Mid-impressions of Uncharted Golden Abyss:
Thanks to PS+, I got the opportunity to play some Uncharted: Golden Abyss (tried out the demo before). Currently on Chapter 15 (with the Chimeras).
Visually, the game is actually impressive for a
handheld. Dynamic lighting and other console effects are really quite mind-blowing once you seem them in action for the first time. I spent a little while simply moving Drake around a torch and watching in amazement at the fact that the lighting was actually dynamic.
And when you're outside of the forest, some of the vistas are absolutely incredible.
My biggest complaint with the game is the fact that it runs at a sub-native resolution. Some parts of the games that would otherwise look great are reduced to a jaggy mess thanks to this. And don't even get me started on the fire effects.
That's Minecraft-esque fire right there.
Story-wise, the game doesn't excel here. It's some boring-ass story about a missing grandfather and some amulet, some dude named Dante and some cliche villian named Guerro. I don't know, I haven't really been paying attention. At least the voice-acting is great.
This leads into my biggest problem with the game, they shoehorned gimmicks into fucking everything. Engaged in melee combat with a fellow assailant, do some retarded as fuck gestures on the touch-screen. Want to read what's on a dirty parchment, rub the dirt off it using the touch-screen. Trying to see the other side of an object, use the backtouch and struggle to maneuver the object.
Want to see the hidden text on a parchment on the Vita, hold your goddamn Vita up to a bright light and hold that shit there until it reaches 100%. That's some bullshit right there. Tell me Sony, how the fuck am I supposed to hold my system up to a bright light when I'm playing on a bus?
Gameplay-wise, I dunno, it's Uncharted. Meaning cut-scene, explosion, scripted sequence, rinse and repeat. No complaints there.
Overall the game seems like a 7/10. It's good and certainly a showcase for the Vita's power but it's nothing too special.