In part three of our series looking at essential PS Vita purchases we look to Sony Interactive Entertainment themselves. Now for the most part, this series is going to focus on digital exclusive releases. But there will be some games that have physical editions that will be severely restricted once the PlayStation Store goes offline. One such game is Killzone Mercenary…
Why Killzone Mercenary?
Arguably one of the Vita’s most anticipated games, Killzone Mercenary was likely to do one thing. Deliver on the promise made from day one about the Vita and bring true AAA gaming to the handheld. Early screens certainly gave that impression, and it looked as if it would give its PS3 peers in the series a run for their money.
Taking a gamble on the finished game would have been an even more surefire win than scoring big at Jackpot Giant. When it arrived it delivered in droves. With stunning visuals, great gameplay and a superb multiplayer mode it holds up today as one of the best games to grace the system. But Sony didn’t leave it at that, and kept bringing us additional content for the shooter over time.
Enter The PlayStation TV
Over the course of several months a number of patches were released. Several fixed bugs, some brought us new maps for the multiplayer mode. But one of the most significant was adding PlayStation TV support. Not only did this patch allow the game to run on the microconsole but it also remapped the controls, making full use of the DualShock 4’s extra buttons.
And when you started playing this on a PlayStation TV the game really excelled. Upscaled to 720p it was indistinguishable from any of the best PS3 shooters. Controls were fluid, multiplayer mode took advantage of the faster ethernet connection. It took a stunning shoot-em-up and made it almost perfect in every way. Combine Killzone Mercenary and a PSTV and it was a system selling combination of its own.
The Botzone
But the upgrade to allow PlayStation TV compatability wasn’t the most important update. That honour must go to the Botzone paid DLC. Despite having a great single player game, the real highlight of Killzone Mercenary was its online multiplayer mode. Playing this served to show why games like Call Of Duty continue to be so popular.
The Botzone DLC added a new feature allowing this to be played offline. A single player version was added, replacing all the human players with AI controlled characters. We all knew the game’s servers wouldn’t be online forever so this would effectively future proof the game. It was more than just random characters running around as well. They interacted with the environment in the same way any human player would. It extended the life of the game immeasurably.
Why Is This Now An Essential Buy?
As with Ridge Racer that I covered earlier in this series, Killzone Mercenary exists as a physical release as well as a digital title. However, whether you buy a new or second hand copy the patches will still be needed. And the online mode, if it hasn’t already, will soon disappear so getting the Botzone DLC should be a top priority.
So if you want to experience this all time great at its finest – especially if you have a PlayStation TV – you now have just a few short months left. And this is one classic you don’t want to miss.
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