Uncharted: Golden Abyss leads official NGP game unveilings

Though it has neither confirmed nor denied the NGP will be called the PS Vita, Sony did reveal some new details about its Next Generation Portable--namely, the first official wave of games for the handheld.

Previously teased at the NGP's coming out party in January, the first Uncharted NGP game has an official subtitle, Golden Abyss. The game will feature an all-new story and won't be a sequel or a "direct prequel" to the PlayStation 3 Uncharted series. According to John Garvin, developer Bend Studio's creative director, the studio spent six months incubating various story premises for the game and then pitched them to franchise creator Naughty Dog. The winning plotline is set before Drake's Fortune and will provide some background color to series hero Nathan Drake. Like other Uncharted titles, Golden Abyss will center on an as-yet undisclosed "historical mystery"; this time set in Central America.

As far as gameplay goes, Garvin said Golden Abyss will have a heavier emphasis on puzzle-solving than prior Uncharted titles, but will still retain the series' signature combat. And while it will retain a "familiar" control scheme, the game will also take advantage of the NGP's various other features, including the front- and rear-touch panels, tilt control, and cameras. GameSpot's brand-new preview has more details.

Also officially titled and detailed today was Wipeout 2048, the series' first offering on the NGP. Set during the early days of the antigravity racing that is the crux of the franchise, the game is being developed by Sony's Liverpool Studio. Wipeout 2048 will offer cross-play with Wipeout HD Fury on the PlayStation 3 via the NGP's cross-play feature, which allows it to take on PS3 gamers via ad hoc mode. The game will sport courses in fictionalized future versions of New York City, which will consist of three levels, each with wider tracks to allow for more dogfighting during races. Traditional control schemes will be supplemented with NGP features, such as using the pressure-sensitive rear touchpad for acceleration and the front touchpad to control weapons. For further information, check out GameSpot's preview.

Sony also officially detailed and GameSpot previewed several other NGP games, including Little Deviants, Super Stardust Delta, and Jonathan Mak's Sound Shapes that were also previewed by GameSpot. In addition, the company announced a brand-new title, Reality Fighters. The game will take advantage of the NGP's augmented-reality functionality, allowing players to capture their likenesses and then watch themselves fight opponents in real-world settings via the handheld's cameras.

Other NGP games officially titled today include the pool sim Hustle Kings and developer ClapHanz's Hot Shots Golf (aka Everybody's Golf). GameSpot will have more details on these--and many more NGP titles--next Monday evening from Sony's press event at the Electronic Entertainment Expo.