Half as long, twice as bright - The PS Vita thread

Guys, add me to your friend's list (MarksmanLink)...i'm currently playing Motorstorm and want to compare times. Solid_Snake_7

Cool. Will do.

There is a trophy tied to beating 10 times from the Pitwall. Contrary to what Carnage said, i am number 1 on all the times on my friends list. And the only challenges on my Pit Wall are by guys on top of the leaderboards (impossible to beat).

Overall the Vita is the best handheld experience I have ever had. The games are deep and fun, the hardware is great! The software interface AMAZING. Think about it this is just the launch window, I can't wait to see what we have to come.

The PS Blog has an interview with the makers ofGravity Rush(who of course also made Siren). The lead designer states that Siren was something Sony asked him to do because horror games were popular, but Gravity Rush was something he had wanted to make since his days as an art student.

Interestingly, he states the game that most influenced Gravity Rush is Crackdown.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/14/the-surprising-origins-of-gravity-rush-for-ps-vita/

Here's a 7 minute video preview of Sound Shapes. Assuming it comes out before Gravity Daze, it will be the next Vita game I get.

http://kotaku.com/5893371/sound-shapes-is-the-vita-game-i-want-most

Jason deGroot of Queasy Games walks you through the game in the video above—I had a chance to play the game and chat with Jason at GDC as well, and was very impressed with what I saw (and heard).

The collectibles in the world all trigger notes, beats and tones on a sequencer that plays across the background of the screen. Depending on where they're located on the screen, the notes will play at different times in the measure. After you've collected them, you can see them loop in the background; collected tones keep playing for several screens in either direction.

Often times, the later parts of a level will have a whole mess of notes playing over one another, and as you move to new screens, the chord underlying the notes will change, adding a lovely sense of growth and musical development.

Here's a new trailer for Resistance: Burning Skies. The gameplay footage is towards the end (starts at the 1:15 mark). Looks good.

I'd be lying if I stated I was a big fan of the Nihilistic's past work, but sometimes studios get better with time.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/20/first-look-at-resistance-burning-skies-story-trailer/

Good stuff, Mr. Carnage. Game looks promising. How was Resistance for PSP? That would be rad if I could play it with dual-analogs on my Vita. :D

Good stuff, Mr. Carnage. Game looks promising. How was Resistance for PSP? That would be rad if I could play it with dual-analogs on my Vita. :D

Jbul

I didn't think much of Resistance Retribution (a third person shooter which made by the team who had made the PSP Syphon Filters and recently made Uncharted Vita) but a lot of people did.

My dislike may have been colored by the fact that I wasn't happy with the fact that Sony was requiring that some PSP developers start working on other people's IPs (there had always been some of that, but midway through the life of the PSP Sony decided gamers wanted more of that).

Here's a new trailer for Resistance: Burning Skies. The gameplay footage is towards the end (starts at the 1:15 mark). Looks good.

I'd be lying if I stated I was a big fan of the Nihilistic's past work, but sometimes studios get better with time.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/03/20/first-look-at-resistance-burning-skies-story-trailer/

CarnageHeart

Wow if those arent bullshots, they are quite impressive. Kinda like early ps3 360 grafix

The second pack of Gravity Daze DLC is about to be released. Each pack costs 5 bucks, includes two proper sidequests, 2 score attacks and one costume (below are screenshots from the first two DLCs). And still the US doesn't even get the demo. Gravity Rush isn't releasing here until June because SCEA doesn't want it stepping on the sales of Reality Fighters or Ridge Racers, two of the tiny handful of post-launch Vita games. Post-launch dry spells are nothing new, but its not all the time one has a game the quality of Gravity Daze waiting in the wings.

I finally beat Escape Plan (skipped one one room IIRC). Here are a few photos from my playthrough (keep in mind the screenshots are bigger than even the Vita's screen, so they don't look quite as good as they do when playing them). Escape Plan boasts a lot of variety (though sometimes very easy rooms follow very difficult rooms) in terms of the challenges. Sometimes one is frantically tapping retracting platforms (which if they move at the wrong moment can either crush a character or let him fall to his death) and in one memorable challenge one had to kill an opponent by getting a pipe to rupture (you had to cover, all four leaks with your fingers, which would cause a valve to pop, crushing the enemy).

