So as I promised earlier here is a simple informal review of the PSV
System
Light! The first thing you will notice once you hold the system since the screen isn't even turned on yet. I belive the size of the screen gives the user a false sense that the system will be heavier than the psp. The screen can be described with many words such as amazing, beautiful, appropriate but I believe the word most suitable would be 'perfect'. It's absolutely perfect for a gaming machine and does justice to the powerful specs the system has underneath. The OLED is such a wonderful addition that really improves the gaming experience. I have only played UMvC3 so far and will be playing Mutan Blobs from Space soon but right off the bat I can see how crisp and vivid the colors are. I can only imagine what a game like Demons Souls will look like on this and I actually hope we will get an iterations of games like that down the road. It's bound to be a fantastic experience.
About the overall design of the system, first let's talk about the analog sticks. They are 'small'. But works flawlessly. It's miles apart from the circlepad/nub on the psp and imho much better than the circle pad for the 3ds. And having two of these means, us fans finally have a system that can nail almost any control scheme possible on the go. Especially for shooters and action/adventure games, this was a much needed addition.
The Dpad: I am a huge fighters fan, especially of Tekken. And this could quite possibly be the best Dpad I have yet to play on. comfortable, responsive and well designed and I can't wait for Tekken Tag 2 to come to this system (Let's face it, Harada is definitely gonna bring a PSV version) I also think this is a good sign for the next dual shock design for PS4
Rear/Front Touch and Motion Sensors: Nothing to complain here. Adds additional ways to play games making this the system with the most (or one of the most) input methods for gameplay. This is an area psp lacked severely.
UI: I don't like the bubbles much but nor do I deslike them. I do wish however that we could customize the bubbles which would have led to a whole new world of possibilities. But overall the UI is slick, snappy, fluid and user friendly. I believe this is a good thing despite some who complain about the aethetic appeal of the UI. At launch what matters is function, more so than the appearence. And Sony have nailed it. It's very easy to go from one aspect such as a game to the another aspect like an app such as near. Almost no slow downs in between the transitions either. And with time the UI will continue to see improvements.
Apps/browser: They work and work well! The keyboard is well designed and really makes the use of apps and broweser a breeze. Netflix for example looks amazing on this device. It would have been a neat feature if we could load a complete video via netflix and keep it so we can access it even without a net connection though. Hope we will see more interesting apps and additional features in the coming months. on a side note, VGC site works perfectly on the browser. Makes saving wallpaper images from this thread much easier as well!
However near needs some improvement and I'm not talking about functionality of it (had 26 people 'near' me yesterday! 0_0) They should do a better job in explaining how it works and what it does to the consumers. Maybe add a seperate booklet with the system. An average consumer might be very confused by this app and it really should not be the case. Also simple yet new additions like being able to 'like' trophy unlocking by your friends and also to leave comments on them or being able to change the background of your gamertag are things that needs more exposure as many won't even realize they implimented in the system.
Games: The all important aspect, the games. There are so many games so I will just post my overall impression of the line up so far. It's AMAZING! Sony delivered big time on this front. Around 30 games at launch? New iterations of series like Uncharted and Wipeout, with new IPs like Escape Plan and Mutant Blobs from Space with great set of console ports which retains the same quality have made this launch a launch without buyers remorse. In the coming months we will get Gravity Daze, Unit 14, Mortal Kombat, Burning Skies and much more. And during next week both at GDC and Vita Game heaven events, more titles will be revealed as well. Fans are in for a drought free months and months of gaming goodness.
One complaint would be the memory cards. I do not like the pricing scheme used by Sony here. Given their financial condition and the fact that they are selling the system at a loss, I can see why they would opt to do this as a company. But from a consumer a stand point this is one of the biggest issues one will have with the system.
So there you have it! A somewhat simple and informal review of the PSV from me. I am beyond excited about this system and I honestly believe sony has something special on their hands with this.
In-Kat-We-Trust Brigade!
"This world is Merciless, and it's also very beautiful"
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