For us pc gamers going through GTA 4 withdraw

[Rob_Merritt]

What would be the best substitue to play?

Godfather
Gun
Mafia

or something else?

[RichardC]

Of those, Mafia, because it's got a pretty good fun style of its own. Never got into Godfather. The other closest one would be Scarface, which is better than you'd expect, but only after a few hours.

[Rob_Merritt]

I didn't list Scarface since I heard the controls are really broken on the pc and can't be reprogramed.

[RichardC]

Hmm. I don't remember them being too bad.

[mono]

Mafia. Now that they've patched out the obnoxious difficulty of the car race mission, there's no reason not to fire it up. Great game, and for a 2002 release it surprisingly rivals a lot of what GTA IV is currently offering. Cool cars, ridable subway system, decent characterization. It should tide you over.

[Omniscia]

Yeah. Mafia's a fine game!

To the above list, I'd also add decent music and art design, as each helps create an atmosphere that feels like what I imagine that era was like.

Watch out for the cops, though, because in this game they'll even pull you over for speeding.

[zengonzo]

I think Godfather really does the territory/empire thing well, if you enjoyed that in San Andreas. There is a lack of car diversity in that one, if you're into driving. The shooting and fighting mechanic is awesome, particularly if you are playing with a gamepad.

Mafia is a great cinema-style game. It has perhaps the strongest narrative going between these options - and you have to actually pay attention to traffic laws and such, which can be very interesting. It lends itself a bit less to open world mayhem and randomness, however.

Gun is strong on the narrative initially, but somewhat degenerates. There is limited open world stuff, and the environments are, logically, much more sparse than in a city. The horse riding and shooting is well-implemented.

Scarface is another one that didn't receive enough attention, in my opinion. Probably seemed like it would be a cheap knock-off, but it really did the trick. It simulates the rise of an empire pretty well, and there's much fun to be had in general.

These games should all be available rather cheaply these days, so you should be able to pick up all of them.

[zengonzo]

Now that they've patched out the obnoxious difficulty of the car race mission, there's no reason not to fire it up.

That race car mission pretty much stopped the game for me. I haven't picked it up again since, sadly. A real shame, it was a brilliant game up to that point.


What could they have been thinking?

[Rob_Merritt]

I had the same issue with Mafia. Got to the race and couldn't get pst it. I've been meaning to try it again someday.

[MarinusWA]

You could cheat the race by making the number 2 have a little "accident". Pretty easy to win then.

[zengonzo]

Yeah, I think there were people offering savegames from just past that mission, but that just felt dirty to me, and I was so turned off after having tried it repeatedly and wondering what was wrong with me. I figured I had to be doing something wrong since the rest of the game was so well developed .. Sometimes don't consider it just might be a game flaw.

Anyhow, I'd love to finish the game, but with Mafia 2 coming out, and IV out now, I don't see it happening.

[zengonzo]

You could cheat the race by making the number 2 have a little "accident". Pretty easy to win then.

Isn't that the mission beforehand? Doesn't everyone do that?

I still couldn't get through it. Always came incredibly close, or would miss one devastating turn. And it was many laps, yes?

[Gordon Cameron]

I haven't played the earlier GTAs much -- played them a bit at a friend's house, just driving around running people over, etc. The recent GTA IV release caused me to get bitten by the bug. Turns out that Steam has a GTA collection (GTA 1-3, Vice City, and San Andreas) all for $30. So, a couple downloads later, I am ready to play these games "properly" for the first time.

[zengonzo]

Not sure if the Steam version allows it, but the San Andreas Multiplayer mod apparently delivers a huge amount of fun.

[Rob_Merritt]

I have all the GTA games on disk and played them but I was thinking about buying the games on steam. Especially for the multi CD games.

[Midnight Son]

MOO2. Because not everyone wants to be a smooth criminal.

[zengonzo]

Poor MoO3.

[BobJustBob]

Just Cause.

[Rob_Merritt]

oo... Just Cause. Forgot about that one. Think its on Gametap as well.

[Roy Ziegler]

Mafia was pretty fun.

[Coca Cola Zero]

What would be the best substitue to play?

Godfather
Gun
Mafia

or something else?


None of those is really anywhere near a substitute for GTA4, IMO. Of the 3 listed, I had the most fun playing Gun (though it is a very short game).

[zengonzo]

Ah, Just Cause.

I wanted to like Just Cause much more than I did, what with the parachuting, dual guns, hood-hopping action. But it didn't carry through for very long, as I just didn't feel like there was enough spontaneous action to use it in.

I'm looking forward to an improved sequel.

[Dan_Theman]

Isn't that the mission beforehand? Doesn't everyone do that?

