so decided make new thread, hope that's ok. know promised review gravity daze in original vita , uncharted review, , i'm sorry taken long me finish up. anyway, without further ado...
gravity daze review
if you’ve been following playstation vita significant amount of time since announcement, you’ve heard of gravity daze. it, along uncharted golden abyss, has gotten more press of other vita games combined, , initial feedback has been incredibly positive. question of course, live hype?
story/setting:
basic premise of gravity daze young woman wakes no memory in middle of unknown town unique ability manipulate forces of gravity bestowed upon mysterious cat.
town floating in middle of space/the sky/something , being gradually encroached upon , sealed away mysterious evil force. goal gain trust , respect of townspeople, unravel mysterious evil engulfing city, , uncover clues own past.
the story shies away being overly “epic” (ala final fantasy xiii), focusing instead on weaving more personal narrative both quaint , engrossing. story told through comic book style cut scenes, occasional voice over’s in french (yes french), add game’s unique atmosphere.
main story, broken chapters take between 30 minutes hour, reveals in bits , pieces, tantalizing finish 1 more mission unlock piece.
game has myriad array of side quests, gradually unlocked restore various sections of town life. unfortunately degree of variety in these side quests limited, vast majority being timed beat
presentation:
gravity daze 1 of best looking games on vita. character models, lighting, , shadows good, , while can’t match uncharted golden abyss or sega’s virtua tennis photo realism, cel shaded graphics should make clear not game has set out do. instead, game features beautifully cel-shaded characters , environments, on technical level, , absolutely gorgeous in motion.
in fact, gravity daze features of focused , amazing art direction i’ve ever seen in video game. has ghibli-esque animated style subtly oozes every pore, molding atmosphere manages feel both whimsical , oppressive @ same time. 1 of rare games art direction appreciated long after vita’s graphical prowess has been relegated dustbin of history.
while game suffers minor noticeable frame rate hiccups, not significant enough impair game play in way. in similar vein, textures in areas higher resolution, , shadows use anti aliasing, you’ll hard pressed notice these issues when game in motion. game rumored running upscaled (that renders internally @ lower resolution , upscales output vita’s native 960 544), negative effects less noticeable in uncharted.
above of course nitpicks game feels achieves set out achieve graphically on system on, combined beautiful art direction leaves little desired. while may not have impressive graphics on paper, gorgeous play.
sound:
not every day play game , wonder when soundtrack go on sale, 1 of games. music stands shoulder shoulder graphics in achieving game’s artistic vision, , important piece of giving each new area own unique feel. tunes span whimsical, upbeat, oppressive, , range jazzy orchestral in composition. while tracks overused (i’m looking @ side missions use game’s default “action music” on , on again), detracts otherwise impressive package.
while lacks depth , breadth of of best classic rpg soundtracks, nonetheless excellent body of work , essential part of game.
controls:
designing game player able manipulate gravity @ is, nature ambitious project, particularly in regards coming adequate control scheme. when add in zeal of developers breaking in new hardware new input methods in case of vita, it’s easy imagine how gravity daze have turned complete mess.
fortunately that’s not happened here. overall control scheme works well, , while has frustrating rough spots , significant learning curve moves, makes excellent use of vita’s auxiliary input methods, touch , gyroscope (sorry no panel touch game). swiping screen dodge enemy attacks , (in combination attack button) perform roll kick feels surprisingly natural , effective, using gyroscope tweak aim (ala uncharted). moving, aiming, jumping, attacking, , manipulating gravity done analog sticks , face buttons , work great well.
said, not perfect. trying land “gravity kick,” in main character flies @ enemy in sort of super powered extended jump kick can challenging once hang of adjusting aim mid flight, , frustration compounded enemies have annoying, if understandable habit of moving out of way @ last second. furthermore, feels precisely because mechanic unrefined developers had no choice render a.i. brain dead, , made clear when face “human” boss opponents zig zag , hard hit.
of course, no review of gravity daze’s controls complete without mentioning “gravity slide.” if you’ve watched promotional material game, you’ve undoubtedly seen heroine zipping around town hovering above ground in sliding or drifting type motion. gravity slide, , fastest (and slickest) way around on surface (be ground, wall, or ceiling).
said, learning control gravity slide test patience. use hold (with thumbs) left , right side of screen, , tilt vita left or right steer (she moves in straight line default), , jump. can break hard turns letting go of 1 side of screen, makes turning , control monumentally easier, , necessary anywhere ability.
have mixed feelings ability, when works well, it's exhilarating use , treat behold, can’t feel might have controlled bit better if had stuck conventional controls instead of relying on gyroscope. said, practice makes perfect, , if take time learn it, become indispensable tool in gravity arsenal, is, long don’t mind people around wondering heck you’re doing…
conclusion:
gravity daze 1 of rare games whole far exceeds sum of none less excellent parts. beautiful presentation, whimsical musical score, atmospheric setting, , engaging story drawn game’s unique concept create unforgettable package. rare indeed such ambitious , original concept executed well, particularly launch window title on new hardware.
while game not without flaws , foibles, detract overall experience, , ability rise above component parts sets gravity daze apart competitors.
in end, while uncharted golden abyss merely crossover of excellent console game, gravity daze comes off beautifully executed masterpiece, creating whole new world can experienced on vita.
gravity daze 1 of rare games remembered , emulated long after sunset of ps vita hardware. whether you’re buying vita today, tomorrow, or ten years now, gravity daze should undoubtedly 1 of first games play.
overall score 9.5/10
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