Review - Uncharted: Golden Abyss

The success of any new console is always entirely dependent on the games that are available for it and that is particularly true when it comes to Sony’s latest device, the PlayStation Vita. So what better way to kick start the device’s life than with an all new adventure in one of the most celebrated series’ of the last few years, Uncharted?

Uncharted: Golden Abyss is quite clearly the “flagship” title of the Vita’s launch lineup. Showing off the visual capabilities of the device as well as giving a solid look at everything the console has to offer in terms of unique interface and control system, it’s the ideal way to hook customers into the Vita brand. However, given the fact that it hasn’t been developed by Naughty Dog, the company behind the hugely successful PlayStation 3 games in the series, there has always been a linger concern that perhaps it wouldn’t turn out to be the AAA title we were all hoping for.

Fortunately, these concerns have been for nought – SCE Bend Studio have done a magnificent job here and it’s plain for all to see that they have expertly carried the Uncharted torch into the handheld world. Everything that you loved about the PS3 versions of the game is back, from the fantastic voice acting to the top class scripting and set pieces, as well as the jaw dropping graphics and second to none action adventure gameplay.

Golden Abyss takes place beforeDrake’s Fortune, and covers a completely different story arc to the ones in the PS3 series. That’s not to say that they aren’t directly related, because they obviously are, but it’s more a case that you shouldn’t really expect to find any cross referencing along the way – it stands alone from the other games not just in time period, but also in its subject matter and cast.



The game kicks off with Drake and Jason Dante exploring a stunning mountainside site in Central America which teaches you the nuances of the game’s control on the new system’s interface. For the most part, it’s quite similar to its bigger brother. The fact that we now have two thumb sticks is obviously a massive bonus for games of this type, even if it will take you an hour or two before you’re really comfortable with aiming on the right hand stick.

Despite the solid build of the Vita, there are a couple of things that make the stick related control a little more awkward than it perhaps needed to be. The first issue is the size of the sticks. Even though it would have been practically impossible to make them any bigger, their miniature size means that making the kind of precise movements you need to aim crosshairs accurately, for example, can take quite a bit of getting used to. The second issue, which we touched upon in our Vita hardware review, is the closeness of the right hand stick to the X button – there’s really not a huge amount of room to play with there but, again, it’s something that you simply have to get used to.

Despite these minor hindrances, Golden Abyss does a sterling job of porting the big screen action down to the portable device, while adding a number of brand new features specific to the vita. For example, those of you who, for whatever reason, don’t like actually controlling Drake when it comes to the climbing sections, can now trace his route with your finger across the touch screen. Why? We have absolutely no idea, but it’s something that Bend decided they’d implement. We strongly doubt anybody is going to use it, but there you go.

Other new features include showing off the system’s six-axis control by occasionally forcing you to regain your balance while walking over narrow surfaces bridging gaps. Clichéd? Yes, absolutely, but when it happens at just the wrong time it can really add a sense of tension and dread to proceedings, and for that reason alone we actually think it’s a worthwhile addition.



Alongside these, there have been quite a few changes to the way the gameplay works. The main sections have remained relatively untouched, with certain exceptions made to allow for the smaller screen and controls, but it’s the side missions and the additional things you need to do in order to push your way towards 100% completion that have received the biggest overhaul.

The biggest additions are the new puzzles, which take a few main forms and make great use of the system’s dual touch sensitive surfaces, and the new camera mechanic. The puzzles usually take one of three main approaches, either seeing you rub an artefact clean, examine an object for clues or piece together a torn up document. They’re exceptionally easy, and calling them puzzles is probably something of an overstatement, but they do add quite a bit to the whole feel of the game. We’re particularly fond of the document based ones. They make wonderful use of the touch screen, seeing you move and rotate scraps of paper in order to make them fit. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s fun.

The camera based sections see you tasked with recreating a photograph, as displayed in the corner of the screen. Again, they’re quite straight forward, but initially they can be a little bit confusing due to a lack of proper instruction (or maybe we were impatient and skipped past that screen a little too quickly… ahem). Basically the jist is that using the rear touch pad as your camera zoom, and the right trigger button as your shutter, you need to line up the photo in much the same way as the original you’re shown (including using the same zoom settings). It can be quite frustrating to get three or four 95% complete photos in a row and being unable to progress since it needs to be identical, but once you’ve figured out the trick of it, it’s actually quite easy.

While neither of these additions sound particularly like the Uncharted we all know and love, they are worked into the game so well that they genuinely feel like they belong. Those of you who want to do and see it all have a hell of a task ahead of you, as there is a huge amount to be done if you’re going to grab that 100% completion rating. Simply racing through the campaign isn’t going to cut it; you’ll need to collect all the glyphs, solve all the mysteries, take all the photographs and more. In short, it’s not going to be a game you wrap up over the course of a weekend like some!



The melee combat is another side of the gameplay that has been given a little tweaking to optimise it for the Vita - and it's arguably the only thing that hasn't worked out quite as well as one would have hoped. Hand to hand fights are still initiated using the square button, but the PS3 games' quick time events have been replaced with touch screen quick time gestures. While it's clear why Bend have attempted to work that into the gameplay, it's not really all that worthy an addition; in fact it can be a pain in the ass having to readjust your hand to swipe across the screen a couple of times to finish your opponent off.

The only other area where Golden Abyss really falls down is in its gunplay. Even when you’re totally comfortable on the Vita, the right stick aiming and right trigger shooting just doesn’t quite mesh as well as it does using a Dual Shock 3 controller. It requires a little manoeuvring in order to make up for it, but you’ll get there. There's an option there to use the system's six axis control for fine tuning your aim, but since we tend to drink far too much coffee, it's not really something that we took to particularly much. Caffine is not your friend when it comes to subtle hand movements folks.

Given that it’s a portable version of one of the biggest franchises in the last few years, Uncharted: Golden Abyss does an absolutely phenomenal job of delivering the goods. Anyone who has played the games on the PS3 will be immediately familiar with the core gameplay mechanics, and will have no problem slipping back into Drake’s shoes, while newcomers will be able to take advantage of the numerous tutorial popups which explain each new function as it is introduced.

SCE Bend could have taken the approach of simply offering a vastly watered down port of one of the existing games here, but instead they have opted to build, from the ground up, a stunning first Vita appearance for the series which fully compliments those found on the PS3. Everything that makes Uncharted Uncharted is here in spades. The character's performances are excellent, with Marisa putting in a particularly good turn to compliment Drake, and the storyline is up there with all the other games in the series.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss is as good a reason as any to pick yourself up a Vita on launch.