I still couldn't get through it. Always came incredibly close, or would miss one devastating turn. And it was many laps, yes?
There are other ways of getting around it. I seem to recall one person simply switching the difficulty to "frakkin easy" and then playing through the race that way, and after settng the difficulty back to "normal" or whatever it was called.

As for me, I was fine on the race but the parking garage mission was utterly brutal. I can't count the number of times I reloaded that @#$& mission. Good game, but playing through those missions reminded me of the "Dream Level" in the original Max Payne: it almost killed an otherwise good game for me (and it really did for others).

[Kevin Grey]

I haven't played the others, but GTA4 reminds me of Mafia far more than any of the previous GTAs have. Probably due to the much more cohesive word design, improved plot and characters, and the fact that I actually enjoy the gun combat for a first time in a GTA game. So Mafia would get my vote.

[BDGE]

Mafia. Now that they've patched out the obnoxious difficulty of the car race mission, there's no reason not to fire it up. Great game, and for a 2002 release it surprisingly rivals a lot of what GTA IV is currently offering. Cool cars, ridable subway system, decent characterization. It should tide you over.

They patched that? Wow, that is exactly where I recall yelling "Fuck this game!" and uninstalled due to massive frustration.

[Rock8man]

I would definitely recommend Mafia as well. The thing to remember about Mafia is that it's a linear mobster story set in a big city in the 1930s. The big city just provides the place where the missions take place. It's not like GTA where the city itself is a big playground with lots to do. And if you keep that in mind, Mafia is a wonderful game. One of the best of its kind.

[zengonzo]

Good game, but playing through those missions reminded me of the "Dream Level" in the original Max Payne: it almost killed an otherwise good game for me (and it really did for others).

OMFG what was the point of that?! What a horrible, pointless exercise!

I know these people play the games they make - how could this happen?!

[mono]

Yeah, the Save Point aspect of Mafia was my other big turnoff (I'm one of the folks that downloaded a post-race save game to continue way back when). Some encounters were simply brutal and took me almost a dozen attempts to complete. I really hate a game that doesn't offer quick save. Even GTA4, which I'm enjoying, I can't just shut off when real life calls, without losing a fair amount of progress.

[zengonzo]

Even worse when someone pages you for a multiplayer game, and you're in the middle of an important mission and have no way to communicate 'just five more minutes - out with French Tom'.

[steve]

There's also Total Overdose, which pegs the stupid meter at 11 throughout. (I mean, you get a bonus if you shoot a sombrero off someone's head, and catch it on your own. And nevermind the Mexican wrester power-up.)

Word of warning: Erik Wolpaw and I are the only two people in the world that thought it was awesome.

[Mordrak]

Word of advice for those looking for Mafia, amazon seems to have new copies, but they are 20 dollars. I'm really surprised you can't find it on any of the major digital distribution places (steam, gamer's gate, direct2drive, etc).

[tromik]

I loved Mafia, but I probably liked the things that turned most people off. I loved the cars with the manual transmissions, I loved the speed limits, I loved the turn signals, and all the other little features like that. I really liked the city, too. At the time it seemed so complex compared to GTA3's Liberty City, especially under the bridges.

[Podunk]

There's also Total Overdose, which pegs the stupid meter at 11 throughout. (I mean, you get a bonus if you shoot a sombrero off someone's head, and catch it on your own. And nevermind the Mexican wrester power-up.)

Word of warning: Erik Wolpaw and I are the only two people in the world that thought it was awesome.

This is incorrect. I also thought it was awesome.

It's on Gametap as well, but sadly I don't think it supports widescreen resolutions. It's definitely worth a look.

[Omniscia]

Word of advice for those looking for Mafia, amazon seems to have new copies, but they are 20 dollars. I'm really surprised you can't find it on any of the major digital distribution places (steam, gamer's gate, direct2drive, etc).

$20? Geez... I found a copy just a few months ago for $6 or so, at Big Lots.

Terrible store, but once in a while they get a gem or two. Psychonauts used to be in ready supply there.

By the way, it's as little as $10.51 (plus shipping) on Amazon if you buy it as part of the Maximum Underworld double-pack, with Max Payne.

[datter]

Another vote for Mafia here, which was one of my all time favorite games. Here's hoping Mafia 2 will be at least as good if not better.

[Supertanker]

Word of warning: Erik Wolpaw and I are the only two people in the world that thought it was awesome.

Make that three, I loved that game.

[malkav11]

Yeah, Total Overdose is awesome. I don't think I'd play it GTA-style, though. Running around collecting all the little hidden powerups and such gets pretty boring pretty fast - the world just isn't that interesting. You can just skip straight to the next mission, and should, because the missions are where it's at.