I am getting started on the DLC (Bakuki's Lair) but as one might expect from DLC which opens up only after one beats the full game, its harder than the full game, so it will take me a bit of time to get through it.

Moving on to upcoming games, not only will SF X Tekken Vita feature crossplay (both through wifi and 3G though based on the comments of other Vita developers, I doubt 3G play will be all that stable) and boast the 12 extra characters, it will unlock the 12 characters for people who have the PS3 version.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/vita-street-fighter-x-tekken-has-cross-platform-online-multiplay/

A site called Geek Revolt has not only reviewed Gravity Daze, but its DLC. The main game takes 15-20 hours to beat, each of the $5 DLC packs takes 3 hours and boast a lot of variety, though the language barrier (sometimes one has to answer questions) stretched out the reviewer's playtime. Gamestop and Amazon will hand out one of the three DLC packs for free to people who preorder from them. I'm sticking to my download only model (the 5 bucks I save on PSN will cover the extra DLC pack I will have to buy assuming it doesn't offer such a bonus).

http://geekrevolt.com/2012/02/21/gravity-daze-review-forget-the-ps3-spin-offs-we-need-more-games-like-this/

http://geekrevolt.com/2012/04/06/gravity-daze-dlc-review-bringing-sexy-back/

Thanks for the Escape plan impressions, that is my most wanted game on the system. Hopefully I'll get to try it sometime.F1Lengend

For what its worth, the developer plans to release a demo sometime down the line.

Speaking of demos, the Gravity Rush demo is hitting May 29th in the US, May 30th in Europe (the Vita's best game will hit June 12th).

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/gravity-rush-demo-floats-to-psn-on-may-29-in-na-may-30-in-eu/

There is a game called Soul Sacrifice that is going to be shown in May. GAF seems to think it will be similar to Monster Hunter.

James Mielke who worked on Lumines says there are some big games coming soon too. Hopefully we don't have to wait till E3 to find out.

There is a game called Soul Sacrifice that is going to be shown in May. GAF seems to think it will be similar to Monster Hunter.

James Mielke who worked on Lumines says there are some big games coming soon too. Hopefully we don't have to wait till E3 to find out.

rragnaar

We probably do just because companies feel a deep urge to 'win' E3 with surprises, which ignores the fact that winning E3 (which has a lot to do with surprise announcements, giveaways, models, elaborate stands and other stuff which has nothing to do with the final consumer experience) has never translated into sales even before casuals flooded the market.

I picked up Disgaea 3 today. I'm digging it. I love that the Vita has custom soundtrack support built in, because the music in this game is pretty assy. I also got that pinball game that came out last week. Good stuff.rragnaar

Disgaea 3 is my least favorite Disgaea (due to the plot) but its still a great game in its own right and the 5 new chapters (and new characters and monsters) and all of the DLC from the PS3 game are pushing me towards buying it.

I picked up the pinball game too. Its only four tables, but I really like three of the four tables (I think the fourth and oldest table is more interesting for its place in pinball history than it is as a table). Speaking of history, I like the page which tells you a bit about the table (who made, what year, how many were sold, why its important). That is a nice touch I hope to see in classic collections of videogames. Of course, that could get awkward because sometimes games are included as filler (Streets of Rage 3 is an utterly terrible game which is only part of this collection because of its superior prequels).

Gaf is reporting that Motorstorm Arctic Edge and Everybody's Tennis (the two games with security holes) are now back on the Japanese PSN store. For some reason SCEA decided not to include them in yesterday's update. No $7.99 sale on PSP games, and now this. What's wrong with SCEA, really? I want my motostorm!!!

I started playing Uncharted again after a long break, and man aside from the atrocious aiming, the game is a gem. It's long. it's exciting, it's funny and has some of the prettiest graphics in a Uncharted game. That cave has the sexiest cave/rock textures i've seen in ma life! Everyone who skipped it is dead to me, dead!

Best Uncharted game after U2. I'd rate them U2>>Golden Abyss>U1=U3.

This so badly needs to be a From Software 'Souls' game.

