As I kind of anticipated, I didn't have time to update my blog over the weekend. But perhaps that's a good thing, because I have had more precious time to spend with the things I am about to talk about, mainly being uncharted golden abyss.
So let's get started then, uncharted golden abyss is the most popular vita game at the moment, no seriously, it topped the UK charts being placed at number 1 beating even console and pc games. So I picked it up myself, and I was completely blown away. Golden abyss really is the signature game for the vita at the moment, and probably will remain that way for quite some time too, at least until studios release games specifically for vita and not just ports like rayman origins. Golden abyss shows off and utilises most, if not all, of the vitas new features, including the front and rear touch screens, the camera, the accelerometer (tilt controls), and the hardware itself boasting great visuals that almost rivals console. You may be wondering how the external camera works in this game (uncharted also has an in game camera used to take in game pictures but that's something else), the external camera is used at points in the game where you receive bits of parchment or paper that need to be held to a light source to see the hidden messages written on said paper/parchment. I did as instructed and held my vita towards my window where light was coming in, and there it was, the hidden message was slowly appearing before my eyes. Another feature you will use in golden abyss (this one being used more frequently) is chalk rubbings, when you discover a relic that has an inscription on it then you will have to take a chalk rubbing of it, by swiping your finger across the front touch screen until 100% of the rubbing is legible. Sometimes you will come across artefacts that are dirty and covered in mud (to be expected if they have been buried for thousands of years) so you will use the front touch screen to wipe them clean and the rear touchscreen to rotate the artefact to make sure you clean every last book and cranny. Then there is the accelerometer, which can be used to swing drake for example if he is hanging on a vine, by tilting the vita device backwards and forwards. Another reason why Golden abyss is the vitas signature game is because it boasts amazing visuals and sound which is a first for handheld gaming, the jungles look vibrant, lush and green. The water looks realistic, fluid and clear, and the sweeping vistas look incredible. Nate's voice Sounds just as good as on ps3, and you can hear every crumble of rock and piece of splintering wood as you climb around.
For diehard console uncharted fans, all of these gameplay additions may be making you cringe, but don't worry, despite a lot of additions (i must stress they are additions, not changes) the core gameplay of running, jumping and climbing remains the same, and plays with the same button configuration as uncharted on ps3. The new additions just enhance the experience and really make you feel like a treasure hunter and these vita features add a welcome new level of depth to gaming and hold great potential for future vita titles.
As for the story in golden abyss, (I am at chapter 20 of 32) it is so far very engaging. As most of you may already know, drake is a funny protagonist, often making jokes towards the side characters. The story itself is full of plot twists and surprises which draw you in, which may be a bad thing for a handheld, because if you are playing on a train or bus, you may miss your stop if you are absorbed in the story. The story cutscenes in the game are very good and so is the voice acting, but I felt that for a console that is supposed to be "pick up and play" they drag on a little too long wasting precious battery power and gameplay. Also in heavy combat I sometimes noticed a slight frame rate drop but nothing that lasted longer than a few seconds and wasn't a very persistent problem. Apart from those little things though, uncharted golden abyss is a beautiful handheld game that utilises most of the vitas new functions and has plenty of collectibles to add to replay value. Multiplayer would have been nice but is not essential as portable gamers are not often near wi fi. All in all, golden abyss is in my opinion the best launch title for the vita .
That's if for today's blog, hope I didn't ramble on too much about uncharted, but there was a lot I wanted to cover about this game, in tomorrows blog I will probably talk about wipeout for the vita or perhaps something else.
Anyway hopefully see you tomorrow
Ryan
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