Impressions: Gravity (working title)

Impressions: Gravity (working title)

Regardless, the game is shaping up very nicely. The one-of-a-kind hook is that by pressing the R button, you can cause your character to hover above the ground—essentially suspending gravity—and then zoom toward another surface of your choice by pressing the L button. Once you reach that next surface, gravity realigns itself to make that your new ground level and orientation. In other words, you can go flying toward buildings, ceilings, and whatever else, after which you can walk on them as though they were the ground beneath you.

Make any surface your ground.
Make any surface your ground.

This technique is used throughout the entire game, and it provides for traversal in strange ways through a complex environment, one which initially starts out as an urban area of sorts. A series of white target circles marks your destinations throughout this tutorial sequence, all of which you must touch to proceed.

Things get slightly more complex once you learn the intricacies of the mechanics: pressing R once more before reaching the surface you target slows you before reaching the bottom, essentially re-suspending gravity to your benefit. There are also basic combat mechanics (a three-kick combo for instance) which can be supplemented with a gravity kick that allows you to suspend gravity, target an enemy, and then press Square to fly toward them with a very powerful attack.

The art style is gritty and comic-like. Meanwhile, the cut scenes are also wholly unique, sporting a clever comic-book-style series of still-frames with dialogue bubbles that can actually be rotated to some extent through the use of the PS Vita’s gyro functionality. It’s a very cool twist on an otherwise straightforward method of storytelling.

Executing a powerful gravity-assisted kick
Executing a powerful gravity-assisted kick

While I didn’t have much time with it, I left Gravity impressed. It’s games like these that may in fact produce a PS Vita in my immediate future, and I have to say that originally I didn’t see myself considering a purchase. Creativity is ultimately what determines the value of a gaming platform, and judging by the initial lineup of games we’ve seen for the Vita, there will be plenty of that irreplaceable ingredient supporting its efforts.