Naughty Dog: Golden Abyss Was ‘Under Consideration’ for Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

Chris Mawson writes: "Naughty Dog considered including PS Vita game Golden Abyss as part of the upcoming Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection but ultimately decided it fell too far outside of the narrative arc of the trilogy, Naughty Dog has today confirmed."

[-Foxtrot]

Since there is no multiplayer it should have been included.

But I think held off on it because they know they can sell it as a full on remaster by it's self in the future.

I mean it is called the "Nathan Drake Collections" and Golden Abyss was a Nathan Drake game so I don't see what the problem was.

I think we'll get another collection in the far future with GA and Uncharted 4 included.

[Darkwatchman]

I'm a fan of the series. One of my favorite franchises of the past decade, but I think Golden Abyss was a mediocre game and I'm not bothered by its exclusion from the collection. It's easily the worst in the series with the worst level design, worst characters, and worst writing along with gimicky puzzles. Such a disgrace to the series. It's a shame because the gunplay itself felt very good for a handheld title. If only the rest of it was as well made.

[jb227]

Was it really that subpar? I've never been a handheld guy so I've been holding off for a console port but that's a bummer to hear it's not quite up to snuff. I'd still love to play it though for sure.

[Darkwatchman]

I wanted to like it a lot, but I didn't. It was very very below par for the series. Nothing it did was as well executed as any of the other games. It also has the most terrible excuses for boss fights. Literally just swiping up, down, left, or right on the touch screen. It's a really underwhelming game. When my friends and I talk about it, we'll joke around and say Golden Abyss never happened because we all equally dislike it.

I'm getting a lot of dislikes, but honestly, objectively speaking, it did nothing as well as the other Uncharted games. If you want a console franchise that translated well to a handheld, get Killzone Mercenary. Despite being a Vita game, it is absolutely fantastic and had it released on console at $40, it would still hold up. Killzone was an excellent example of how to translate Killzone to vita. Uncharted was a horrendous example of how to translate that to Vita.

[OB1Biker]

@jb227
of course the story/characters are not as good but dont forget its not from ND.
other than that its a gem on the Vita. A joy to play even though swiping is overused.

[Darkwatchman]

It not being made by Naughty Dog isn't an excuse for the subpar writing and characters. And if it hadn't overused the gimicky vita features and kept them to a minimum for only things that made logical sense like Killzone, it would have been an overall better game, though still not as good as any of the console games.

Killzone Mercenary was a gem. Uncharted Golden Abyss was far from it.

[Vegamyster]

@jb227

I wouldn't say it was subpar, i thought the story/character were alright and the visuals were great but the framerate made aiming sluggish, the AI was pretty simple and it was overloaded with finger swipe qte & gyrometer sequences that didn't need to be there, the 2 bosses towards the end of the game is literately 20+ finger swipes.

[LgbtWarrior]

Disgrace? No your way off. it was very good and well received.

[Mr Pumblechook]

I only got to play through half of this on the Vita before I got rid of it and it was fine but not exceptional. However i would like to play the full game so would appreciate if a cheap remaster was made. £7.99/$9.99 would be fine and not too expensive.

[PSVitaPS4owner]

It was not subpar. You unfairly judge it by comparing it to the PS3 versions. For a "handheld" game, it is perhaps one of the best handheld games that I have ever played. I have a Vita, and Golden Abyss is still my most favorite handheld game. Nothing since it came out compares (well, maybe Killzone Mercenary).

[badz149]

I don't mind the inclusion of GA because 4 games is better than 3 games in my book, ALWAYS!

But I still disagree woth those calling it a mediocre or subpar game. PS3's Uncharteds focus on narrative, action and shooting but the puzzles are lacking, IMO, for a treasure hunting game or are too simple. The explorations are also a bit limited and collectibles are too "lazy". Compared to that, GA makes you work for the treasures with its rich amount of puzzles, with the Vita adding ways for how puzzles are delivered and solved, collectibles are plenty and creative, the gun fights are also intact with the series' signature and the narrative and story is not bad at all. I love the conversations with Sully which are hilarious as always!

In short, I love it and I would love for another entry like it on the Vita. One can only hope.

[PhucSeeker]

True! It was a fun/ok handheld game. But it wouldn't be that much fun if it was played on the big screen. The environment is just to small for a big screen.

[jmtstan]

I like Golden Abyss, I really do, but it was the weakest title of Uncharted series. For one I agree with the constant touch screen control that requires you to swipe up or down.

Overall, this game is enjoyable, and its the best you can get for a portable Uncharted, so no complaint here.

[Nivekki]

Yeah Golden Abyss wouldn't work well on the big screen, it was pretty sub-par as UC games go.

