This review is one of those reviews where we link you to another review of the same game. See here.
Ok, it’s not quite like that. But we did review the PlayStation Network version of Dungeon Hunter: Alliance and for the most part the Vita version is identical. As it stands now there’s the same 12 acts, three characters, and level 75 cap. The graphics are mostly identical, though the little characters on the screen show a surprising amount of detail. It’s sort of ironic, because in a way this is Dungeon Hunter returning to it’s roots which started as a mobile game on the iPod.
So let’s tackle this right now, because this is the biggest issue with Dungeon Hunter: Alliance for the PlayStation Vita. It’s $40, $35.99 if you download it digitally. That’s a full $20 higher than the PSN version and in some cases, a full $34 higher than the iPod or iPad version. That’s a tough pill to swallow and while I can see the pricing disparity between the iOS versions and the console one - I can not see the a reason why there is such a difference between the PSN version and this one. That market is identical. For that reason alone it’s tough to recommend this game at this price to anyone despite it being a pretty solid hack and slash RPG.
It’s definitely disappointing to see there’s no additional content either, though Ubisoft are promising some exclusive stuff for the Vita version. This isn’t just a straight port though - there ARE some unique Vita features. The rear touch pad can be used to move your fairy around the screen to help find hidden and rare items buried in the game world. Tapping the front screen will activate your fairy super attack. The menus in the game navigate wonderfully with the touch screen, making inventory management pretty much a non issue.
As good as things look there are some performance hiccups along the way, it almost feels like loading hiccups while playing and at times they are just frequent enough to be annoying. When the game runs well it looks gorgeous.
I know things sound overly negative, but like I said earlier - everything still holds true for this title. It’s probably the game I’ve put the most time into so far on the Vita. There’s an addictive loot system, lots of quests, a good variety of enemies, and plenty of fun abilities to unlock for your character. The online co-op works really well - I saw almost zero lag - and there’s even some nice touch screen quick chat options if you aren’t using voice chat. You can say things like - "I need a rez" or "Help over here" with two quick taps of the touch screen.
Co-Op plays is available via the Internet or Ad-Hoc connection and there's a pretty slick server browser built in that allows you to find the exact game you are looking for. If you want to host a game you can limit who can join you by level disparity and progress as well to help make the experience a little more enjoyable.
So like I said earlier, Dungeon Hunter: Alliance for the PlayStation Vita is a tough sell at $40. If it wasn’t for the cheaper versions of the game, I’d say almost without a doubt the game is worth what it was offering. But when you can get the same experience, and in some cases, a slightly better one in the PSN version for ? the price, it’s impossible to say go out and buy it. Whatever exclusive content Ubisoft is planning would have to be pretty huge, and I’m kind of surprised they haven’t announced what it would be already. My guess is we’ll see a price drop very soon - and then without a doubt add this to your Vita library.
This review is based on the PlayStation Vita version of Dungeon Hunter: Alliance which was provided by the publisher.
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: Four players choose and customize their own heroes.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.