Sony recently held a 'PlayStation Pre-Holiday 2011 Media Showcase' in New York City where we went hands-on with their upcoming software lineup for the remainder of 2011 and some of their 2012 lineup.
The Uncharted franchise has been one of Sonys key entertainment mediums on the PS3 this generation. Having huge success with Uncharted: Drakes Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Naughty Dogs Nathan Drake can easily be viewed as the current face of the PlayStation line and now Mr. Drake is going to make his presence known in the portable gaming realm.
Developed by Sony Bend, developers behind a number of PSP hits that includes Syphon Filter: Logans Shadow & Resistance: Retribution, Uncharted: Golden Abyss marks the first portable entry of the Uncharted series and looks to include everything that makes the Uncharted series a standout success. Golden Abyss takes place prior to the events of Drakes Fortune, but dont view it as a prequel for the storyline is a standalone tale that doesnt have any direct tie-in to Drakes Fortune.
Nate Drake has a knack for the dramatic and Golden Abyss looks to offer more of that classic Nathan Drake flair. As he searches for an ancient artifact and treks through the lush jungle terrain of Central America, Drake finds himself, once again, in a dangerous situation that is packed with gun battles, platforming, and exploration. Its Uncharted in its purest form but the new features and functions of Vita make the game experience new and fresh as Sony Bend takes the series and introduces new game mechanics not possible on any other system available on the market today.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss has the potential to be one of Vitas key software titles early on its lifecycle and Sony Bend is looking to make great use of Vitas dual analog sticks, touch-screen, rear touch panel, and gyro controls. In many ways Sony Bend delivers an authentic Uncharted experience and that is reflected in the control setup of the title, however, due to the lack of L2/R2 and L3/R3 buttons, the development team had to get crafty and they did just that.
To ensure all the expected features of an Uncharted title made their way to Golden Abyss, Sony Bend has made brilliant use of the touch-screen. By using the touch-screen, players will be able to path the trajectory of their grenade throw and locate it perfectly between enemies. The touch-screen can also be used to navigate Drake through the platforming sections by simply sliding your finger to the desire location, though you still have the option to control him via analog stick. The melee system makes interesting use of the touch-screen and adds a QTE (Quick time event) feel to combat similar to what is found in the God of War titles. It works very well, though it does feel like it slows down the pace of the game ever so slightly.
Making use of Vitas vast arsenal of features, Sony Bend is putting the gyroscopic features to good use. Tilting Vita will have Drake lean in that respective direction when traversing cliffs and ease your jump over openings. It is a nice use of gyro controls, but Sony Bend greatly expands on this premise when Drake is equipped with a sniper rifle. Requiring players to use the motion controls, sniping is more challenging as it forces you to move the system to obtain the perfect shot similar to an augmented reality shooter. To zoom in you use the rear touch panel and slide your fingers similar to how you would zoom in on an iPad/iPod screen. These controls took a few attempts to adjust to but it was far more satisfying when landing that prized headshot on an enemy sniper.
Uncharted: Golden Abyss is plentiful in Vita features, but the game will allow players to play the game how they want to play it. If you want to play it like a traditional Uncharted title with dual analog control and face-buttons you can or you can play by tilting, touching, and moving the system all around. Its your decision as to how you want to play and experience the game. Sony Bend is making great use of Vitas many features early on and they all fit the Uncharted ambiance wonderfully. Though not quite PS3 level, Golden Abyss is a visual treat for the eyes. Flourishing environments and impressive character models, Golden Abyss captures the essence, feel, and look of the Uncharted world.
Fans of Nathan Drake get hyped because Sony Bend is taking proper care of the Uncharted franchise. Golden Abyss is shaping up to be another great entry and this time itll be portable. No release has been revealed for Uncharted: Golden Abyss at this time, but we should hear more at the Tokyo Game Show in September.
