S
s7cbassplayer
Guest
This is an actual review for the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, without any additives such as hype.
I decided to go out and try out a copy of GTA:VC. Luckily I didn't have to even rent because my friend let me borrow this game. I play GTA:3 and it was a quite a disappointment, so I said, "I'll give this game a fair try and really see if there is something to all the hype". I played it for about an hour. I messed around with all the missions and ran over people just as my friend suggested and built my empire and did everything I could do, and after a good hour, I had seen what this game was like.
Graphics: The graphics department leaves much to be desired. For starters, it looks like a very polished PS1 game with some polygon boosts. Imagine Bleem on the PC and that's what you basically get. There is also the issue of bad framerate. The game never goes past a sluggish 30 frames per second making the game look choppy and at times glitchy. There was also an odd problem in the game: as you turn around or if the camera ever spun around, you get a motion blur effect similar to what is seen in Gameboy games when they scroll. It seems odd that a next-gen title such as GTA:VC doesn't look as good as the first generation PS2 games, much less some Dreamcast games. Soulcalibur has better texturing and smoother more animated character models. Also, the game tries to look real, but the character animations are computer and not motion captured. Models look clunky and blocky in their movements. More time and thought should have been put into how a person moves because I saw no resemblance of human motion. On a positive note, the atmosphere was colorful and the occasional lens flare was a nice touch, but these small steps towards good didn't make much of a difference when compared to the other oversights.
Gameplay; This department had some good ideas, but most of them were executed terribly. The fighting system (eg. punching, shooting guns, using weapons) was horrendous. I found myself at times running around just hoping I would hit something or someone. Most of the time I had better luck hitting someone when I just aimlessly threw punches then when I would actually try to land a punch. There is no targeting system or auto targeting system in which one can aim in on an enemy. Even a throw in lock on ability, as in Shenmue, would have been nice. The other odd gameplay element is the way in which you walk, run, and especially jump. You take the role of this ominous bad guy, but you run awkwardly and you jump feet first like a kind of leapfrog. It honestly looks ridiculous and was quite entertaining to see a game character jump like that. All I can say is even Mario on the NES had a less ridiculous jump then he did. The idea of stealing cars, beating people, and building an empire are a nice idea, but after a small time, they wear on your patience and you can only run over so many people as they fall over with as much emotion as a cardboard cutout, but and idea that needs quite a lot of work.
Sound. This category was actually the only one that helps the game. It was a nice idea to use 80's music and from many different genres. Also the addition of professional voice actors was a nice touch that gave the blocky characters some emotion and feeling. There could have been the improvement of in game music when you are not in the car. The sound of your feet hitting the pavement is not the best soundtrack, but is forgivable in this instance. Overall, sound was the best part of the game.
Overall Fun: After turning off my PS2, I was shocked and amazed at what I had just played. This game has sold millions, but isn't even above par. This game could have been something great, but when mixed with minimal graphics, bad framrate, clunky gameplay, the sound isn't enough to carry the game. This game is comparable to Nsync, they are a pop sensation and yes they are a band and they sing, but they sell albums because everyone follows the bandwagon and doesn't judge for themselves. Yes, they sing well, but they are nothing more than fakes behind gloss and shine. The same applies for GTA:VC: While packaged nice and bearing the name of a game that was already below average, people flocked to it in droves anyway because it's hip or hyped. Thankfully I was not subjected to the torture of having to buy a game or because it was new or hip. When games like F-Zero on SNES, which is about 15 years old, run at a smoother framrate than this game, there is a problem. We as a gaming community deserve better. Settling for second best or in this case fifth or sixth best, is ridiculous. I know some of you might think this is harsh, but its the truth. All I have stated here is fact. The issues of graphics, framrate, animation, gameplay etc, are all there and they are told just as I saw them. I did not make things up in order to bash a game, because quite honestly, I wish this game was good so I could enjoy a great new game, but sadly it failed in that attempt. I played, I saw with my own un-biased eyes, and what I walked away with was a deeper appreciation for games that are awesome unlike the ill-fated GTA:VC.
