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[360, PS3] Grand Theft Auto IV
- Thread starter BlueTsunami
- Start date
Played a few missions last night. The gunfights are way crazier and I've actually died in a few of them, where GTA4 seemed outrageously easy. I think with the check point system they figured they could bump the difficulty up a notch. The AI and gameplay is all the same, you just tend to fight larger groups of guys at a time.
The auto shotgun with the drum is AMAZING.
The new choppers driver really well. I haven't touched any of the old bikes to see how they fare. I'm wondering if they changed the physics model for all of the motorcycles or if it's something they've done just for the new ones.
So far the story seems a lot more focused. You don't get side-tracked as much. The story missions with your gang happen very regularly, whereas in GTA4 you seemed to go for long stretches just doing missions for the different mobs that had no real importance in the story.
The auto shotgun with the drum is AMAZING.
You get it in a mission where you ambush a convoy of cars at one of the bridge toles, and you can absolutely lay waste to a car and all four passengers in a couple of seconds
The new choppers driver really well. I haven't touched any of the old bikes to see how they fare. I'm wondering if they changed the physics model for all of the motorcycles or if it's something they've done just for the new ones.
So far the story seems a lot more focused. You don't get side-tracked as much. The story missions with your gang happen very regularly, whereas in GTA4 you seemed to go for long stretches just doing missions for the different mobs that had no real importance in the story.
So is the graphics/performance in Lost & the Damned any better?
Any engine optimisations?
Other than the new grain/noise filter, I haven't noticed much different. I'm not sure if that noise filter is on all the time or if it changes dynamically depending on the weather, but it seems much more noticeable at night and during the rain.
Gradthrawn
Veteran
The new choppers driver really well. I haven't touched any of the old bikes to see how they fare. I'm wondering if they changed the physics model for all of the motorcycles or if it's something they've done just for the new ones.
I remember in an interview that they stated since he (the main character) is a biker, his skill with bikes is better than Nikos, and this would be reflected in the game by it being easier to handle the bikes. So, I would guess it would apply to all bikes.
I remember in an interview that they stated since he (the main character) is a biker, his skill with bikes is better than Nikos, and this would be reflected in the game by it being easier to handle the bikes. So, I would guess it would apply to all bikes.
The only problem I see with the bikes is you sometimes still hit something like a light post head on and you'll fly up in the air spinning around like the bike weighs nothing. Most of the time it feels pretty good and the e-brake turns are much much more controllable.
The bike races with the baseball bats are fun, but very easy. Gang wars seem straight forward but a good way to blow shit up and waste ammo.
Other than the new grain/noise filter, I haven't noticed much different. I'm not sure if that noise filter is on all the time or if it changes dynamically depending on the weather, but it seems much more noticeable at night and during the rain.
Does this new noise(film grain?) filter replace the dithering?
Overall I would say that this DLC was really well done and provided a decent amount of entertainment. I enjoyed the story, the action, the new weapons, cars, and overall content. But there is one thing however that drives me absolutely bonkers about GTA4 proper and this DLC. One thing that pushes me so far over the edge I begin to yell in my TVs general direction--the automated phone calls.
It wouldnt be so bad if Niko/Johnny didnt stop running (which is what I do 99% of the time I'm on foot in this game) to answer a goddamn phone call. Seriously. What's worse than the automated phone call to a "quest giver" once you've compelted a mission. It's maddening!
If it's a car chase (which most likely involves shooting), not only are there 17 cop cars hot on your trail, but you're most likely on the run. To have the oritagonist all of a sudden stop running without explination sucks. You look down mashing your run button and then you here the protagonist began a conversation, "hullo? Yeees, I peeked up dos drugs you requested and keeled da dealer".
I understand Rockstar wants to slow things down so you can focus in on the narrative, but there has got to be a better way of doing this.
What about the sharing of the run button? That's right, running and the hang-up feature on the phone both use the "X" button in the default setting? How awesome is that. Durring the same scenario I gave above--running from the cops mashing the run button--the automated call begins to happen and "click" you've now hung up on the NPC because you're running. Nice! Does the quest fail now that I've hung up on the NPC (no)? What was going to happen there in the dialog to progress the story? Who knows! Lets check the log in the option menu to just read up on it. Nope, only some spoken dialog and game text goes there--not phone conversations.
It's so frustrating and I almost cannot beleive Rockstar has not found a different way of handling this.
It wouldnt be so bad if Niko/Johnny didnt stop running (which is what I do 99% of the time I'm on foot in this game) to answer a goddamn phone call. Seriously. What's worse than the automated phone call to a "quest giver" once you've compelted a mission. It's maddening!
If it's a car chase (which most likely involves shooting), not only are there 17 cop cars hot on your trail, but you're most likely on the run. To have the oritagonist all of a sudden stop running without explination sucks. You look down mashing your run button and then you here the protagonist began a conversation, "hullo? Yeees, I peeked up dos drugs you requested and keeled da dealer".
