Unit 13

On the outside, Unit 13 looks like an ordinary actiongame, but looks can be deceiving. The game has a few cool ideas, can be quite diverse and has a lot of content. The short missions are also perfect for when you're on the road. So it'll be a while before we'll get bored with Unit 13.

Much about 13 feels familiar, but considering the quality of this portable package, that's not a bad thing. [May 2012, p.77]

Zipper Interactive has taken their experience with the PSP and cranked up their flair to produce an excellent hand held shooter. If you are a Vita owner and you love action games then Unit 13 is a must have. With great mechanics and a functioning online co-op there is a lot of fun and many hours to spend with this great title. I couldn't put the game down and I expect to keep revisiting it for a while.

A competent game that shows VITA is able to manage shooting games as if it was a console. If you are looking for multiplayer action you will find one that works perfectly, with solid graphics, good atmosphere and plenty of possibilities. Its only flaw is the absence of any original features, and a less-than-charming story.

This is the framework for a feature-packed, capable shooter, but it falls over with some questionable AI and occasionally clunky cover-based controls – twitchy aiming and sometimes disobedient snap-out-of-cover mechanics from 'AAA' games such as Gears of War or Metal Gear Solid.

A few questionable design choices, like your inability to disable auto-aim and a camera way to close on your avatar, keep Unit 13 from reaching the absolute top. This is, however, a very solid shooter that will keep you playing for a long time to come.

Unit 13 takes the tactical shooter genre and serves it up in a way that can be enjoyed either as a snack or as the main course, whether you're playing alone or with a friend.

The co-op mode is really fun and the daily missions are tough, but addictive challenges. A PS Vita must-have.

It may not be a full showcase of what your new handheld can do, but Zipper did a commendable job of creating a bite-sized modern warfare scenario for you to play with. Not must-own material for everyone, but definitely worth the time if you've been waiting for a Vita game with a strong focus on virtual military combat.

An enjoyable and intersting SOCOM spin-off that offers a good amount of content and replay value. Perfect for mobile playing.

Unit 13′s a pleasant surprise. It offers up a really smart level structure which caters for short burst gaming, but similarly presents hours of gameplay that'll take considerable time and effort to perfect and master.

Look once at Unit 13 and you'll probably write it off as a non-entity. Look twice, and you'll see a game where some really smart ideas are lurking just beneath the surface.

There's a real attention to quality and portability that Zipper has put into Unit 13. From gameplay that combines the Vita's new touchscreen tech with the tight controls and solid gameplay of the best games in the SOCOM series to missions time-designed around commuting gamers and airport dwellers alike.

Unit 13 is the first proper shooter on a handheld console and, if we have anything to say about it, it certainly won't be the last one. If they are all as good as Zipper Interactive's latest outing on the PlayStation Vita, of course. [March 2012, p.50]

Unit 13 has great controls, lots of variety and content that may outlast many other shooters on the market - no matter what platform you're playing on. Not bad for a game that is released during the Vita launch window.

The genius of Unit 13 is it doesn't try to take that glossy, cinematic action experience of a console shooter and give it to you on a handheld – instead, it takes all the best parts of mobile gaming and gives them to you in a shooter.

While some gamers may disapprove of the lack of a story-driven campaign, I believe that Unit 13 is exactly what Vita owners want while on the go. It delivers instant action, without the time consuming clutter of cut-scenes. Furthermore, the game features plenty of customisation and is challenging enough to be replayed over and over in an effort to best a highscore or simply try a different character.

The presentation is definitely not the strong point, but Unit 13 offers well designed infiltration missions and a very entertaining coop mode.

Unit 13 is perhaps the first competent cooperative shooter we've seen on a handheld device, but its repetitive environments and awkward cover mechanics keep it from reaching its full potential.

A decent 3rd person shooter, which has repetitive levels and fairly stupid AI. The different types missions are a good idea. [Apr 2012]

Unit 13 is a solid final game for the company and is a unique experience as compared to the rest of the existing PS Vita library. It should more than satisfy most long-time fans of the SOCOM series as well as those who are fans of tactical military shooters.

Unit 13 isn't the best and most revolutionary shooter available but prooves that there are many posibilities for shooters on the PlayStation Vita.

It might not have an epic story or complex characters, but it will serve your shooter needs. This game is a great showcase for what console-like games could be for the Vita. It has some great ideas, a few rough edges and shows a whole lot of promise for future games on the Vita.

Because it's been designed specifically to take advantage of the Vita's portability and social features, it's very much a success. Be it single-player or co-op, the gameplay is smooth, shooting is accurate with the Vita's twin sticks, and each mission's unique objectives keep the experience feeling fresh - and fun - each time you load Unit 13 into your Vita.

Unit 13 doesn't have flashy visuals or an in-depth campaign, but it does have good controls and plenty to do. I think the AI could use a tune-up and the visuals some polish, but if you're looking for a game to sink bullet after bullet into, Unit 13 will keep you entertained.

An interesting Shooter, offering a solid amount of missions and a good replay value. Perfect for Pick-Up and Play, is spoiled by some issues regarding enemy IA and cover system.

Unit 13 is a fun "pick & play" 3rd person shooter which offers a good number of missions, modes and challenges, albeit somewhat repetitive. It looks good and plays even better but you can't help feeling Zipper Interactive could have done more.

Despite the awful A.I and dull locations, this game offers an enjoyable challenge. Each mission is so finely poised that pre-planning and scouting ahead is an absolute must.

A good game. I have to say that again. It's "good" from the standpoint of a reviewer who can't really find any major glaring flaws, although there are obvious minor issues. The caveat is that those minor issues become far more irritating when you start to get tired of a military game that's too much rinse-and-repeat with no answer for "Why the heck am I doing this?"

Thoroughly playable with enough variety and replay value to lure the hardcore. [Apr 2012, p.78]

It’s not going to set any new standards in the genre, but it’s a fine foray into the third person shooter genre and proves that this type of game can, and should, exist on the PlayStation Vita.

The co-operative features are silky smooth with great voice chat and not a hint of lag and the inclusion of Daily Challenges keeps the content fresh and constantly evolving. It may not be perfect, but goddamn it's a hell of a lot of fun.

If you glance at Unit 13, you will see quite a boring game with repetitive missions. If you get more into it and try harder missions, your adrenalin levels will make the game entertaining for a long time. However, this type of game is not for everyone.

A tactical shooter that lacks in identity and presentation. But it makes up for its shortcomings with a smart use of score multipliers and missions that will make you come back for more.

SOCOM or MAG fans will feel at home and should seriously consider knowing the first step in the future of portable shooters.

Although Unit 13 has one foot deeply rooted in the past, the challenging missions and online connectivity will you keep you coming back.

Unit 13 showcases the strengths of the PlayStation Vita fairly well, with the quality of its core gameplay complemented by the accessibility of its mission design. Some of the objectives let the format down, but for the most part the game is perfectly suited to its parent platform.

When all is said and done, Unit 13 fills a void but not completely. It proves that shooters can be done well on a mobile device, and it proves that Zipper is the third-person shooter crutch that Sony can lean on whenever it needs a title to show other developers that it can be done.

The first look at Unit 13 might have been daunting, but now I don´t want to miss the game on my memory card. The elegance that's missing in the presentation can be found in the puristic, unpretentious flow of the game's design.

Unit 13 for the PS Vita is an interesting game that unfortunately doesn't try to move out of the safe zone. Games like this have been around for quite some time and if the developer's fine tuned the gameplay, graphics and more importantly, added a story, Unit 13 would have been a far superior title. However with the absence of a story, it does target the portable market as you can easily play a mission here and there without being drawn into the story. It's a little dated but it's a good attempt!

Unit 13 is a fairly good game, designed specifically for online co-op.

Unit 13 is not ashamed of what it is, and as long as you are good with that, you will enjoy the game. It is a collection of missions perfectly suited for a portable machine with no real reason behind them. The controls are elegant, and the ways you can tackle the missions are abundant.

Infiltrating enemy territory and tactically eliminating evildoers is tense and enjoyable in Unit 13.

This isn't SOCOM Vita. The storytelling is abysmal and the online is underdeveloped, but Unit 13 still manages to be a solid military shooter with an arcade edge.

In years to come, Unit 13 will likely not be remembered by a great many people, but for right now, it's a good indicator of what the future of console-equivalent experiences will feel like on Sony's newest portable. The future's looking promising.

Unit 13 is a great little shooter for playing "on the go". Don't be fooled by the look, this isn't nearly as technical or tactical as it looks. Zipper Interactive's swan song is a purely "arcade" experience from beginning to end where your one and only goal it taking out the bad guys with quickness and finesse.

Competent with some interesting features, but just isn't enough fun - doesn't offer enough of interest. [Issue#216, p.85]

Zipper has shooter mechanics down after years of making SOCOM games, but Unit 13's missions lack personality and the guard A.I. is downright awful at times. If you're dying to shoot some guys on your Vita, it may scratch that itch. Just don't expect anything you haven't seen ad nauseum.

The problem is the level design in the game is absurdly old hat. While there are a handful of mission types, like Direct Action, Covert, and High Value Target, the levels they take place in and the related objectives are painfully bland. "Move to this point and activate this switch. Now go down the stairs and activate this other switch." Blah, blah, blah… [April 2012, p73]

In Unit 13, there's no confrontation. There's no challenge. There's pointless bloodshed, but it doesn't ask the player why they did it, why they wanted it; it just assumes that's what gamers want and moves on to the next setpiece.

A constant repetition of the environments and many shallow missions keep Zipper's latest from becoming the first great shooter for PS Vita.

Unit 13 has its shining moments, but there's an odd inconsistency to Zipper's execution. There are A.I. issues and, thanks to the lack of story, an air of meaninglessness to the proceedings, though the actual shooting is well-executed and fun.

Certain key aspects of the game don't feel like they've had enough time spent on them, so the result is a game that is on the right tracks but more of a taster of things to come than something Vita owners should celebrate.

Unit 13 has no real competitor on PS Vita, and that's why you may want to give it a try. Even if it lacks a real personality and real good ideas, it does the job with great application and some success. The result: nice gameplay, excellent controls, average graphics... all that in many missions that can finally takes a lot of fun to play. Do not expect anything huge, but at least the headshots series you need to wait until a real good shooter appears on the next-generation portable.

Complete lack of story and odd AI keeps Unit 13 from being a memorable experience.

Competent but personality-free third person shooter that's another good demonstration of the Vita's ability, but an instantly forgettable playing experience.

Zipper Interactive should be commended for its efforts to inspire replay value, but not necessarily for its level of imagination.

Yes, it is indeed a proper, grown-up third-person shooter. But not, alas, a particularly good one.