Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Comments by Tom Bramwell

Peej - I'm fairly sure that anybody who owns both an xbox and PS2 would agree that the games graphics and sound would be better on the xbox.
Also imagine having custom sound tracks from the HDD along with the 80 or so in game.
More vehicles bigger environments more persitent environments etc.
Sure people who don't have a PS2 are going to be jealous, but you cannot argue that this would not be better on a more powerful console.

show me one other game that has at least 80 music tracks

Well, most of my Xbox games have some 200 music tracks of my own choice... and Amped comes with 150 tracks. ;)

But, yes, reading all this, a part of me is now regretting selling my PS2. But then again, I played GTA3 quite a lot and didn't really like it for just reasons UncleLou mentions.

Anyway, my mate with a PS2 is desperate to do a swap loan so he can play Halo and Splinter Cell, so maybe all is not lost yet.

was a fiver really worth having to wait another week to recieve your game!?
The precise reason I cancelled my order with Play and ordered it from Game for a total of £36.24. It cost me a few quid more but considering the amount of fun I've had this weekend with it I'm glad I spent the extra few notes.

One weird thing I've found is when I'm buggering about trying to do wheelies and I fall off, I more annoyed because it interrupts the music rather than because it hurts! Best soundtrack of any sort EVER! :-)

Bizzarely my VC order that Play were supposedly still 'packing' on Friday night turned up on my doorstep on Saturday. Bargain for £32.99.

edit: - just checked Play and VC is still 'packing' even tho it arrived saturday.

Got my Gameplay order on Friday morning. A bit late for them I normally get them a day early!

Very impressed so far. I can identify with the claustraphobia that people are talking of - some of the streets are very narrow. Also, I think generally the city has less character than GTAIII.

But all this pales into insignificance once you get into it. Absolutely beautiful.

'Have you fired one of these things from a bird before?'
'No I'll get some practise on the way there'

Wonderful, blasting golfers on the green en-route, whilst listening to 'automatic'. I'm only 9% complete and totally in awe.

One last comment, the far side of the island seems like 'we're running out time, whack some generic buildings up to pad the island out' Don't know if thats the case.

I can do without the scripted sequences that made the HL AI.

I can't, as long as there's nothing better. Still the best AI (or at least it feigned to be) out there, imo, and didn't really feel scripted. Haven't played Halo, though.

"Peej - I'm fairly sure that anybody who owns both an xbox and PS2 would agree that the games graphics and sound would be better on the xbox."

I own all three consoles and can see the merits of owning all three. Until the GTA series makes it to the X-Box I'll be more than happy with the PS2 version - why? Well the game isn't all about the graphics, the amount of polygons it shifts or the amount of extra tracks you can whack onto the HD in MP3 mode (after all if you want extra music while you're playing, turn your CD player on!)

What GTA 3 and GTA VC are all about is a game that has had me playing it on and off for a year. I measure the life of a game by how many pound coins I would've shoved into the thing if it was an arcade machine. Can it justify its cost? Can it ever....

So if I was to use that example for other games I own I would say that only Halo, GTA 3, GTA Vice City, and Gran Turismo III have "paid for themselves" in the amount of time I've spent on them. Quite a few other games that have had very good reviews in the press and on here have not.

I'm no techno-luddite...my gaming juices would positively be on overdrive if I thought there was even the slightest possibility of the franchise making it onto the XBox - but for the time being there isn't (and don't mention the PC version, it wasn't that great considering the hardware I run at home) - So until there isn't I'm damned if you're going to prize my fingers off the PS2 gamepad...!

Peej

Until the GTA series makes it to the X-Box

This will never happen, In my opinion.

This will never happen, In my opinion.

With Sony having bought exclusive rights until late 2004 that would seem to be correct.

But what about the next-gens and GTA5? Xbox2 or PS3? It's anybody's call. :-)

I think SONY will do everything in their power to ensure that the GTA series remains Playstation exclusive (be it PS3, PS4 etc).

It is perhaps their greatest weapon.

Can't see Sony letting this series out of their hands, perhaps they'll just make Take2 an offer they can't refuse and buy Rockstar from them. At the moment everything is working fine for both companies though so there's no real need.

Heh! VC has barely hit the shelves and already there's talk of GTA 5....

What will happen is that there'll probably be a true sequel to GTA 3 (hopefully using a new engine - I will concede that VC's engine does need a re-write but for my money I didn't see much of the "loss of memory of car positions, people positions etc" that has already been mentioned on here (I come out of the hotel, I see three cars, I turn around, turn back again and the same three cars are still there...! And that never happened in GTA3!)

For now though I'm very happy indeed with GTA VC. It's depth is breathtaking...Only about 9-10% in and it feels like there's still a long way to go. The missions haven't been too repetitive and like a greenhorn cabbie I'm slowly finding my way around VC just like I did with GTA 3 and that's what appeals to me the most - GTA VC is a very personal experience because everyone will get something different about it - and if your my age the soundtrack will sound like every old "taped off radio 1" compilation you've ever made...

