Grand Theft Auto IV
- Carry on the Grand Theft Auto tradition playing through the single player campaign as Niko Bellic
- Get cars and other modes of transportation anyway you can
- Interact with various colorful characters who give you various missions to engage in
- Engage in multiplayer challenges ranging from cover matches to shoot-outs
- Game Rated ‘M’ due to Intense Violence, Blood, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Partial Nudity, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
List Price: $ 29.99
Price: $ 19.99
Finally. Addiontal Notes. Battery took about 2 hours to fully charge. It does last for around 7- 8 hours in normal use. I usually only game for 3 hours tops so its in and out of the anyway Reference Notes. I compared this headset to the MGS4 BT, Jawbone 1, Logitech ps2 usb mic. My phone is a blackberry bold, and has exceptional bluetooth range/ clarity. Games used to test the mic were socom, and Guitar hero.
The Benefits of Blu-ray in Playstation 3 Games
If you have followed the recent development in the entertainment industry, especially video and games, you then know that times are changing yet once again. There was a time when the latest technology in video was called Beta (Betamax) which was replaced by VHS which in term was upgraded to digital video in the form of DVD. This last format is not only used as a standard by the video industry but by the computer and gaming industry as well.
The main advantage of DVD over VHS and tapes is that the data can be stored for years without suffering any distortion, the storage capacity is greater and the video quality improved tremendously. When it comes to data storage, DVD discs come in 4.7GB versions for a single layer disc and 9GB for dual layers which increases the amount of data that can be recorded on a single disc. Current Playstation 3 games use the DVD technology in order to offer better graphics in extremely complex games, however a new format has emerged which is changing the way digital (HD) video and games are recorded. The two formats which are considered the upgrade of DVD discs are HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Companies which manufacture video players and data readers have recently adopted the Blu-Ray format as the new standard.
Blu-Ray offers many benefits over DVD, for instance a dual layer DVD can hold up to 9GB of data, Blu-Ray on the other hand can hold 25GB per layer! that means that a single layer Blu-ray disk can hold almost 3 times more information than the largest DVD disc (9GB dual layer) and the dual layer blu-Ray disc can hold up to 50GB of information! such numbers are truly impressive for a single disc; but that’s not all, this new format is truly “future proof” since it has support for multiple layers which can enable a single disk to hold between 100-200GB
So what do these facts and numbers mean to the PS3 gaming community? Simple, if you liked the video resolution in PS3 games which are currently designed and distributed on DVD, then just imagine playing the same game in high definition with improved digital sound and bigger worlds. 50GB discs can improve a game in every aspect as much as 5.5 times and a 200GB disc can hold information for an incredibly huge game which could be as much as 22 times better than the current DVD based PS3 version.
As you see, this type of technology is literally changing the way games are made and movies recorded. Blu-ray technology allows movie makers to include every single detail of their production and still have plenty of space to include extra footage. Game designers and programmers will also enjoy the benefits of having nearly unlimited space with discs which are extremely flexible in terms of storage capacity (25-50-100-200GB) Playstation 3 games and the technology @#$%ociated with it is relatively new so you can expect future versions to use the Blu-Ray technology to its full capacity in order to deliver HD graphics and take your favorite games to a whole new level.
Body1.co.uk provides more information about the changes in PS3 games made possible by this exciting new format. Learn how Playstation 3 games will be improved by the Blu-Ray technology, visit us today!
Used games in Xtra-vision
Image by Cian Ginty
Surprising amount of used PlayStation 3 games – Xbox 360 games in stacks of two and three while the far younger PS3 games are stacked three or more along side each other.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Review by Your Mother/pot3ntial2suck for Grand Theft Auto IV
Let it be said that I’ve never liked GTA. But I decided to get GTA4 after reading several articles about the change in direction they were taking and my god, has it paid off. This game is PHENOMENAL.
