GAMES TM Issue 24

[anephric]

PGR2 still looks divine... personally I think it looks better than Outrun 2. And it's a completely different kind of "drive" to Outrun 2 (which I also love).

May the revisionist devils be cast out of these fair lands.

[JibberX]

See now I am geniuminly interested on hoe Xbox ProEv plays, the only ppl who are touching it at the moment are clowns who can burn but can't turn, that is i.e. they're **** at Winning ELeven and don't know there are like 24 run buttons, 12 shoots and a way to make the tea from you living room using button combos in Winning Eleven.

So, HOW THE FUDGE DO YOU PLAY IT

[Inertia_]

I don't know if we have it, but it's actually in the office and when we're not playing Pro Evo 4 on Xbox

Last time I saw Pro Evo 4 for the Xbox it was looking ghastly. Softened and hardware filtered to the point where it looked like it was being played through an RF lead.

Still the same?

[Kotatsu Neko]

PGR2 still looks divine... personally I think it looks better than Outrun 2. And it's a completely different kind of "drive" to Outrun 2 (which I also love).

May the revisionist devils be cast out of these fair lands.

Funnily enough I also saw PGR2 again recently. It's still pretty, although flat and dull compared to Out Run, but what really hit me was that frame rate. You kind of get used to 30fps after a while, but to come to it straight after Out Run and Burn Out at 60fps... hideous, absolutely hideous.

Remember the days when all console games ran 60fps? I hope next gen we will finally get back to that level. I'm sick of crappy frame rates. 30fps just doesn't cut it.

[yashiro]

Ah cool, another man who knows his apples. My feelings exactly.

[replicant]

PGR2 is a terrible game.

Let me see...

* lack of framerate
* relies too heavily on an over-rated, and over used gimmick i.e. kudos
* average track design.
* and lots more which I cant be bothered typing

Too me the whole MSR franchise lacks spirit. Its all so flat, and uninspiring. I also really detest the kudos system. I really don't see the need for it in a racing game. A racing game isn't about gaining points from style, its about winning.

I wouldn't mind if they used the kudos system as some sort of training mode to develop skills, but leave it out the real racing section of the game. Either that or focus on developing an arcade racer which is more light hearted and can get away with gimmicks e.g. burnout. The problem is that Bizarre take the game seriously - its not meant to be an arcade racer. Just as well I suppose since 60fps seems impossible for that series.

[Strider]

I can't stand people who judge a game on it's framerate, they're as bad as Nintendo fanboys...

[yashiro]

I don't see him judging it solely on its framerate. It's just a contributing factor.

[Strider]

I know he's not, but I know that many do.

I just thought I'd mention it, as they're bound to crawl out the woodwork at some point (remembers back to the RR Revolution GameCube thread.

[Kotatsu Neko]

I can't stand people who judge a game on it's framerate, they're as bad as Nintendo fanboys...

If you look at a 30fps game for long enough, it's not too bad. Playable, smooth-ish, acceptable, adequate.

Then you play Out Run 2 and say to yourself, "what on earth was I thinking!".

No FSAA at 60fps but I couldn't care less, Out Run 2 is for me so much prettier than Gotham 2. Frame rare isn't the only thing that seperates the two, lighting for example has always been pretty dull in Gotham, but that's another debate.

30fps is okay, 60fps is great. That's about it really.

[anephric]

Admittedly, I notice this when I go from playing PGR to PGR2: yes, you can tell the framerate's lower on the second, but its dollified looks more than make up for it (compared to PGR).

But then, I rarely play PGR anymore

It takes me about, oooh, five mins to get used to the transition: then it's not an issue anymore.

[anephric]

I really don't see the need for it in a racing game. A racing game isn't about gaining points from style, its about winning.

It's about winning with style.

[John Beaulieu]

Just as well I suppose since 60fps seems impossible for that series.

Pity that PGR is 60fps then

[anephric]

Up as late as me... vampire.

[Brats]

It takes me about, oooh, five mins to get used to the transition: then it's not an issue anymore.

Bingo. A more extreme example is going back to older PSone and N64 games. If you've been playing current gen stuff for a while, then older 3D games can look really bad. After a while though, when playing stuff like Starfox 64, you get grabbed by the stupendious gameplay and realise that the graphics mean absolutely dick. Same with PGR2. Bloody graphics whores .

I also really detest the kudos system. I really don't see the need for it in a racing game. A racing game isn't about gaining points from style, its about winning.

That sooooo sounds like a quote from someone who doesn't knows anything about PGR2 . The game is all about winning. It doesn't matter if you get a bazillion kudos points and yet don't cross the line first. Winning is all that matters, the kudos points are a secondary concern and a reward for not driving like a complete phule.

And the track design is stupendious. I suppose when GT4 gets the Nurburgring, it'll suddenly become great .