Review: Unit 13

Unit 13 has been in my pile of shame for some time now since getting it free via PS+ a while back. I was reluctant to play it because I dreaded it would be yet another poorly executed COD clone. Despite the storyline following the well trodden path of an elite group of soldiers fighting nondescript Middle Eastern terrorists, the gameplay manages to feel fresh.

There are four types of single player mission: stealth, direct action, timed, and elite. All require a different approach and these differences break up the game nicely so that you don't get sick and tired of doing the same old thing. There are 36 single player missions which unlock as you progress. The scoring system grants points for kills, mission objectives, etc along with bonuses for stealth, speed, and kill streaks. There is also a multiplier system which rewards chains of point scoring. Of course you also gt points for completing objectives. These points covert into a star rating at the end of each level from 1 to 5 stars. Earning stars unlocks so called "High Value Target" missions in which you hunt down a wanted terrorist.

Single player mission select screen

I found the control system very intuitive and easy to use and it is similar to most other shooters. There a a few touch commands you will need to use, but they are always located at the edge of the screen within easy thumb reach and become second nature after a few missions.

The graphics are great as we've come to expect with the Vita and Unit 13 is on par with it's competitors. I didn't experience any graphical glitches, tearing, or framerate slowdown whatsoever. I did however have more crashes than I can remember having with any other Vita game, maybe 6-8 over the course of finishing the game.

High value targets are unlocked in single player missions

The trophies for this game are reasonably straight forward, albeit will require some skill to 5-star every mission which is required to unlock all of the High Value Target missions. Apparently these can also be unlocked using near but I can't confirm if this works. I found that a little grinding was required at the end to level up all of the characters but it was relatively painless. There are two or three online trophies so you will need to be logged into PSN a least for a short time. 

Speaking of online, the co-op missions seemed to work fairly seamlessly with the only problem being finding someone to play with who complements your play style. If you like stealth and they run in with all guns blazing then it's a tad frustrating. There is also a daily mission which you can complete once only and update your score to the leaderboards. 

I enjoyed playing through this game and the variety in the missions kept my interest level up even though the maps are recycled fairly frequently. I would rate it as at least on-par with COD Black Ops: Declassified which I'd say would be it's main competitor. If you have a PS+ subscription then you most likely have this game, so if you haven't given it a try yet do yourself a favour and play it.