10 Best First Party Vita Games

The PlayStation Vita isn’t dead quite yet, but that’s not due to software support from Sony. The only thing keeping Sony’s portable relevant at this point are ports of indie games, and niche Japanese titles (that tend to be role-playing games or visual novels). Still, the system has had an impressively long lifespan for a system that was abandoned by the manufacturer years ago.

While first-party support on the Vita is completely dried up at this point, it wasn’t always that way. Sony initially supported the system quite heavily at launch, as they released new entries in established series, and helped create new franchises on the system. In order to showcase the good side of Sony’s Vita support, we decided to take a look at 10 of the best first-party Vita games. Just a reminder, first-party means that Sony was involved in the game’s development, and published the title.

With that out of the way, check out our list below of 10 first-party Vita games that you need to play!

We hope you enjoyed our look at 10 best first-party Vita games. Support didn’t last for very long, but it was still long enough to see new entries in some of Sony’s biggest franchises. From Uncharted to LittleBigPlanet, Sony was once very invested in the handheld space. They also managed to launch some new properties that have gotten a second chance on PlayStation 4, such as Gravity Rush and Tearaway.

Let us know in the comments below which first-party Vita games you’ve enjoyed playing, and which one is your favorite!

First Party Vita Games

Best First-Party Vita Games
Freedom Wars

While Freedom Wars didn't enjoy the same success stateside as it did in Japan, fans of the hunting genre were treated to a stellar game. It wasn't a total surprise that the game was good as SCE Japan Studio teamed up with God Eater developer Shift and Dimps for the Vita exclusive. Apart from the solid action, the game also features an interesting futuristic setting that sees the Earth uninhabitable, and the player takes the role as a criminal that has to work off their sentence by completing tasks.
Gravity Rush

Gravity Rush was one of the first must-own Vita games that wasn't based upon an existing property, and it made protagonist Kat into a PlayStation icon. While the game is best played on PlayStation 4 (as the remastered version fixes a lot of issues), the original Vita version still offers up a lot of fun gravity bending action to experience. If Sony had kept up such great original output, the system could've had a very different fate.
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational

Arguably the best Vita title, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational was one of the many stars at the Vita's launch. It offers up the beloved golfing gameplay that fans have come to expect from developer Clap Hanz, and it was a huge visual upgrade compared to previous portable outings. Best of all, it was supported with some great DLC that even saw Gravity Rush's Kat make an appearance.
Killzone: Mercenary

One of the Vita's final major first-party releases was Guerrilla Cambridge's Killzone: Mercenary. Featuring high production values and some gorgeous graphics, Mercenary finally proved that the Vita could handle a first-person shooter well. Sadly, it came too late for the genre to shine on Sony's portable, but those that picked it up left satisfied.
LittleBigPlanet

It's no longer surprising when a LittleBigPlanet game gets made for a new system, but the Vita entry was particularly solid. Not only was creation made easier than ever thanks to the touchscreen input, but it also offered up a really entertaining story mode. On top of that, the Vita version featured some fun Marvel-themed DLC, that allowed players to enjoy some comic book-based mini-games.
Soul Sacrifice Delta

Another Japan Studio project, Soul Sacrifice Delta was an enhanced version of Comcept & Marvelous AQL's hunting game. Featuring hours upon hours of quests to complete, the combat really shined in the Keiji Inafune designed title. Delta in particular offered up several new bosses for players to defeat, and added customization.
Tearaway

Media Molecule's Tearaway is one of the most charming video games ever made, and really feels at home on the Vita. While a reimagined version of the game was released on PS4, it's clear that Tearaway was always meant to be played on the Vita. It's one of the only games to use all of the system's inputs, from its camera to the touchpad, and manages to do so in a non-gimmicky manner.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss

One of the most stunning launch titles ended up being Uncharted: Golden Abyss. It was revelatory at the time that a full-fledged new entry in the Uncharted series could run on a handheld device. While it's not the best game in the series, and it annoyingly brought back some terrible features such as motion-controlled balancing, it still ended up providing an enjoyable Nathan Drake adventure.
Unit 13

Zipper Interactive's final game was Unit 13, a third-person shooter in the style of SOCOM. While the game had some issues, notably poor enemy A.I., it offered up some handheld fun by featuring bite-sized missions that ranged from stealth to high-paced action. Zipper Interactive got to go out on a positive note, even if it wasn't their best work.
Wipeout 2048

Another launch title, Wipeout 2048 brought the series' signature high speed action to PlayStation Vita. Not only did it feature an entirely new campaign, set at the beginning of Wipeout lore, it also ended up receiving DLC that brought Wipeout HD and Fury tracks to the game. It was the best racing game to release on the system, and soon PlayStation 4 owners will get to enjoy it as a port is coming later this year.