Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsA Beautiful and Ageless Game
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2014
I picked up a Vita bundled with my Playstation 4. I had heard great things about this game, and it was among the first I purchased right off the bat. People talk about the Vita having a lack of games, but I'm not finding that to be the case; there are enough AAA+ titles to keep me occupied for a year, and the Vita only seems to be picking up steam now that the PS4 has become so embedded as the lead console for multiplats and Sony's great exclusives.
This, is another great, great Sony exclusive. I played Little Big Planet before, and while I appreciated the creativity and innovation, the gameplay was not really enough to hold my attention. When I learned that the same developers made this title, I was afraid I might have the same reaction. I definitely did not, though. This is not a game purely about collecting and exploring; you can do plenty of that, but it's an adventure game, with surprise, after surprise, after surprise.
Tearaway uses every sensor on the Vita, features fun and compelling (and often challenging) gameplay (you will die a lot!), but the key is that they used the *perfect* balance of all of these elements. The rear touch is used just enough (and in a very cool way); the camera is used just enough, so on and so forth.
And most importantly, the real innovation here, is that as the game tells you a story, you are also creating your own story. There's something very special and sentimental about this game. Every person's experience of it is like a snowflake; no two are alike. You decorate and define the entire universe in-between immersive gameplay. Probably the most perfect use of any handheld's hardware to date, and definitely one of the best games available on any handheld. If you have a Vita, this is a must-buy! You'll never experience another game like this (unless, of course, there's a sequel; but that could be a while!).
Overall, great, great game. I found myself playing this game every morning on the way to work. My only wish is that it could have been just a little bit longer. But, to those who criticize it for being "too short", I can say this: it took me at least twice as long to finish this than it did to finish the latest Call of Duty (Ghosts) campaign; and that was a $60+ game (clocking in at around 4-5 hours)! And I didn't even find all the secrets and collectables; there is definitely replay value... Some of those treasure boxes are extremely tricky to find! It's a pretty long campaign, all things considered, especially for the price. Great value great game. I know I've said it already, but pick this one up! Support great, fun, innovative games, and maybe we'll get more.