Scarface's controls didn't bother me, and the empire-building elements are really wonderful. It's not as good an all around experience as Vice City or San Andreas (haven't played IV), but you actually feel like a criminal boss with all the henchmen you can acquire and the limo you can call up to instantly transfer to save points and so on. In fact, though you can jack cars, it's much simpler and easier to have your driver grab one of your fleet of customized, toughed-up, arsenal-in-the-trunk cars that you own and drive it to you. Whereupon he sticks around to provide extra firepower. Also, being able to shoot people in the testicles (individually! and you get points for it!) is a very important plus. And you can have hilarious conversations with every individual civilian model. I just wish their handling of cops was a little less broken.

[Rob_Merritt]

There's also Total Overdose, which pegs the stupid meter at 11 throughout. (I mean, you get a bonus if you shoot a sombrero off someone's head, and catch it on your own. And nevermind the Mexican wrester power-up.)

Word of warning: Erik Wolpaw and I are the only two people in the world that thought it was awesome.

Its on gametap and I've tried playing it. I liked the humor but it seemed really buggy. Control was flakey and it crashed often.

[unbongwah]

Just Cause.
I'm in the surreal position of agreeing with BJB, which causes me to question my grip on reality.

In fact, I'll go a step further and say that of all the open-world-ish sandbox-y games I've played, Just Cause is probably my favorite. If GTA is like getting to run wild in the Sopranos, JC is more like running wild in Rodriguez's Mariachi trilogy.

[malkav11]

I'm in the surreal position of agreeing with BJB, which causes me to question my grip on reality.

In fact, I'll go a step further and say that of all the open-world-ish sandbox-y games I've played, Just Cause is probably my favorite. If GTA is like getting to run wild in the Sopranos, JC is more like running wild in Rodriguez's Mariachi trilogy.

Dude. Total Overdose. It even has Mariachi-inspired powerup(s).

[idrisz]

hmm I just realized that Title of the thread is wrong, you can't go into withdrawal for something you never experienced..

[zengonzo]

I just wish their handling of cops was a little less broken.

Yep. Once you got the speed boat, cops became irrelevant.

Shoot target, jump into water, summon speed boat.

Perhaps should've been more boat-based cops ..

[tiohn]

Since it's happened twice now:

The word you are looking for is withdrawal.

[Jon Rowe]

I just bought San Andreas for PC, and am playing through it for the first time.

[Omniscia]

hmm I just realized that Title of the thread is wrong, you can't go into withdrawal for something you never experienced..

So what is the proper term, then? Deprivation?

[idrisz]

So what is the proper term, then? Deprivation?

yearning?

maybe??

I sucked at english.

[MikeSolita]

Is there anyone here who honestly only games on PC? I love the platform as much as the next guy, but ... seriously. The price of a video card opens up an entirely new spectrum of games you won't get on PC. Especially a PS3 or Wii. I've put WoW-ish hours into MLB 08 and GTA4. It's slightly scary.

[zengonzo]

It's just a matter of taste, I wager.

[idrisz]

I got all the current-gen consoles including the Wii, but nothing like PC gaming.
ability to change key binding. Graphic tends to be always better on the PC ports other than capcom ports!!!!

they need to release FPS on ps3 that allow K+M inputs.

[Rob_Merritt]

Is there anyone here who honestly only games on PC? I love the platform as much as the next guy, but ... seriously. The price of a video card opens up an entirely new spectrum of games you won't get on PC. Especially a PS3 or Wii. I've put WoW-ish hours into MLB 08 and GTA4. It's slightly scary.


I perfer to play on pc and will go out of my way to get a pc version.

[Rob_Merritt]

hmm I just realized that Title of the thread is wrong, you can't go into withdrawal for something you never experienced..

I said GTA 4, not GTA IV. So I could be talking about Vice City. Plus withdraw is wrong so maybe I was inventing a new concept. Bet ya didn't think about that, now did ya?

(wish we could edit titles)

[Peter Olafson]

If you can wait a bit, Saint's Row 2 is in the works for PC. (Amazon's listing a date of 8/26.) :)

Peter

[Rob_Merritt]

If you can wait a bit, Saint's Row 2 is in the works for PC. (Amazon's listing a date of 8/26.) :)

Peter

That would be good. :)

[NowhereDan]

So what is the proper term, then? Deprivation?

Envy.

[Mordrak]

Envy.

Ya. :( Hurry Rockstar, get GTAIV on Steam before EA gets to you!

[MarinusWA]

Isn't that the mission beforehand? Doesn't everyone do that?

I still couldn't get through it. Always came incredibly close, or would miss one devastating turn. And it was many laps, yes?

No I ment the number 2 guy in the race. This is the car that always beats you. So if you bumped into him at the right spot in the race he would fly off into the bushes and wasn't to be seen after that. The other cars are easy to beat.

[malkav11]

Yep. Once you got the speed boat, cops became irrelevant.

