The Killer App! – KILLZONE MERCENARY PSVITA

So here we are — September 4th, a big day for the Vita. This is the day Killzone finally makes its debut on Sony’s handheld, and hopefully it will help establish a strong online community while giving Vita sales the boost they desperately need.

I had the game pre-installed via preorder a few days ago and was all set to jump in at 01:00 last night the moment it unlocked. But of course, just as launch time hit, a 1.1GB patch appeared out of nowhere… and naturally, my 32GB memory card was completely full.

On release day, Killzone: Mercenary weighs in at 4.3GB. That’s a serious chunk of storage for a handheld title — especially when you consider the size of the Vita’s smallest memory cards. Now the big question is whether the game can live up to that hefty file size — or better yet, exceed it.

Rocking My Heart In…

Two minutes in, and you already know this game is going to blow you away. The sheer epic scale of Killzone hits instantly as you leap from a skyscraper in a wingsuit — a spectacular and seriously cool opening that sets the tone perfectly.

The controls feel tight and responsive, exactly as they should. The graphics may look impressive in still screenshots, but once everything is in motion, they look even better. Absolutely gobsmacking stuff. Could this be the new graphical benchmark for the Vita? It certainly feels like it.

Controls,Wingsuit, Reload…

The controls during the “fastening sequences” work brilliantly — nothing feels too twitchy, and nothing feels sluggish. Everything flows smoothly. A proper handheld with dual analog sticks and that gorgeous screen? Wow. It honestly makes last year’s Vita FPS titles feel like child’s play (thankfully!).

The in-game shop system is cleverly integrated. As you move through the levels, you’ll come across “lockboxes” — essentially portable shops that let you purchase weapons, ammo, and gear on the fly. They sell just about everything you need… except extra cash, which I constantly seem to be short on (and that’s only about an hour in!).

Sound familiar? Yes, the bomb-disposal mechanic makes a return from Killzone 2, and it works beautifully with the touchscreen. In fact, ammo pickups and other interactions also feel intuitive and responsive when using the touchscreen while on the move. It’s a smart implementation that never gets in the way of the action.

MELEE THAT OLED…

Melee combat once again makes clever use of the touchscreen, and it’s implemented surprisingly well. So far, it feels smooth and responsive, never overstaying its welcome or becoming a chore. I was honestly worried these sections would feel forced or gimmicky, but the developers handled them brilliantly.

I’m currently rappelling down a building, swinging on a rope and preparing to smash through a window — and it’s pure fun. No slowdowns whatsoever, and it looks fantastic in motion.

The door lock puzzle initially had me scratching my head. The in-game voice instructions didn’t help much — they were a bit hard to understand and honestly more distracting than useful. But once I figured it out on my own, it turned out to be quite straightforward.

Absolutely Mentally Good…

And yes, that screenshot above? That’s taken directly in-game. Does it look good? Absolutely — it genuinely does.

So far, this is easily the best-looking game on the Vita — at least in my opinion. Of course, I’ll know for sure once I’ve completed it. Performance has been rock solid: no frame drops, no sluggish movement. Gunplay feels incredibly satisfying — very reminiscent of Black, Criterion’s legendary PlayStation 2 shooter, with that same punchy, weighty feel to the weapons.

As for online multiplayer, I’ve only spent time with the beta, so I won’t go too deep into it yet since the retail version could differ in performance. That said, the beta ran smoothly, and impressively, there didn’t seem to be any noticeable downgrade in visuals during online matches.