A first-person shooter game on a traditional video game handheld? For a longest time, it was impossible even to imagine. But here are seven of the best FPS games on the PlayStation Vita that actually plays like one and not an approximation.
Best ps vita fps games
7. Black Ops: Declassified
Portable system ports of popular franchises often face criticism and are frequently overlooked. However, this particular Call of Duty entry for the PS Vita defies such negative perceptions even though it was lambasted from hell and back when it was released. Despite the usual disdain for portable adaptations, this game offers an enjoyable experience, especially in its story mode.
The missions, while shorter and more linear than those in console versions, provide engaging gameplay. Featuring cool mini-events like slow-motion door breaches and explosive action movie-like scenarios, the missions maintain the excitement typical of Call of Duty games. The game delivers a varied challenge across missions, with difficulty levels ranging from easy to extremely hard. The core gameplay remains consistent with the Call of Duty franchise, involving running, shooting, and utilizing surroundings.
Trophy hunting significantly enhances the game's longevity and enjoyment, with achievements encouraging creative and strategic gameplay. The challenges associated with trophies, such as completing sniper missions with a pistol or executing perfect headshots. Speed run missions, in particular, require careful planning and execution, providing an additional layer of excitement. This Call of Duty game is a commendable portable version that should not be dismissed, especially for fans of the series and trophy hunters.
6. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD, a Vita port of a PS3 game originally released on the Xbox in 2005, showcases how to effectively transition a game to a portable platform. This game is not purely a first-person game but it has parts which pushes that point of view, and some other time, the third-person point-of-view. The game follows the anti-hero Stranger, a bounty hunter in need of a significant sum of money for a mysterious operation, driving the player to engage in various bounty hunting missions.
The Vita version makes exemplary use of the console's unique features, including the touch screen and rear touch pad, enhancing gameplay by allowing intuitive switching between first and third-person perspectives and seamless interaction with the game's interface.
The Vita port distinguishes itself by mapping much of the user interface to the front touch screen, ensuring that actions such as accessing the pause menu are straightforward and responsive. The graphical updates, although limited by the original 2005 design, improve character models and maintain the game's distinctive spaghetti western aesthetic and humor.
Stranger's Wrath HD on the Vita offers challenging gameplay centered around capturing bounties, with a greater reward for capturing outlaws alive. The boss fights demand varied strategies and ammo types, adding to the challenge and requiring tactical thinking. The game's engaging story, improved graphics, and intuitive controls make Stranger's Wrath HD a standout example of how to execute a successful Vita port, retaining its charm and appeal years after its initial release.
5. Resistance: Burning Skies
One of those games pegged as the Halo Killer, the Resistance franchise exterminated nothing but itself. Nevertheless, the portable version of the game Resistance: Burning Skies is a standout addition to the Resistance franchise and is perfectly tailored for the PlayStation Vita. Leveraging the Vita's dual analog sticks, it delivers a satisfying shooter experience that meets the expectations of handheld gaming enthusiasts. The game’s graphics, while understandably not on par with console standards, are impressive for a portable device. It features clean visuals and a vibrant 1950s aesthetic.
The storyline is compelling and fits seamlessly into the Resistance universe. Players control Tom Riley, a firefighter in 1951, who embarks on a mission to rescue his family during the Chimera invasion. This narrative shift from the military-focused characters of previous installments to a more personal tale of survival and heroism.
The Vita’s controls are well-implemented, with innovative use of the touchscreen for actions like grenade throwing and melee attacks. The absence of traditional console buttons is effectively managed through the Vita’s touchpad and screen, ensuring a smooth and intuitive gaming experience. The weapon upgrade system is functional and allows for customization. The AI enemies are also competent."Resistance: Burning Skies" demonstrates the potential for first-person shooters on portable devices, setting a solid foundation for future titles not just on the Vita but every handheld consoles in the future, which was basically just the Nintendo Switch until the swathes of PC handhelds led by the Steam Deck happened.
4. Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition
Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition brings a classic first-person shooter to the PlayStation Vita, filling a gap in the handheld's FPS library which is obviously tiny. The game revisits a time when titles like DOOM, Quake, and Half-Life were setting the stage for the genre. Players take on the role of Duke Nukem, battling alien invaders in a destroyed Los Angeles with the goal of exterminating the extraterrestrial threat. The Megaton Edition includes not only the original three episodes but also additional installments, providing a substantial amount of content that is sure to appeal to the franchise’s fans.
