Little Deviants (PS Vita) review

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The PlayStation vita certainly has an impressive launch line up, but it’s fair to say that the majority are sequels, prequels or remakes of existing console titles. One of the few exceptions is Little Deviants, a deceptively cutesy platformer that takes advantage of each one of the Vita’s new input methods. It’s full of vibrant colours and simple mechanics that could make it the perfect choice for younger gamers.

The titular Deviants are odd blobs of colour with expressive faces that resemble a cross between GoGo’s Crazy Bones and the Poddington Peas. They can be pushed, pulled, bounced and flung around each level using the Vita’s front and rear touch-screens, webcam, microphone and accelerometer in a huge variety of mini-games.

We enjoyed the sheer variety of games on offer, even if the themed zones that group them together begin to feel a little too familiar by the time you’ve played each one. One level might see you flinging your deviant around a wrestling ring using the touchscreen, while another uses the accelerometer to steer through checkpoints as you free-fall through the sky.

Unfortunately, for every five minutes of fun, there’s another mini-game that doesn’t work quite as well, due to inconsistencies with the Vita’s controls. The Six-axis motion sensing works very well, but the rear touchpad lacks the precision to make you feel in control of the action. One game in particular, which requires you to prod the rear touchpad to raise the ground around your Deviant and roll him around the stage, got incredibly frustrating because it sometimes failed to translate our inputs into the game correctly.

There is technically a plot connecting every mini-game together into some resemblance of a story, but it’s both incoherent and nonsensical – the best way to play is in short bursts, taking your pick of your favourites rather than attempting to rush through each game to reach the end. There’s plenty of variety between levels, and a difficulty curve to match – you might be able to breeze through several before finding one that will make you stop and think to work out the solution.

Because it makes liberal use of the accelerometer and camera for many of its mini-games, you may get some strange looks if you play certain games on public transport – the touch-based games make you look less ridiculous, but we were still too self-conscious to play it anywhere but in the privacy of our own home. You’ll also need a fair amount of space for a handheld game, as the levels involving the camera require you to move almost a full 360 degrees.

Considering it isn’t the most graphically demanding Vita game we’ve seen, Little Deviants still puts the OLED screen to good use with a brilliantly bright colour palette. Characters and levels pop out of the screen, which helps give the outlandish animations even more life. A fantastic soundtrack also adds to the experience, with retro-inspired beats that should go down well with older and younger gamers alike.

It’s not the most challenging game, and the lack of any significant story may put off anyone looking for something more substantial – we get the feeling the Deviants’ antics are better suited to a downloadable title rather than a full retail game, something Sony seems to understand and has reflected in its pricing. Considering the Vita’s integrated Welcome Park app explains all the different input methods without costing a penny, the idea that Little Deviants makes a good introduction to the system is slightly negated. It’s still got plenty of fun moments, but there’s little replay value after you’ve tried everything once.