{"id":6921,"date":"2012-03-12T23:21:33","date_gmt":"2012-03-12T13:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=6921"},"modified":"2014-05-13T12:25:59","modified_gmt":"2014-05-13T02:25:59","slug":"uncharted-golden-abyss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=6921","title":{"rendered":"Uncharted: Golden Abyss"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"unchartedgoldenabyss\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Platform:\u00a0 <\/strong>Playstation Vita<\/em>
\nDeveloper:\u00a0 <\/strong><\/strong>Bend Studios<\/em>
\nPublisher:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong> Sony Computer Entertainment
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

U<\/span>ncharted: Golden Abyss<\/em> is the first time the Uncharted<\/em> series has gone portable and it also marks the first time the franchise has been taken out of the hands of creators Naughty Dog.\u00a0 The reigns have been handed over to Sony’s own Bend Studio.\u00a0 It’s probably the most high profile launch title for the Vita and while it’s not really a killer app for the wider public, it is without a doubt the<\/em> game that made me want to pick up the console in its infancy.\u00a0 I love the Uncharted<\/em> series.\u00a0 Where it goes, I follow.<\/p>\n

When dealing with portables and adaptations of home console franchises, its often a case of less is more.\u00a0 If Golden Abyss<\/em> had attempted to recreate the large-scale set pieces of Uncharted 3<\/em> on the Playstation Vita’s 5″ screen, I think it would’ve been something of a disappointment.\u00a0 Instead, Bend Studios wisely opts to break the game up into smaller chunks that are less about recreating Michael Bay style set pieces and more to do with good old fashioned exploring.\u00a0 If you felt that Uncharted 3<\/em> was influenced by Call of Duty Modern Warfare<\/em>‘s ‘everything must explode’ campaign mode, then Uncharted: Golden Abyss<\/em> feels more like a homage to the original Tomb Raider<\/em>.<\/p>\n

When you’re a gamer who’s just purchased a new console, you want a game that provides a sense of validation for the new hardware and Uncharted: Golden Abyss<\/em> does that pretty well.\u00a0 The game looks gorgeous.\u00a0 The texturing in the game is a little so-so but there’s no denying it looks great in motion and some of the effects, in particular the water and lighting, look absolutely terrific.<\/p>\n

The story this time around has Drake working a job for a treasure hunter named Dante who sets off into South America in search of the answers to a mystery of who massacred a group of Spanish explorers 400 years ago.<\/p>\n

I’ve mentioned before in past reviews of Uncharted<\/em> games that I liken the boy’s own sense of adventure to that of the very best Tintin<\/em> tales.\u00a0 I definitely felt that sense with Golden Abyss<\/em>.\u00a0 It’s a story filled with exotic locations, tinpot dictators and hidden treasure.\u00a0 Drake’s world is one in which there are still ancient catacombs yet to be uncovered and lost civilzations that reward the most intrepid and ingenious of explorers.\u00a0 I felt like Naughty Dog had a rare misstep with the tone of Uncharted 3<\/em>.\u00a0 To my mind it was a little too poe-faced and too reliant on spectacle.\u00a0 Golden Abyss<\/em> on the other hand is simple and delivers more effectively in its modest storytelling.<\/p>\n

As is their want when developing for a new console, Bend go to town with exploring the Vita’s functions in Golden Abyss<\/em>.\u00a0 Expect to climb ropes by running your fingers down the back of the Vita’s touchpad.\u00a0 Find your balance when walking across fallen logs by tilting the Vita’s gyroscope back and forth.\u00a0 Use the touch screen to do charcoal rubbings.\u00a0 Hold the Vita up to a light source so you can use the camera to light up the in-game environment.\u00a0 Do more charcoal rubbings.\u00a0 More charcoal rubbings!<\/p>\n

Some of this stuff feels novel the first time around.\u00a0 Most of it feels rather daft.\u00a0 None of it spoils what is at heart, a solid portable adaptation of one of the Playstation 3’s best franchises.\u00a0 Uncharted: Golden Abyss<\/em> is a great way to experience the Vita and it vindicates the Vita’s less glamorous but most important addition over the PSP:\u00a0 it’s dual analogue stick means that the game can be navigated and controlled in a fashion that PSP games never could.\u00a0 The shooting mechanic feels accurate.\u00a0 Controlling the camera is a snap.\u00a0 It bodes well for the future of the system and the quality of the games to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charcoal rubs and analogue nubs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":9785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[951,1142],"class_list":["post-6921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gaming","tag-playstation-vita","tag-uncharted"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6921"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14837,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6921\/revisions\/14837"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}