[NewMonday]

Golden Abyss is better than the first Uncharted

[Darkwatchman]

Hell no. Not even close. The first Uncharted had better writing and characters along with more organically and better designed levels. It also isn't plagued by the constant trashy overuse of the vita's touch screen for superfluous actions. It also had the dullest puzzles. Such an incompetent game. The first is better in every way

[NewMonday]

@Darkwatchman

first Uncharted was a good game, not a great game

[plmkoh]

Better graphics and no bullet sponge enemies that can magically side step. Easily better than the first.

[jmtstan]

First Uncharted is the one that sparks the interest for UC2. Sure the texture pop up and screen tearing hinder the experience, but the story, the voice acting and the music really set up the mood of the series.

[Nivekki]

'@Darkwatchman

first Uncharted was a good game, not a great game'

It was better than the Golden Abyss, far better.

Only Vita owners would disagree. Mostly because they have very little to compare it to on Vita. The Abyss is where the Golden Abyss belongs.

[scark92]

Uncharted Legacy edition.

[ABizzel1]

Hopefully they add it later (early 2016) like Halo MCC has been doing.

[medman]

I'm wondering why they even mentioned this...of course fans are going to wish that game had been included, because I think most are like me, who may have played the three main games on ps3 but missed the vita Uncharted. I would have loved to play Golden Abyss on ps4.....

[Rhezin]

Would have loved to had this in the collection. The only Uncharted I haven't played.

[FoxyGotGame]

I would have liked to play Abyss since I don't do Portable Gaming.

Could always come at a later date ...or not /

[Gwiz]

That would've made it a sale to me,either buy a PS4 game or buy the Vita.
The GoW collection 2 on PS3 was a no brainer to me,i actually like the 3D as well.
Why a consideration?there's enough people that won't buy a Vita because they're not handheld gamers.This is a missed opportunity.

[DEAGLETURK]

PS5 , uncharted master collection in 4k

[MasterofMagnetism]

Would have been great if they included it. Still haven't played this game yet.

[Rookie_Monster]

That is why I am not that found of this collection as MP and another Nathan Drake game is not included and at $60, it is a bit too much for the amount of content you are getting IMO. Still plan to get this collection when it is a bit cheaper since I am a big fan of ND and Uncharted.

Golden Abyss is the only Uncharted I haven't played yet, so hopefully they can add in as a DLC for free in the future, fingers crossed.

@TwoForce,
"You want to go soft with MS, that's fine by me. Like i said, people have thier own reason to love or hate."

Tth? What does MS got anything to do regarding this article as I never even once mentioned about them? Smh

[TwoForce]

Well, that's true. But i don't against them or defend them. They have their choices. Like it or not, i will buy this collection and play all of it. I'm not blind, i do know what is it. I do angry a little bit, but i'm much more softer than other people. What is wrong and what is right ? The answer is depend on you. You want to go soft with MS, that's fine by me. Like i said, people have thier own reason to love or hate.

[TwoForce]

Well, it does. Same goes MCC, which was broken. I saw your comment. You defended it. Some people was afraid about broken online game. Some people see MP hurt SIngle Player like GOW Ascension which made people disappointed. There are time companies do what they do to listen to the fans or themselves. There's choice. Once you made your choice, you can't go back. Accept it and move on.

[Rookie_Monster]

"Well, it does. Same goes MCC, which was broken. I saw your comment. You defended it."

LmAO, selected memories, I see. I only defended Halo MCC after the online portion is fixed months later but when was still broken I didn't defend it at all. NICE try buddy.

Rookie_Monster 197d ago
"Uncharted 4 just need more time like Arkham Knight and Witcher 3. Remember TLOU was GOTY all over the place after a delay as well. Last thing we want is another broken AAA game like Halo MCC."

And when it was fixed, then I defended it.

Rookie_Monster  75d ago
"Are we still beating this dead horse? the games is working fine for months now. Add to that I got a free ODST expansion and 3 extra months for the launch matchmaking issue is fine with me. There are so much content like 4 campaigns, a Halo 5 Beta that have kept me busy in the beginning. The value here is unbelievable"

Just like the way you defended another game with broken online from the beginning.

TwoForce  62d ago
"Driveclub will get sequel. So stop being selfish. Give people a second chance."

TwoForce  95d ago
"I'm Playstation fan and I'm respect my enemy. You are not. Everyone make mistake and that something you can't inorge. We can fix mistake and we have to give people a choice to redeem themselves. One last things : Playstation and Xbox should be respect and honor."

By bringing in Halo MCC in a PS article and accussing me of defended it is really not what I called doing what you are preaching.

