Killzone: Mercenary

If you have a Vita and are an FPS fan, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not playing this game. The handheld FPS formula has finally been cracked, and not a moment too soon. I just hope this is the beginning of a growing trend and not just a flash in the pan. I don’t presume to know which it will turn out to be, but at least I can play Killzone: Mercenary until we find out.

As a mercenary, it becomes clear that Danner's goal is not to help end the war one way or another but rather to perpetuate it endlessly, guaranteeing that he always has work. That's what Killzone: Mercenary feels like: business as usual.

It's not remarkable among shooters in general, but as a handheld shooter, it raises the bar considerably and demonstrates that there's no reason a handheld platform like the Vita can't give us shooters that measure up to those on consoles. It simultaneously leaves you impressed with its terrific visuals and traditionally satisfying gameplay, and disappointed that it doesn't try to carve out more of an identity for itself.