Gravity Rush is a new refreshing take for the action-adventure genre which has been lacking for many years. With its beautifully rendered worlds being shown on the 5’ inch OLED screen and a unique gravity system, Gravity Rush easily takes the crown for the best Vita game being released so far.
Gravity Rush
The main protagonist of Gravity Rush is Kat, a naïve but brave girl who has lost her memory. At the beginning of the game, you meet a cat who has the power of gravity. After the animal is called Dusty, the two find out they have to save the town of Hekseville from a dark powerful force called the Nevi who are separating the districts apart. There are families scattered across the lands and it is up to you to put the world back into balance and along the way, there are side stories for the development of Kat’s personality and character. However, not everyone likes Kat because ever since she showed up, terrible events have happened in Hekseville. This strange story is well told through comic strips and normal in game cut scenes but there is no voice acting in this game, which is a great shame.
The most significant factor about the game is how Kat traverses around Hekseville. With the power of gravity, Kat can glide in the air, walk on walls and use trajectory to move around a particular enemy’s weak points. When moving the camera, it is sometimes difficult to be accurate when reaching for an enemy’s weak point because the enemy shifts slightly to the right. It is frustrating when you can’t change her direction in the middle of an attack. Another problem is that it is hard to dodge enemy attacks because you have to swipe the screen and move your finger off the analog stick. The implementation of the rear touch pad on the Vita would have been a better alternative. Besides these faults, there is nothing more satisfying than flying from one side of the town to the other. It is breathtaking and it is a gaming memory many people who play this game will never forget. The game has interesting uses of the gravity system such as a stealth mission and a level where you have to traverse through platforms to make it to the end of the section. I also like the ability to move Kat in the air with the gyroscope feature of the PlayStation Vita; whenever I move the console itself, so does Kat.
By far the best feature of Gravity Rush is the music and the world itself. Everything looks so crisp on the Vita’s screen and the town of Hekseville looks like a dreamt up rustic French town. All the ships flying in the sky seen from faraway are able to be landed on and there are no loads times between separate parts of the town. The music perfectly fits the mood of the game and every melody sounds beautiful. However, the soundtracks get repetitive as it plays over and over again. Despite that, the soundtrack is fantastic to listen in small intakes.
Overall, Gravity Rush is a gorgeous action-adventure game that is recommended for every PlayStation Vita owner. If you are looking for a game with an innovative use of the Vita’s features or just something different than the standard shooter, rush over to the PlayStation Network or your closest store when it officially releases on June 12th.
Final Marks:
Story: 8/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Presentation: 9/10
Overall Percentage: 83%