GTA IV - 360 & Ps3

[goldsmith]

To me the 360 over VGA on this is better than the ps3 over hdmi , its really blurry on the ps3 hides the lack of AA i suppose, just looks so much cleaner , and is it me or does it seem smoother overall on the 360?, anyway stunning on both systems best game this year so far i would say

[Matt]

Going a bit off topic, but where is this option? I haven't seen it before and my black levels are pretty poor in HDMI.

It'a in the Display settings, something like "Range" or something like that. There are only 2 things you can change, the other being HD output (720p, 1080i).

[Concept]

Going a bit off topic, but where is this option? I haven't seen it before and my black levels are pretty poor in HDMI.

So would people say this game is harder than previous GTA games? That doesn't bode well for me, I've really struggled on all of them!

Missions themselves are definitely easier when it comes to gun combat. Missions where you have to chase someone in a car or bike seem harder though to me so far.

Edit: Oh yeah, mission restarts are a lot more generous (you get a text message which allows you to go back to a start or checkpoint). You also keep your weapons when you die.

[Matt]

I've not played the 360 version yet (will next week) so it's hard to say without having played both versions. Whichever version you go for, the differences aren't going to be gigantic - the shimmering (as Chain says) is still there in the PS3 version. There just doesn't seem to be as much pop-in.

Is anyone else finding the handling on some of the cars difficult? I know the handling model has changed but it's tricky doing 90 degree turns at speed now, even with heavy use of the brake.

Concept I'm not trying to be patronising when I said people may be blinded by the hype. This is NTSC-UK, where the next B3ST GAM3 3V3R tag is implied at the drop of a hat. I think I'm approaching this game from a different place than many here, and I imagine come Tuesday some others will find the graphics equally as ugly.

Played a bit more, and had a bridge vanish from underneath when riding a bike. The shimmering is just horrible. Glad you notice it, I was worried I was the only person who was seeing these things!

It's a next-gen GTA game, complete with most of the graphical issues of the PS2 version. You can see them doing the same things - how car headlights fade in about 150 yards from you, the LOD techniques. Of course it's better than the PS2 though.

I think when people are impressed, they're talking about the scale, or the amount going on (immersion), or the weather effects, or one of another hundred nice touches. But the actual graphical fidelity is pretty poor.

I agree some cars are a bit tricky, again I have to say if the camera turned with you so you could see where you're actually heading, life would be much easier.

[glazza]

After playing online last night in all the different modes and getting to see other parts of the city that i havent unlocked yet in single player i can definately tell people that the Time Square and other parts of Liberty City with all its glitz n glamour is staggering and realy is a whole new level hen the first area of the game you sart on and no matter what time of day and weathe rconditions they realy are something to lok forward to.

[Matt]

A warning to anyone getting this before Tuesday - set your machine to Show Offline. No, not because MS will ban you, but because of the amount of pms and chat requests it illicits! About half your contacts will jump on you within 5 minutes. Madness.

Upset some real life mates with a nice text picture

[tyler]

Does anyone else think Rockstar are going to get a lot of **** for the combat? It's not gratuitous but it definitely feels as though weapons have far more impact than in previous GTAs (the shotgun in particular).

I think it's the free-aim (I have auto-aim off completely and would recommend that to everyone) that gives it so much more impact. Working my way through a building, popping headshots with a pistol is quite clinical.

Is anyone else finding the handling on some of the cars difficult? I know the handling model has changed but it's tricky doing 90 degree turns at speed now, even with heavy use of the brake.

Are you using the bonnet cam? I'd say the cars feel fairly poor in 3rd person but are brilliant fun from first person.

Going a bit off topic, but where is this option? I haven't seen it before and my black levels are pretty poor in HDMI.

The black levels option is really for LCDs which struggle with blacks. So if you've a plasma (like Chain?) you'll want to keep it on standard.

[EvilBoris]

A warning to anyone getting this before Tuesday - set your machine to Show Offline. No, not because MS will ban you, but because of the amount of pms and chat requests it illicits! About half your contacts will jump on you within 5 minutes. Madness.

Upset some real life mates with a nice text picture

Snaaaaaaaaaake

[Rossco]

Hehehe you sly dog! It's the first thing I do when I get a new game early or something similar, send a picture message to EVERYONE it will annoy!

Nice work on going into the later areas though glazza! I myself won't go there until the game tells me to as I don't want it spoilt but good to know it gets better and better!

Anyone encountered helicopters in the single player yet or only multiplayer?

[Matt]

The black levels option is really for LCDs which struggle with blacks. So if you've a plasma (like Chain?) you'll want to keep it on standard.

No mate I have a Samsung 40" LCD. It's been setup pretty well, I spent quite some time getting the levels as good as possible and it's great for films - there's a few Power Saving settings that really help get the blacks, well, black, and not the old LCD washed out look. It's pretty stunning with my PC BluRay player via VGA

To think, for this long I'd automatically set my 360s (4 and counting) to Expanded because it sounded like it would improve the image! There's no mention of it affecting the black levels.

Thanks to you guys I can now enjoy games without having to bump brightness way up. R6V2 was unplayable without Brightness on 8 or 9.

[glazza]

Hehehe you sly dog! It's the first thing I do when I get a new game early or something similar, send a picture message to EVERYONE it will annoy!

Nice work on going into the later areas though glazza! I myself won't go there until the game tells me to as I don't want it spoilt but good to know it gets better and better!

Anyone encountered helicopters in the single player yet or only multiplayer?

Only multiplayer here Rossco but the Helicopter gun ships are an awesome sight whilst your unloading your machine gun into them as they fly/hover over your head...Had a little fly with them also very easy to get to grips with and realy do add to the game whilst chasing your m8 down the runway from above on foot or in car or on bike

[Matt]

I saw a huge jumbo landing in the distance, but no helis for me yet. The game pacing s interesting,

->Open Spoiler<-

you don't get to shoot a gun in a mission for quite some time.

Guess they're saving the helis for later, like the previous games.

[Rossco]

Yeah must be. So are there hidden packages in this game also? Or something similar? Can't have GTA with hidden pakcages but I haven't heard nowt about them!

[tyler]

Yeah must be. So are there hidden packages in this game also? Or something similar? Can't have GTA with hidden pakcages but I haven't heard nowt about them!

->Open Spoiler<-

There are pigeons around the city that you can kill

[Matt]

None I've seen, and I've taken a few detours and looked around, because yeah I thought they'd be around. And no drugs for rampages either! Guess they take away from the "realism". Another criticism I have is the destinations are marked with a dimmed yellow arrow, which can be a bit tricky to spot immediately, compared to the previous games. They're aiming for more immersion and less video game conventions. Minor spoiler -

->Open Spoiler<-

But then you get in to your first Ammo shop, and every weapon you approach you get a little audio Ping which kind of contradicts what I've just said about the devs looking to increase immersion with less video game conventions - and THEN most of the bloody guns are Display Models Only and out of stock, which is low!

BTW can't play now as the kid is around. Unlike some I'm sensible about that ****!