Sony's PlayStation Vita desperately needs a proper blockbuster after the handheld has been almost exclusively filled with indie titles and ports in recent months. With 'Killzone: Mercenary', produced by the new Guerilla Studio in Cambridge, that blockbuster is finally on the horizon.
Set directly after the events of the original Killzone, Sony promises to revisit many of those events. We had the opportunity to test one of the game's nine missions in advance, which took us to Helghan, home of the Helghast, who use destructive arc cannons in orbit to destroy ISA ships with a single strike from above.
Playing as mercenary Arran Danner, we're tasked with boarding a commando platform, hacking its control units, and destroying the Arc Cannons. A cinematic opening sequence sees us hurtling towards the platform, gliding the last few meters down onto a kind of transport gondola. It's here that we lose our cameraman, Carrell, and must now complete the mission alone. Hordes of Helghast soldiers cross our path, along with drones monitoring the airspace and snipers intent on picking us off from a distance. The PS Vita version is certainly not lacking in action, and it's every bit as good as the previous console installments. It delivers pure, authentic Killzone feel, undoubtedly enhanced by the use of the Killzone 3 engine.
The missions in 'Killzone: Mercenary' revolve around earning money. Every action you take, every successful objective completion, and every kill (preferably a headshot) is rewarded with cash, which is desperately needed. A visit to our weapons dealer reveals why. He has all sorts of equipment ready for you, which not only has to be purchased, but even simply swapping out your existing weapons and gear will cost you dearly. But these upgrades are truly impressive! You can, for example, turn a simple secondary weapon into a grenade launcher or transform your drone into a laser sight for launching rockets that rain down on your enemies. In addition, you also have various hand grenades and melee attacks at your disposal.
This is where the PS Vita's typical features, such as the touchpad, come into play. Since some buttons are missing compared to a traditional controller, some adjustments were necessary. For example, if you're standing directly in front of an enemy, you can perform a melee kill by touching the touchpad. This kill is sometimes triggered by a quick-time event and requires several swipes across the screen. Sprinting is accomplished via a double-tap on the rear touchpad. Some button assignments are also available in duplicate, giving you the choice of using the face buttons or the touchscreen. Whether everyone will find the PS Vita suitable as a controller replacement is something you'll have to discover for yourself.
In terms of gameplay, 'Killzone: Mercenary' feels more dynamic and no longer as cumbersome or sluggish as was criticized in 'Killzone 3'. This is likely the middle ground already explored in 'Killzone: Shadow Fall' for PS4, and from which 'Killzone: Mercenary' probably also benefits.
We are somewhat concerned, however, by the mere nine missions that Sony lists as the single-player game content. While they claim each mission takes about an hour to complete, the one we played took us roughly 30 minutes, even though we took our time and examined everything very carefully. Hopefully, the other missions are more extensive. Alternatively, a multiplayer mode will be available later, in which you can also earn money, which is recorded on your Valour Card and can also be used in the single-player campaign. However, the multiplayer mode was not yet available at the time of testing.
Finally, a few impressions of the game's graphics, which, despite the game being only partially finished, make an excellent impression for a handheld. An atmospheric setting, great lighting effects, dynamic gameplay, and cinematic presentations that rival the major console versions, even if they don't offer the same level of polish. It's true that the PS Vita can't quite compete here, but perfect graphics aren't always necessary.
“‘Killzone: Mercenary’ is already shaping up to be the action highlight for the PS Vita this year. After this demo, we're already itching to return to Helghan!”
Assessment: Very good! – Release: September 04, 2013
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