Dragon's Crown (PS3/PSP) has been pushed back to 2013 but Atlus (specifically, the Persona team) is taking a hand in development and will publish it.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/04/19/dragons-crown-update-atlus-assumes-publishing-duties-for-ps-vita-ps3/

Also, here's a teaser trailer for Soul Sacrifice. Its just concept art.

http://www.ign.com/videos/2012/04/19/soul-sacrifice-teaser-trailer

I've been wanting to get a Vita, but I'm scared they'll cut the price shortly after I buy one. I'm also worried that if sales don't pick up soon it might go under.

The developer of Gravity Daze recently gave an interview and showed off the concept trailer of Gravity Daze (which I've seen before, but its gorgeous so I don't mind rewatching it). Video at the link and a concept sketch (and the final game graphics) right below the link.

The direction we chose to use for the game?s graphics conveys the necessary information with exaggeration that matches the player?s sensation. Taking that into consideration, we also wanted to use line drawings, the characteristic of BD and the simulation of beautiful air effects. I think the broader the game art expression becomes, the more interactive a game becomes.

Another important factor is the concept of a ?living background.? This is the idea of bringing the game world itself to life so that users can actually ?feel? it. Basically, players can interact with certain objects in the game and they can actually get into the scenery within the remote background. Environmental background is not a piece of a picture, but it actually exists within the game, and we can use that background with our gameplay. That was our ultimate goal. By combining the unique art style of BD and the idea of living background, we created a sensation that could only be brought to life with a video game.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/02/the-art-of-ps-vitas-gravity-rush/

Other good news? Persona 4 is hitting the US this Fall. 4 isn't as revolutionary as 3 but it takes the concepts 3 introduces and runs with them, so its a better game. Most impressively, the characters are just as interesting and fun as 3's. Still no word of a European release date though.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/02/persona-4-golden-coming-to-ps-vita-this-fall/

As is usual for Atlus, the release of Persona 4 offers tons of new content.

And then there?s all the new stuff, the improvements, if you will: remastered visuals and sounds; new Personas to collect; new story events along with an all-new character; 1.5 times the voiced dialogue of the original release; a new online ?dungeon rescue? feature that allows users to call on other players for assistance in real time when they are about to die in the TV world; stunning new anime cutscenes, which include a new opening animation with a new song from master composer Shoji Meguro; a host of fan-suggested tweaks and changes, and much more!

Last but not least, MK is out. I'm not an MK guy myself and I'm still playing through Blazblue, so I won't be picking this up anytime soon, but its supposed to be really good, so I might pick it up down the line.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/01/mortal-kombat-hits-ps-vita-today-our-favorite-new-missions/

SO Sly Cooper Thieves in Time is now coming to the Vita! Yay! It looks just as good as the PS3 version (Though it runs at 30 fps), I am so excited about this. This probably means we will see LBP Karting and PS Battle Royale on the Vita. Not looking forward to those games as much on my PS3, but they would be a perfect fit for the Vita..... especially at only $40 a pop.

Uncharted, Unit 13, MLB The Show, Motorstorm, Wipeout, Hot Shots, Gravity Daze, LBP, Resistance, Soul Sacrifice, Killzone and now these games. All in the first year. I'd say Sony has done a fantastic job supporting this handheld already.

SO Sly Cooper Thieves in Time is now coming to the Vita! Yay! It looks just as good as the PS3 version (Though it runs at 30 fps), I am so excited about this. This probably means we will see LBP Karting and PS Battle Royale on the Vita. Not looking forward to those games as much on my PS3, but they would be a perfect fit for the Vita..... especially at only $40 a pop.

Uncharted, Unit 13, MLB The Show, Motorstorm, Wipeout, Hot Shots, Gravity Daze, LBP, Resistance, Soul Sacrifice, Killzone and now these games. All in the first year. I'd say Sony has done a fantastic job supporting this handheld already.

S0lidSnake

The library's great, but a pricecut is needed to goose hardware sales (and keep third parties interested).

Anyway, the indie game Retro City Rampage (a game which is as much a homage to the arcade games of the 80's as it is to GTA) has been shown for the Vita (and the PS3) and it looks really fun. A city to wander around in, 50 missions and 40 minigames (often based on classic arcade games).

