''PlayStation Vita Pets'' is a pet simulation

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with

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and

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elements developed by

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in conjunction with

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and published by

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for the

PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international terri ...

. The player raises a virtual dog while also adventuring with them in a fictional realm. It received mixed reviews from critics and currently has a 63% from

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Gameplay

Using the touchscreen and microphone, the player can play with and manage a virtual dog. The gameplay's main focus is an adventure set in a region called Castlewood Island, where the player completes basic puzzles and works with their dog to complete challenges. The dogs in the game speak and have a full vocabulary, and respond to player voice commands. The dogs talk with the player and plead with them to adventure with them. The game's camera allows the pet to recognize their owner's face. The game includes RPG elements and locks content until certain levels have been reached. A

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game, ''PlayStation Vita Pets: Puppy Parlour'', was released for iOS and Android on June 3, 2014.

Reception

''PlayStation Vita Pets'' received mixed reviews; the game currently has a 63% approval rating on

. ''

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''s Andy Robertson said that the

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present in the game "lets ''Vita Pets'' deliver a much more involving experience than first appears to be the case."

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's Brittany Vincent criticized the level grinding required to access some content but felt that it was still a stronger game than its competition nonetheless. ''

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''s Andy Robertson felt that the game marked the "arrival of Sony's handheld for the younger members of the family" and noted that the children he shared the game with loved it. Reaction to the dog's voices were mixed. ''

Pocket Gamer ''Pocket Gamer'' is a video game website that focuses on mobile, portable and handheld games. The site launched in 2005 and is published and owned by UK company Steel Media Ltd. The site covers all major portable and mobile gaming formats, incl ...

''s Matt Suckley said that the dog's voices "steal away the game's charm" and heavily criticized the decision to give them full human vocabularies.{{cite web, title=PlayStation Vita Pets, author=Suckley, Matt, date=16 June 2014, publisher=Pocket Gamer , url=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/PS+Vita/PlayStation+Vita+Pets/review.asp?c=60044, accessdate=7 August 2014 Destructoid's Brittany Vincent disagreed, noting that the voices were "positively "aww"-inducing from the get-go".

References

External links

Official website
2014 video games PlayStation Vita games PlayStation Vita-only games Single-player video games Spiral House games Video games about dogs Video games developed in the United Kingdom Virtual pet video games