelier Meruru – a fantastic JRPG by any standards and undoubtedly the best on Vita. The plot it tells of a princess’ quest to save her kingdom is lovely, but the way you actually go about it – creating items through alchemy then watching these dilapidated areas become regenerated – provides a hook that’ll catch even the most hardened of gamer. It’s absolutely brilliant.

 

5. Hotline Miami

The game that taught me indies were a thing I really need to keep an eye on, Hotline Miami is an audiovisual tour-de-force featuring arguably the best soundtrack in gaming. Throw in some visceral twin-stick shooter action (that’s incredibly violent to boot) and a twisting, psychedelic drug-fuelled story about a spree of murders and you’ve got a recipe for one of the Vita’s best games. Check out my review here.

 

4. Tearaway

Media Molecule used the original LittleBigPlanet to show just how much brilliant creative energy they had (that translated very well to Vita as #10 showed) and they pulled it off again with Tearaway – a beautiful adventure that used the handheld’s inputs like no other game available. The fact it was set in the brilliant papercraft world just cemented it as a niche classic – it’s a shame it never really got the recognition it deserved. Check out my review here.

 

3. WipEout 2048

I’ve always had a soft spot for WipEout’s frantic racing action and the series truly culminated in 2048, the final game from the brilliant studio Psygnosis. Aside from all the fantastic new content – a range of tracks showcasing the beginnings of anti-grav racing as ordinary landscapes become infested with neon-lit rollercoasters – the addition of DLC including all the content from HD/Fury makes this the most complete package yet; as well as the best racing game available on Vita. Check out my review here.

 

2. Steins;Gate

I could’ve easily found myself giving up after the first few hours of Steins;Gate but I’m so glad I didn’t – persevere through the scene-setting and you’ll uncover the most beautiful; thrilling and heart-wrenching tale available in videogames that made me feel everything from terror to elation to misery. It’s gorgeous too, with a beautiful soundtrack and lovable cast of characters – everyone needs to give this one a try. Check my review here.

 

1. DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Still unbeaten at the top of my list for a second year is the tale of murder; mystery and political intrigue that is DanganRonpa. It’s an unforgettable game – each character feels real and you’ll form bonds with each, only for them to turn up dead the next chapter or worse – be the killer, forcing you to make some tough choices. The class trials are thrilling; exploring an abandoned school provides a great mystery aspect and uncovering it all at the end is a thrill. The sequels are good but nothing lives up to the brilliance that is the original – and if you haven’t played it already, all I can say is stop reading about it and go out to do it now! (Unless you want to read my review here).

 

Conclusion

There wasn’t much movement around my top 10 this year, but that’s because the games in this list are among the best I’ve played on any platform; let alone Vita.

And this is just a snap-shot of the games I’ve played – I’ve got a backlog like you wouldn’t believe and plenty of which I fully believe will make the top 100 (as I’m expecting it to be) next year. Among them are DanganRonpa V3; Trails of Cold Steel II; Tokyo Xanadu; VA-11 HALL-A; Ys VIII plus loads more I’m sure I’m forgetting.

One thing’s for sure – after hauling through this whole list, let it never be said that “Vita has no games” 🙂