UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss for PS Vita

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Uncharted:Golden Abyss for PS Vita


Released Dec, 2011


     Having played and finished every Uncharted game to date puts me in a strange position. I want to like the Playstation Vita’s Uncharted offering, I really do. That being said, the honest truth is that I do like it, despite the fact that when compared to the PS3 Uncharteds, Golden Abyss just doesn’t measure up. Perhaps I excuse it because it is, after all, merely a portable Nathan Drake story. I remind myself that the Vita was supposed to be the wonder machine that closed the gap between portable and console gaming. Not so if one uses this game as a measurement.

     There are areas of pointless gimmicky controls, both touchscreen and the sensitive back of the machine that add nothing to the game. Hand-to-hand combat is achieved via swiping the screen in motions that follow arrows that appear. Not a bad idea if done in moderation, but the combat sequences are many times too long, to the point where it becomes laughable. The controls for this Nathan Drake outing are also oft times clumsy, not smooth like the PS3 games. The shooting combat becomes tedious and monotonous and I found myself wondering what the point of it all was. Couple this with bad guys that seemed to come from Krypton; not only did bullets bounce off their chests, some of them could withstand launched rockets and get right back up. Ridiculous.

     The story, however, was interesting, and that alone was what kept me coming back. Early in the game I wondered where Sully was, but sure enough, he came around. The female character, Chase, had a bit of a young Adrienne Barbeau look to her, which I also found interesting. But no real spoilers here.

     Being that the Vita is all but dead, any game for it is a welcome thing. If you own a Vita you obviously should have this one. But it is NOT worth it to buy a Vita just to play this game. Not to mention Uncharted: Golden Abyss does NOT work on the Playstation TV mini-console. I don’t recommend it, but I won’t say steer clear of it either. The real Nathan Drake, up until now, has been on the PS3, and I look forward to the PS4 Uncharted. I’m giving Uncharted: Golden Abyss a 6/10.

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