I like the game and really haven't had any issues with it until the latest patch which is causing some CTDs seemingly when I maximize the video memory use with the gfx options. Controls seem to be about the same as San Andreas PC, but I can't be entirely sure as it's been a while since I played SA. I don't have any complaints about the gfx, the gameplay is essentially the same, although it seems to be more story driven(?), not sure, only 30% through it. Multiplayer is a hoot.

Could it be better? Yes, but overall I'm having fun and glad I made the purchase

intel C2D, 2 gigs of RAM, 8800GTX 750Mb.

true the 360 version is stable, but the 360 version uses massive amounts of wonky graphical shortcuts that make everything glowy and fuzzy. No current PC game could get away with looking like that. A few years from now everyone will list GTA4 as the "worst" GTA of the bunch. Not to say its a terrible game but man was it devoid of single player things to do other than shoot at birds.

No way. The low-res textures are far worse than the console textures, and if you don't turn on the blur you get to see the shadow dithering that looks like something out of 1996.

You're right, console textures are "medium"... I meant on "lower" settings... consoles are medium textures and about 18 on the distance bars, if I recalls correctly. And 720 res of course (or lower and upscaled?).

Better graphics (even at low settings)

No way. The low-res textures are far worse than the console textures, and if you don't turn on the blur you get to see the shadow dithering that looks like something out of 1996.

Glad I got this for the 360, where it runs fine. Good job on your half assed PC port Rockstar. Especially since it took you tools 7 months.

No matter the problems of the PC version it's still better than the console versions. That's coming from someone who spent 50+ hours with it on the 360.

- Better controls
- Better graphics (even at low settings)
- Better framerate (even if not perfect)
- User music

GTA needs to go back to it's ridiculous roots, so we'll have a variety of crazy things to do again

I liked San Andreas the most, since it was way over the top.

That's why people like Saint's Row 2 better. I hear the PC version is the worst port of all time, but it's a lot of crazy fun on 360.

All of them looked alike, and there wasn't that joy you received in earlier GTA games where a newly unlocked quadrant of the city revealed brand new pedestrians, cars, road textures, trees, storefronts, etc...


Well, San Andreas was the only one that really did that. And the large majority of people were whining that San Andreas was too big and felt too disjointed and that they didn't like the outdoors parts.

So Rockstar said, okay, we'll go back to the City Only mantra. And now that's not good enough either?

They can't win.

It was just the same grey roads, grey buildings, and trashy textures.

The fact that it was modelled on New York didn't sort of give that away? That came as a surprise?

Glad I got this for the 360, where it runs fine. Good job on your half assed PC port Rockstar. Especially since it took you tools 7 months.

Creston

FAR CRY DOES OPEN WORLDS BETTER?!?

Certainly from a visual stand point they are, GTA IV looks like crap in comparision.

Remember since GTA1 you could find vans that provided you RC car missions that usually ended in you blowing someone up?

Yeah, there's all sorts of stuff from the old GTA games that didn't make it into GTA4. It's obvious that Rockstar expended more effort on the graphics and sound than the actual game itself.

Anyone tried something like nHancer to get AA going in the game? I'm too busy with the terrible port of Fallout 3 right now to care, but it may well work.

You know, you can still use the firetruck hose in GTAIV.

GTA needs to go back to it's ridiculous roots, so we'll have a variety of crazy things to do again

I liked San Andreas the most, since it was way over the top.

EDIT: Remember since GTA1 you could find vans that provided you RC car missions that usually ended in you blowing someone up?
Remember stealing a firetruck and spraying everybody with the hose, sending them flying. That would be so much more fun with the euphoria engine at work

This comment was edited on Jan 25, 2009, 01:05.

The lack of AA is totally understandable; with so many buildings and objects on screen at once, any AA would cripple GTAIV's already terrible engine performance. However, the port of Saint's Row 2 is even worse, and I have to run it on even crappier settings. Why is it that open-world games that should benefit the most from PC's advantages (faster storage on hard disks, more overall memory) have had some of the crappiest ports in recent memory?

