Publisher: Bigbig Studios / Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS Vita
Cert: 7+
Genre: Arcade / minigames
The little deviants have crashed landed on Earth having been shot down by an army of robots and now must deal with not only their mechanical foes but also their zombie henchmen and the local 'Whoman' population. Such is the background plot for a collection of mini-games designed to take advantage of the Vita's motion / touch controls and camera.
The quality of the mini-games range from surprisingly good diversions to downright annoying time-sinks. Even the better compilation of mini-games usually have this issue but as Little Deviants requires you to unlock every new game, it always feels that you are dealing with a frustrating bottle neck. Highlighting this is that out of the two initial games available, one of them requires you to be able to turn in 360 degrees requiring you to either stand or be in a revolving chair - so if playing outside the luxury of home, you will only have one option to start with or look rather stupid playing.
Younger players will probably find each game fun but the difficult of getting enough points to unlock a new level could discourage them while experience players may find some of the games diverting in the short run but will probably not be motivated to get through the duller modes. Another, personal issue, is that I never warmed to the Deviants themselves. They are supposedly causing 'mischief' but I found them a bit too nasty to the Whomans to care about them.
The core problem with Little Deviants is not with the game itself but the price. This is about the equivalent of a higher priced gaming app on the IPad which you would be expecting to pay 6.99 - 12.99 Euro max. Little Deviants costs 25 Euro from the Playstation store and 30 Euro from the shops and frankly it has priced itself out of the market.
At a cheaper price and with more games unlocked this could have been the Vita's Wii Sports, instead it is a game of varying quality puzzles that will give some entertainment but will outstay its welcome.
Rent or Buy: Rent
Graphics: 3/5
Gameplay: 3/5
Replay: 2/5
Overall: 3/5
Reviewed by: JP Gallagher
