6. Wipeout 2048
2048 is often regarded as the most challenging installment in the series, though recommended as a challenge that all should take. The look and feel is unusual, owing to this being a prequel to the very first Wipeout, meaning that races take place through the streets of New York as opposed to dedicated circuits worldwide. It is also reported that the development of Wipeout 2048 influenced the design philosophy of PS Vita, which is another way of saying that this is the game that PS Vita was made for. Certainly, the degree of connection required between player and machine is frightening.
7. Tearaway
The work of British studio Media Molecule (LittleBigPlanet) stretches the notion of what a video game can achieve, playfully appealing to all ages. Tearaway is yet another beguiling example of what bright, optimistic and kind-natured thought can achieve through gaming. The experience makes full use of the PS Vita's user interface, including the camera which captures the player's face to appear as the sun in the sky of lead protagonist Iota or Atoi. There are many more amazing ways in which your presence is recognised; scratching at touch pads or tapping buttons, and we strongly everyone to discover them.
8. Dragon Quest Builders
Amidst an avalanche of Minecraft-influenced adventures, this Square Enix masterpiece will take some beating. The familiar break-and-build formula is wonderfully tailored to suit the storytelling excellence of the Japanese studio. A huge, authentic JRPG adventure lies ahead, with the crafting theme as its focus that never gets tiring. Of course it helps that the blocky world is populated by some of the famous monsters from Dragon Quest history. However, the menagerie seems almost made for this novel adaptation, and the series' distinctive line in humour elevates the mood. An online build-and share mode is excellent too.
9. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Popular board game Cluedo meets the most outlandish aspects of Japanese comic books to deliver a visual-novel that's definitely not for kids. Teenagers (and teens at heart) will adore Danganronpa, though! The Japanese high-school setting is a prevailing theme with manga, serving relatable scenarios given a bonkers twist. In Trigger Happy Havoc, hipster students are locked inside school, and challenged to kill each other, Hunger Games style, in exchange for release - but only after identifying the perpetrator (who is subsequently executed). It is very grim. And yet, this is engrossing in a way that games seldom achieve.
10. Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
Maybe it's just us, but the title should be enough to convince most gamers to prioritize this purchase. As the name makes clear, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is a remastered batch that includes Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. You'll notice that the 1998 PlayStation classic Metal Gear Solid is absent, but the rest more than makes up for it. Should you need reminding: Metal Gear is the pre-eminent stealth series. A must on PS Vita.
