The PS Vita offers a diverse library of games in various styles that guarantee quality and fun for players.

The PlayStation Vita, released by Sony in December 2011 in Japan, featured a variety of features such as a touch screen, rear touchpad, gyroscope and online functionality. While perhaps not as popular as its predecessor, the PSP, the PS Vita offered a library of excellent titles that were truly worthwhile. Here are 10 of the best games for the PS Vita:

The list does not follow an order of quality, but rather presents a variety of games that exploit the laptop's resources. There are options for shooters, indie games, action, RPG, fighting and more. Let's start!

10. Hotline Miami

Hotline Miami is a game that can be interpreted in many ways. It can be seen as a top-down shooter or even as a puzzler, where sometimes you literally break some heads.

The combination of shooting gameplay, the need to carefully plan your route and attacks on enemies to survive the stages, creating perfect kill sequences and scoring lots of points, makes the game extremely addictive.

The look is a bit reminiscent of GTA 2, and the character can wear different masks that give different abilities. This combination with fast-paced action makes Hotline Miami an incredible experience.

09. Blaz Blue: Chrono Phantasma

The PS Vita also stands out as an interesting platform for fighting games. Instead of mentioning Mortal Kombat, let's talk about Arc System Works' BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma. This game offers fast and fluid gameplay, with deep mechanics and many possibilities to create exciting combos. Additionally, it features a lot of content, making it an excellent option for having fun while away from home.

08. Soul Sacrifice

Soul Sacrifice is an RPG developed by Keiji Inafune, featuring a peculiar mechanic: sacrificing body parts and souls of enemies and allies to survive or gain advantages during combat. This system may seem complex initially, but with a little practice it becomes engaging, allowing you to create different strategies.

The game received a second version called Soul Sacrifice Delta, which made adjustments and added even more content, becoming the definitive version of the title.

07. Guacamelee

The list couldn't miss a metroidvania like Guacamelee! In it, we control Juan Aguacate, a farmer determined to save his loved one from the clutches of Carlos Calaca, an evil skeleton from the world of the dead.

The game offers gameplay that mixes platform, exploration and combat inspired by fighting games, allowing you to throw enemies into the air and execute exciting aerial combos. As Juan progresses and defeats bosses, he unlocks new abilities that allow him to access previously inaccessible areas.

The visuals, based on Mexico's “Dia de los Muertos” culture, give the game a unique aesthetic. The game's humor makes references to other games and pop culture elements, guaranteeing laughs and many hours of fun.

06. Rayman Origins

Rayman Origins is an excellent example of games created during the time when Ubisoft used the UbiArt Framework engine. In this fun platform game, Rayman and his friends face darktoons, creatures that threaten the protagonist's homeland.

The visuals are extremely colorful, and the design of the levels is designed both for players who like to explore the scenarios and for those who prefer to focus on speed. The controls are precise and the game maintains exceptional fluidity, even in high-speed chase phases.

With a robust amount of levels and challenges, Rayman Origins is capable of keeping players engaged with the handheld for long periods of time.

05. Dragon's Crown

Dragon's Crown makes the list as a hack 'n slash with RPG elements. With six distinct characters, each has a unique list of moves and abilities. Playing with characters like the Dwarf or the Amazon, who specialize in direct combat, offers a very different experience from that with the Mage or Sorceress, who rely more on equipment and can attack from a distance.

The game features multiple alternative routes through levels, a level progression system, and even secret bosses, providing an experience rich in variety and content for players to explore.

04. Killzone Mercenary

Killzone: Mercenary was Sony's attempt to bring its flagship shooter franchise to the PS Vita, set during the events of the series' original trilogy. In it, you take on the role of a mercenary who carries out missions for both sides of the war: sometimes collaborating with the ISA army, sometimes fighting alongside the Helghast, the saga's antagonists.

The game stands out for its great graphics, striking soundtrack and good performance in terms of frames per second, despite some chaotic confrontations. Killzone: Mercenary offers a very busy and functional competitive online mode, although it was closed in 2020.

With a wide variety of weapons and approaches to completing the stages, players can choose to be stealthy, eliminating only what is necessary and going unnoticed, or adopt a more aggressive approach, destroying everything and everyone in their path like a true Rambo.

03. Tearaway

Tearaway, released in 2012 and produced by Media Molecule, the studio that created Little Big Planet, presents an enchanting world made of paper folds, in contrast to the rag dolls of Little Big Planet. The game allows players to use their creativity to interact and customize the protagonist.

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The PS Vita's unique features are integrated in innovative ways: the device's rear touchpad can be used to move the scenery, while tapping the screen allows you to attack enemies or draw elements that integrate into the game in an organic and enjoyable way.

Tearaway is acclaimed by make the most PS Vita features. For those who don't have a handheld, the game received a PS4 version called Tearaway Unfolded. While it doesn't have the same impact as the original PS Vita version, it still offers a fun and unique experience.

02. Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Uncharted: Golden Abyss was released in December 2011, defying Sony's initial strategy of providing a desktop console-like experience on the PS Vita. The adventure puts Nathan Drake and Sully on a journey through Latin America in search of a lost city.

Developed by Bend Studio (the same as Days Gone), the game employs mechanics similar to those seen in Uncharted 1 and 2, standing out for the shootings, climbing and the charisma of the main duo.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss takes advantage of the PS Vita's unique features, such as the rear touchpad to solve puzzles that involve using charcoal to decipher secret messages. The touchscreen is widely used in interactive combat scenes known as Quick Time Events.

Nathan Drake's portable adventure maintains a quality standard close to that of Naughty Dog's first games, solidifying its position as one of the best games on the PS Vita.

01. Gravity Rush

Gravity Rush is a series created by Japan Studio in which the player takes control of Kat, a memoryless girl with the unique ability to manipulate gravity. A story follows Kat on her journey to discover their origins in a city constantly threatened by creatures called Nevi and an unstable government.

Kat's ability to manipulate gravity allows her to use objects as weapons and fly freely around the beautiful city of Hekseville, an open world filled with locations to explore, captivating characters, and optional missions.

The game runs stably, with rare frame drops, and makes excellent use of the PS Vita's features, including the touchscreen and gyroscope, which allows players to change Kat's direction by tilting the device.

Gravity Rush is considered one of the best and most original games on the PS Vita. For those who don't own the portable, the title received a remastered version for the PS4, called Gravity Rush Remastered, and a sequel for the same console, expanding the reach of this fascinating series.

Conclusion

This was the list of 10 notable PS Vita games. Couldn't mention all the good ones games released for the device, but feel free to leave your recommendations in the comments.

It is important to remember that, after changes in Sony policies, it is no longer possible to purchase digital games for PS Vita and PS3 through the PlayStation Store website. Now, it is necessary to access the store directly through the devices.