Have A Vice Day
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday December 21, 2002
Two blockbuster titles go head to head to put you on the wrong side of the law, writes James Cottee.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Runs on: PlayStation 2
Price: $99.95
Classification: MA15+
Rating: * * * * *
The Getaway
Runs on: PlayStation 2
Price: $99.95
Classification: MA15+
Rating: * * * 3 1/2
Colin McRae Rally 3
Runs On: Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Price: $99.95
Classification: G
Rating: * * * * 4 1/2
Video games are becoming more lifelike by the day. They have always been violent, but now the violence can be displayed with near photo-realistic effects. The Office of Film and Literature Classification has harsher rules for video games than for other media and in the past year it has seen those rules tested time and again.
The popular Grand Theft Auto III was pulled from store shelves for its explicit content. It was only re-released after the allusions of sexual violence were removed. More recently, the extreme sports game BMX XXX was refused classification. That's OFLC jargon for being banned.
Vice City and The Getaway are similar games with similar content. Both simulate the life of a criminal in a bustling urban environment. Vice City is set in a parodic version of 1980s Miami, while The Getaway takes place in a replica of downtown London.
In both games, players control the main character from a third-person perspective. The character can trundle around on foot or car-jack just about any vehicle that appears on screen.
As soon as players enter a vehicle, however, the difference between the games becomes clear. Vice City has various custom radio stations, from '80s rock hits to hilarious talk back shows, which make driving around the expansive city a delight. Vice City also lets the player control motorcycles, seaplanes and helicopters, and the game has an intricate plot and countless sub-missions.
The earthbound action in The Getaway is linear by comparison, a more realistic
story about an ex-gangster trying to rescue his kidnapped child.
The Getaway was very much a prestige project for Sony. Envisioned originally as a game for the PS One, then later as a PS2 launch title, its release has been postponed for years. In that time, Rockstar Games has overtaken the concept with its increasingly polished Grand Theft Auto games. Every Rockstar game, from Smuggler's Run to the looting simulation, State of Emergency, has made a calculated effort to revel in illegal behaviour. It's a morally dubious stance, but one that has been successful in terms of selling games. Vice City is the fifth in the series and is a refined, stylish game experience. In comparison, The Getaway, while a great technical achievement, has game mechanics that feel like a work in progress.
These are definitely not games for children. Not so much for the confronting content, but because of the high difficulty and complex controls. The cultural references are rooted firmly in the past and anyone who isn't familiar with the movie The Italian Job or television show Miami Vice won't get as much out of them.
Endgame: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a deliciously irreverent gaming experience, one sure to please fans of the series. The Getaway takes itself a little too seriously and can't escape the shadow of its American rival.
Colin McRae Rally 3
Runs On: Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Price: $99.95
Classification: G
Rating: * * * * 4 1/2
Light on the options and licensing, but heavy on realism and playability, Colin McRae Rally 3 is the latest instalment in Codemasters' extremely popular series of Rally racing games.
The game revolves almost entirely around the championship mode, where players undergo a gruelling three-year competition, racing on fictional rally courses from around the globe. The completion of rallies will unlock extra vehicles, courses and other bonuses in the Stages mode, where players can participate in less taxing one-off events.
For the most part, Colin McRae Rally 3 is a stunning piece of eye-candy. Whether you're winding around Scandinavian mountains or cruising through the Australian outback, the environments are extremely convincing, having a distinct, realistic feel to them. Trees and rocks appear to be solid objects, unlike in so many other racing games where they look like cardboard cutouts.
More spectacular is the way the cars show wear and tear. Not only do they get suitably grubby, but their panels will actually bend, buckle or break right off. The choice of driving perspectives also allows for an internal viewpoint, which goes so far as to show cracked windscreens and rain being pushed aside by windscreen wipers. It's these little touches that make all the difference. Unfortunately, the only thing stopping players from totally suspending disbelief is objects in the distance popping into view suddenly.
The audio effects and co-driving are totally authentic, which is a suitable complement to the striking realism and visceral feel of the game. However, purists should note that Nicky Grist has handled all the co-driver calls, but he and McRae parted ways just before the game was released.
Endgame: Colin McRae Rally 3 is an injection of realistic rally-racing bliss. Dan Toose
Netgamer
Developer Blizzard Entertainment (www.blizzard.com) has taken the rather usual step of releasing a brand new demo for its recent real-time strategy hit, WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos. What's unusual is that the 100MB demo contains three brand-new single-player missions not contained in the retail version of the game, as well as three brand new multiplayer maps that can be used with the retail version. Only the diehard fans among existing owners need apply here, as the single-player missions tell an untold chapter in the Orc journey from Lordaeron to Kalimdor.
A version 1.41 patch is available for Return to Castle Wolfenstein and can be installed only if your existing version of the game is already updated to the v 1.33 Game of the Year edition. Available from www.castlewolfenstein.com, the v 1.41 patch is designed to eliminate a few bugs in the anti-lag prediction code. A good one-stop web site for all of the maps and upgrades can be found at The Adrenaline Vault (www.avault.com/pcrl/patches_temp.asp?patch=rtcw). These upgrades come just in time for the release of Return to Castle Wolfenstein's stand-alone expansion pack, Enemy Territory, which aims to create a more focused and dynamic form of squad-based multiplayer gameplay.
After the success of Acclaim's AFL Live 2003, Electronic Arts and little-known New Zealand developer Sidhe Interactive are set to dive headfirst into a battle for the newly identified market for video games based on Australian sports. Electronic Arts recently announced the development of EA Sports Rugby 2004 (www.easports.com.au) for PlayStation 2 and PC. The game is expected to be released in July 2003, in time for the international rugby season. Sidhe Interactive (www.sidhe.co.nz), on the other hand, is developing a game based on the NRL for PlayStation 2 and PC, and are considering an Xbox version as well.
Fans of the Asheron's Call series will have to bear a small delay before they'll be able to play the long-awaited Asheron's Call 2 online. Microsoft and developer Turbine Entertainment have indicated that the delay for the Australian online market is due to a new, country-specific billing system that does not yet include Australia. Head to www.turbinegames.com for more information.
BioWare has announced two new expansion packs for its critically acclaimed role-playing game Neverwinter Nights, one titled Shadows of Undrentide and another called XP2 as a working title. Both are expected for release in late 2003 and should provide more than 30 hours of new gameplay. BioWare has also just released the version 1.27 patch for the game. It's 4MB in size and can be downloaded through the game's auto-updater. All other information can be found at nwn.bioware.com
Another year, another MechWarrior game. If you're not sure whether this game's worth the money, download the 121MB demo (www.microsoft.com/games/mw4mercs). It contains three single-player maps, two multiplayer maps and five different mechs to command.
© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald