Unit 13

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.