I beat the first Max Payne and Spec Ops: The Line yesterday. I really liked Max Payne's story and the voice-acting, but the gameplay was a bit frustrating at parts.
I pretty much played Spec Ops: The Line just for the story, which I had heard good things about. The gameplay was just like your regular shooter these days, but it worked well enough. Dubai worked great as a setting for the game, especially when you're on top of some of the buildings, it's an amazing view. The story was really fucking dark, I'm not completely sure if I should have played this game, it's seriously twisted, it fucks with your mind in a few parts and there are multiple endings that are all beyond fucked up. There's really no correct choices to make in the game, they're all moral choices but they are all horrifying and the outcomes are never what you want them to be. Great, but disturbing game. I didn't even bother touching the multiplayer as the game devs themselves said that it was just tacked on to the game by 2K's demand.
Well, to be completely honest, it's a very powerful handheld and has a few really good games, but I wouldn't recommend picking it up yet unless you
really want it right now. Then again, I don't know how much it costs in the UK, but in here it's around 200 euros (both models, 3G and Wi-Fi) and I wouldn't pay that much for it (I did get mine for free though).
One of its bigger problems are the damn memory cards, you have to buy a ridiculously priced Vita branded memory card if you want to be able to download anything digitally, I have a 16gb memory card coming in the mail right now and that damn thing cost me 38 euros. The battery isn't too great, but it's pretty much the same as the 3DS. And of course the other complaint, which you didn't seem to care too much of, is that there aren't too many games, but they are going towards a better direction with Soul Sacrifice, Tearaway and the new Killzone.
But you probably want to hear good things too about the machine and for me, one of the greatest things about it is the PS1 game support they added last year. I don't own a PS3 so this is a great way for me to play classic PS1 games that I missed. Only shitty thing is that some of the games require you to use the rear touchscreen 'cause the Vita doesn't have four triggers. I've gotten used to it by now, but it's still pretty uncomfortable.
The Vita also has a very promising indie line-up coming this year (Hotline Miami, Bit.Trip Runner 2, The Binding of Isaac) and there are already some very good downloadable titles like Super Stardust Delta (which I still need to pick up, it's a great game!), Escape Plan, Sine Mora and Sound Shapes, so if you're into that kind of thing, you'll like it.
Overall it's a decent handheld that's just a bit too expensive right now and it desperately needs a few more solid games to really shine in comparison to the 3DS. I have not played Persona 4 Golden, but I have heard that it's pretty much one of the best games for the system right now. I hope I didn't describe the system too negatively.
