PlayStation Plus users will soon be able to add Thomas Was Alone and Unit 13 to their Instant Game Collections for March, with both games becoming available on the PlayStation Network on March 18th.

Thomas Was Alone is Mike Bithell’s first puzzle platformer which started out in Flash before moving on to home consoles and handhelds. The game revolves around AI shapes making their way through different environments with each shape bringing their own abilities to the table. It will be available to both PS3 and PS Vita users.

Unit 13 is a more traditional third person shooters. You have your missions, your various soldier types and your guns. The game features different mission types such as sneaking and assassination – it will be available for PS Vita users. A boat-load of discounts has also been confirmed which you can check out in full at the PlayStation Blog US page. Will you be picking up Thomas Was Alone and Unit 13 tomorrow? Let us know below.

After earlier reports that Sony was closing down Zipper Interactive, the studio that handles the SOCOM franchise, it’s been confirmed.

After 17 years of being founded, the studio is being shut down by parent company Sony Computer Entertainment. In a Twitter post, the developers bid their fans a hearty farewell.

“After 17 years it’s time to head off into the sunset,” they said. “A sincere thank you to all our fans for everything you’ve done for us. Farewell.” Sony hasn’t confirmed the exact reasons for this, but it’s been a long time coming, seeing as Zipper Interactive delivered several unsuccessful games in quick succession.

The studio was already downsized after SOCOM 4. Even MAG and Unit 13, great games in their own rights, did not do very well in commercial terms.

It’s extremely sad to see such a talented developer go. Shame, really. And what the hell is Sony going to do with SOCOM now?

You need to unlock these levels yourself if you want full access to them all the time. We reviewed the game and gave it a good score. You can check out the review over here.

Jump into the action with Unit 13 for PlayStation Vita and conquer 36 tactical missions and 9 high value target battles as you help take down global terror networks and earn your place in the military elite. Unit 13 is the perfect on-the-go action shooter. Wi-Fi connectivity adds fast 2-player co-op action, and 3G compatibility keeps you connected for instant social updates and new daily mission challenges.

This final installment of the Unit 13 training series takes you through the game’s numerous ways to connect, play, share and compete with other players all across the globe.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Unit 13 is a third-person shooter from Zipper Interactive, and just by hearing the developer’s name, you can probably guess how the game will look like. Yep, the visual style is a lot like SOCOM 4, and I have to say, I really enjoyed playing this game on the PS Vita. The portable’s dual analogue sticks come to good use here, and they’re quite responsive once you crank up the sensitivity from the options menu.

There is no story mode here, it’s purely a pick-up-and-play game. Yes, there are 36 missions available to you, and several special missions where you eliminate a high value target. So, when you combine so many missions, along with the online mode, and the daily challenges, there is a lot of content here at your disposal. It’s satisfying to play, gorgeous to look at on the Vita, and is wonderfully designed.

Now, before you get disappointed at the fact that there is no proper story mode, you have to realize that it’s not really Zipper’s strength. In fact, none of the games they’ve released so far featured any sort of proper story mode, even SOCOM 4. This is a perfect setup on a portable device, and works wonders when you just want to have that quick game, and you can use variety of playstyles to complete a mission.

There is an in-depth scoring system, and whatever you do – complete objectives, kill people, gets you scores. You can also compete in leaderboards for daily challenges, or for even missions and it brings in a sort of competitive spirit never before seen on a portable device. What makes it an icing on the cake is the smooth responsive controls. Compared to Uncharted: Golden Abyss, it’s a lot more responsive here, although, there is a little auto aim as well.

There are a bunch of characters here with special abilities, from offensive to defensive, and depending on the requirements for a specific mission, you can pick your choicest operative. You can level them all till ten, and unlock different weapons and equipments in the process. The 36 main missions will take you a while to complete unless you go in all guns blazing, but hey, who wants to do that when playing stealthy is so satisfying?

I love Zipper’s netcode, I really do. Each and every one of their games features splendid netcode, and offers lag free gameplay. Unit 13 is no different here. When you play with a buddy on PSN and complete missions together, you won’t really encounter any issues that will hamper the experience.

The game runs really smoothly, and is a nice surprise, considering the visuals are quite good. The main issue I have with the game is that the AI is extremely dumb, which is a little disappointing. They seem to spot you even if they aren’t looking in your direction in some cases.

There are nine HVT missions, which require stars to unlock. You can gain stars by completing the main missions. If you keep completing each mission and gain five stars in the process, you will have enough to unlock them all. So don’t go rushing in and try to complete objectives under the time limit, and it is also really satisfying to play this way.

The game is not really that sophisticated. You can use Vita’s touchscreen to disable bombs or perform certain actions. Most of the maps aren’t that big, but there are a lot of maps here, and they’re quite varied and interesting. I mean, it’s not really oozing with good art design considering its Zipper, but they’re nice to look at on that gorgeous Vita’s OLED screen.

Unit 13 is well worth the money, and it’s a game that I have enjoyed a lot. There is a lot of content here, and considering the fact that it looks and runs so well on the Vita, fans of Zipper and Vita owners shouldn’t overlook this title. It’s a great pick-up-and-play game, and is potential system seller for the Vita.

This game was reviewed on the PS Vita.

This video which is being narrated by a dude named Christian, shows you some gameplay mechanics and how to effectively play Unit 13.

The game will be released on March 6th. Stay tuned for our review soon.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Sony has just announced a new shooter for the Vita and it’s called Unit 13. The game is made by Zipper Interactive, who also made MAG and SOCOM Confrontation on the PS3. It seems that they are developing titles for the Vita now, and have stopped PS3 development.

They specialize in tactical shooters and Unit 13 looks like one as well. It takes advantage of Vita’s unique back touch function.

Fast action, on-the-go gameplay was a key goal for the Unit 13 team. The game is designed for players to move quickly into the action, choosing from one of six Operatives with unique abilities to tackle 36 action-packed missions across nine unique locales. Missions come in a variety of sizes and difficulty.

Some are smaller bite-sized battles; others are longer, more challenging, multi-objective missions that are a good test for any skilled shooter fan. As you make your way through the variety of missions, you unlock the right to take on the tougher High Value Target (HVT) enemy battles. After completing an HVT mission, you can share them with friends and nearby players through PlayStation Vita’s “NEAR” feature.

It is a launch title for the Vita, so shooter fans should be excited about this game. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

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