I loved the story in GTAIV, but found everything else sorely lacking. Saint's Row 2 is the opposite, but both have gotten boring quickly, for all their promise of 'open-world freedom'.

FAR CRY DOES OPEN WORLDS BETTER?!? Are you f'ing nuts? Hell I'm so bored with driving the same roads over and over that I quit playing the game.

Wow, that's the most humorous statement I've heard on the internet in quite some time.

Saying FC2's roads are all the same but GTA4's aren't is akin to saying Wendy's burgers are less greasy than Mcdonalds.

If I compare these two games, I'd say FC2 offers a little bit (Not much, but a little) more variety then GTA4. I was very disappointed with GTA4's "world". As each new area was unlocked, I became more and more disappointed. All of them looked alike, and there wasn't that joy you received in earlier GTA games where a newly unlocked quadrant of the city revealed brand new pedestrians, cars, road textures, trees, storefronts, etc...

It was just the same grey roads, grey buildings, and trashy textures.

To be completely honest, I only finished it for the Gamer points. Had I played this on the PC, I would have quit 1/3rd the way in.

Wow heh, judging by just that screenshot I think the edges in San Andreas are smoother.

FAR CRY DOES OPEN WORLDS BETTER?!? Are you f'ing nuts? Hell I'm so bored with driving the same roads over and over that I quit playing the game.

Regardless of the game mechanics the engine did a very good job of depicting Africa, from sun scorched deserts to grassy plains to jungles to towns to water. It was very authentic and performance was great.

Far Cry 2: http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/890/890140/far-cry-2--20080715051222076.jpg
GRID: http://static.computergames.ro/cg/assassin/images3/racedrivergrid/racedrivergrid078.jpg (not the best screenshot as it's sparse on detail)
GTA4: http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2008/12/grand-theft-auto-iv-pc/bvieh.jpg

Obviously it's hard to compare but Far Cry 2 and GRID have sharper textures, sharper graphics, anti-aliasing and run better. I grant that GTAIV is depicting an entire city but the visuals and performance suffer, which negates the added immersion such detail provides.

Not to mention the guard posts that are ALWAYS filled with guys who will shoot, jump in a jeep and follow you.

Again, I was referring to the engine - I don't disagree with you.

FAR CRY DOES OPEN WORLDS BETTER?!?

He didn't say better, he said FC2 and Assassins Creed do open worlds as well, but the performance is much better in comparison.

I don't really understand why this is rated so highly anyway, it's a good game but certainly not a great one. Very repetitive and they lost too much of the fun and variation that made the previous games a joy to play.

(And I'm not even biased by the crappy PC port since I played it on a PS3!)

FAR CRY DOES OPEN WORLDS BETTER?!? Are you f'ing nuts? Hell I'm so bored with driving the same roads over and over that I quit playing the game. The entire center of the map is more or less a center with 4 roads that branch out to a giant road that encircles the map. Not to mention the guard posts that are ALWAYS filled with guys who will shoot, jump in a jeep and follow you.

But honestly I think (at least for single player) the biggest use of resources is audio and AI.

...and run the game between 30-40fps.

You say that as if it's a good thing.

What sorta systems are you guys running with such horrible performance?

I already listed my specs, which are actually higher than yours. The problem is that 30fps isn't very good, particularly when you're getting noticeable dips - it's not consistent. It feels really sluggish. You get used to it after a while until you leave the game for a bit and then it hits you when you go back to it. I haven't got around to completing it in large part because of the performance, despite the game being fun. It makes me worry about Doom 4 when they're aiming for 30fps - it just doesn't feel right in the games I've played.

I guess it's subjective but other games look and run better. GRID does driving better, looks stunning and has brilliant performance; Far Cry 2 does open worlds and, again, runs and looks great; Assassin's Creed does large open worlds and... etc, etc. All I know is that I have found performance in GTAIV to be seriously lacking and the graphics do not justify it.