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/02/20/retro-city-rampage-is-coming-to-ps-vita-and-ps3/

I was right! PS Allstars Battle Royale (terrible name) coming to Vita!

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=474983

I was right! PS Allstars Battle Royale (terrible name) coming to Vita!

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=474983

S0lidSnake

Was there ever any doubt it wouldn't?

[QUOTE="S0lidSnake"]

I was right! PS Allstars Battle Royale (terrible name) coming to Vita!

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=474983

c_rake

Was there ever any doubt it wouldn't?

It was never announced.

It was never announced.S0lidSnake

Yeah, but surely it wasn't far-fetched to assume it'd be ported there eventually, no? Always seemed like a natural next step.

Sound Shapes looks more interesting each time I see it. The Sound Shapes design team (Qweasy) is handling the level design, but Superbrothers X Jim Guthrie (makers of Sword and Swocery) are designing the characters/art/music for the levels below. So these guys join DeadMau5 and Pixeljam as contributers to Sound Shapes. As one would expect, these new screenshots look very different than prior ones.

Sound Shapes is an indie platformer which integrates music design with level design (as one makes a level, one makes music).

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/18/superbrothers-jim-guthrie-x-sound-shapes/

Below is a link to a page (and a video) which explains the concept.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/07/25/sound-shapes-for-ps-vita-jonathan-mak-demystifies-music-creation/

Sound Shapes looks more interesting each time I see it. The Sound Shapes design team (Qweasy) is handling the level design, but Superbrothers X Jim Guthrie (makers of Sword and Swocery) are designing the characters/art/music for the levels below. So these guys join DeadMau5 and Pixeljam as contributers to Sound Shapes. As one would expect, these new screenshots look very different than prior ones.

Sound Shapes is an indie platformer which integrates music design with level design (as one makes a level, one makes music).

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/18/superbrothers-jim-guthrie-x-sound-shapes/

Below is a link to a page (and a video) which explains the concept.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/07/25/sound-shapes-for-ps-vita-jonathan-mak-demystifies-music-creation/

CarnageHeart

Sound Shapes just got a lot cooler. Sword and Sworcery had some fantastic music.

Kickbeat, a rhythm fighting game that has been in development for three years has been announced. Video at the link.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/23/introducing-kickbeat-a-music-combat-game-for-ps-vita/

As you may have gathered from the trailer, enemies circle around you before attacking from one or more of the four cardinal directions. Their attacks are synched to the song?s beat and to other high-energy moments in the music: guitars, vocals, and so on. To defeat one, you just press the button corresponding to their direction at the correct time (right as they move in to attack you). For example, when an enemy attacks from the right, you press the right direction button or the Circle button to send them sprawling. You can also just use the touch screen ? tap the portion of the screen where the enemy is attacking from, and you?ll get the same result. Two or three enemies at once? No problem! Just press all the appropriate buttons/regions at once. You can use both the directional and face buttons simultaneously, an essential skill to learn once you get to the expert difficulty levels and you?re beset by a constant stream of enemies.

Another cool thing is that the game can automatically build a level around your music. I have hundreds of CDs and thousands of songs, I could squeeze a lot of playtime out of that feature.

Selecting the music for KickBeat?s hard-hitting soundtrack was an equally daunting task, but very rewarding when you manage to find that perfect track or hidden gem and get a deal signed. We didn?t get every song we wanted ? I really wanted the Beastie Boys? ?Sabotage,? for example, but it didn?t work out. However, those setbacks just made us look harder to find great music in unlikely places. We ended up with 18 tracks across multiple genres (mostly drum & bass, rock, and hip-hop), from big names like Pendulum and Rob Zombie to some stuff you probably haven?t heard before. The most unusual? A track from Shen Yi, a Taiwanese rapper ? yes, it?s in Mandarin, and yes, it is awesome.

We also thought it would be fun to be able to put your own music into the game ? that was my favorite feature in Audiosurf. We?ve got a feature that will allow you to do just that, with no scripting on your part required ? just put in a couple pieces of info, customize a couple settings to your taste, and the game creates a new level for you to play.

A developer interview (with lots of gameplay footage) of LBP Vita has been released. Looks great. Three community members (all extremely talented creators whose levels I have mentioned in the LBP thread) who have been hired as codesigners are prominently featured and they state that they have had a lot of influence on the game.