Shoot target, jump into water, summon speed boat.

Perhaps should've been more boat-based cops ..

That's not what I meant (I don't think I ever got that far). I meant the part where you have a limited time to get out of the radius of the police search or invisible machine guns will just shoot you dead out of nowhere. The radius bit is clever. The automatic inescapable death is not.

[Gordon Cameron]

Is there anyone here who honestly only games on PC?

I don't see any reason to phrase this as something so horribly unreasonable. There are more PC games than I have time to play, so I don't have a strong incentive to shell out yet another $300 or however much to buy an additional system on which I can buy more games that will clog up my backlog. It's not a question of having a willful desire not to play console games, and I gladly take up the controller when I'm at a friend's house.

I presume GTA IV will come out on the PC eventually and I am in no hurry. Or, if it doesn't, maybe I will finally get around to Dwarf Fortress... Mount and Blade... NWN2 Mask of the Betrayer... NWN 1 Hordes of the Underdark... Company of Heroes... Xcom!! Star Control 2!! Ultima Underworld 2!!!! and on and on.

[intruder]

Is there anyone here who honestly only games on PC? I love the platform as much as the next guy, but ... seriously. The price of a video card opens up an entirely new spectrum of games you won't get on PC. Especially a PS3 or Wii. I've put WoW-ish hours into MLB 08 and GTA4. It's slightly scary.


I mostly play on PC only.
I bought a PS2 a while ago to play must-have games that were not ported (like Okami, GoW etc.). I bought a DS and PSP recenly but for traveling only. And I picked up some Xbox 360 games cheap that I intend to play in a few years when the console price is like $150 or something.

I don't like to sit on the couch while playing games. I prefer sitting on a desk in a good chair.
I also suck with gamepads and my hands hurt after some hours (never with mouse + keyboard which I used for more than 24 hours without breaks sometimes).

[Juste]

There's also Total Overdose, which pegs the stupid meter at 11 throughout. (I mean, you get a bonus if you shoot a sombrero off someone's head, and catch it on your own. And nevermind the Mexican wrester power-up.)

Word of warning: Erik Wolpaw and I are the only two people in the world that thought it was awesome.

No you're not, that game was awsome :)

[unbongwah]

Dude. Total Overdose. It even has Mariachi-inspired powerup(s).
I tried the demo: looked like it could be fun, but it's not really an open-world game the way Just Cause is, is it?

[Nellie]

Is there anyone here who honestly only games on PC?
I don't only game on the PC, but GTA is a game that I'd end up getting on the PC as it's basically single player sat round the console as far as I can tell.

If it can be played 2 player from the sofa and the GF doesn't hate it then I'll pick up on the console(s) otherwise it's PC for me.

[spiffy]

GTA4 is the first game I've bought rather than borrowed for the xbox360, other than Viva Pinata for my girlfriend, so it's the first game I've put serious attention into playing.

My impressions, purely from a technical standpoint are: graphically, I want to upgrade the 360 with a new video card. If this were on my PC I'd immediately up the resolution, anistropic filtering and jack the AA to 4x. I currently have to set my HDTV to 'cinema' mode to blur out the shimmering and the jaggies. I have to pump up the contrast to see anything in shadowy areas, And my 42" TV, sitting six feet away, feels so small and distant compared to sitting right up to my (much smaller) moniter. PC withdrawal I guess, but PC graphics have spoiled me, even as my current machine is getting long in the tooth.

The controls are frustrating. Not so much in vehicle, gamepad does well for that (although when you get to shooting people out the window things get busy fast). But on foot, it's a real mess compared to the ease I had moving, targetting and shooting in every other GTA game I've played on PC with M+K. The auto-target is even more unwieldy, never quite letting me hit what I want to, so I wind up turning it off and painfully recorrecting my reticle through molasses.

If there were a PC version available right now, I'd jump on that bandwagon right now, for control and the graphical aspects. However, seeing as it's not for a long long time, and how awesomely fun the game is, I'll put it with it; it's fun enough that I don't regret the purchase at all, and is the first game that gratifies my purchase of a console. I'm looking forward to the free month of Live when enough of my friends have picked it up.

[MarinusWA]

Is there anyone here who honestly only games on PC?
*wave*

[Brian Rubin]

There's also Total Overdose, which pegs the stupid meter at 11 throughout. (I mean, you get a bonus if you shoot a sombrero off someone's head, and catch it on your own. And nevermind the Mexican wrester power-up.)

Word of warning: Erik Wolpaw and I are the only two people in the world that thought it was awesome.
Make that three. ;) Loved that game. :) Need to revisit it...

[Podunk]

Make that three. ;) Loved that game. :) Need to revisit it...

I think it's actually up to five or six of us now. :)