10 of the best indie PS Vita games

Sony’s handheld is an indie game dream machine. Check in with our top picks you need to play.

[Jalva]

"Sony’s handheld is an indie game dream machine."

Unfortunately in the west that's all it is, hasn't gotten a new AAA exclusive here since Killzone Mercenary in September of 2013...

[Protagonist]

Did you buy Killzone for the Vita?

Also since you are on N4G, you should have read this before. If not. let me educate you.

"Scott Rohde, PlayStation Software Product Development Head for Sony Worldwide Studios America, was part of a panel that was live streamed during the PlayStation Experience. In a Q&A session, one of the attendees asked if AAA developers are still seeing some potential with the Vita after the lack of announcements regarding any big exclusive releases like Killzone Mercenary and Tearaway.

Scott Rohde replied by saying that the company still very much believe in the portable system. In fact, he personally adores it, calling the platform the best handheld machine he has ever played on.

On the other hand, he also stated that the PlayStation Vita is capable of so much that it is really expensive to develop exclusive software for it. He does not believe that it would be profitable to release games with a budget of 20 to 30 million dollars on the handheld.

With that said, Sony is still picking and choosing their battles regarding what to release on the Vita. He promised fans that they will keep doing everything they can to support the handheld."

[MrSwankSinatra]

The vita is where it's at now because of Sony. Sony were the ones propping the vita up as a home console on the go. I mean the very first demos for the vita were of it running console games like MGS4 and Lost Planet 2. Nobody wants to buy into Vita because there is hardly any exclusive software worth buying a vita for. With no one buying the system, developers don't want to develop for it. The Vita was pretty much DoA before it even launched. Sony should've just bowed out of the handheld market gracefully and focused only consoles, but Noooooo...... Sony just had to release another one, knowing damn well in the age of mobile they wouldn't replicate the success the PSP had, hell the 3DS can't even replicate a DS like success. After the vita lifespan Sony seriously needs to leave handheld development altogether. I'd rather have a focused Sony, than a segmented one anyways.

[FragGen]

KZ:M was awesome. IN *2013* when it was released. The fact that someone has to pull a game from 2013 out as an example of current AAA titles in 2015 shows just how few there are. No one is saying the number is zero. We're saying the number and rate is unacceptably low for the system to distinguish itself in an age where every sing person on the planet is carrying a non-Vita indie game machine in their pocket.

[miyamoto]

100% agree with what you said.

PS Vita like the PS3 had a very rocky start but I see Sony turning the ship around because the right games are coming to the platform.

Dragon Quest Heroes II is coming to the PS Vita in Japan is huge news.
Sony is steering the PS Vita to the right direction as we speak.

The biggest critique I gave Mr. Shuhei Yoshida on Twitter is the lack of games for Younger Gamers on the PS Vita platforms which translates into having lesser games on the shelves out there in stores. Trying to get the hardcore console gamers into the PS Vita was not a very good move. AAA games should come every once in a while for PS Vita but not in expense of the millions of young gamers out there.

The "PS Vita Has No Games" is a legitimate complaint out there in the game stores. I get that. No denial.

But the good news is Sony has stated last year that its on track to broaden all its platforms market by making games for the younger audience available and price cuts for PS Vita, PS3 and PS4. The cross platform development for all PlayStation platforms are in full swing!

[FragGen]

I LOVE the Vita; but I totally agree with you. It has only reached a small fraction of its potential. People that pretend it has a bunch of good AAA titles or that a handheld that just has a bunch of indie games (which phones and tablets are flooded with) is okay are lying to themselves and are not doing the platform any good.

People need to tell Sony they screwed up: the memory card prices are a fatal flaw and the lack of AAA games keeps it from distinguish itself from smart phones which people already have in their pocket.

[InahimeHondaSengoku]

They are focusing on PS4. What did you not understand about that?

[SpinalRemains138]

They are focusing on PS4.

Are you serious?

That makes all the Vita decisions ok? Is that truly what you think?