Tearaway

pro

Not only is Tearaway an absolute joy to play, but it's also a stellar showcase for all the Vita's features and capabilities. Everything it does is done in such a playful manner that continuously keeps entertaining the player with an exceptional attention to detail. This is done while also taking into consideration the limitations of the hardware like the rear touch pad which is used for triggering jump pads in the game. When using these you don't have to hit that specific spot on the rear touch pad that correlates to the position of the jump pad, but actually touching anywhere will do, unlike for example Escape Plan. The use of the camera to put you - the player, the You - inside the game is adorable and fun.

pro

It is a gorgeous game that takes its theme all out. There is never any doubt the world you're in is made of paper, and it never lets go of this notion. Animals, trees, waterfalls and enemies are all brilliantly and believably designed within this context. Tearaway also takes this outside the game by providing you with paper craft unlocks that you can print and create yourself.

pro

Accompanying this adventure is a crazy and thoroughly enjoyable soundtrack that mixes the weird with the fantastic. While having the soundtrack is fun and practical, I found myself replaying levels to hear the fantastic compositions in context. The sound design is flawless.

con

The story takes a back seat to the impeccable design. Compared to everything else going on in the game, it feels less fleshed out and never reaches the level of inspiration that you will find in every stage.

con

Tearaway is rarely challenging. The combat doesn't evolve in a meaningful way, and except for one stage late in the game you will probably breeze through the game without bumping into any major hurdles.