REVIEW: Gravity Rush (PSVITA)

It's interesting to watch the trends in video games develop and change over time, and I remember fondly the 16-Bit era when 'platform' games like Sonic and Mario dominated, so much so that there were hundreds of imitations on every system. The current trend, which started in the last console cycle but seems to be continuing stronger than ever, is focused on 'open world' games and there seems to be a zillion of them. I've played a fair few recently, ranging from the good-but-not-great (Watchdogs) to the incredibly fun but underrated (Infamous: Second Son) and so it takes something different to really grab my attention. Cue Gravity Rush for the Playstation Vita, a system that I've otherwise overlooked until now, which like the Infamous games places more of a focus on third-person action in an open-world environment, rather than being a straight up open-world game with all the myriad side missions and emergent quests. Gravity Rush is a very linear game in terms of narrative, but the gameplay it presents is anything but linear, its decidedly bat-s**t insane.

The main hook of Gravity Rush is the central protagonist Kat and her ability to control the force of gravity; this is achieved with the aid of her magical cat Dusty. I'm serious. This mystical kitty allows Kat to untether herself from the standard gravitational pull of the Earth and make any direction she desires the new source of gravity, causing her to fall at great speed in that axis until she reaches a surface she can stand on. I've played other open-world games where you are given super powers, including the ability to fly, but Gravity Rush feels very different and the sense of falling upwards and sideways creates a real sense of displacement; I was often unsure of which way was really up and down. Luckily your perspective can be shifted to reflect normality at any time with the tap of a face button, and Kat's scarf always hangs off her shoulders in the direction of the true floor. Things get even more hectic during combat with the otherworldly Nevi, as Kat's only weapon is to hurl herself at full speed against these monstrosities, with some attacks having a subtle homing aspect it means you're pushed and pulled all over the place. This is not a game for people who suffer motion sickness.

Graphically, Gravity Rush looks fantastic, and it has a faux-cell-shaded art style and employs liberal use of bloom lighting to render its dreamy abstract cities and more esoteric environments. The story is told through a combination of well choreographed cinematics (rendered using the game engine) and sections that look like an interactive comic book, with swipes across the touch screen turning the pages and tilting the Vita causing the layered images to shift and move. It's a great way to tell what feels like a very comic book tale, and the character designs are all very distinctive and stand out well from each other; for example Kat's nemesis Raven. Gameplay largely involves searching the city for the next mission to advance the plot, but there are some alternative activities to undertake such as fixing up the run-down neighbourhoods for its citizens, collecting purple-glowing power shards scattered about the place, or engaging in challenge activities like races and timed combat. All this additional content provides the necessary resources needed to level up Kat's gravitational powers, unlocking new toys and abilities to use in the main quests.

While the controls and the concept take some getting used to, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Gravity Rush, and since the game ends with a *load* of plot threads still dangling I'm now eagerly awaiting a sequel. If you're tired of the same old tropes in open-world games and have access to a PS Vita, check out this charming and supremely entertaining game.