Before we start, I want to say that I am well aware that Killzone: Mercenary is a four-year old game on a basically dead console. Its age is part of why I want to talk about it, though. You see, when it comes to first-person shooters (FPSes) on handheld consoles, Killzone: Mercenary is still undeniably the best choice out there.
Vita Vs 3DS Shooters
Since the PS Vita and the Nintendo 3DS are aimed at vastly different markets, their game libraries are made up of completely different games, so it’s usually not too helpful to compare them. In fact, when it comes to first-person shooters, your only real choice is the PS Vita, since the 3DS can’t really handle the graphics or online capablities that an excellent FPS demands. Since the Vita and the 3DS are the most recently-released handheld consoles (and may end up the last generation of competing handheld consoles), this indicates that the best FPS on the Vita is the best handheld FPS around.
The Best PS Vita First-Person Shooter
This brings us back to Killzone: Mercenary. The Vita’s Killzone offering is the best FPS available for the handheld console, and the fact that it doesn’t have many real competitors on the Vita makes it a pretty easy choice to make. While it is a big fish in a small pond, it’s also a great game on its own merits.
The story is long enough to be compelling, and challenging enough to have a decent amount of singleplayer replayability. The graphics are great and so is the gameplay, and since the Vita has dual joysticks it really feels like a genuine console FPS experience, except on a smaller scale. Where the game really shines, though, is its multiplayer.
Killzone: Mercenary Multiplayer
While Killzone: Mercenary came out four years ago, the multiplayer server is not only still up but it’s also thriving. You can either play a team mode or a mode, or the titular mercenary mode where you’re on your own. The mercenary mode is my favorite, since I think the “shoot everyone you see” rather than the “figure out if that guy’s on your team or not, then start shooting” game mode works better on a handheld console. I’ve had this game for four years, and everytime I jump into multiplayer I’m put into a game right away with a few other players.
I think that since this is the best FPS for the Vita and the multiplayer is still up, everyone who wants to play a multiplayer FPS on their Vita has to go with Killzone: Mercenary. This is kind of sad for PlayStation, but it’s great for PS Vita users and owners of Killzone: Mercenary, since all the FPS action is confined mostly to one game. If you want to play a great multiplayer FPS on your PS Vita, go ahead and buy Killzone: Mercenary. If you already have it but just assumed it was dead, pop it back in to your Vita and see just how alive and well the mutiplayer still is.
Download Killzone: Mercenary on the PlayStation Store
Glad that KZM’s multiplayer is still thriving. For a casual gamer like myself, the Vita’s Call of Duty multiplayer was always a good way to pass the time for years. Then a few months ago I decided to check out KZ. Probably going to be hard to go back to any other handheld shooter after this. The fact that I can always seem to find people online to play with in 2017 bodes well. The writer of the article is right on all points. If anybody is on the fence or just curious about KZM, its mos def worth it.
I know right? It’s amazing, it’s such an old game and I’ve never had any trouble finding people to play with. I never played Call of Duty on the Vita either cause Killzone was everything I wanted :)