escapeVektor is on sale this month on the PS Network for your Vita. Read the review inside to help make this easy decision:
Here's the main story line: from the Developer:
Vektor is has been imprisoned inside the CPU and he needs your help to escape.
Take control of Vektor and escape the cunning CPU using the abilities Vektor will hack for you. There are 150* nodes (levels) and 27* zones (worlds) to escape from. In each level there are enemies and obstacles for you to overcome before you can escape as well as online leaderboards to compete on.
Vektor needs your help, please don’t fail him now...
First impressions:
When you first boot up the game, the atmosphere, the graphics, the music... it all envelops you into the simple story of a mysterious character named "Vektor..." a simple mass of pixels at first, but as you play, the image becomes clearer, and his memories do as well...
Yes the graphics are simple lines and colors, but the presentation makes them so much more. You can tilt your Vita for a 3D effect that gets me every time.
Gameplay:
Your job is to gain control of a circuit by running your module around the lines. You capture areas by surrounding them, and when you get them all, an escape node opens for you to leave the level. Sounds simple, right?
The challenge quickly arises as you have to start timing your path around enemies, through gateways, and into hidden challenges. For someone who likes to make a plan of action in a level and then time it perfectly, this game worked really well for me.
You get help from Vektor who levels up your skills (creatively through different "versions" of the software...). You don't get control over what you can upgrade, but each boost to your abilities is greatly received.
You get boosts, superboosts, detonations, boostenates (which cause invincibility). Then each area gets improved. Detonations get a wider range, etc.
The simple back and forth enemies at first become relentless in their search for you to shut you down. You learn some really cool evasive maneuvers later on that lead them into traps, too. Very rewarding!
Sounds:
The music is electronic, to fit the theme of the game. Very mesmerizing in how it fits to the graphics and story. Sound effects are effective as well. Alarms blare as you expend your time limit and the CPU sends out enemies to find you. Again, everything is done with the intention of bringing you into the game environment.
Graphics:
Simple, yet effective. The majority of the game is lines and colors, but the presentation makes the gameplay fluid and entertaining. You have a zoom button that allows you to see a bigger range of action, you can tilt the Vita to get a really cool effect...
Replay:
There's a lot to uncover, with tough trophies and tons of levels including hidden ones. Each level has a certain medal you can get, based on points. You can use "wild cards" to double your score! Leaderboards are up so you can track your ranking. The menu screens are always changing and updating to your successes which makes this a very engaging game.
Verdict:
You will like this game if:
- you enjoy puzzle games
- you need a game that doesn't take up a lot of space on your HD, but has tons of playability
- you eat up challenging games
You might not like this if:
- you like flashy graphics (the simple is done this way for a purpose)
Score:
9/10
Final words:
There are some good puzzle games on the Vita, and escapeVektor ranks high in the list. And with the sale on in the PS Store, that just seals the deal.
This review was based on a review copy from the developer, NNOOO
Comment below if you have this game or are going to pick it up. Let us know what you think!