Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Exciting action series now mobile but still violent.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 10 kid reviews
Kids say the game is generally fun and suitable for older children, with a mix of adventure and action elements; however, some reviewers noted violence and strong language that could be concerning for younger players. While the graphics impress and gameplay is engaging, the story is viewed as weak compared to other entries in the series, which leads to a mix of opinions on its overall fun factor.
- fun gameplay
- mixed opinions
- suitable for older kids
- weak story
- less violent
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
As with the console versions of the popular game series, UNCHARTED: GOLDEN ABYSS for the new, portable PlayStation Vita ("PS Vita") delivers the same cinematic, action-heavy gameplay, that is accompanied by platforming elements, puzzle-solving, and exploration. This third-person, single-player take once again follows Nathan Drake, a daring treasure hunter, who vows to uncover the dark secret behind the 400-year-old massacre of a Spanish expedition. Throughout the 30 levels, Drake attempts to find a legendary lost city in Central America, stumbles over a secret sect, and gets caught in a rivalry between his old friend Jason Dante and Marisa Chase, the granddaughter of a missing archeologist.
Is It Any Good?
Uncharted: Golden Abyss is worthy of the name Uncharted, but a little more time and care with the game could've made it an extraordinary adventure instead of just a good one. On one hand, Sony Bend's Uncharted: Golden Abyss delivers a number of thrilling moments, memorable sequences, and intense combat throughout big set pieces -- just like Naughty Dog's console versions of the game. The story is interesting, graphics are outstanding, and the orchestrated music is as good as the other games in the series. But the enemy artificial intelligence (A.I.) is quite dull, the frame rate takes a hit when there's a lot of action onscreen at the same time, and some of the touch screen mechanics are cumbersome and thus detract from the engaging shooting elements. For $50 -- for a portable game, no less -- Uncharted: Golden Abyss should have more polish and offer more replayability than it currently does. It does show what's capable on the new PS Vita, though, which is turning out to be a promising piece of hardware.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether Sony is going after an older market with its PlayStation Vita platform, just as Nintendo is now allowing more violent and gory games like Resident Evil: Revelations on its Nintendo 3DS.
Families can discuss how to find age appropriate content for portable game systems. These systems are challenging for parents to supervise because the small screen makes it harder to see what your kids are playing compared to a big TV screen.
Game Details
- Platform : PlayStation Vita
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment
- Release date : February 15, 2012
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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