Set between the events of
the second and third console game, the new handheld edition features some
interesting features and takes players on a wild ride through exotic
locations throughout the world. He’s chasing a group of baddies who are out
to get the treasures before him, and he’ll use many of the skills and tricks
from previous games to grab the prize first. It’s an interesting story, but
we don’t want to give too much away, but its definitely an interesting tale.
Players will find themselves facing many obstacles during each stage. The
areas are difficult to traverse and he’ll need to climb through some
treacherous terrain, grab onto ledges and find his way through some
seemingly impenetrable places. Most of the early game takes place in dense
jungles, where he needs to find vines and climb over some huge gaps,
watching for ever-present foes who are taking seemingly endless pot-shots at
him along the way. Golden Abyss doesn’t take too much time to get going, but
once it does it achieves an interesting momentum, with a good balance
between the Tomb Raider-style adventuring and more traditional FPS action.
The shooting sequences are nicely done, with excellent controls and
challenging opponents. As usual, players need to find cover in order to
survive the assaults, with multiple foes typically attacking at once. If the
player takes damage, he can hide behind something for a few moments and
regain health automatically. You can also switch viewpoint if your selected
weapon has a sight, increasing your accuracy. Many of the enemies will also
take cover, so you need to be aware of their location and shoot them when
they rise behind their protection. Most of the time, the battles are fairly
easy, but there are occasions where the game feels a little cheap, and the
enemies take shots at you from places where they can’t be located easily.
Gamers who persist will find some enjoyment in Golden Abyss’ combat
sequences, which are nicely suited to the PS Vita’s control system.
While the basic formula feels about right for an Uncharted title,
Golden Abyss also serves as a showcase for the new Vita hardware. One of the
more interesting aspects of this comes in the climbing sequences. instead of
pressing buttons and manually traversing the rock formations, players can
glide their fingers over a section and Drake will automatically climb and
jump over them, which makes the task that much easier. There are some tricky
areas in the game, but the automation makes them easier to survive, without
making you feel like you’re on autopilot. You can still choose to play the
normal way, and climb using the standard commands, but it feels clunky and
awkward in comparison. The touch screen can also be used to pick up weapons
by clicking them with your finger, and they’re instantly added to your
arsenal. Another interesting way the game uses the touch screen arrives in
the various mini-games, where you can spin objects around with the back
touch screen and examine them using the front screen, this makes it easier
to play around with them. This is quite an effective design that helps to
further immerse players into the game without feeling overtly gimmicky.
These mini-games can be a little bit distracting and annoying, diverting
attention away from the main storyline at points. Another task players have
to accomplish in certain points during the game is balancing, where you have
to tilt the console to stay on a ledge or logs. It’s a bit tricky to master
this technique, and you’ll probably be frustrated as Drake falls of multiple
times before you get the hang of it, but the overall effect is pretty
interesting. Taken together, the new controls work well with the standard
interface to create a game that feels both familiar and new. Golden Abyss’
structure is also well-suited to on-the-go play with its chapters just long
enough to keep your interest, but not overly so things drag. Its online
component is fairly interesting, and it features a ‘black market’ where you
can purchase items or trade them with other players. This makes for a fairly
solid single-player experience that delivers what you’d expect along with a
few surprises.
As you
move along in the adventure, the game becomes more challenging with
additional opponents at each turn, appearing in greater numbers and with
better intelligence, they become harder to defeat. The game’s chapters are
fairly well-paced throughout, and the usual Uncharted formula is evident in
its characters, who interact with each other with humor and above-average
dialogue. Excellent voice acting and an interesting plot help to draw your
attention into the story, which is fairly interesting as you reveal puzzles
and hidden plot-twists throughout. Racing through each chapter, you’ll find
plenty of variety in the game, which is never dull. There are some
impressive set-pieces that occur from time to time, but there’s nothing
quite as dramatic as the last two console games. The variety of locations
ranges from burning buildings, exotic forests and beyond while the
presentation and production values keep pace. Its definitely an impressive
game, and it effectively shows off the PS Vita’s powerful processors. Golden
Abyss is far more elaborate and cinematic than most hand-held games and its
overall production values are slick and impressive throughout. Its
consistency makes the experience feel like you’re watching a film more than
a game at certain points. This can be seen as a positive, since the game’s
presentation matches its ambition for the most part. While it’s been
scaled-down a little for the Vita, the overall experience matches the feel
of its console counterparts to create one of the more impressive handheld
games we’ve played to date. Uncharted: Golden Abyss is definitely a solid
game with great production values. It’s polished look is impressive and it
maintains most of the elements that made the previous games so appealing.
There’s much that’s familiar but the new touch-screen gameplay mechanics
help to give the game a fresh feel. Overall, it’s a solid adventure title
that offers a deep, polished gameplay experience on the hand-held platform.
– Michael Palisano
