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Uncharted: Golden Abyss
The exploits of Nathan Drake have helped Sony show off the PlayStation 3's chops, but now the company turns to the treasure hunter to demonstrate the power of its upcoming handheld.
Developed at Sony Bend (the studio behind the portable Resistance: Retribution), Golden Abyss is a prequel to the original Uncharted. You can get all of the nuts and bolts of the demo in this preview...I'm just going to use this opportunity to share a few thoughts from my time with the game at Sony's booth.
Firstly, it totally looks like Uncharted...and not in that "a good approximation for a handheld" way. I was skeptical of the Vita's ability to deliver on the promises of console-caliber visuals, but Golden Abyss clearly demonstrates that it isn't just a pipe dream. Even at this phase in development, the motion capture and voice acting are right on track to have the same kind of realistic performances as the game's PS3 brethren.
The next major thing I noticed is the clever use of the touch-screen. Dragging your finger across the screen to trace a patch for Drake to climb works well; just choose your path or tap your destination and Drake will traverse the hazardous terrain automatically. Some gamers could argue that this takes all of the skill out of the platforming, but Uncharted has never been a precision-focused platformer.
Even though the touch screen options are cool in concept, I'll probably end up using the traditional controls for these segments, as well as during combat. I guess I'd rather press a regular button to throw a grenade than have to mess with the touch screen. Apart from that, the gunfights I engaged featured the same pop-and-shoot mechanics as the series' other entries. Even without the L2 and R2 buttons, the controls still feel natural and easy to pick up for any Uncharted fan.
All in all, Golden Abyss does a great job showcasing what the Vita can do while still servicing the devotees of the Uncharted series. Now we just have to wait for it to come out...and Sony Bend isn't giving any specifics regarding when our wait will end.
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