Fortune Favors the bold, throw in a pinch of luck as well! When I found out Uncharted would be on Playstation Vita I was very excited about taking a another romp through Drakes crazy fortune hunting world. Uncharted Golden Abyss is the 4th game in the Uncharted series by Naughty Dog but the first on a portable system. The kicker here is not only is this the first portable uncharted, its the first Uncharted headed by a different studio. Developed by Bend Studio known for Playstation and PS2 classics like Syphon Filter, Uncharted Golden Abyss Launched onto handhelds as a Launch Title in the US on February 15th 2012. Uncharted Golden Abyss makes the jump from Home console to Portable handheld with a few bumps and bruises, but it’s definitely a ride worth taking.
It’s going to be a climb
This game was played on a PSVita. If you are a PLUS member this game is free for a limited time and can be found between 30 and 40 dollars retail!
Weapon of Choice
Visuals: Uncharted Golden Abyss (UGA) is a vibrant game with great contrast between day and night shots. Some moments you are in a deep cavern that is only lit by a few fires, while other times you are standing on top of a mountain with the sun glaring in your eyes. The game might not compare to Uncharted 3 Drakes Deception, but for the system its on I feel it really pushes the hardware to its limit. If I was to knock something I would say that the animations when climbing ropes is a little funky and the characters move like robots. Nate’s eyes are a little strange as well but you may enjoy the change in color.
Story: UGA is a prequel to the original three games on the PS3. We see a younger? Nathan Drake running around the jungle with a new character Dante who is Drakes friend and partner in this new game. A new female interest Chase also comes into the story and as usual plenty of quips will build as does the sexual tension. The three are looking for a secret treasure buried within the Panama jungle; a daunting task for sure, but throw in a General who wants the treasure for himself and were now roaming in Uncharted territories.
Gameplay: UGA gets to be one of the first 3rd person shooters to get full use of the right analog stick on the Playstation Vita. While I did love moving the camera and aiming it felt a little slow from time to time. Headshots that I would have easily have made in the 2nd and 3rd uncharted games were much harder in this game due to sensitivity issues (Your milage may vary). This being a launch game for a new system comes with all the perks of showing off the robust plethora of “stuff” the vita can do. You row with the back touch pad on a canoe, you make charcoal rubbings by rubbing the front screen, sometimes you even have to hold the camera up to the light to show cool puzzles. While some of these gimmicks are fun it did get daunting after the tenth charcoal rubbing or photo shot. I would definitely give this game a break on the gaming mechanics because Bend Studio has no where to go but up from here. Its a solid base and I am certain when they make another game these little things will be sorted out.
Test of Time: Uncharted has a great story and beautiful visuals; the irony with launch games are that they look great for the first year or two and then dwindle into the shadows. Uncharted 2 and 3 had time to grow and develop but Naughty Dogs original outing was far from perfect. I think Uncharted will be a game that is talked about quite a bit especially if a second one comes out but I could never see this game as the “best of the best” I am an Uncharted fan and I loved the characters and story so I am torn saying these things but unless you have Playstation Plus or get the game for cheap I would suggest renting this adventure. You will love every minute of your adventure, its just that the end result leaves you feeling a bit hungry for more!
No BROS SYSTEM this week:
Cy: Buy on the cheap or download for free!
ltapgamer 