I haven't been the biggest fan of developer Zipper Interactive's recent work. MAG and SOCOM 4 just weren't my thing -- and that's why I think Unit 13, Zipper's third-person shooter for the PlayStation Vita, speaks to me. There aren't 200 online players to deal with or a stilted story to go through. This is all about tackling the 36 levels in the game, posting your score online, and then trying to do it again. But better.
Something about that just appeals to me. I like the idea of being one solider in a mess of enemies and doing my best to get out (or get hostages out) while making mental notes for the next time I fight. When I was playing tonight and racking up points for headshots and stealth kills, I couldn't help but get excited to start the mission over again and use the enemy patterns I now knew to my advantage. Rather than come at a guy I missed the first time head-on, I flanked him in my second runthrough and got more points without being detected. This lead to a stealth bonus before a myriad of headshots for another bevy of points.
It's easy to see how trying to eke out another few points by taking out a patrolling enemy quicker could become an obsession akin to shaving off seconds in Mario Kart lap times. These are bite-sized missions that look good graphically and seem to drive home the Vita's "always connected" mentality. The pot only gets sweeter when you talk about the daily challenges Unit 13 is promising and the 10 levels (and unlockables) for each of the six character classes.
Playing well earns you stars, and earning enough stars unlocks one of the game's nine High Value Target missions that were described to me as boss battle of sorts. These are like the elite match-ups, and once you earn one, you can share it for a one-time use with your friends so they can try to beat your score.
I'm not saying that Unit 13 is incredible -- sticking to cover seemed touchy and enemies were all over the place in regards to detecting me -- but it is really interesting. If Sony keeps the pricepoint down for what seems like a simple game and people pick it up, this one could easily be a reason to turn your Vita on during commercial breaks to see what the world is up to.