The 5 Vita Games You Should Buy This Holiday Season

I have two lists for this post, actually. One for it you’ve owned a Vita for a bit and going off the premise that you either owned most of the big hits released already or don’t care for them. The other is for prospecting buyers this holiday season.

If you don’t know a Vita yet, I implore you to stop caring about how many units this device sells every week and just focus on the fun you can have with the games available. The Vita is having amazing releases right now and while we aren’t too sure what is coming out from Christmas to Spring, I’m sure we can all agree that we’ll be swamped with Vita games come next year.

You can find Vitas on sale this Black Friday with bundles around $200, which is a great deal. If you’re looking for portable fun to either be sitting under your tree this Christmas or just something to spend some money on, I can’t recommend the Vita enough right now. It is really ramping up and I haven’t been able to put it down for weeks due to the great releases.

On that note, let’s start with the premise that you’ve owned a Vita for a bit now. You know of most games that come out and you either own many games or just don’t want some of them. Here’s what you should buy that’s recently come out:

You Already Own A Vita And Have A Backlog Of Games Already

You should buy these this holiday:

5. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale

To be honest, I don’t find this game very engaging. Stages feel very confined and some characters are just beyond overpowered (Radec) but SuperBot has put together a fun fighter. It might not tickle everyone’s fancy but if you’re looking for a competitive online game with characters we all know and enjoy, All-Stars will do just fine. Be advised though, it has not released as of this writing. It will be out on the 20th but as we were are talking about the holiday season in general, I feel this should be apart of your buying/asking list.

4. Need For Speed: Most Wanted

This game really shows off how advanced games can be on the Vita. If you like racing, you’ll find so much to do in this game. If you liked Burnout Paradise, get ready for the “sequel”. Most Wanted is an open world racing game with plenty of objectives, “quests”, and terrain to explore and burn rubber in. I was pleasantly surprised by how good Most Wanted was in general but seeing how well it translated onto the Vita was awesome. It isn’t the only open world game on the system but Most Wanted gives you the most freedom.

3. Persona 4 Golden

This game is getting rave reviews already and is being considered the definitive version of P4. If you like RPGs, you need to pick this game up come the 20th. Persona is a classic franchise and has done much to evolve itself with each release. The great thing is that you don’t technically need to play any of the others to pick up P4 and enjoy it. This is by far the best reviewed game on the Vita and is sure to be the go-to game for most buyers this holiday season.

2. Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation

Enjoy killing Templars on your console? Liberation takes the combat and movement of AC3 and brings it to a portable device. Aveline’s story is provoking and enjoyable. It is nice to see a side story in the Assassin’s Creed timeline that doesn’t deal with Desmond or the other Assassins we’ve come to known. The game has a good length and production value. The draw distance alone is spectacular and given the amount of space you get to roam around, it will tie you up for a good portion of time.

1. Ragnarok Odyssey

I just reviewed this game and labeled it “the game the Vita should have shipped with”. RO is a fantasy game with plenty of customization, epic online play, and great combat that manages to refresh itself over the course of the game. The story will take you at least 25 hours to complete but you still have tons to do in terms of finding and crafting the best gear, coming up with the right card combinations, and having endless hours of grinding fun with friends. This, right now, is the best game on the Vita and my top pick for all owners or would-be owners this holiday season.

You Don’t Own A Vita Yet But Want To Know The 5 Best Games To Get

You should buy these this holiday:

5. Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation

New owners are going to want the biggest and best games to go along with their new Vitas. You can’t go wrong with any game on these lists but these five, including Liberation, really stand out as the best the Vita can offer right now. Liberation is a big game and the open world assassination does not take a big hit from its console counterparts. New owners will find Aveline’s story to be a fun playthrough but really get into the combat and exploration aspects. This is a great start to your Vita library, especially if you get it with a brand new White Vita in the bundle.

4. Persona 4 Golden

With the way this game is being reviewed and talked about, you can’t miss out what this sure-to-be classic of an RPG will offer. The fact that the definitive version of a Persona game is on the Vita should excite you for what could come after it. The RPG genre was king on the PSP and soon enough it is becoming the same way on the Vita. Persona 4 Golden will lead that charge. I bet you that come E3 2013, we’ll be seeing plenty of RPGS. If that’s your niche, then you can’t start any better than with Persona 4 Golden.

3. Gravity Rush

This was a huge hit for the Vita and it’s one you should not miss when picking up your Vita. Gravity Rush is a very awesome and unique game thanks tot he graphics, comic-like story presentation, and gameplay. The gravity-based movements and combat is so fun to do once you get good with the controls. I had a lot of fun with Gravity Rush and I hope to see more of Kat and her hero story. Although I’m saying that Persona 4 Golden will lead the charge for an RPG invasion on the Vita, Gravity Rush is sitting in the back with a smirk on its face, happy with what it did to spark the interest.

2. Uncharted: Golden Abyss

This game might not fully measure up to the consoles games but Golden Abyss was the first true AAA title on the Vita and for good reason. Everyone loves the journeys of Nathan Drake and in Golden Abyss you get all of the same great Uncharted action and rewards with much more in tow. Although it is a great game, you could say it is a glorified tech demo. Golden Abyss uses most, if not all, of the Vita’s features during gameplay and it really gets you moving as your fingers and grip on the Vita move all over trying dust off maps, swing, aim, and much more.

1. Ragnarok Odyssey

I think you get the hint now. I meant it when I said this is the best game on the Vita right now and you have to own this game come this holiday. It is engaging, fun, rewarding, and challenging. Think Monster Hunter but faster and with classes. There’s so much to do and the online co-op is a blast. Boss fights are a ton of fun and actually get a bit harder when you go back to fight it after a respawn. I haven’t been able to put down my Vita thanks to Ragnarok Odyssey. If you have a Vita or not, you’d be missing out if you don’ pick this up this holiday season.

Some Other Games To Check Out

Say you don’t care for any of those, what then?

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified

It seems most people are forgetting that this game was built with portable gaming in mind. That’s why missions are short and multiplayer matches are small teams. Declassified is meant to be a pick-up and play game featuring the Call of Duty experience in a close representation of the console versions. If you think Declassified is good, just wait until the sequel. If you need an online shooter for your Vita, Declassified is the best choice right now.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

This is the best game to show off the Vita’s power with. This fighter runs in a constant 60fps and looks just as good as the console versions. UMvC3 is a blast to play and online is fun, too. There are tons of characters and you could find yourself in practice mode for hours messing around.

Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward

Some people just want a damn good story. Well if that’s you then Zero Escape is right up your alley. You’ll be solving tough challenges and puzzles are you try to figure out what to do next. The game is visually pleasing but honestly the real focus here is story. It may contain the best story on the Vita. Just don’t expect the best gameplay from it.

What are you getting for your Vita (new or owned) this holiday?



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