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PSM reviews GTA: VCS

snatches

Member
9.5/10 Game of the Month

Verdict:

Vice City Stories may be the best PSP game we've ever played so far. It's got everything a GTA should have and more - and it's portable. All the upgrades make it leaps and bounds better than Liberty City Stories. if you have a PSP, you musst buy this game; if you don't have a PSP, get one just to play this game.

Lock if old but I did a search and didn't see it posted.

I can answer questions but I can't post the attachment I received as it is a US mag.
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
I'm sure it is a great game, but I'm tired of last gen GTA at this point. Vice City was also my least favorite of the three PS2 titles.

I'm awaiting their next generation efforts. Saint's Row demonstrated how important physics are and Just Cause brings an entirely new sense of scale to open world gaming. They both have their own issues, however, and lack the high quality production values you get with a GTA title.
 
PSPurchase confirmed. I can't beleive I've waited this long to buy one of those.

"Vice City was also my least favorite of the three PS2 titles."

(In my best Ricky Gervais impression) EXPLAIN YOURSELF. You're talking absolute shit again.
 

threeball

Banned
I agree with dark, people always get onto Nintendo for rehashing and abusing their franchises, but it seems as if a new GTA comes out every single year. And it seems like this GTA is really no different than the other GTAs.
 
Ranger X said:
I suppose this means the soundtrack will be shite but the game will be great! I personally can't really complain.

It's based in the 80's, which makes it impossible for the soundtrack to be anything other than completely awesome.
 
PSPurchase confirmed. I can't beleive I've waited this long to buy one of those.

After Metal Gear and Silent Hill come out, I'll have more of a reason to get one... maybe for Christmas or something. Up until now there just hasn't been anything on PSP that I've really wanted.
 
aztrex said:
PSPurchase confirmed. I can't beleive I've waited this long to buy one of those.

"Vice City was also my least favorite of the three PS2 titles."

(In my best Ricky Gervais impression) EXPLAIN YOURSELF. You're talking absolute shit again.

Well, what if when they died, at 78 or whatever, then they had a baby? So when they died, a new life was born?

And any word on what firmware this thing's gonna require? I'd be so stoked if it turned out to be 2.71, but I doubt it.
 

snatches

Member
SolidSnakex said:
Soundtrack details, where are they Rockstar?

QFT. They barely mention the music in the review, except to say they like it more than LCS due to an affinity with the 80's on the part of the reviewer.
 

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
Aristotlekh said:
Well, what if when they died, at 78 or whatever, then they had a baby? So when they died, a new life was born?

And any word on what firmware this thing's gonna require? I'd be so stoked if it turned out to be 2.71, but I doubt it.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is 2.80 or 2.81
 

Matix

Member
Uh, any info regarding online play, Any Info Regarding Online Play, ANY ****ING INFO REGARDING ONLINE PLAY ?!
 

M3wThr33

Banned
I think I have 13 PSP games now...

That's more than worth it.
Of course I have VCS and MPO both reserved.

If you can't find a good 6 games you'd like on the PSP, you didn't look.
 
threeball said:
I agree with dark, people always get onto Nintendo for rehashing and abusing their franchises, but it seems as if a new GTA comes out every single year. And it seems like this GTA is really no different than the other GTAs.
Sony's not the one pushing these out, it's rockstar. I'd love to see Sony push out titles like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus every year.
 

snatches

Member
some details:

sub 15 hour story mode
better hollywood voice acting than LCS. Gary Busey (LOL) Danny Trejo, and Luis Guzman + original actors back to voice recurring roles from VC.
more multiplayer modes
new vehicles (jetskis)
less zealous cops
 

Matix

Member
snatches said:
some details:

sub 15 hour story mode
better hollywood voice acting than LCS. Gary Busey (LOL) Danny Trejo, and Luis Guzman + original actors back to voice recurring roles from VC.
more multiplayer modes
new vehicles (jetskis)
less zealous cops


Keep going...
 

snatches

Member
Matix said:
Uh, any info regarding online play, Any Info Regarding Online Play, ANY ****ING INFO REGARDING ONLINE PLAY ?!

like I mentioned there are more modes. the review I was sent via email has the actual mag layout but it says to refer to another page in the mag for more details about online and I don't have the pages.
 
snatches said:
QFT. They barely mention the music in the review, except to say they like it more than LCS due to an affinity with the 80's on the part of the reviewer.

All we know right now is that there are over 100 songs, and Rockstar claims its the most varied soundtrack ever put together for any game, movie, TV show ect. These are the known songs so far

Foreigner - I Want to Know What Love Is
Dio - Holy Diver
Dokken - Breaking the Chains
Ratt - Round and Round
Phil Collins - Easy Lover

Again confirming that its goign to be awesome.
 

Ranger X

Member
SolidSnakex said:
It's based in the 80's, which makes it impossible for the soundtrack to be anything other than completely awesome.

Agreed but i can't really imagine an 80s soundtrack that would truly beat Vice City's one.
If we are really lucky it's gonna be "equally good" or it's going to be worse.
 

Matix

Member
snatches said:
like I mentioned there are more modes. the review I was sent via email has the actual mag layout but it says to refer to another page in the mag for more details about online and I don't have the pages.



Ahhhhh, so close... ;X !!
 
a lot of people dogged LCS for being too cut down compared to the console versions, but having it in a portable format really compelled me to keep playing it. I can't wait for this one.
 

Mau ®

Member
Awesome. Im very excited about this. I dunno why but I enjoy portable GTA games waaaay more than console versions... yeah I know its weird.
 

Ghost

Chili Con Carnage!
I cant stand LCS, the controls suck, the framerate is terrible, the blur effect to mask the shitty framerate makes the game look like i smeared lard on my screen and the missions are unimaginative and not as suitable for real 'on the go' play as people think...does VCS fix any of these problems?
 

