Despite the lack of major blockbuster exclusives, the PlayStation Vita had a strong software lineup in 2014. While the games may not exactly entice outsiders to purchase the system, these releases should keep existing owners happy. So which are the top five best Vita games released in 2014 are worth buying during Black Friday and the holiday season? Find out in our list below.
5. Minecraft Vita Edition
Minecraft has been on other handhelds before but it was not exactly the same game you get on consoles. Fortunately, the Vita version brings the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 experiences to the portable scene with very few compromises. Not to mention that Minecraft Vita Edition supports cross-buy with the PlayStation 3 version, so you only have to buy it once to play the game on both platforms. You can also transfer saves between the two.
With the price already cheap to begin with, you should be getting plenty of value even without any special deals. Find the price of the port right now on Amazon with this link.
4. Freedom Wars
One of the few first-party exclusives from Sony this year, Freedom Wars offers an unique take to the Monster Hunter genre that populated the Sony handhelds. In the new IP, you can team up with others to fight against gigantic creatures and rescue kidnapped individuals. It also caters to the western audiences due to the focus on shooting. Since Monster Hunter is now exclusive to the Nintendo platforms, this new release, along with the Soul Sacrifice series, should be your best bet towards finding a similar experience.
Freedom Wars also has a lower than normal MSRP compared to other new Vita releases. So the extra cash saved can be used on other games. You can find its current price tag here.
3. Tales of Hearts R
Tales of Hearts R was the game that won out on the #JRPGVita campaign held by Sony. It should come out no surprise considering how fun and chaotic the combat system is in the Tales series. Compared to the 3DS original, which was never released in the U.S., the remake on the Vita features better graphics as well as improved gameplay mechanics. It is, therefore, the best handheld release of the 3D entries in the Tales series to date.
For JRPG fans, Tales of Hearts R is a great game to play on the handheld. You can pick it up right now on Amazon.
2. Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster
Another high-quality Vita port is the Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster. While it may not be as pretty as the PlayStation 3 version, the added portability (such as being able to suspend and resume play anytime you want) also gives some advantages to the handheld. Although it may be old, Final Fantasy X is still considered one of the best JRPGs around. The reception is a little more divided with Final Fantasy X-2 but the sequel is still worth playing. Square Enix also went to great lengths with a rearranged soundtrack and an audio epilogue that hints at X-3.
Like Minecraft, you can also transfer plays between the PS3 and Vita releases of Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster. So, if you haven’t already, purchase the collection with this page.
1. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Spike Chunsoft is perhaps one of the most underrated developers in the industry. The studio specializes in creating visual novel games that are story and text heavy. For the Vita, they released Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair this year in the U.S. with help from NIS America. The two games have the same premise as you play as a high school student who gets trapped with other classmates in a game where they have to figure out who the real killer is among the group.
Although Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is the better game, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is definitely worth playing as well. This is especially true when you considered that the two are directly related.
In fact, you could say that the two games in the series alone are worth buying the PlayStation Vita just to play. So make sure to purchase both right no on Amazon – Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.
With the above-mentioned games, you should have plenty of options to purchase during Black Friday and the rest of the holidays.