Peej

Oh one more thing - The loading screen - best i've ever seen for at least, ooh, 15 years!

Too right Peej! Daft as it sounds, that loading screen really impressed my girlfriend, as she used to have a C64! WHAT WENT WRONG she could have been the perfect woman if she let me whip her at timesplitters.

This game kicks so much ass... about 15% in and it's got so much stuff to do it's a dream. The only words to describe it would be "digital toy", you can always boot it up and fool around for five minutes or spend 4 hours trying to break the time record on some secret challenge. And it's out NOW, not in 6 months or whatever.

I can't belive some people have been brainwashed to the level they can't distinguish a good game any more and make comments about their other systems having superior horsepower or declaring other, totally different games (H*lo), being "better"!

Look in the mirror and you'll see your face green with envy, greener than your Dashboard :)

PS2 r0x, xb0x 5ux.

Presh, that is so naive.

Analogue sky won over digital squarials

VHS won over Betamax

FIFA used to win over PES

Remember, shit floats, but quality can win through, given time.

What's wrong with stating that a good game would be even better on a superior system?

Nothing, but it's not necessarily true. The PC version of GTA3 proves that precisely - it was no better (and in some cases it was actually worse) than the PS2 version.

"We’d all be playing better quality and more immersive games if Xbox was the market leader. We all have to make do with the PS2 because it is the leader, and that’s the only good thing the actual console has got going for it."

Codswallop....Aside from Halo and one or two other games, there's very little on the X-Box to get your teeth into the way you can with VC. Everything's prettier (sometimes), everything's smoother (sometimes) but I bought my X-Box for Halo and Jet Set Radio Future (as well as the upcoming Crimson Skies II) - I won't kid myself that because it's the most powerful console it's got the best games - pretty pictures aren't everything..

If the X-Box was the market leader I seriously don't think that the spread of games would be much different and it still doesn't change the simple fact of the matter - there isn't a GTA game on the X-Box...

Simple solution to the console wars bollocks topic talk - own all three and a very large screen TV - oh and be shacked up with a girlfriend who doesn't mind leaving you alone for hours at a time but is always there when you want booty!!!

(I can dream can't I about the last part..!)

Peej

Too right Peej, hehehe, totally agreed.

Nothing, but it's not necessarily true. The PC version of GTA3 proves that precisely - it was no better (and in some cases it was actually worse) than the PS2 version.

Well, that's because it was a rather lazy port, wasn't it? If the game had been developed for the PC (or Xbox) and harddisk support from the beginning, the game surely would have been 'better'. Like a better saving system and the abililty to actually make a lasting impact on the scenery. And better framerate! That sniping mission on the boat in GTA3 was a real pain due to the choppy framerate.

Could we at least have one thread that doesn't turn into yet another boring console war. VC is console exclusive to the PS2, whether it would be better on an Xbox or Cube is completely irrelevant, it isn't happening so what's the use in bitching about it?

I would say there is more of a chace of a snowball fight in hell than this appearing on any other console, and possibly the PC ever again. Great franchise for Sony and there is no way they are going to let it go. So those of you with PS2s out there enjoy this game is great, for those of you without one ask Santa for one for Christmas and get this game.
Otherwise quit whinging and enjoy the delights of GTA:VC, Mario, Splinter Cell, Mech Assault, Phantom Crash, etc on your console of choice over the Christmas.

"One last comment, the far side of the island seems like 'we're running out time, whack some generic buildings up to pad the island out' Don't know if thats the case."

Dunno about that.. IMHO the second island is the more interesting. Reminds me of GTA2, what with all the stairs up to rooftops and backstreets etc. Some top rampages scattered about too :)

It is very possibly an unfair comment on my part; I only whipped around on a motorcycle after having opened it up. It was the north west corner in partic, it just felt a little cardboardcutouty (its in the dictionary, check)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not critisiing the brilliance of this game for one sec... :)

How many missions do you have to do to open up the 2nd Island ?

I hope it is not too many (or too hard !).

"How many missions do you have to do to open up the 2nd Island ?

I hope it is not too many (or too hard !)."

It's not too hard, Errol. IIRC, I did some missions for the guy on the boat, and then his mate. Pretty soon the hurricane warning's over and you can pop across the bridges.

How many missions do you have to do to open up the 2nd Island ?
Hardly any really, can't remember the exact amount. One tip for anyone who maybe having trouble on "Guardian Angel", use a self targetting weapon like a pistol or smg rather than the Ruger, it makes it a lot easier and you won't end up killing Lance by mistake like I did first time around... ;-)

Although I realise that the PS2 isn't quite up to the same spec as the XBox or the GameCube, isn't possible that some of GTA3/VC's problems are down to the limitations of the RenderWare middle-ware platform that they use? RenderWare is designed with platform portability in mind and possible isn't hitting the metal quite as hard as a native, purpose-built PS2 game engine would.

As for the game; I'm really enjoying it, they've recreated the era quite authentically, it's well-scripted, the radio chit-chat is as enjoyable as ever (the ad for 'Yuppie and the Alien' cracks me up every time) and I'm having fun discovering a whole new city.

