GTA: Double Pack (Xbox)

[mid]

Have they fixed the PS2 bug where your save file gets corrupted if you save at the Ice Cream Factory in Vice City?

[Welrain]

Didnt come across that bug on the PS2 version, did it corrupt all the time?

[mid]

Apparently, yes - I never tried it after hearing about the bug. Its fine saving everywhere else, and since you've got several places that store a decent number of cars before you guy it saving there seems fairly pointless anyway.

[Welrain]

I saved at the ice cream factory quite a lot and never encountered save corruption. Strange.

[Smitty]

Why do people always moan about Vice City? It's a great game. Tisk. Yes, it could be better, but the technology is not quite up to level of interactivity people want. Soon enough, it will be.

Untill then, I think Vice City does a fine job in giving you a sense of freedom. And fun.

[Chadruharazzeb]

Hear hear Herr Smitt.

I found VC a very enjoyable game behind the naff graphics.

[disco-tom]

Inherantly, both games are top whack, unadulterated fun, no question - whatever format.

The XBox versions do look rather a bit better than the PS2 versions it has to be said, Chad.

There's loads of better textures, even in Vice City. There are more polys to the cars and the engines are made of ploys too, not textures. Small things, but they improve the looks considerably.

This is all meaningless from my perspective though, as the games are ****ed due to the control system, which is down to the XBricks shabby pad design. It's ruined with the trigger buttons being used for stop and go imo. I know you change the control system to classic, but then you lose the analogue control and the ability to shoot out of the car whilst driving unless you are the most amazing contortionist around. ft: Even using the magicbox converter and a PS2 pad isn't much better, as you can't assign actions to the buttons in the control menu. ft: ft:

Once again, the Xbox goes to the back of the line - shame that.

[Concept]

I've got a scart splitter, and I ran both versions (PS2 and Xbox) of GTA III/Vice City together at the same time, flicking between them.

For a start, the differences I could make out in the Xbox versions were:

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1) Improved polygon count for things such as wheels, car engine and model hands.

2) Improved bitmap effects for water effects, fires and explosions. (There's a slightly more complex sea in Vice City too from what I could make out).

3) Vastly improved frame rate... This is the big one for me. If you run the Xbox versions in PAL-60 then it's clear to see they're superior to their PS2 counterparts. In comparison, the PS2 versions appear sluggish and stuttering.

4) Real time reflection car mapping in both games on the Xbox.

5) Significantly more subtle lighting.

6) Slightly sharper textures for the roads.

7) Of course, the obvious addition of being able to rip your own songs.

8 ) Faster load times.

9) GTA III features a much more aesthetically pleasing menu on the Xbox version.

10) Lack of anti-aliasing in the PS2 versions mean everything appears jagged and flickery in comparison of the relative smoothness evident in the Xbox releases.

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However:

1) The PS2 versions DO seem to feature more pedestrian comments.

2) There doesn't seem to be as many random AI incidents with the populations of Liberty and Vice City in the Xbox versions.

3) The RGB display on the PS2 versions appear sharper and less fuzzy.

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I'm no fanboy of the PS2, but it seems a little strange to be playing GTA III/Vice City on the Xbox. They still feel (to me) very much like Playstation games. That's kind of similar to how I felt playing Splinter Cell on the PS2 after having first experienced it on the Xbox.

Technically, the Xbox copies of GTA III/VC are superior. But I think (perhaps atmospherically), the PS2 versions probably still have more feeling.

My opinion on this is most likely because I simply played GTA III/VC on the PS2 first, however.

[gunrock]

I got this yesterday and found both titles a bit dull...

Even riding along on a superbike at full tilt seemed to have lost it's shine for me.

I played the PS2 versions a bit at work when they came out and I was hugely looking forward to these, but yet, when it comes to it, I'm apathetic towards them.

Having said that, I had just come off of a 2.5 hour Rainbox Six 3 session on Xbox Live...

[Concept]

I agree. Sometimes GTA III and Vice City can be dull. And during those times I do feel apathetic towards them...

But I think that's what is partly great about these games. Their sheer openess means it's possible to approach them in several ways. For example, sometimes I just feel like having a quick bash for 10 or so minutes winding up the police or terrorising the local population. Other moments I might go on for half an hour and try some stunts or just chill out listening to some music whilst being a taxi driver or an ambulance man. Then on other occasions I might be on for an hour completing some of the missions, looking for hidden packages or stealing rare cars to sell off etc.