Mau ®

Member
Ghost said:
I cant stand LCS, the controls suck, the framerate is terrible, the blur effect to mask the shitty framerate makes the game look like i smeared lard on my screen, and the missions are unimaginative...does VCS fix any of these problems?

They said they improved the control scheme, framerate is "stable" and ghosting is better and missions are longer (which I don't like).
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Ghost said:
I cant stand LCS, the controls suck, the framerate is terrible, the blur effect to mask the shitty framerate makes the game look like i smeared lard on my screen and the missions are unimaginative and not as suitable for real 'on the go' play as people think...does VCS fix any of these problems?
What? The framerate was most certainly not terrible. It was smoother than any previous PS2 installment and, if you ran the game on an OC'd PSP, it was better than ANY console GTA to date. I don't understand this complaint.
 

Ghost

Chili Con Carnage!
inthezone said:
What? The framerate was most certainly not terrible. It was smoother than any previous PS2 installment and, if you ran the game on an OC'd PSP, it was better than ANY console GTA to date. I don't understand this complaint.


I only ever played GTA on PC, LCS isnt (even close to) stable 30, so its not good enough.
 
Ranger X said:
Agreed but i can't really imagine an 80s soundtrack that would truly beat Vice City's one.
If we are really lucky it's gonna be "equally good" or it's going to be worse.
Scarface's comes close. It even has the Fat Boys. Only thing that sucks is that it has some new reggeton. :\
 

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
Ghost said:
I only ever played GTA on PC, LCS isnt (even close to) stable 30, so its not good enough.
Well, that explains it. I mostly stuck to the PS2 versions (as they were first) and the PSP version was a huge improvement over that. If you thought the PSP had a bad framerate, I'd hate to see what you think of the PS2 games (especially SA)...
 

Ranger X

Member
Ghost said:
I cant stand LCS, the controls suck, the framerate is terrible, the blur effect to mask the shitty framerate makes the game look like i smeared lard on my screen and the missions are unimaginative and not as suitable for real 'on the go' play as people think...does VCS fix any of these problems?


I actually prefered Liberty City Stories to GTA3. The story and city interaction was better, controls are identical and the draw distance is alot better.
If you don't like the ghosting of the PSP screen added to the very subtle blur that is in the game, play the PS2 version. I played this version and it was a blast.

As for the mission i actually thought they were too simple and short. A bit too much "on the go" style. GTA is already and extremely plug and play game and the console version are already suited for a portable imo.
 

snatches

Member
Ghost said:
I cant stand LCS, the controls suck, the framerate is terrible, the blur effect to mask the shitty framerate makes the game look like i smeared lard on my screen and the missions are unimaginative and not as suitable for real 'on the go' play as people think...does VCS fix any of these problems?

Here are the tech problems they point out:

Graphical glitches, like long armed motorcyclists carried over from LCS
Target lock and AI issues - find yourself targeting civilians all the time. Bad guys get stuck running into walls, allies move into your line of fire, which leads to mission failure.

No mention of frame rate in the entire review.
 
Wiki has some more soundtrack details

* Dio - Holy Diver
* Ratt - Round and Round
* Dokken - Breaking the Chains
* The Human League - Love Action (I Believe in Love)
* Yazoo - Don't Go
* Japan - Quiet Life
* Exodus - Together Forever
* Phreek - Weekend (Tonight is Party Time)
* Sister Sledge - Lost in Music
* Missing Persons - Destination Unknown
* Alan Parsons Project - Games People Play
* Pat Benatar - Love is a Battlefield
* Giuffria - Call To Your Heart
* The Assembly - Never Never
* Pat Benatar - We Belong
 

Ghost

Chili Con Carnage!
As for the mission i actually thought they were too simple and short. A bit too much "on the go" style. GTA is already and extremely plug and play game and the console version are already suited for a portable imo.

Thats the thing, it should be a perfect pick up & play but they focused on the wrong part of the franchise, the story missions are TERRIBLE for on the go play because they feature 2 loading screens, a cutscene i dont care about because i play 25 minutes at a time so cant remember whats really going on, and a really linear boring mission. Its all the in between bits that are perfect for mobile play, but Rockstar ignore those completely. You cant do all the fun sandbox stuff without getting money together through the boring mission stuff.
 

Meier

Member
I like GTA a lot.. but at this point, can anyone be THAT excited about it? I dunno, sounds like it's a great game and it probably is, but it's all been done before.
 
Meier said:
I like GTA a lot.. but at this point, can anyone be THAT excited about it? I dunno, sounds like it's a great game and it probably is, but it's all been done before.

Playing the GTA clones makes me want it even more actually. They remind me of just how much fun an open ended game can be.
 
Wow. PSP is really throwing down the good titles now. Glad I finally got one to play Tekken DR.

New PSP games now on my list to play for the next 3 months:

GTA: VCS
Ace Combat X
Killzone Liberations
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2
Lumines II
Every Extend Extra
Sega Genesis Collection
Gitaroo-Man Lives!
WTF
Metal GEar Solid: Portable Ops
Power Stone Collection
Metal Slug Anthology
Bubble Bobble Evolution

Damn. That's a lot to come before the end of the year. And I'm also looking at games like Star Trek Tactical Assault, BattleZone, Scarface Tactics, Eragon, Death 2: Root of Evil, and a whole bunch of other collections like Activision Hits Remixed, EA Replay, and Capcom Classics Collection too.

Somewhere in this timeframe I'm supposed to play Gears of War, buy a PS3 and a Wii, and make sure my DS doesn't collect dust. Oh yeah, and hold down a job and have a social life with actual human beings of the opposite sex. Seems impossible, but It'll be fun to try!
 
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