Rating: 3 out of 10
<small>[ March 28, 2003, 12:51 PM: Message edited by: s7cbassplayer ]</small>
I decided to go out and try out a copy of GTA:VC. Luckily I didn't have to even rent because my friend let me borrow this game. I play GTA:3 and it was a quite a disappointment, so I said, "I'll give this game a fair try and really see if there is something to all the hype". I played it for about an hour. I messed around with all the missions and ran over people just as my friend suggested and built my empire and did everything I could do, and after a good hour, I had seen what this game was like.
Graphics: The graphics department leaves much to be desired. For starters, it looks like a very polished PS1 game with some polygon boosts. Imagine Bleem on the PC and that's what you basically get. There is also the issue of bad framerate. The game never goes past a sluggish 30 frames per second making the game look choppy and at times glitchy. There was also an odd problem in the game: as you turn around or if the camera ever spun around, you get a motion blur effect similar to what is seen in Gameboy games when they scroll. It seems odd that a next-gen title such as GTA:VC doesn't look as good as the first generation PS2 games, much less some Dreamcast games. Soulcalibur has better texturing and smoother more animated character models. Also, the game tries to look real, but the character animations are computer and not motion captured. Models look clunky and blocky in their movements. More time and thought should have been put into how a person moves because I saw no resemblance of human motion. On a positive note, the atmosphere was colorful and the occasional lens flare was a nice touch, but these small steps towards good didn't make much of a difference when compared to the other oversights.
Gameplay; This department had some good ideas, but most of them were executed terribly. The fighting system (eg. punching, shooting guns, using weapons) was horrendous. I found myself at times running around just hoping I would hit something or someone. Most of the time I had better luck hitting someone when I just aimlessly threw punches then when I would actually try to land a punch. There is no targeting system or auto targeting system in which one can aim in on an enemy. Even a throw in lock on ability, as in Shenmue, would have been nice. The other odd gameplay element is the way in which you walk, run, and especially jump. You take the role of this ominous bad guy, but you run awkwardly and you jump feet first like a kind of leapfrog. It honestly looks ridiculous and was quite entertaining to see a game character jump like that. All I can say is even Mario on the NES had a less ridiculous jump then he did. The idea of stealing cars, beating people, and building an empire are a nice idea, but after a small time, they wear on your patience and you can only run over so many people as they fall over with as much emotion as a cardboard cutout, but and idea that needs quite a lot of work.
Sound. This category was actually the only one that helps the game. It was a nice idea to use 80's music and from many different genres. Also the addition of professional voice actors was a nice touch that gave the blocky characters some emotion and feeling. There could have been the improvement of in game music when you are not in the car. The sound of your feet hitting the pavement is not the best soundtrack, but is forgivable in this instance. Overall, sound was the best part of the game.
Overall Fun: After turning off my PS2, I was shocked and amazed at what I had just played. This game has sold millions, but isn't even above par. This game could have been something great, but when mixed with minimal graphics, bad framrate, clunky gameplay, the sound isn't enough to carry the game. This game is comparable to Nsync, they are a pop sensation and yes they are a band and they sing, but they sell albums because everyone follows the bandwagon and doesn't judge for themselves. Yes, they sing well, but they are nothing more than fakes behind gloss and shine. The same applies for GTA:VC: While packaged nice and bearing the name of a game that was already below average, people flocked to it in droves anyway because it's hip or hyped. Thankfully I was not subjected to the torture of having to buy a game or because it was new or hip. When games like F-Zero on SNES, which is about 15 years old, run at a smoother framrate than this game, there is a problem. We as a gaming community deserve better. Settling for second best or in this case fifth or sixth best, is ridiculous. I know some of you might think this is harsh, but its the truth. All I have stated here is fact. The issues of graphics, framrate, animation, gameplay etc, are all there and they are told just as I saw them. I did not make things up in order to bash a game, because quite honestly, I wish this game was good so I could enjoy a great new game, but sadly it failed in that attempt. I played, I saw with my own un-biased eyes, and what I walked away with was a deeper appreciation for games that are awesome unlike the ill-fated GTA:VC.
Rating: 3 out of 10
<small>[ March 28, 2003, 12:51 PM: Message edited by: s7cbassplayer ]</small>
