The biggest title for the upcoming handheld deserves its own thread.
I really like the Uncharted series, but this handheld version has a few aspects that make me a bit uneasy. First of all the gameplay seems too altered to fit the consoles' new input features. As you've surely seen by now, you can stroke a path on the screen for Nathan to traverse and then simply watch as he does all the legwork. Why is this presented as a good thing? They are essentially taking the key gameplay aspect of the series and turning it into a cutscene. The usual fun parts of climbing and exploring can now be several minutes of observing with some swiping in between. Yes, this is all optional, but why bother doing something the hard way, when this much easier option is constantly suggested by on-screen cues? Taking enemies out silently seems to require touch screen use. In the gameplay videos, narrators tell that an on-screen prompt is the way to do it, without mentioning a button alternative. One part I do like however, is the motion based aiming. This works really well using the bow in Ocarina of Time on the 3DS, so I imagine it will work just as well here.
Then there's the thought of playing Uncharted on a handheld device. The games in the series have always been remarkable for extravagant set-pieces and overall polish. I believe the scope and general feeling of awe will be greatly diminished playing this game hunched over a 5 inch screen (even though it's a fancy OLED screen). And if we look at the history of Sony's handheld exclusives, we can expect to find this game at PS3 with 3D support at half the price within 12 months. Wouldn't you rather play it from the couch, in HD?
I really like the Uncharted series, but this handheld version has a few aspects that make me a bit uneasy. First of all the gameplay seems too altered to fit the consoles' new input features. As you've surely seen by now, you can stroke a path on the screen for Nathan to traverse and then simply watch as he does all the legwork. Why is this presented as a good thing? They are essentially taking the key gameplay aspect of the series and turning it into a cutscene. The usual fun parts of climbing and exploring can now be several minutes of observing with some swiping in between. Yes, this is all optional, but why bother doing something the hard way, when this much easier option is constantly suggested by on-screen cues? Taking enemies out silently seems to require touch screen use. In the gameplay videos, narrators tell that an on-screen prompt is the way to do it, without mentioning a button alternative. One part I do like however, is the motion based aiming. This works really well using the bow in Ocarina of Time on the 3DS, so I imagine it will work just as well here.
Then there's the thought of playing Uncharted on a handheld device. The games in the series have always been remarkable for extravagant set-pieces and overall polish. I believe the scope and general feeling of awe will be greatly diminished playing this game hunched over a 5 inch screen (even though it's a fancy OLED screen). And if we look at the history of Sony's handheld exclusives, we can expect to find this game at PS3 with 3D support at half the price within 12 months. Wouldn't you rather play it from the couch, in HD?
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