Stephen Chinnadorai

Last week, I picked up a copy of one of the most anticipated games of all time: GTA IV. It’s almost impossible that you wouldn’t have heard of this game - it’s been everywhere possible in the media recently, and had its fair share of good and bad controversy. 

Graphics

As you would expect, this game is only available on the next-gen consoles: Sony’s PlayStation 3, and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 - not the Nintendo Wii. With the graphics power of these consoles, some incredible quality images can be rendered. GTA IV’s graphics are a definite improvement upon San Andreas’ - but because of the map size, the graphics aren’t quite up to the standards of other games - for example, Gran Turismo 5. Overall, the graphics are more than reasonable on a High Definition screen; the game runs smoothly at a native 720p resolution, and it looks great on most screen sizes. 

Gameplay

The gameplay has much improved upon the San Andreas. The vehicles handle much more realistically, almost life-like. The controls have also changed, and the PS3 now uses a layout more similar to what Xbox users had from the start. You use the R2 trigger to accelerate, which gives much more precision than just the X button - you also use L2 to brake in the same way; both of these minor changes make handling cars much easier, and give you more control over vehicle speeds. The new cover and auto-aim systems are a nice addition, although sometimes don’t work as well as they should.

Audio

In 5.1 surround sound, this game sounds incredibly realistic. You hear cars, gun shots and people from behind you, and around you as you move. The ambient noises around the city, from the people and vehicles on the street, are also very realistic.

As with all Grand Theft Auto series games, the soundtrack is a key element to the game. As you drive around the city, you can tune into a selection of radio stations, varying in genre - the best station in my opinion is Radio Broker.

Conclusion

This game lives up to the hype it’s received over the last few weeks. Rockstar have re-written this game in a brand new engine, and you can tell this game is different to the previous ones. The entire game is a phenomenally realistic experience - from just roaming around Liberty City, to participating in activities with your friends. I’m only 25% through the game, but I’m already blown away by this game.

Roughly Drafted has posted a long, in-depth analysis of the iPhone as a gaming device - they bring up a lot of great reasons for the iPhone to become a great gaming device. The iPhone has an amazing amount of processing and graphics power for a mobile phone, comparable to any of Nokia’s gaming phones, but not quite up-to-scratch with dedicating gaming device, Sony PSP. Apple’s recently announced SDK also looks promising to game developers that want to turn their game ideas into reality on an iPhone or iPod Touch.

The iPhone would also have a great distribution platform: The iTunes App store. Unlike traditional portable gaming devices, e.g. the Sony PSP, the iPhone wouldn’t require external media like UMD discs. Instead, the iPhone could download games wirelessly, either over Wi-Fi or EDGE connections. I believe the iPhone could make it as a gaming device. It eliminates the need for three things: Your iPod, your phone and your portable games console. Its only limitations are battery life and storage; a lot of your 16GB flash drive will be taken by music and video already.

An interesting article on the iPhone as a gaming platform I wrote for Appletell. What do you think - could the iPhone replace your Sony PSP or Nintendo DS?

Read [Appletell]

Forget the Wii for a minute - although it’s a next-gen console, it’s not in the same league as these two consoles. The decision between a PS3 and an Xbox 360 is like Mac and PC. Different people have varied opinions on the matter; they will usually support the console they own.

I have a PlayStation 3 and love it; I see no compelling reason to buy an Xbox 360 at this point in time. The PS3 has the best graphics (in HD resolution terms, at least), Blu-ray built-in, free online play and a great selection of games. I’ll agree that the 360 has far more games than the PS3, but this is simply because the Xbox 360 has had an extra year of time for developers to make the games for it. I think the PS3 has a great future ahead of it - we’ve already seen a number of promising games confirmed for release this year. Blu-ray winning the format is an extra bonus for current PS3 owners, because now we don’t need to buy another player. Those looking for a Blu-ray player should consider a PS3, too - although there are some cheaper ones now.

The Xbox 360 only outputs a maximum of 720p (unless you buy the ridiculously-priced “Elite” version), only plays dual-layer DVDs and you have to pay £40/year to play online. Xbox users claim their Xbox Live online experience is superior to that of the PS3 - but to be honest I’ve played both, and the difference is marginal - definitely not worth paying £40/year for.

It will be interesting to see what Microsoft does next with the Xbox 360. Now that HD-DVD is dead, they are expected to release a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360. Sony will become its own competition, as it has a large stake in the Blu-ray disc association.

What are your thoughts on the console war?