*=Video
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All Caps=Recommended
April 2014
Hover mouse over screenshots for commentary.
 Nice particle effects, especially for a mobile game. |  |  |
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 The city is at war. |  |  |
 You get money for killing opponents and for a variety of other objectives. You get bonus cash depending on how you take down your enemies. |  |  Developer logo. The people at Guerrilla Cambridge really know what they're doing! |
 |  Cut-scenes play while levels are loading. |  |
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 The trademark Helghast eyes. They all have to wear masks because they all have cancer. The Vektans exiled the Helghast to the planet Helghan, which is radioactive. |  You can buy and pick a variety of armor. |  And weapons. |
 One of the vanguard items you can earn is a shield. It goes away if you shoot, but you can usually use it strategically with good results. |  Probably the closest thing I found to a glitch - the smoke from the explosion is a little messed up. Quite forgiveable |  On one level you need to infiltrate an embassy and rescue the ambassadors family. |
 |  |  Better smoke effects than I've seen in most full-fledged games. |
 This kid's parents were killed so you team up with a Helghast in order to protect him. |  |  |
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 |  Planting a bomb with the touchscreen. |  |
 Fighting along side the Helghast. |  |  |
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 The nuke in the background is the one that goes off in Killzone 2. |  |  |
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 |  |  Repelling into a building. |
 One of my better multi-player games. |  Using the Mantis Engine. It's a small machine that sticks blades into the head of anyone you attack. Good for a one-hit kill. |  |
 |  The top right of the screen shows some typical objectives for covert contracts. |  |
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 |  |  Obligatory platinum trophy screenshot. |
 The game ranks you every day, both for single player and multi-player progress. If you kill players in single player you can take their card in an attempt to get a full deck. |
Killzone: Mercenary
I would say this PS Vita game is the best looking (and best controlling) mobile game made to date. I think it's possibly the best game ever made for the Vita. It's a first person shooter that, I believe, looks and plays better than most PS3 games (keep in mind that these screenshots are designed to be seen on a 5 inch screen). The dual joysticks and shoulder buttons on the Vita make it perfect for FPS games. The game does use a few touch controls (which I generally don't like), but not much.
The game has a single player mode and a multi-player mode. The multi-player mode is similar to most but it has a few unique characteristics. You pick a "vanguard" in your loadout and you can activate it after earning enough money. The vanguards are fairly varied - from piloting a small machine that can get 1-hit melee kills, to being able to see enemies through walls, to calling in artillery from an aircraft. Rather than gaining experience levels like in most games, each player has a rank which is displayed via face cards. Your card is a reflection of how good you actually are at the game, not just how long you've played. Each suit represents your play type (the game assigns one to you after analyzing how you play), and the higher the number the better you are. When you kill opponents you get extra points by picking up their card, and it offers a great sense of satisfaction when you take down an Ace. The multiplayer has a few game modes, and it supports up to 8 players.
Single player mode is designed to be played multiple times. There are nine levels which take about 30-45 minutes each. Once you play through the entire game there are 3 more modes which are unlocked for each level - each with their own set of objectives. Story-wise, you play as a mercenary who tends to work for the ISA. However, you are betrayed by your boss (and the ISA) and fight a few levels working for the Helghast. Both sides are trying to get their hands on a bioweapon that could be engineered to wipe out the opposing race (which is strangely similar to the storyline in Killzone: Shadowfall). I thought it was a fairly engaging story line with very well-done cutscenes.
The three modes you can unlock are Demolition, Covert, and Precision. Demolition missions tend to be loud and usually require you to blow up some objectives. Covert objectives usually require you to remain unseen for large chunks of the mission. Precision missions always have a time limit and usually require you to play very well, such as getting 25 head shots with a pistol. I thought these game modes were quite varied and added great replay.
Many reviewers were unimpressed with this game. To be honest I think most of their criticism is unwarranted. It seems to be quite popular to hate on Killzone games (and first-party Sony games in general) but I think they are at least as good as all other top-tier first person shooters. Some reviewers gave this game incredibly low reviews, but some proclaimed it the best game made in 2013. While I wouldn't go that far, I think that if you have a Vita you should definitely play this game.