There aren’t many shining saviors in terms of games for Sony’s Vita at the moment. However there are one or two titles which stand out as making Sony’s ailing handheld a worthwhile purchase.
One of those titles is Gravity Rush. Developed by Project Siren (a SCE Japan studio) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, Gravity Rush gives its players a reason to pick up a Vita that - let’s be honest - has probably been sitting and collecting dust for the past few months.
Gravity Rush takes place in the floating city of Hekseville and follows the curious blonde-haired protagonist Kat, who wakes up with no memory of who she is or where she is. Shortly after waking up, Kat finds a strange “astral” cat (later dubbed Dusty) who provides her with the power to control the gravity of the world around her. Kat immediately starts learning how to use and master her new-found abilities, whilst helping to protect the people of Hekseville from the threat of a dangerous Gravity Storm and the hordes of black-and-red monsters named Nevi that have started popping up around the city lately.
Kat and Dusty are an odd duo. Little is known about the mysterious gravity-changing cat and even by the end of the game you find yourself scratching your head in regards to that topic. Kat talks to Dusty often, but the strange cat simply replies with “meow” in varying tones, depending on the situation. Kat is an inquisitive, selfless and down-to-earth teenager who is just trying to find her place in the world after waking up with no recollection of who she is. A large portion of Gravity Rush is spent exploring Hekseville, whilst trying to find out who Kat really is by talking to different townsfolk who have varying opinions of our protagonist.
Hekseville is a where you will spend the majority of your time in Gravity Rush. It’s divided into 4 unlockable districts: Auldnoir (Where Kat wakes up), Pleajeune, Endestria and Vendecentre. Each district has a different emotional tone; they look refreshingly different in terms of color schemes and architecture, and the distinct visual difference - coupled with the well composed musical tracks - add some variety to what could otherwise be a boring and monotonous world.
Gameplay can be frustrating to start with, but persevere and it feels satisfying and rewarding once mastered. You’ll use your abilities to change the flow of gravity and therefore the direction in which Kat falls, effectively making it possible for Kat to walk on the sides of large buildings or even fly. A tap of the R button switches the flow of gravity and sees you floating in mid-air and then, either using the motion controls or the right analog stick, you can choose a direction to “fall” in until you either make contact with something (normally a building or an enemy), or run out of time on the gravity gauge.
Gravity Rush juggles exploration and combat fairly well and never really leaves you missing one or the other. It also seems to be influenced slightly by some RPGs, boasting a variety of features such as open-world exploration, side-quests, optional bosses, leveling up and the steady acquisition of new and powerful abilities that can be upgraded and modified.
The graphics in Gravity Rush are beautiful and really showcase the potential of the Vita, setting a high standard that other developers should be aiming for. Whether it’s during gameplay or the cutscenes - which are presented in the form of live comic-book panels - the visuals never disappoint. The character design is stunning and reminiscent of what you would see in your favorite Anime series. Combat is flashy and impressive, and the small animations that play when defeating large bosses can often leave you in awe. The only drawback is a short draw distance in many of the game’s areas. However, this is easily forgiven.
The sound work is also well-crafted, with a varied soundtrack that will either have you bopping your head and tapping your feet as you explore everything the jazzy city of Hekseville has to offer, or get your heart pumping with excitement while you fight another menacing boss. The limited voice acting present is delivered in a made-up French-inspired language and seems to fit well with the look and feel of the overall game.
There are many enemies for Kat and Dusty to take on in Gravity Rush, but the majority of them share the same general look and feel - albeit coming with varying sizes and forms of protection. Some are large and strong, whereas others are small and nimble; some charge at Kat and others shoot dangerous orbs from a distance. the differences in enemies adds an exciting sense of strategy to combat however the variety only goes so far. Kat can take enemies down with a few upgradable abilities - namely Spiraling Claw, Micro Black Hole and Gravity Typhoon - or you can stick to using more traditional combat powers, such as using gravity to fling objects at your enemy or speed towards them with a powerful kick.
Unfortunately, using your gravity powers during combat can be frustratingly tricky. Trying to orient Kat so that when you switch gravity you actually fly into an enemy, instead of missing and flying way off into the distance, can be extremely difficult at times, not helped by the lack of a lock-on feature for all but a small handful of your abilities. Boss fights sport the traditional highlighted weak spots and aiming for those are easy enough, but after choosing a direction to fly-kick towards you find yourself praying that your opponent doesn’t move and send you off far across the map. It sometimes reaches the point where it’s easier to hide and wait for your special abilities (that do actually lock-on) to recharge and use those, than fight the way the developers intended you to.
Challenges are another gameplay element featured in Gravity Rush, ranging from various races to tough battles. Medals are awarded depending on how well you perform, and these medals reward you with different quantities of gems which can be used to either upgrade Kat’s abilities or unlock more challenges around the city. There’s also leaderboard support so that you can attempt to beat the best and boast to your buddies.
Gravity Rush is a thoroughly enjoyable experience over its 10 or so hours. One or two of its touch and motion control features feel gimmicky and forced, and its combat can be frustrating at times; however, this can easily be overlooked when you experience the beautifully crafted world and surprisingly pleasant plot (that seems a lot like the origin story of a comic book hero). Gravity Rush is worth a look if you are finding yourself in need of a reason to pick up your Vita - and with the announcement of a sequel coming soon, players who fall in love with the quirky character Kat can look forward to spending much more time with her in the future.