The game's dated graphics are balanced by its smooth performance on the Vita, maintaining a fluid frame rate throughout. The level designs remain engaging, set in recognizable locations such as supermarkets and strip clubs.. The game retains its adult themes, though these are notably tame by today’s standards. As players progress, Duke's more crass behaviors become less frequent, allowing for a focus on the core first-person action, which still holds up well.
Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition is a fast-paced FPS that is also gratifying. The game’s unique rewind respawn system minimizes frustration, allowing players to jump back into the action at any point in the current level. The game is a perfect fit for the Vita, making it a must-play for fans of gaming history and those seeking a quality first-person shooter experience on the handheld.
3. Borderlands 2
One of the best selling FPS games out there found itself on the Vita. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Borderlands 2 offers four character classes, each with unique abilities, encouraging diverse playstyles through its mission-based structure that allows for exploration and progression at one’s own pace.
The game is at its best as players progress in the game as characters evolve, gaining new weapons and abilities through leveling up. Combat mechanics, from grenades and traps to dual-wielding firearms, offer engaging strategies in expansive, open environments.
Visuals-wise, the cel-shaded art style is gorgeous on the Vita’s screen. The landscapes were vibrant, enemy designs were varied, and the draw distance extensive. While there is occasional lag here and there, the game’s substantial content, including a lengthy campaign, and numerous side quests, ensures considerable replayability and value for Vita owners seeking a robust FPS experience on the go. Borderlands 2 may not cater to all FPS purists due to its mission structure and technical quirks, but its blend of exploration, character progression, and multiplayer functionality (which is now dead, of course) offers a distinctive and enjoyable shooter experience on the handheld platform.
2. Gal*Gun: Double Peace
Aside from Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD, the rest of this list is packed with testosterone-fueled shooters. This FPS on the PS Vita should take you down a notch, but probably not. Gal*Gun: Double Peace is a lewd rail light gun shooter game serving as a sequel to a game that was never localized. The game features a silly and light-hearted story where the main character is shot with an overpowered love arrow by an angel named Ekoro, causing every girl at his school to be instantly attracted to him. To end the effects of the arrow, he must find a girlfriend by the end of the day, all while dealing with a mischievous devil girl and numerous dateable characters unaffected by the arrow's effects.
The gameplay of Gal*Gun: Double Peace is straightforward, operating as a rail shooter where the game controls the character's movements while the player aims and shoots at the girls' erogenous zones to make them "climax" and remove them as obstacles. The game includes a Doki-Doki Mode, where players use the touchscreen to rub and poke the girls to maximize their pleasure. Despite its simplicity, the game offers variety through different paths, levels, and character interactions. Boss fights and special encounters provide additional challenges, with the game's overall difficulty being relatively easy.
The graphics and sound design of Gal*Gun: Double Peace are well-executed, with 3D models of the girls and detailed environments that enhance the visual appeal. The character models, particularly the main girls, are cute and varied, while the environments are sufficiently detailed for the game's style. The game also features full-screen CGs of important scenes and events, which are well-drawn and visually appealing. The voice acting and music complement the gameplay, adding to the overall enjoyment. Despite its repetitive nature after multiple playthroughs and the challenge of achieving a true ending, the game stands out as a fun, lewd shooter with high replayability, making it worth checking out for fans of the genre.
1. Killzone: Mercenary
Killzone: Mercenary sets a new standard for handheld FPS games with its engaging gameplay and impressive technical achievements. As Aran Danner, a mercenary navigating the conflicts of the Killzone universe, players are thrust into a narrative that bridges the events of the series' first two installments. The game delivers a compelling story that keeps players invested, a rarity in the genre for handheld consoles.
The core of Killzone: Mercenary lies in its dynamic gameplay mechanics. Players earn money for every action they perform, from kills to completing objectives, which can be spent on an extensive array of weapons, equipment, and upgrades. The game boasts the largest selection of weapons in the series, including unique choices like the petrusite burst cannon and fire-spewing shotgun. Vanguards, akin to killstreak rewards, add strategic depth with abilities like a lethal cloaked drone, enhancing both the single-player and multiplayer experiences.
Killzone: Mercenary impresses with detailed environments and fluid animations. The sound design complements the action-packed gameplay, ensuring each weapon and environment has distinct audio cues. The game maintains a solid performance throughout, with minimal framerate issues or slowdowns, setting it apart from other FPS titles on the Vita.
Truthfully, it is the multiplayer, which is obviously not available as of this writing, that is the main draw of this game. The addition of Botzone DLC for offline play was released to remedy such an obvious flaw. Multiplayer features eight well-designed maps and modes like Warzone., This game is one of the few examples of AAA-quality gaming on a handheld platform, delivering a bombastic shooter experience that showcases the Vita's capabilities.