Review: Lone Survivor

In this psychological survival adventure, the masked protagonist must escape from a city ravaged by disease, by any means necessary. Starving and exhausted, he has begun to question how much of what he sees is even real. A new kind of adventure where the choice of how to survive is up to you.

Pros:

• Dark, Detailed graphics that really pop on both the Vita and the PS3.
• Eery Silent Hill inspired soundtrack that not only adds a chilly atmosphere, But sounds amazing. and when the game doesnt have you jumping, The music will!
• The game overall is very Resident Evil meets Silent Hill with elements borrowed from other games. A 2D side scroller with dollops of atmosphere, exploration with a puzzle element and stealth abilities.
• Controls are simple and even have handy short cuts assigned to the shoulder buttons.
• The game doesnt look that bad on PS3, But on the Vita is where it looks its best. The only way to play this game is in the dark with headphones on. The OLED screen allows the pixels to pop, The music to chill and its on the go!
• Dark twisted story of survival in every regard. You need to find food and sleep regularly. On your journey you will meet other survivors, monsters, strange beings and even ghosts? The story is told in a way that you feel in control of everything.
• The lighting is at the same level as the rest of the game, Armed with a flashlight, You must choose to use it and attract attention or go in blind. The lighting again gives the game a Silent Hill vibe and that is in no way a bad thing.
• Due to the open ended approach, All players will have a different experience, You have to love games that allow that to happen. I restarted several times to try out different routes.
• Find mirrors for fast travel.
• Has a strong resource management style to it. You have to balance out what food to eat and when, What food to cook or save.
• Very realistic in regards to the constant need to sleep and eat during the day. Everytime you sleep you forward time by a day.
• Has a high replayability due to the vast space you have to play in. The desire to find everything the game has to offer is your carrot.
• Take pills which can cause crazy dreams that can give you an insight to whats going on.

Cons:

• Map is confusing at the best of times.
• Not much guidance, Sign posting for you to follow so you do feel as though you are stumbling in the dark.
• Text is blocky and hard to read on the PS3.
• The first hour of the game is when the game is most confusing.

In Summary, This is one of the best games on the Vita by far. I didnt give away anything from the actual story as it will ruin the experience. It is still very much playable on the big screen but the Vita gives it a much more personal feel. The level of detail and atmosphere is breath taking. One of the few games that have you smiling whilst playing it but alot have you tried smiling while getting jump scares at night? Hilarious. Jasper has made it known his love for the Silent Hill series and this game shows off just some of his talents. He succeeded where Konami failed with their Silent Hill game. You dont need to think about buying the game, You just need to do it and turn off the lights, Plug in your headphones and jump in to one of the best Indie titles on console this year.