The Good:
Graphics-
Even though this game is running at 640p and is upscaled on PS3, this is a BEAUTIFUL game. It has some of the best and most natural looking water and light effects I’ve ever seen that appear photorealistic at times. I often stop and just stare at the waves or park and watch the sun hitting the road as it sets.
Story-
The voice acting is top notch and the cast has some truly memorable characters. This is one of the few games where I actually have an emotional response when things happen to the main characters…which is no small feat. Sometimes you have to make choices whether someone lives or dies and I found myself really struggling with the decision I thought was appropriate to my character. The pacing is great too. Just as you are getting satisfied with a particular location, you get access to a new islands and contacts so things always feel fresh.
Gameplay-
Thankfully, they eliminated all the things that made past GTAs tedious. No more going to the gym to lift weights, no more being forced to drive twenty minutes across town to do a mission. Finally, you can take a cab and opt to skip the driving when you are in a rush. They’ve also added a much needed cover system where tapping R1 will let you take cover behind virtually any object. This leads to some truly epic shootouts that will literally have you diving for cover.
They also made your cell phone the menu for the game and you rarely have to leave the game world immersion. Just call up your friends for missions or hanging out and watch Niko talk to them while he walks around the city. You can even buy ringtones, themes, and even get a camera phone and organizer.
There are also 200 music tracks on a dozen radio stations with great music and talk shows on all of them. You can waste hours watching TV at your house, going on dates to see shows or play pool and darts, or you can fool around on dozens of webpages at the internet cafe. Basically, there is a ton of depth here that will give the game dozens of hours of extra traction.
Multiplayer-
Just whip out your cell phone in the single player and hop right in to over 14 online game modes. Imagine running around New York with 15 friends and playing paintball in the streets. To just be able to hop into the whole of Liberty City and do ANYTHING is so fun and chaotic words can’t describe it. Just last night, I joined Free Mode, where there are no rules. I proceeded to blow up 3 cop cars and run over a flock of pedestrians before getting plowed over by another player who had stolen a commuter bus and was on a rampage in Times Square. That was just the first 10 minutes. And I was having a blast that even my wife couldn’t turn away from.
The Bad:
Other than minor framerate and A.I. glitches, my biggest complaint is that the game does some unnecessary forced loading. When you die on a mission instead of just asking you if you want to retry it, you die, it loads a respawn at the hospital and THEN you are asked to retry the mission, which leads to another load screen.
Every time you launch the game, you are forced to sit through a 2 minute intro movie. I suspect this is to distract you while the game loads in the background more than it is to set a mood, but it would still have been nice to be able to skip it sometimes.
Other than that, the clothing selection feature remains terrible. You have no way to quickly cycle through your wardrobe without having to spend 2-5 seconds loading each new outfit. If you’re like me, you bought every outfit as soon as you could only to learn that you had to cycle through every single one anytime you wanted to change clothes. And other than buying clothes, money has absolutely no value in this game. For some reason, they didn’t include a casino or the option to buy property, so you amass all this wealth and have virtually nothing to spend it on at the end of the game’s main story.
The Verdict:
That said, the sheer freedom and realism of this game signal a landmark in gaming and anyone who likes video games should buy this game. It is the most fun I’ve ever had with a video game and provides 100+ hours of entertainment for sixty bucks. Despite a few flaws, the amount of content, fun, and depth of this game make it virtually flawless and worth your money.
Review by Yossarian for Grand Theft Auto IV
Just when you think you have Rockstar Games and their legendary Grand Theft Auto series figured out, they pitch you one heck of a curve. Speaking as a guy who spent so much time running amok in Vice City and San Andreas that I practically had to file tax returns there, I have been consistently surprised by the depth of play in GTA IV. Yes, it’s true that the character modeling and some of the action moves are a little choppy, but most of the game looks great. Far more interesting, however, is the fact that this is not a video game per se – it borders on an interactive movie. The crime and violence in fuzzy-lit, pastel colored Vice City is practically cartoonish compared to the gritty reality of life in Liberty City in GTA IV. You’re not just a thug with a bat trying to decide which car to lift, you’re an immigrant with plenty of emotional baggage, forced into a series of moral quandries the outcomes of which carry implications throughout the entire game. Things you do even turn up later on the in-game radio stations!
