Blog FeedWelcome To The Jungle
Rockstar have pulled off another fantastic title for the PlayStation 2. Vastly an improvement over the previous Grand Theft Auto games; I’m not sure how they’ll match this one. From creating a ‘realistic’ 1990s ghetto experience, to one of the biggest and most well constructed maps I’ve ever seen in a game, combined with some of the best music from the era and a lot of game play to get through, you won’t find a better PS2 title.
The game play itself changes a little during the game, with the inclusion of stats that have been widely talked about. This adds a little extra ‘fun factor’ to the game, considering you can customise the main character. Missions do not only gain money, but respect. Shooting more often gains points so eventually you can go akimbo with your weapons, etc etc. All of these are not a huge change from the core game play of the GTA series, but they are fantastic extras never the less. Missions have been well constructed, some with the inclusion of 90’s parodies.
The graphics aren’t the best you’ll ever see, but they are great never for such a huge game. You’ll probably notice low resolution texturing and crappy anti-aliasing, but that’s a PS2 issue, and you can always get the PC version next year. I noticed they added ‘real time’ reflections to the cars for this game, since it was featured on the GTA: Double Pack. A nice addition, along side the graphics generated when it rains. The game retains the gritty and authentic look that the previous GTA environments offered.
The soundtrack is fantastic, particularly with James Brown, Rick James, 2 Pac, Public Enemy, Guns N’ Roses and Rage Against The Machine. With the soundtrack comes the infamous radio station presenters, who make everything worth listening to. They react to in-game missions; I won’t spoil any, but they often refer to big events that have occurred which you were part of. I have to say I preferred Vice City’s soundtrack since I was more familiar with it, but to anyone who knew the rap scene in America during the 90s, they’ll surely like it more.
The last-ability of the game has increased since Vice City, too. You’ll find yourself doing a lot more than just missions; with the collection items other than ‘packages’, spray-painting graffiti, driving schools, the regular emergency service missions in addition to being a trucker or pimp. You’ll probably end up finding yourself having some hilarious police chases, too. Needless to say, I think story-based missions only take up about 50% of the progress counter.
Simply put, the game is great, and if you have a PS2 you should put it at the top of your wish list. Sure, Metroid Prime 2, Halo 2, Metal Gear Solid 3 and Half-Life 2 come out within the next few weeks, but you cannot miss out on the pinnacle of the Grand Theft Auto series.
3rd November | Reply
it sounds cool, especially with all the different stuff you can do (someone told me they got to fly an airliner :O).
Gonna wait it out for the PC version though.
4th November | Reply
I’ve got to be honest, I don’t like the GTA games much. It’s taken me both GTA3 and Vice City to realise this fact, although GTA3 was more fun than Vice City of which I was bored after a few hours play. The problem, for me, is that they are too free-form and lack the focus of an on-rails game that guides you through a story or the action. I know that I could just play through the story but I found Vice City too easy to just wander away from it. Give me a straight arcade shooter any day of the week, like R-Type or Gradius.
In terms of games that I am waiting for, StarCraft Ghost is currently topping my list. I’m hoping for some good Blizzard action in the vein of Metal Gear Solid but without the shitty story. Beyond that, Metroid Prime 2 and Halo 2 would certainly get my vote, although a lack of an XBox is going to make Halo 2 somewhat tricky to play.
Anyway, San Andreas isn’t on my “get” list. Too boring and, from what I’ve read, liable to piss me off when it does something dumb…
4th November | Reply
I do wish the PC version would come out sooner. Although I’m always unimpressed by lack of graphical updates to game sequels, I suppose it can’t be helped if the PS2 hardware can only handle so much, and the developers want to take less time.
Granted, my current video card will be able to run it fine, I suppose. If they did make a new graphics engine, I’d have no such guarantee.
Definately looking forward to it.
4th November | Reply
Truth be told, this game is the same old bucket of manure with a shiny new label. The extra stats are nice, but having played the game I have to say it’s nothing amazing. I’ll pick it up for PC eventually, but I’m not holding my breath in anticipation over it.
5th November | Reply
I still haven’t got around to finishing GTA 3 yet (I do own Vice City, but I decided not to play it (or even install it) until I’d finished 3…
I should probably go back to it, but the GTA series has a knack for occasional missions that just irritate the fuck out of me - meaning I end up taking a prolonged break.
5th November | Reply
Funny, so far 3 people positive about the GTA games and another 3 not so. I wonder why they do so well, although I admit that this probably isn’t a representative sample of gamers. Still, I do wonder how it managed to get a 5-Star rating from Gamespy despite the admission that it’ll, at times, make you want to put your controller through the TV. Mind you, Ratchet & Clank makes me want to do that occasionally and I still love the game, although mostly for Captain Qwark…
5th November | Reply
The simple change from hidden packages to the spraypaint tags/snapshots/horseshoes/oysters has made me extremely happy and taken too much of my time away already. Pretty much all night i’ve been playing this game, i’ve done a few missions but the rest of the hours have been taken up wondering around San Fierro taking snapshots. So far i’m on 25/50. Damn this game eats your time.
However, I do think i’ll eventually get bored with this game, as I did with VC, and this will happen when i’m through the story. I pretty much got all the mindless crazy mess destruction I wanted from GTA3. I’m therefore trying not to rush through it too quickly and take in all the side quests and games before I forget about it.
(P.S - if you just leave the game running on it’s own CJ’s view homes in on girls that are walking by, and on some of the models their boobies actually bounce up and down \o/ )