You know, these titles offer the freedom and chance to approach them in various ways, and in different states of mind, both negative or postive I feel. Sometimes I don't like GTA III or Vice City, and other times I do. But the important thing is they allow me to dip in and out as heavily as I want. And I think that says a lot for the expansive availability of them more than anything.

On a side note, speeding along on a five-level star warning listening to Dillinja's Fast Car really, really works in the Xbox copy of GTA III. I take back what I said before about the atmosphere being inferior to the PS2 version.

[Chadruharazzeb]

Inherantly, both games are top whack, unadulterated fun, no question - whatever format.

The XBox versions do look rather a bit better than the PS2 versions it has to be said, Chad.

There's loads of better textures, even in Vice City. There are more polys to the cars and the engines are made of ploys too, not textures. Small things, but they improve the looks considerably.

This is all meaningless from my perspective though, as the games are ****ed due to the control system, which is down to the XBricks shabby pad design. It's ruined with the trigger buttons being used for stop and go imo. I know you change the control system to classic, but then you lose the analogue control and the ability to shoot out of the car whilst driving unless you are the most amazing contortionist around. ft: Even using the magicbox converter and a PS2 pad isn't much better, as you can't assign actions to the buttons in the control menu. ft: ft:

Once again, the Xbox goes to the back of the line - shame that.

After trying the game again I can completely agree with this. I can notice the better vehicles. Frame rate and pop up are identical to PS2 though, anyone who says otherwise is demented

I cannot get used to the completely arse-about-face XB controls. Why change them so drastically? They are awful. Why have the triggers as accelerate/ stop and the right anaglogue as look right/ left? Does that make any sense? Not to me, matey. The sticks are far too sensitive. I will not be playing this game again until I get another PS2.

Can I also say I completely appreciate this paragraph as well:

Their sheer openess means it's possible to approach them in several ways. For example, sometimes I just feel like having a quick bash for 10 or so minutes winding up the police or terrorising the local population. Other moments I might go on for half an hour and try some stunts or just chill out listening to some music whilst being a taxi driver or an ambulance man. Then on other occasions I might be on for an hour completing some of the missions, looking for hidden packages or stealing rare cars to sell off etc.

Being able to stick a game on and have so many easy-going choices open to you is a really comforting experience.

EDIT: It even has the same pop-up bug whereby the road draws too late and you can see the sea textrue/ hall of mirrors in front until it renders at the very last second.

[Fragmaster]

Well I didn't notice much difference between PC and Xbox VC except shinier models, and if you knock the bonnet off many of the cars the engines look fantastic.

[JRMacumber]

I cannot get used to the completely arse-about-face XB controls. Why change them so drastically? They are awful. Why have the triggers as accelerate/ stop and the right anaglogue as look right/ left? Does that make any sense? Not to me, matey.

Well, considering every racing game I've played uses those triggers for those functions, and the right stick is often used to control the camera and look around, I don't see the issue. About as intuitive as it gets as far as I'm concerned.

[Concept]

After trying the game again I can completely agree with this. I can notice the better vehicles. Frame rate and pop up are identical to PS2 though, anyone who says otherwise is demented

Seriously I put the PS2 version of GTA III on and the Xbox version of the same game in PAL 60, flicking between both with the trails off, and I found there to be a clear frame rate difference. That's the most significant thing for me with these conversions... The PS2 version seems to stutter a long badly. And I was driving around in the same area with the same car.

I cannot get used to the completely arse-about-face XB controls. Why change them so drastically? They are awful. Why have the triggers as accelerate/ stop and the right anaglogue as look right/ left? Does that make any sense? Not to me, matey. The sticks are far too sensitive. I will not be playing this game again until I get another PS2.

Yeah... It took me a while to get used to the controls too.

But I'm finding them ok now. It helped that I hadn't played the PS2 versions of GTA III and Vice City beforehand for a while.

[Chadruharazzeb]

Well, considering every racing game I've played uses those triggers for those functions, and the right stick is often used to control the camera and look around, I don't see the issue. About as intuitive as it gets as far as I'm concerned.

It probably is intuitive if you've had an Xbox since day 1 and never play PS2 games. I on the other hand have had an XB for 3 weeks and had a PS2 for 2 years. So intuitive it is not (to me). The movement is far too delicate on XB, I lost count of the number of times I spun a car just trying to take a corner (I do realise the car handling isn't the best, but I didn't have that problem on the PS2).