Every generation of game console, some game is proclaimed the next coming, be it of graphics, or gameplay, or some other measurable category. GTA IV is different. You can wallow in the muck of street violence and prostitution as always, but there’s a deeper moral play going on that feels unlike anything else I’ve encountered not only in GTA, but in video games in general. Rockstar Games may have finally located that most ephemeral of experiences – one equal parts game and cinema, without belonging entirely to either. It’s going to be interesting to see how many critics and politicians seize on only the overt, adult content, without grasping how far more creative and artistic this “game” is than your average deadening FPS or racing game. Rockstar Games is to be commended for what truly deserves to be called “genius.”
Review by Sardith for Grand Theft Auto IV
Usually, when they make a highly anticipated sequel to a much-loved video game franchise, the list of available activities goes up. It seems to me that with GTA IV, that list actually went down. Anyone agree?
I waited anxiously for GTA IV just like many other gamers. I have only been playing it for a few days, and I am already 50% of the way through. After playing GTA: San Andreas for a few days, I was thrilled to discover that I was only about 20% of the way through and still had not revealed the entire map! More detail at the sake of less space to explore = “Looks great. Sure wish it was bigger.”
One of the most exciting moments in my video gaming history was discovering that you could finally steal the airplanes in GTA: San Andreas! One of the most disappointing moments in my video gaming history was discovering that they had eliminated this from GTA IV! What a perfect opportunity to make the flight ceiling higher and the destinations more interesting! Sorry, turns out it’s back down to one smallish city. Plus, realizing that you could jump of of planes and sky-dive was freakin’ sweet! Not happening this time around.
The controls for the various vehicles seem to have become more difficult. (More realistic?) I preferred being able to grab the handbrake and execute crisp turns and 180′s to the new “touch the handbrake and spin out” scheme that exists now. And the motorcycles? It seems they’ve switched the reasonably grippy tires they normally used with tractionless rings of plastic.
And where have the fire-truck and ambulance missions gone? What about the ability to swim under water? Why haven’t I been able to carry around a samurai sword or a chainsaw? Where is the flame-thrower? And what a great location the new Liberty City would have been for a jet-pack!
GTA IV seems to be a lot of “been there, done that” with very little new to keep the legions of fans happy. It will sell a billion copies because of the name it carries, but overall, this game is a disappointment.
Review by Mark H. Housley for Grand Theft Auto IV
It’s a good game generally speaking. However, for those who are glad to see the large forest/field areas gone… I truly miss them. There are few places in GTA4 where you can really open up and jump off cliffs into rivers, or just basically do crazy stuff out in the woods. I think there is one or two places you can even find trees in GTA4. San Andreas was so much fun… so many different areas… city, urban, rural, it was like 4 different games in one. The jetpacks, jet fighters, helicopters, tanks and many other vehicles made this game not only fun but DAMN fun. Oh yeah, and lets not forget about skydiving into military bases to steal jet fighters. When I played GTA4, I felt like I was a bad guy for being a bad guy. I want to feel good about being bad.
The graphics, of course is phenomnal which makes it even more of a shame that a lot of the out of this world stuff are missing.
I bought it, played it, and beat it… so did I like it, yes. Could I have loved it… yes… did I? No.
Review by D. Hentze for Grand Theft Auto IV
I don’t know how some review sites can give this game a perfect 10 rating. It is a great game, but far from perfect. The PS3 version suffers from several technical problems that have been pointed out here ad nauseam. One patch has already been released, and hopefully future patches will fix the rest of the problems. As for the game itself, it’s one of the best ever. It’s definitely a solid “9″, but far from a 10. If you can wait awhile and avoid the hype, you may be better off waiting until most of the major problems are fixed. Online play has been partially fixed, but it still isn’t perfect.
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