I must admit that I was getting a little scared that the PS Vita would become another PlayStation Portable, however with releases like Gravity Rush, it's these type of games that this new portable console really needs. Given that the PS Vita is the best portable console ever made.. so far.. the general public needs to make a leap of faith in order to keep this console alive and well.

This my friends is where Gravity Rush comes into play who features protagonist Kat, a young women in the distant future who must use gravity to her advantage as she manipulates the world around here to save her own world. Imagine an anime cartoon come to life and that would be Gravity Rush.

Created by Keiichiro Toyama (Silent Hill), Gravity Rush is a far cry from this survival horror game but it still features his trademark strangeness that creates this inspiring world and more importantly, a relatable character. Unfortunately for "Kat", she suffers from amnesia and she awakes in a strange world.

By feeling as lost as Kat, you actually feel more drawn into the world of Gravity Rush as you need to stop an alien invasion that has invaded her world. To make things even more complicated, gravity is no longer up and down as this world is plague by gravity shifts which causes additional problems. Fortunately for Kat, she has learned to manipulate gravity and force it in any direction to her advatage.

By manipulating gravity, this allows you to reach precarious locations that were once unreachable. In turn you can fly and even walk on walls. Kat is also joined by a "real" cat which serves as an almost witch/familiar type relationship and helps the story. Gravity manipulation is not just used for moving about the environment as aliens are your next problem.

At its core, Gravity Rush is a combination of arcade/action meets RPG as you explore and interact with the various inhabitants of the story, engaging in small quests and using your hand to hand combat to defeat the enemies. Boss battles are probably the most challenging aspect of the game but like most games, once their weakness is found, exploiting it becomes an easy task.

There are parallels to Crackdown and Prototype as you explore this strange world which is a real blast on the PS Vita.  It's fun using gravity to create superkicks against your enemies in this almost superhero type fashion. Crystals are also used to "level up" Kat's powers that in turn unlocks additional abilities and more powerful attacks for our hero.

While the story may not win any ideas for originality, the gameplay behind Gravity Rush is a totally different matter which features some of the most unique gameplay in years.

By using the PlayStation Vita gyro sensors, this allows you to manipulate gravity and give you a different perspective on your current dilemma, whether you are facing enemies or a puzzle. For example, you need to retrieve parts of the city of Hekseville and even rescue its denizens as gravity forces this world apart or as a side quest, take on a criminal organisation. There's lots to do in this game which makes it so addictive, fun and more importantly quite playable on the PS Vita.

Graphically, Gravity Rush is pure eye candy on the PS Vita that contains an interactive and colourful world that is filled with wonder, intrigue and danger. The developers have done a great job at making the environment come alive and to compliment the story, Gravity Rush features some of the best use of cell shading that we have seen in awhile which almost jumps out at you.

For me, Gravity Rush is like comicbook come to life with its vibrant colours and stylised animation techniques. The musical score is a treat as are all the sound effects that with the graphics creates this amazing world of wonder. Whether it's the graphics or the gameplay, load times were an issue with the title that were longer than most. Nonetheless it was a worthy gaming experience.

Final Thoughts?

In the end, Gravity Rush is one of the most original games on the PS Vita that really challenges the player but be warned, the learning curve is a little steep initially but once mastered, you will become a Jedi of gravity manipulation. Imagine being trapped in a world created by a madman and then thrown into a blender because at times, you don't know what's going but that's the magic of this game which will definitely keep you coming back for me.