FIREBABY said:
Who are you again? From your comments over the past few days, it seems like you got to play this long before anyone else. And its not a "smart ass" question. just asking. And the driving comments are starting to sound like the "superior controls" arguements a month ago for DMC4.
The driving comments are bullshit is what it is
If one prefers the ps3 controller, then by all means, but for IGN (or anyone for that matter) to be going around making claims that the driving feels better in one version of the game than it does in another is simply blowing smoke up people's asses and trying to fuel the console wars.
Yea I got to play and beat a pre-release (non-final) build of the ps3 version couple days ago so I agree that the ps3 version is awesome, but after seeing both final builds of GTA4 side by side I know now beyond a shadow of a doubt that a lot of sites are playing pretty heavily to the console wars. Both versions are damn near identical. Both versions look amazing and both versions run amazingly well.
If anything, the one thing I will agree with is that the PS3 version has a certain look about it, no doubt helped by the cleanness of it all that helps to give it a very cool look. A look that I will say honestly I prefer over the 360 version's look, but wait because this is usually where all the fanboys go off and start beating the drums of victory. Just because I prefer the look of the PS3 version shouldn't be confused to mean that the 360 version doesn't look downright amazing as well.
There is nothing significantly less appealing in the visuals department for the 360 version. The best way to explain the differences is to say it comes down to personal preference. How serious is the difference? I'll tell you how serious it is. It's like one person preferring MGS4 to have a blue filter and another person preferring MGS4 to have a red or green filter.
The PS3 version has a smoother look to it that just makes it come off as really impressive. The 360 version looks just as good, repeat, just as good, but doesn't come off as smooth looking as the ps3 version because there is a slight difference in how things are handled. The 360 version, in my opinion jumps out at you more, but already knowing how big a leap GTA4 is over previous games in the series one doesn't necessarily need for the game to jump out at you in such a manner to stand out. In this regard I prefer the smoother look that gives the ps3 version a more homey down to earth and, admittedly, realistic look which I feel works best in a game like GTA. This probably wont make sense to some people, but reviewers likely aren't saying the ps3 version looks better because it's pumping out superior graphical features, they are likely saying this because the ps3, of the 2 versions, is using a more subdued style in how it presents the exact same graphical features that can come off as more appealing to certain types of people and looking less like "hey, we have all these improved visual features so we are going to make sure you see them by really making them stand out so our work doesn't go unnoticed"
Most average everyday gamers who look at these games side by side likely wont be able to tell a damn difference between them and it was even hard for me to do, because the slight differences that are there between the 2 versions wasn't immediately apparent to even me. The 360 isn't doing anything less impressive, it's just displaying things in a different way. If anything, the cutscenes are what really help to show the difference. In certain cutscenes the look of the 360 version will make it stand out above the ps3 version, but then in other cutscenes the more subdued look is an advantage for the PS3 version and the 360 version might be looking like it's trying to do too much in a scene where it doesn't require it. This isn't some stealth framerate talk. This is just a difference in visual presentation of the same exact graphical features.
Some reviews need to make that explicitly clear. There are certain blocks for example where the ps3 version will look like it doesn't have textures as high a resolution as the 360 version, but that isn't the case it's just how the PS3 handles the displaying of it. Then there are specific parts in the game where the 360 will look like it's at a disadvantage.
A certain type of lighting and visual filter will work best in some situations and not so well in others.
I'm entirely sure if I take some gamers aside and have them pick a decisive winner between the 2 I would probably end up seeing opinions split between them.
This thing is so touchy you have to be careful what you say, but the muddy that Kotaku calls the ps3 version is probably what I would call subdued, but in many instances that look ends up making the ps3 version look more appealing to me, but then there are times when that may not be the case. But in general, I really like the way the ps3 version is displayed, but both versions are equally impressive. It's a matter of opinion is all. There is no clear cut superior, at least not to me there isn't.