I understand Rockstar wants to slow things down so you can focus in on the narrative, but there has got to be a better way of doing this.
What about the sharing of the run button? That's right, running and the hang-up feature on the phone both use the "X" button in the default setting? How awesome is that. Durring the same scenario I gave above--running from the cops mashing the run button--the automated call begins to happen and "click" you've now hung up on the NPC because you're running. Nice! Does the quest fail now that I've hung up on the NPC (no)? What was going to happen there in the dialog to progress the story? Who knows! Lets check the log in the option menu to just read up on it. Nope, only some spoken dialog and game text goes there--not phone conversations.
It's so frustrating and I almost cannot beleive Rockstar has not found a different way of handling this.
Was playing some GTA4, does anyone know for certain that it uses deferred rendering ?
Because there are quite a lot of lights (especially at night) which seems to indicate this, but on 360 with the edram and since it uses tiling, isn't deferred rendering a big no-no?
It does use deffered rendering.
It does use deffered rendering.
How does it get around having to retrieve info from Edram etc.
Doesn't that make it really hard to do DR on 360? and not really viable?
From the DR thread I thought that forward rendering was the most optimal path for 360, and games like KZ2 would not be possible.
Also does anyone know what's the difference in performance between the game running on 360's with HDD and those without? Is pop-in just much more prevalent, or are the IQ or other differences.
How does it get around having to retrieve info from Edram etc.
Doesn't that make it really hard to do DR on 360? and not really viable?
From the DR thread I thought that forward rendering was the most optimal path for 360, and games like KZ2 would not be possible.
Also does anyone know what's the difference in performance between the game running on 360's with HDD and those without? Is pop-in just much more prevalent, or are the IQ or other differences.
Dont know but it does use deffered rendering for lighting/shadows. It also does steep parallax mapping.
flipswitch
Newcomer
How does it get around having to retrieve info from Edram etc.
Doesn't that make it really hard to do DR on 360? and not really viable?
From the DR thread I thought that forward rendering was the most optimal path for 360, and games like KZ2 would not be possible.
Also does anyone know what's the difference in performance between the game running on 360's with HDD and those without? Is pop-in just much more prevalent, or are the IQ or other differences.
I've noticed more pop up/loading issues when the game has been installed, so I went back to running it on the disc.
Last edited by a moderator:
flipswitch
Newcomer
Also are all those hundreds of lights in building windows at night, actually lights?
or just some sort of clever texturing or something?
I remember reading that you can see 10,000 lights from the city.I've noticed that the lights from the buildings/shop windows when walking or driving under them are actual lights.I'm not sure about the lights above them though, like the windows higher up.
I've noticed more pop up/loading issues when the game has been installed, so I went back to running it on the disc.
It could be like H3, where the disc builds a cache on the HDD. And so when you copy the game to the HDD it means it has to read/write to the HDD (as it still builds the cache) which takes longer.
I myself haven't noticed this though, in my experience a HDD install made load times shorter and pop in less prevalent. There were also a few articles (like this Eurogamer one) saying the loading times were reduced . Unlike H3 where the load times are longer when the game is installed.
And actually, my original question was about the differences between systems with a HDD (but the game running from the DVD) versus the Arcade/Core SKU's without a HDD.
flipswitch
Newcomer
Yes, the loading times were reduced by a few seconds, but I got a fair bit of texture issues/pop up when I was driving around the city.Many things wouldn't load for a short length of time.
Also are all those hundreds of lights in building windows at night, actually lights?
or just some sort of clever texturing or something?
That some texturing stuff. But there is some spot lights on some buildings that are different. Aswell as car headlights, police car lights, weapons, explosions and street lights. Though only few cast shadows except if the PC feature is enabled to have nearest 1-16 dynamic lightsources cast shadows (car lights, street lamps, building entrance lights etc).
Dynamic/emessive/point/fake lighting.
There's a room in the DLC that has some neat lighting. Eventually you can sleep in this squat house, and the room with the bed has a cool light source. It's like the light is a volume and when you step into it, you can see your character is blocking the rays emitting from the light. It's kind of neat.
Hey guys,
I just got the expansion packs, but i do not have the original GTA IV and never played it. Is it ok if I focuse on the expansion packs instead? I have head that the The Ballads of Gay Tony is the better expansion? Can I play that one first without ruining anything?
I just got the expansion packs, but i do not have the original GTA IV and never played it. Is it ok if I focuse on the expansion packs instead? I have head that the The Ballads of Gay Tony is the better expansion? Can I play that one first without ruining anything?
I'd say play Lost & Damned first cause Ballads of Gay Tony is just so much better that you wont be able to go through Lost & Damned after playing it.
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