I got my hands on the PlayStation Vita version of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. I was quite pleased with it. More than I thought I was going to be. The PlayStation 3 version of the demo had the newly announced characters, Nathan Drake and Big Daddy, in the roster to be played. However, the Vita version did not have these characters but instead had the previously announced roster of Sly Cooper, Kratos, Sweet Tooth, Parappa, Fat Princess, and Radec. This was possibly for time constraints but the aforementioned characters will indeed be playable in the Vita version of the game. For more information regarding the other characters, be sure to read our other hands-on impression for the PlayStation 3 version of the game.
I chose to play as Sly Cooper. Attacks are confined to the square, triangle, and circle buttons while jumping is done by pressing (X). Dodging involves pressing the left shoulder button while moving the control stick either left or right. Holding down the left shoulder button allows you to use a shield. As with the "other" fighting game that people are comparing it to, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is similar in its control scheme. The reps working with me also mentioned that they're paying attention to their character's move sets so that the hardcore fighting scene can form their own unique strategies with it. While remaining stationary pressing the attack buttons will make your character perform the appropriate move, obviously. But moving the control stick up, left, right, or down (while in the air) while using the attack buttons will bring some variety to your fighting move set.
The point of a battle is to build your special power meter to knock your opponents out of the stage. The power meter can fill up to three times. The higher your power meter is the greater damage you'll dish out. As Sly Cooper I wanted to see what his Level 3 special attack would be. When the meter is filled, tapping both the shoulder buttons, or in the Vita's case, swiping the rear touch pad, triggered the special attack. Sly jumped off screen to man a turret. I was able to shoot my opponents off the battlefield with much satisfaction.
The stages of course are based on games from Sony's history. I played the stage that was a mixture between Ratchet & Clank and God of War. Stage hazards will mix up gameplay. In this case, the Hydra from God of War appears to wreak havoc on the scene of the battle.
As for the Vita version, the rep who played the game with me was playing the PlayStation 3 demo, while I used the Vita for cross-play. This was what impressed me the most. I didn't notice any lag in this demo. In fact, I was able to look up from the Vita's screen to look at the TV and didn't see myself slowing down. I essentially used the Vita as the controller. So this is a great feature for people who want the game on-the-go. Visiting a friend's house to play the game on their TV using your Vita could be a great seamless feature. The game played as smooth as I thought it would and I believe it's going to be a hit. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is headed for the PlayStation 3 and Vita this holiday season.
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