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The Playstation Minis are a great line of games. They may not have all the glitz and
glamour of the major releases, and are even overshadowed by other PSN games. But what
they do, they do well. They provide a fast and fun experience for cheap. While they may
feel small in comparison, remember that games like these were blockbusters many years ago.
One of the latest PS Minis that has grabbed my attention is Velocity.
The game is a top-down space shooter that does some very interesting things to the genre.
Instead of being your standard, enemies come at you and you shoot them, you have to focus
more on the changing environments while also keeping in mind the enemies. You move up,
and all the while the screen moves up with you. If you fall too far down and don’t
keep with up with the screen you die. This sounds easy enough until you realize one of
the games hooks. Often your path forward will be blocked, and you can’t progress and farther.
What you have to do is make use of your ship’s warp drive. When you hold the square button,
you will see a white target appear that you can move. That is where you ship will warp
to when you let go. The warp allows you to travel through walls and obstacles as you
progress. So you are rushing forward and trying to keep up with the game, you have to think
laterally and map out your route. Plus you are scored at the end of the level on your
completion time, so you want to make use of your ships boost, which rushes the screen
faster. It gives a great, fly by the edge of your pants feeling as you are dealing with
enemies and trying to not be swallowed up by the edging bottom of the screen. To aid
there are health station and weapons upgrades littered throughout the levels.
The graphics are a little underwhelming. The game tries to have an 8-bit feel but comes
across as having murky textures that do not look as crisp as what you have come to expect.
But this is made up for with a fantastic soundtrack. The futuristic beats and eerie sound effects
fit right at home with the style of the game.
Playstation Minis are a great way to get a fast and fun gaming experience, and Velocity
is a great addition that will easily be enjoyed.