Uncharted: Golden Abyss preview Headshots made easy with Vitas motion control

Uncharted: Golden Abyss impressed with the downright astonishing visuals and gameplay possibilities on the Vita. We’ve seen how the touch screen controls streamline platforming areas and put a little iPhone finger swiping into hand-to-hand combat, but now the developers have integrated motion controls into the shooting mechanics.

Enter Intu-Aim, Uncharted’s solution to the relatively inaccurate dual analog sticks we're all accustomed to. The control option uses the Vita’s internal motion sensors to move a gun’s crosshairs by physically moving the system where you want to aim. Originally, Golden Abyss’s motion aiming was only going to be used when Drake had his eye down a sniper rifle’s scope, but now players have the option to move the Vita to aim with any firearm – making for easier and more precise adjustments of the targeting reticule. The control scheme is optional, of course, so those who are more comfortable with traditional controls need not worry, but those who delve into the motion controls may be pleasantly surprised.

When pressing the left shoulder button Intu-Aim can be used entirely for aiming, though we did find it awkward to move from one target to the next using the motion control exclusively. The motion control can be toggled in the options menu where it can also be tweaked for preference, but we found it most useful to use a combination of lining up the target with the analogue sticks and then moving the Vita to make minor adjustments. The system allows for pin-point accuracy, which showcased as we were easily able to shoot an exposed limb or skull from enemies taking cover. It felt very natural using motion to get that slight nudge we needed to put the enemy’s noggin in our crosshairs, and the added functionality feels like a positive move for the Vita’s most anticipated game.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss releases at the PlayStation Vita launch on February 22.