While prior videos have shown some of the older costumes (to highlight the fact that all the costumes you acquired in LBP1 and 2 are transferrable to LBPV) this one features levels and characters composed of all new stuff. Looks great. In the comments section it was stated that the beta won't hit this week, but it will hit soon.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/24/littlebigplanet-for-ps-vita-a-peek-behind-the-curtain/

i played the Vita at Gamestop and the dual analog sticks just don't work for me when i was trying to play Uncharted Golden Abyss, i didn't like it

i played the Vita at Gamestop and the dual analog sticks just don't work for me when i was trying to play Uncharted Golden Abyss, i didn't like it

killerband55

Uncharted's controls on the Vita are pretty bad. Its the reason I declined to buy the game. Unit 13 controls a lot a better.

[QUOTE="killerband55"]

i played the Vita at Gamestop and the dual analog sticks just don't work for me when i was trying to play Uncharted Golden Abyss, i didn't like it

CarnageHeart

Uncharted's controls on the Vita are pretty bad. Its the reason I declined to buy the game.

yeah, i had more problems trying to screw around with the camera than actually trying to play the game

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"]

[QUOTE="killerband55"]

i played the Vita at Gamestop and the dual analog sticks just don't work for me when i was trying to play Uncharted Golden Abyss, i didn't like it

killerband55

Uncharted's controls on the Vita are pretty bad. Its the reason I declined to buy the game.

yeah, i had more problems trying to screw around with the camera than actually trying to play the game

I jsut finished Uncharted and I still had problems with its aiming. It sucks.

Played Unit 13 next, and was popping headshots like there's no tomorrow. Awesome game.

The Gravity Daze demo is just as fun as I remember it being, though shorter than I remember it being. Its the same demo that was on Vitas at retail three months ago, but those who haven't played it should. The Resistance demo is just really disappointing. The AI is pretty bad (enemies would charge past my position as I fired at them and then stop, steadfastly looking the other way until I shot them dead), and the game is just sloppy (for example, there was one point where an enemy was shooting at me through a brick wall) and uninspired. The graphics are decent though the animation is nothing to write home about. Someone at Nihilistic must have obscene pictures of some Sony exec's mother. There is no other plausible reason to emply a studio with so little talent.CarnageHeart

Finished Uncharted last week, and felt compelled to write a review given how lukewarm of a reception this game's gotten from both fans and critics alike.

I'd say something of that skepticism is deserved. The aiming is just not good enough for a TPS this late in the generation. The cursor just doesn't want to go where you want it to go. That said, I didn't realize that you could tap the rear touchpad to zoom in. That should've made aiming a whole lot easier, and the gyro more effective... since now you are zoomed in enough to use gyro aiming as an assist rather than tilting the Vita to drag the cursor halfway across the screen. It works really well whenever you are zoomed in with the sniper rifle, so I am assuming it should work well when zoomed in with Assault Rifles as well.

Another thing that bugged me was how predictable Uncharted has become. You have your big evil Military dude with an army. Then you have Drake's friend who betrays him. Then there is a love interest... a plucky young girl. A story that is as cliched as it gets... it seems that Sony Bend was just too scared to do something different. In a way, Uncharted is almost like a really good version of Resistance Burning Skies... it's awfully fimiliar, does almost nothing new, sticks to the same predictable formula and makes you wonder if it's even worth the effort.

Lucky for us, Sony Bend is definitely talented enough to make it well worth their effort and our money. The focus on exploration and adventure is a welcome change. The puzzles are easily the best in the series. Some are ingenious and make inventive use of Vita's touchscreen, gyro and camera functionality. The hidden items are not just some collectibles, they also help flesh out the story. The ingame camera is a neat addition, especially when the game has some of the most amazing backdrops I have ever seen. The visuals, apart from chapters 4-10, are stunning. Rayman doesn't have sh*t on some of the later cave levels. The Uncharted consoles games have always been texture monsters and this is no exception. There are some QTE fight sequences towards the end where you get to see Drake and other characters upclose and personal, and they look fantastic. The cutscenes are just as good as the console versions. Voice acting is perfect. Sully is fantastic, so is Marisa and Dante. The game is at its best when it has Drake interacting with these guys, and so is Nolan North. I enjoyed his banter with Marisa and Dante a lot, but him and Sully just knock it out of the park. It's probably the funniest Uncharted game so far, I'd actually rank it behind Uncharted 2, but not by much.