Incidentally, does anyone feel as if giving the central character a voice makes the game feel slightly less amoral?

if you are going to attempt to sound like you are "down with the gees" then you should try and spell "aight" correctly you muppet.

I just bought the pole position, apparently if you let the "ho" dance for you until it costs you $600 you get $4000 profit from it every day.

She is a munter mind you.

Leave the room and come back in, the other two possible ones are "better" looking!

Best. Mission. Ever.

The "Top Fun" Radio Controlled Plane Checkpoint race (go to the roof of the North Mall Car Park, get in the Top Fun van and OFF you go!)

Can't believe how realistically those RC planes handle (ie one smack against a lamp-post and they go spiralling out of the sky!!!)

This game is GOD!!!

Peej

I completed the game last night (did the final mission), but I've only done around 55%. Anyone else this far?

The last mission is called "Keep Your Friends Close" but I won't spoil it. You get it after "Cap the Collector" which you get for buying the print works... or The Malibu, after completing either of their assets.

i've got 52% don't worry though soon i will b beating u Catterz. Does that mean that by now u run the city?

Yep the whole thing. I'm just finishing off The Malibu missions, and then I'm gonna do the secret stuff.

yeah at a certain stage u get the gangs running around with u as protection, i read it somewere

They don't run around with you, but if you're in a certain area (where they are), they'll kill anyone who causes you harm. ie. If you just punch someone, your gang will finish them off. I already have that.

Weapons cheat: R1, R2, L1, R2, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Right, Up

yeah that part of the game is sweet......u into any other games?

"I simply LOVE the c-64 intro! Hehe.. Remind me how horrible the soundchip on the c-64 was!"

At the time the SID was about the best sound chip around in any home computer...! I still remember some of those old SID tunes to this day...(and it didn't do that band that did Zombie Nation any harm ripping off an old SID tune did it!)

That intro did make me laugh though...used to spend hours on C64 paint packages wrestling with that "lovely" 16 colour palette...WOW.

Vice City just has so many moments that make me smile, and I'm only 18% in... (Sorry, I have a life y'see!) - Best bits so far (Spoilers ahead - stop reading NOW if you don't wanna ruin it for yourself!)

The bikes - all of them! They're all cool, even the stupid Pizza Moped.
The RC missions. Those planes ROCK!
Wading into a huge gang of colombians with a chainsaw.
Pretending to be Arnie with the Minigun (take THAT police cars!)
Listening to "Life's what you make it" by Talk Talk as the sun sets and you're out cruising in a speedboat...
Jumping out of a car mid-slowmo-stunt...(funny!)
Chopping up builders with the RC Chopper (That'll teach you to bodge my loft conversion!)
Head-chopping with the samurai sword.


Ack I could go on...but all I keep thinking is "I'm stuck here at work when I want to be at home playing this bloody game!"

Peej

Just patiently waiting for the Degenatron version of this...

"Guide your red square around the huge cityscape of blue blocks...pick up other red squares to use as weapons! Cruise around in a wide variety of vehicles like "Flying Red Square", "Sailing red square" and all new "Radio Controlled Red Square". Take part in multi-faceted missions like "Annihilate all the blue squares with your red square..."

Well, it'll be here before the X-Box version anyway (har!)

Peej

The Xbox does have one major advantage over the Degenatron you don't have to keep feeding it coins!

That's one thing about the game that is a bit anachronistic, there's no way a console as crap as it would have been released in 86. At least you don't have creepy guys trying to show you puppies though so it's not all bad! ;-)

I wish I could get hold of some Giggle Cream though, there's a few people's desserts I'd like to put it on although only 23 people have died from it so it's probably not as useful as I would hope...

I hadn't seen the degenatron site...!

Hmm, thinking back - I think I would've just about got my PC Engine back in '86 - and that had excellent graphics (for the time!)

Oh god, not only have I made far too many comments on this thread, I've been playing games for over 25 years! God help me...even trainspotters quit after 10 don't they?

Peej

The stadium doors open between 20:00 and 23:00 GO VISIT.

Also, my save game got corrupted, it's only taken me about 6 hours to get to somewhere NO WHERE NEAR where I was when it broke.

Stadium doors; Is that to blood/dirt ring ? I've tried to get in, but can't even at 9.00 ish - Are the doors at the front ?

Yes, the doors are at the front, the uppermost set. But only open after 8pm until 11pm, although it was open at 23:30 last time I visited.

thank you. I now have an appointment :)

Is it just me or does...

The creepy lawyer guy remind you of Jonathan King?
The sleazy Paul Kent remind you of Dennis Pennis's alter ego....

Oh I dunno - I think I've been playing this for far too long.

Peej

The lawyer reminds me of Sean Penn in Carlittos Way.

"The lawyer reminds me of Sean Penn in Carlittos Way."

Yep that's who I thought it was, I expect that's what they intended. Definately one of his best screen performances in that role.