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Mediocre Critical Reception
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0 3 10 5 |
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 Excellent  Good  Mediocre  Poor |
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Platform: |
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Vita |
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Genre: |
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Action |
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Developer: |
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Bigbig Studios |
ESRB: |
Everyone 10+ |
Release: |
February 14, 2012 |
Publisher: |
SCEA |
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Critic Reviews The following reviews are used to calculate the overall reception for this game. All applicable scores are converted to our simplified rating system based on the specifics offered by each publication or the tone of each review. You can read more about how we do this here.
January 9, 2012 - Good - It's not remarkably stylish or memorable - although it never looks less than charming as it sashays in rich cartoon fashion across the Vita's luxurious high-resolution screen - but it's a splendid ambassador for the console's many functions.
February 13, 2012 - Good - Though there are a few misses, most of the games here provide enough entertainment value to make Little Deviants a solid way to put your shiny new Vita through its paces.
February 28, 2012 - Good - Hopefully Bigbig Studios get another crack at the franchise and are given a bit more time to tweak the formula; there's definitely something cool lurking in here, it just needs a bit more time and love applied to it.
February 20, 2012 - Mediocre - "Sure, we'll publish your game, but you gotta use all of the Vita's features" is the video game equivalent of, "Sure, we'll produce your screenplay, but my nephew's going to direct." There is a sad sense of obligation to Little Deviants, whose cute, lively characters are employed in a stultifying now-let's-use-the-gyroscope-because-it's-there format.
February 13, 2012 - Mediocre - With the launch of every new platform comes a novel application that justifies your excessive purchase as instantly as it gets discarded in your sock drawer. For the PS2 it was mind-blowing firework puzzler FantaVision. The 3DS had Face Raiders. And the PS Vita has Little Deviants.
February 13, 2012 - Mediocre - I hope against hope that studios calm down and learn a little restraint when it comes to exploiting [Vita's] features, as this collection of clumsy, discommodious distractions is indicative of what can happen when developers forget the elegance of simplicity. New features are only worth including if they enhance an experience. When they get in the way of it, they should be axed on the spot.
February 13, 2012 - Mediocre - Little Deviants' real problem is simple: it's not moreish, and its challenges fail to reveal the kinds of nuance on the second and third tries that will have you refining strategies and aiming to better scores. Without that incentive to return, you're unlikely to.
February 13, 2012 - Mediocre - Considering its aggressive use of Vita's bells and whistles, Little Deviants was probably a good choice to include in Sony's bundle for early adopters. It certainly proves that the system's various control methods can be successfully implemented on a technical level, but that doesn't excuse the lack of substance when it comes to the content.
February 13, 2012 - Mediocre - Beneath all that charm and googly-eyed cuteness, there isn't much to offer beyond the 30 minigames, with a chunk of them repeated on a various maps. It seems like Little Deviants would have been better suited as a tech demo, and should have come bundled with the system.
February 13, 2012 - Mediocre - It's a shame that the few truly gratifying games are overshadowed by a majority that feel like thrown-together tech demos. It's commendable that Little Deviants attempted so many different control schemes with the Vita, but it's a hard sell when there are other, more enjoyable, launch games.
February 13, 2012 - Mediocre - It's a decent piece of software. And its pretty, vivid graphics and surprisingly catchy old-school inspired soundtrack certainly please aesthetically. But a strong hook doesn't exist.
February 13, 2012 - Mediocre - It's likely that Little Deviants will find a place in the hearts of early adopters for its light-hearted tone. It's the game you'll use to show off what your latest gadget can do. For the price, it's worth a look, but the lack of any real complexity or gameplay innovation stop it from being anything truly special.
February 13, 2012 - Mediocre - It feels like nothing more than a series of hit and miss tech demos. Released on PSN at a couple of quid and focusing on the mini-games that are good fun, Deviants could have been an essential purchase. As a proper retail release I can't see where it fits into the current gaming landscape.
February 16, 2012 - Poor - The game tries way too hard to fill its presentation with "wacky" characters that may appeal primarily to over-sugared children. They will annoy the living hell out of everyone else. Not worth your time or your money.
March 5, 2012 - Poor - It's a shame that so much of Little Deviants is so difficult and painful to play. There's a handful of games in it that really work, and a further set of minigame concepts that could have been pulled off if they hadn't been bogged down in unnecessary control complications.
February 18, 2012 - Poor - Little Deviants imitates the experience of the iPhone App Store, repackaging age-old ideas into an expensive commodity. Devoid of originality and staying power, the only deviation this game provides is away from any sense of fun.
February 21, 2012 - Poor - It's difficult to work out exactly who Little Deviants is aimed at. The system is too flash and fragile for kids, but the games are too simple and irritatingly cutesy for adults. Further work on each of the games would improve this no end, as would a cast that packs a bigger punch. Jack of all trades, master of none springs to mind.
February 13, 2012 - Poor - In trying to create something that endears the Vita to its audience, Little Deviants almost does the opposite, providing a gimmicky, throwaway experience -- one that might make First Edition Bundle owners question their $350 purchase. For other Vita owners, your $30 would be better spent on something else.
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