Uncharted: Golden Abyss Review by: zanderlex - 8.5/10
Territories UnchartedI have always been a fan of the Uncharted games, so when I learned that I had some money to buy new games, it was a no brainer to buy the PS Vita version of Uncharted. In my opinion, the game is not as much fun as the console versions because of the graphics, and the controls and movement of the game seems to be a bit restricted, but it is still a one of a kind game that is worth buying, and I am glad that I bought it.
GRAPHICS 8/10
First, lets go over the graphics, which I had already mentioned are not as good as that of the console counterpart. The graphics are there and they are detailed, but to me, they just don't feel as strong as in the other games. Personally, I believe it is just because of the size of the screen of the vita. The screen is much smaller, therefore it is tougher to put a great amount of detail on every single character and object. The difference in the size also causes the coloring to be altered by just a little bit. I see nothing wrong with the graphics from the standpoint of what the developers have done and put into the game, the graphics are great, but the one thing that I dislike about them is the huge contrast between the console version and the Vita version. However, if I had never played any of the console versions, I would not know what the graphics were like and therefore I would have said that the graphics for the Vita version were perfect. As for a grade, I give this game an 8 out of 10.
SOUND 9/10
When it comes to the sound of the game, I think it is great. There is a great soundtrack behind the game that again features the iconic main theme, which I love. There are also a few other tracks in the soundtrack that are worth listing to and add to the overall feel of the game. In addition to the music, there is great voice acting during the in game scenes and during the cut scenes as well. On top of all that, you have pretty good sound effects, whenever a bridge plank or tree collapses, you hear it. Whenever a gunshot goes off, you hear it. The game has really good sound and because of this, I am going to give this category a grade of 9 out of 10.
STORY 8/10
As for the story, its pretty much like all the other games in the Unchartered series as we follow Nathan Drake on his dangerous adventures. Just because this is a smaller, side game for a handheld system does not mean that less effort was put into the story,the developers had done a good job in making sure that the plot is as entertaining as possible and that it makes you want to keep playing. The game takes place just before the events of Drakes Fortune and involves rival adventurer Jason Dante. As for the story, I am going to give this game another 8 out of 10.
ADDICTIVNESS 7/10
Next comes the addictiveness, which I don't really feel that this game has a lot of. Of course, this kind of game is a lot of fun and its always a thrill to shoot people and to climb up everything you see, bit I don't truly see this game as the kind that you would play over and over again once you beat it for the first time. Yes, this game does have a ton of addicting qualities that will cause you to keep playing the game non stop until you beat it, but in my opinion, these are the kinda of qualities that you can get bores of after a while. Its a great game and its a lot of fun, but as for the addictiveness of the game, I am going to give it a 7 out of 10.
DEPTH 7/10
As for the depth of the game, there isn't really much to it. It is a very long game and has about 3 dozen or so chapters, but the length is really all there is when you talk about depth. Throughout the game, it really feels as though as you are being guided and that every action you make is being pre determined. I say this, because its kind of true. Aside from what you are supposed to do, there isn't really much else for you to do except for move on through the chapters. I am not going to give it a really low grade though because even though it's limited, there is still quite a bit to be done. My overall grade for depth is going to be another 7 out of 10.
DIFFICULTY 5
As for difficulty, its really 50/50. There are some aspects of the game that are easy and there are some that may be tough. Shooting and fighting for instance is very tough. I find it difficult to aim, and even when I am aiming, I sometimes manage to miss the target. This gets even tougher when there are multiple targets who are all moving towards you and shooting. Then you have actions such as climbing and doing rubbings which can't be easier. Even if you are just a little bit away from the rock you are supposed to climb, you will still climb once you press the buttons. Overall, I would say that each action balances out the other when it comes to difficulty, and because of this, I am going to rate it a 5.
OVERALL 8.5/10
Overall, I would not say that the game is better than the console versions, but it is still a very fun game to play. If you are a fan of the series or genre, I would suggest that you get this game and test it out yourself. I think it was a really good game that was well made and my overall grade doe it is going to be 8.5.
Graphics
8 Sound
9 Addictive
7 Depth
7 Story
8 Difficulty
5