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Gamespy update


Ciaran

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GameSpy updated their site today, they talk about some of the missions in VCS they've played such as one where you are working for the Mendez Brothers which involved taking out some rival drug dealers then gate chrashing a pool party fully-armed and on the cause to take out another rival drug dealer. For all the praises they gave they did also have a criticism as well:

I found the gun aiming system obtuse and hard to use efficiently. This will hopefully become easier with practice... I also felt annoyed that there was no button to quickly snap the camera to Vic's back; instead it panned around rather lazily, which felt wrong in the heat of action.

Here is some info from the site:

A Few Stories

During my playtest of the game, I checked out three unrelated missions. Rockstar stressed the new game's increased complexity over Liberty City Stories. Instead of the short, discrete missions featured in that game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories sees a return to the more involved, multipart capers of the console GTAs.

The first mission I tried was for the Mendez Brothers, two drug-dealing lowlifes with a respectable facade. They wanted Vic to take out some rival dealers on their home turf, so I hopped in a handy car and ended up in a fancy neighborhood. On the way there, a small bit of loading occurred as I crossed a bridge. The targets were having some sort of outdoor gathering, so they were easy pickings for Vic's sniper rifle. Or would have been, if I was in any way competent. I soon resorted to rushing in with an Uzi, and had to take out two cops before the dirty work was finished.

Mission accomplished? Not quite. Now I was instructed to crash a pool party where another rival was hanging, and the hot bikini babes weren't just there for show. They were all heavily armed, leading to an intense fire fight in and around the emptied, hotel-sized swimming pool. Particularly nasty snipers were stationed up on the diving boards, and it took me several tries -- and finally a Rockstar-suggested cheat -- to make it through alive.

Done? Close! The main dealer had escaped, and was racing across the nearby beach's sand dunes to his waiting escape boat. As luck would have it, there was also an ATV waiting for me, so it was easy work to catch up and blast him into oblivion. The off-road driving physics were quite believable, at least as much as they are in any GTA game.

The next mission was more typical -- a thug asked Vic to prove his worth by racing across town for a package. Rivals were going for the same thing, and easily reached it before I did. That being the case, the mission turned into a demolition derby as I tried to stop their fleeing car and abscond with the precious package. I found the drive-by controls to be rather tricky to use while also driving, so it was a relief when the enemies evacuated their vehicle to fight on foot. Easy pickings from there.

Finally, the last mission was another more involved one. Louise, one of the principal female characters, was supposedly in danger, so I had to race off to her hotel to pick her up. After arriving on time, Vic's beeper alerted him that the big drug deal Lance had been conducting went south, and he was trapped atop a burning building. Once again, providence smiled, providing a helicopter atop Louise's abode. The remainder of the mission was hardcore helicopter-piloting action. After picking up Lance in the nick of time, we set out over the water to pursue the escaping boats of the drug dealers. This required hovering close enough for Lance to draw a steady bead, a skill which took some mastering of the enjoyably awkward helicopter controls.

Technical Wonder

The developers at Rockstar have had a lot of time to tweak their PSP engine since GTA: LCS, and their efforts have resulted in massive performance gains. According to Rockstar, GTA: VCS displays twice as many polygons onscreen as before, and the horizon distance is twice as far. They've also improved the streaming, so there should be less pop-in and fewer pauses for loading. (As the last mission revealed, the faster streaming has allowed for the return of aerial vehicles like helicopters.) Altogether, its graphics are approaching those of the PS2 games, an impressive feat.

The single biggest draw of the original Vice City, at least for some of us, was the spectacular '80s soundtrack. I'm pleased to note that GTA: VCS will deliver more of the same great stuff, albeit with more of a focus on the early '80s than before. Rockstar is keeping the track list a secret, so suffice it to say that I recognized a few classic tunes while driving around, and this child of the '80s approved.

Just about the only flies in the ointment so far are related to controls. I found the gun aiming system obtuse and hard to use efficiently. This will hopefully become easier with practice. A free-aim mode provides a bit of relief, proving useful when the lock-on wanted to shoot through a wall rather than an enemy's head. I also felt annoyed that there was no button to quickly snap the camera to Vic's back; instead it panned around rather lazily, which felt wrong in the heat of action.

Other than that, it looks like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is the best type of sequel. It expands greatly on its predecessor in almost every meaningful way, and pushes its host hardware to the limit. Can we expect a PS2 port in the future? Rockstar isn't saying, but the PSP game is just around the corner, due to hit at the end of October. GTA fans, prepare for the new hotness.

LINK

Hope that is some good info for you guys :D

Edited by Ciaran06
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That News had been on vcspsp.com for ages. :D

GameSpy updated their site today, they talk about some of the missions in VCS they've played such as one where you are working for the Mendez Brothers which involved taking out some rival drug dealers then gate chrashing a pool party fully-armed and on the cause to take out another rival drug dealer. For all the praises they gave they did also have a criticism as well:

Here is some info from the site:

LINK

Hope that is some good info for you guys :D

That News has been on www.vcspsp.com for a long time. Good News anyway. :D

Edited by Dmac_91
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