Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PS Vita) Review

I like the Uncharted series; I just think they get a little too much praise, that is all. What I love about the series are its fleshed-out characters, exotic locations, brilliant puzzles, and amazing action set-pieces. With a popular trilogy on the PS3, there is bound to be a handheld game in the series, that way you can take Uncharted on the go. What we got is Uncharted: Golden Abyss, developed by Bend Studio, creators of the Syphon Filter series. Is it a great transition from console to handheld? Let's find out.

While the story is yet another treasure hunt, that doesn't mean there aren't good characters and brilliant dialogue. Nate and Sully obviously return. The best new character is Marisa Chase, who prefers to be called Chase (only her late grandfather called her Marisa). Both she and Drake have really good chemistry together and I like that it doesn't really go for the romance, but rather it focuses on the recurring theme of partnership. Then we have the villains. Dante doesn't really do anything for me; he is just another Harry Flynn. Can't say much for Guerro, either. There is a scene that shows how menacing he can be, but he's nowhere on the same level as Lazarević from Uncharted 2.

(From left) Chase and Drake

The gameplay remains the same, with new touch screen and rear touchpad features. You follow a linear path, scaling buildings, ropes or other places to navigate through obstacles. You can use the touchscreen to draw a path for Nate while climbing and he'll automatically move. I sometimes like to alternate between moving with the left analog stick and the touchscreen.

Climbing in the game

The combat and shooting mechanics are as great as anyone expects. You can aim by using the right analog stick or use the Vita's gyroscope to aim as well. Just like the scaling and platforming, I sometimes like to alternate between the two options. When fighting enemies using melee attacks, you could either use the touchscreen or the square button to punch, but then there are moments when you have to swipe the touchscreen in the direction the game is telling you to go. The stealth mechanics are also well-done for the most part.

Shooting in the game.

What I like is that most of the touchscreen options are optional. There are, of course, some mandatory options. When an item is picked up and very dirty, you have to rotate the item with the rear touchpad and "scratch" by swiping the touchscreen. There are also sections where you have to replicate symbols by drawing against the symbols and then you solve the four pieces like a jigsaw puzzle. When finding a secret area to find treasures, Nate will use a knife to chop bamboo or cloths and you have to swipe the touchscreen in the direction it's telling you to. The swiping works for the most part. I did have some issues where the touchscreen did not apply, but were very minor.

Remind you of anything?

The treasures return and rather than finding some random artifact, they are all categorized, from torquoise pieces, artifacts relating to a certain event, and photos you take throughout the game. There are some you will have missed and requires you to go back to an earlier chapter to complete a mystery. There is a DLC called the "Treasure Map Pack" that helps make it easier to find treasures.

New to the series is photography. Sometimes the right side of the screen's HUD will pop up the camera symbol and you take a picture of a picture you're duplicating. You have to frame them almost exactly. It gets pretty annoying when you take a picture, sometimes you're at 95% rather than 100%. But, if you're into completing certain games 100% (obtaining the Platinum trophy), you're going to have to suffer through the photography sections. Just a warning.

A patch in the game added the "Black Market", where you can receive bounties from fallen enemies throughout the game and you can trade them with other Vita players using the "NEAR" application. Another patch lets you collect trading cards for another Vita game, Uncharted: Fight for Fortune (I'll talk about that in a bit). To be honest, the patches didn't really do a thing for me, and I don't really care for them.

I have to say, like the previous Uncharted games, it looks gorgeous. While some environments feel very familiar (there were areas that reminded me of Drake's Fortune a bit), it still looks great overall.

Greg Edmonson did not compose the music this time, with Clint Bajakian taking his place. While there is not much say about the score, he did a pretty good job overall, still making it feel like this is from an Uncharted game; he just put his own twist to it, that's all. The chanting in certain tracks really fascinate me. It gives the whole lost and ancient feel to it. The soundtrack is available on iTunes if you guys are interested.

I think some people might complain that there is no multiplayer unlike Uncharted 2 and 3. It doesn't really bother me. I've never played the multiplayer on any of those games, so I'm not sure what to think of it.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss is a great Vita game and worthy to add to your library of games. Despite some of the mandatory touch control options which I felt were kind of gimmicky, I'm glad most of them are optional. The story isn't as gripping or unpredictable and the villains aren't as interesting, but it's passable. It's a nice transition from home console to handheld for the Uncharted series. By far, one of my favorite games on the Vita.

Also, an Uncharted game in which the main focus is trading cards? Really?