Like you said, a mistake like broken online at launch can be fixed but missing features like MP and contents like golden Abyss won't be present at launch and most likely wont get address but maybe hope developers will add them in later, which I already said I hope that is the case. So dont know what you are trying to do by bringing up my history when my history and your history contradicts what you are trying to accused me of. LoL

[TKCMuzzer]

So you're getting three complete games, fully remastered, all with a better frame rate and new assets, all with tweaks to the controls so it plays better and that's not good enough value? There is easily $60 worth of content, especially if you were to platinum each game.
Here we have a studio, developer and Sony all putting loads of time (and money) into this project so it can be experienced at it's best and people want more. If certain other games had been given this kind of attention then maybe remasters would get a better press.

On a side note, the PSVita Uncharted would have surely taken a lot longer to remaster to match the quality of the other three easily adding and extra expense to the project and of course would have definitely delayed the release date and could have easily meant the other three not getting the attention they have obviously got.

Naughty Dog actually explained the reason for no MP and it wasn't to annoy people like you but to protect the PS3 MP community which is still going and not to fragment those players. They would have had MP on PS3, MP on PS4 with U4 coming out in March which would have then fractured the remastered MP community.

I have it pre-ordered for £34.99 in the UK, that $53 in your money and that my friend is value for money especially when you think some of the full prices we pay for certain games in this day and age.

[stevansavic89]

wtf are people talking about,Golden Abyss was great game,not par with uc 2 and 3 but great game non the less,,and its portable,you can play it whenever you want(sry for bad eng)

[G_V_Black]

Um....OK.

I think that they need to go back and reconsider the fact that they are sitting on an Uncharted game that a vast majority of the fanbase hasn't touched.

[EazyC]

It's weird that the anachronous plot-ties was their main reason for holding Golden Abyss back from the collection.

Truthfully, was Uncharted really a masterclass in storytelling anyway? So much so that a game that diverges from the central plot had to be COMPLETELY eschewed?

I always found the story in the UC games fun, fresh and light as far as character development and arcs worked; they kept the gameplay chugging along and gave context to the environments you were playing within. Having said that, in Uncharted 1 especially, dialogue was campy and both UC 1 & 2 were full of clichéd tropes that gave the games a silly, light-hearted feel that didn't take itself too seriously. I don't mean that as a bad thing at all, it's just that you'd swear this guy was talking as if it was SotC.

The 'narrative arc' was never the main attraction to me and this answer sounds like a bit of a cop-out.

[Gwiz]

It's an excuse that doesn't even make sense lol.. If the storytelling is really that different compared to the trilogy then what makes it even relevant to the series in general?Yes it's a Vita exclusive and that's the only valid reason.
Sony probably didn't want that game on the PS4.

[Subaruwrx]

Well, Golden Abyss wasn't even developed by Naughty Dog, it was developed by Sony Bend. Perhaps, this another reason the game wasn't included in the collection.

[Skankinruby]

There was no reason not to include golden abyss in this collection. Yes it was the worst in the series but it was still a good game. There are clearly a lot of people who weren't will to buy a vita just for that like i did so there's a huge amount of gamers who will never get to play it. They should at the very least consider releasing it as dlc later

[Eidolon]

Would have been nice, a lot of people probably didn't get to play it.

[DragonDDark]

At least the vita still has something stuck on it lol
Well, I liked GA but it's really not needed imo.

[gamer7804]

It was perfect not to include Golden Abyss, it helps accentuate Sony's plan to completely forget about the vita.

(i love my vita though, tons of japanese games to play, i just know people would like to see more effort by sony's part)

[Heavenly King]

it was, quality-wise, between U1 and U2. It was better than the first and a lot longer.

[mikepattonfan]

Never got around to playing it, unfortunately, so personally I would have welcomed its inclusion.

I tried to get into the series when I first got my PS3 but Uncharted 2 decided it wasn't ever going to load up a section of chapter 23 (? I think that was it, just after the moving stones puzzle) so both it and part 3 have remained on my shelf ever since, never to be played, so I'm anticipating the Nathan Drake Collection so I can finally play a version of the game that isn't entirely broken... It's a shame, because I was really digging it as well :/

[Smokingunz]

The addition of GA would've been welcomed.mabye Naughty Dog/Bluepoint are too lazy to add/remaster the game in addition to the collection.

GA was alright,it could've been a better game but the problem with GA was it suffered from launch tittle syndrome and it showed significantly. I think if they made another uncharted on the vita it would be as good or even better than the console version,ive seen this done with many game transitions from console to handheld.

[WitWolfy]

Golden Abyss is an awesome game. Dont see why they ignored it.