Is Uncharted Golden Abyss worth playing in 2025?

Uncharted: Golden Abyss is a title that was launched as a PlayStation Vita exclusive. The game was released in 2011 and was technically impressive, showcasing the power of Sony's handheld at the time. Golden Abyss is a prequel to Drake's Fortune that managed to fit the ambitious gameplay and graphics of the PlayStation 3 into smaller hardware with very minor downgrades.

While the game has been out for more than a decade and is a classic on the PlayStation Vita, it is possible that it might not hold up by today's standards. This article will take a closer look at Uncharted: Golden Abyss to see if it is worth playing in 2025.

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Uncharted Golden Abyss: Story and gameplay

Golden Abyss can feel outdated (Image via Sony)

Uncharted: Golden Abyss's story is a blend of elements such as puzzle-solving, action, and exploration, which have been the pillars of the franchise for a while. However, the scale of the game's formula and ambition was massively toned down to fit the PlayStation Vita. The plot revolves around Nathan Drake investigating a mysterious expedition while fighting off mercenaries.

Since the Vita isn't as powerful as the PlayStation 3, Golden Abyss's gameplay isn't as compelling as the mainline titles. The cover-based shooting, environmental puzzles, and platforming returned, but most of these elements relied on the handheld's touch and motion controls. While this gimmick was impressive at the time, it can feel outdated and an unnecessary hurdle if the game is played in 2025.

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Visuals and performance

The visuals feel dated by today's standards (Image via Sony)

From the perspective of a Vita user in 2011, the game looks incredible for its time. The developers managed to squeeze every bit of performance out of the handheld to bring Uncharted: Golden Abyss up to the standards of the mainline PlayStation consoles. While not matching the fidelity of the PS3 or PS4 at the time, it still looks impressive and maintains a solid 30 FPS.

However, when looking at the latest handhelds, Uncharted: Golden Abyss falls short, as the Vita fails to satisfy today's requirements of higher resolutions and framerates. This makes the game feel outdated by today's standards in terms of performance and fidelity.

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Is it worth playing in 2025?

Buying the Vita specifically to play this game is not worth it (Image via Sony)

The honest answer is no. Uncharted: Golden Abyss is a product of its time and can feel jarring to play with its constant reliance on motion and touch controls. While these features seemed impressive at the time, they can feel more like a hindrance today during gameplay.

Another problem is that the game is only available on the PS Vita. This makes the title worth trying only for those who own the system.