Unbelievably, locking on to enemies and flicking the left thumbstick up to snap out a headshot feels far more satisfying than the precision offered by a mouse.Īnd get this: there was no custom radio station in the preview build we saw. A similar tactic when using a mouse requires not a minute gesture of the thumb, but dramatic, theatrical sweeping movements.Įven on-foot shooting sections play out better on the pad, such is the effort Rockstar have put into getting it right on console. Players of the console version will be aware of the camera's tendency to lag as you take sharp corners, compelling you to make liberal use of the right tluimbstick. These range from niggling things such as motion blur as the camera whips about your character (perfectly acceptable on a smoothly panning analogue stick, not so much on a twitchy mouse) to more pressing problems such as camera controls while driving.Ī jaunt through the options menu will no doubt remedy the former, but the latter seems to be trickier to fix. Combine that with the fact that Gold membership is now free, and we could be ready to get off our high, anti-Microsoft horses.ĭowning the pad and taking to a more traditional keyboard and mouse setup throws out a few concerns however. Achievements, the ability to jump into and out of online games without needing to move to your keyboard to switch servers - it's probably the first time you can begin to appreciate the usefulness of Microsoft's clunky online service. Besides the obvious improvements in resolution, draw distance and some texture qualities, it is take-for-take a carbon copy, as flawless a port as you could hope for.īeing published under the Games for Windows LIVE umbrella means perfect gamepad support right out of the box too, as well as online support similar to Xbox LIVE's. Well, stick a 360 pad into your USB port and it's almost impossible to tell the difference between the PC and the console version.

'Thirdly,' we'd enquire, making stabbing motions with a butter knife, 'how will it play?' Port Authority

'Secondly,' we'd ask, muesli flying in the air, 'how long will we have to wait?' Just a short while, it's here in November. 'Firstly,' we'd muse as we waved our spoons, 'does it even exist?' It does, I've played it. The PC version is something we've spent many a breakfast time worrying about. It's a game where you're never at a loss for something to see or do, or someone to shag or murder. Rockstar invented open-world gaming, and with GTA IV they filled that open world with detail and nourishing choice.

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