But enough about the graphics. While the shooting was a pain, the game does a pretty good job of changing up shooting scenarios to keep the combat fresh. My favorite sections were when it mixed up traversing/climbing and shooting. It felt natural that Drake would use his climbing abilities to flank his enemies, and at the same time, just watching Drake make these ridiculous jumps while avoiding gunfire in some of the most lush and beautiful environments was awesome enough. There is nothing like the Train sequence or the Ship/Plane sequence from Uncharted 3, but what's here is good enough.

I suspect Sony Bend will totally knock it out of the park with their next game. I'm sure we will see console styIe setpieces, multiplayer, better aiming controls, even better visuals (AA and native res will make me reach climax, i just know it), but I hope that their focus lies elsewhere. I hope instead of simply ape-ing the formula of the console Uncharteds, they do something new with it. The focus on puzzles, treasure hunting and adventure was a nice deviation from its console brethren, but QTE boss fights, linear gameplay and a cliche story is simply not good enough. This platform is capable of much more than corridor shooters and the odd touchscreen puzzle... so is Sony Bend.

8.3/10 - GREAT

Informative review. I'm hoping Sony Bend returns to the Syphon Filter games. It must be a bit unconfortable to work on someone else's property.

Anyway, Little King's Story is hitting the US this summer. Trailer at the link.

http://kotaku.com/5914321/new-little-kings-story-the-sequel-to-a-terrific-wii-rpg-is-coming-to-american-vitas-this-summer

Invites for the LBP Vita beta have been mailed out. I think I can say the franchise seems to be in wonderful, skilled hands without breaking the NDA :D.

Are there any more beta emails to be sent? Because I haven't got an email yet.

Are there any more beta emails to be sent? Because I haven't got an email yet.

burgeg

A platformer with a lucha libre theme from the markers of Mutant Blobs Attack was recently unveiled for the PSV and PS3. Looks pretty cool (video at the link). Unfortunately, its not hitting until 2013...

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/05/30/guacamelee-ps3-ps-vita-pub-fund-chickens/

This game has already been mentioned in its own thread by Metamania but I found some additional details.

http://kotaku.com/5915204/sounds-like-assassins-creed-will-debut-a-new-female-assassin-on-the-vita-this-fall?tag=e32012

It's unconfirmed, but other GAF users are also saying they too read the preview of the game. Among salient facts: It will star a female assassin named Aveline, who is of mixed French/African heritage. It will be released alongside Assassin's Creed III this fall, the story will take place in New Orleans (yes!) during the same time period as Assassin's Creed III, it'll have multiplayer, and won't feature Desmond. Aveline will meet Connor from Assassin's Creed III, and her mentor will be an escaped/freed slave, which combined with the location and time period could mean that "Liberation" probably refers to the liberation of American slaves. The back-touch screen will let you pick pockets, and all of New Orleans will be explorable without any loading screens. It will also take players into Mexico. Oh, and it will feature alligators! Awesome.

This week Gravity Daze (which has been out in Japan for four months) finally hits the US. It boasts game design inspired by Crackdown and graphics inspired by Moebius.

Also, new DLC for Escape Plan is hitting. Unless the last pack (which was free) this pack costs 5 bucks. As I indicated earlier in the thread, I enjoyed Escape Plan and its first DLC pack so I'll pick this up. You can skip rooms you're stuck on and come back to them later. Every puzzle game could use that feature. Also, the main game will see a pricecut this week.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/08/e3-2012-introducing-escape-plans-newest-dlc

The Asylum DLC adds new enemy types called Shock Minions that prove to be a different sort of enemy than Escape Plan fans may be accustomed to. The padded walls of the Asylum muffle the back touch pad used to distract enemies, meaning that you often have to put Lil and Laarg in danger to coerce them into positions where obstacles around you can lay the killing blow. Shock Minions? innate electrical abilities can also be used to charge special items in the environment.