This past 2004 holiday season, gamers saw the release of a huge variety of blockbuster titles on every system imaginable, some of which were platform exclusives. Many third-party publishers have learned that it makes perfect business sense to develop multiple versions of their hit games. As the Xbox® has gained considerable market share (outselling the competition in unit sales this past Christmas), publishers have boosted their support of the console. In the case of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas™ from publisher Rockstar Games, Xbox owners have had to wait patiently for eight months for their taste of thug life on the streets of the fictional city. But as they say, "Good things come to those who wait."
As it turns out, the Xbox version is every bit as good as the original release, and then some. Boasting the same excellent gameplay mechanics and killer storyline, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for Xbox is arguably the best example of what makes this console stand apart from the competition. We take a look at the improved features of the Xbox release and discuss what it means for gamers.
All Details Great and Small It's easy to take the raw horsepower of the Xbox for granted, especially with the Xbox 360™ launch just over the horizon. The fact remains that, since the Xbox is a dedicated gaming platform with plenty of memory and an onboard hard drive that can be used to cache and stream data on the fly, it can process a ton of information. That means the textures found in the Xbox version ofSan Andreas are crisp and detailed.
What are textures, you ask? Every object in the game world is made up of polygons that are stitched together to form 3-D forms called models. In order to give these animated and static objects a more lifelike look, a 2-D texture is applied to the surface. So a building, which is made up of polygons to form a box, has a storefront texture laid on top that "paints" the windows, signs, brick, and other minute details onto it. Less powerful computers or game systems have to use lower quality textures (lower-resolution textures) in order to cover every object onscreen. Since the Xbox has lots of horsepower under the hood, the textures can be beefed up in detail, giving you more realistic eye candy to look at.
Not only are the surfaces in the Xbox version of San Andreas crisper, but the draw distance has been improved. What that means is that while you're screaming down the highway in your low-rider, you see trees, buildings, other cars, pedestrians, road signs, and more far off in the distance, with less "pop-in." This not only creates a more immersive experience, but lends itself to more streamlined gameplay, since cars won't just magically appear right in front of your vehicle. Instead, you see them coming from far away.
Your filthy vision extends for miles.
Play It Again, Sam One of the coolest things about San Andreas' sandbox design is the ability to perform wicked stunts. There are ramps, rooftops, embankments, and bridges all over the place, just begging for you to launch a stolen ride high into the air. The Xbox version has a nifty replay feature that automatically records in-game footage.
How you utilize the replay feature is up to you. You can admire your destructive handiwork and analyze the situation from multiple angles, or you can relive a particularly hilarious run-in against a rival gang. Only the Xbox and PC versions support the instant replay feature.
To the Beat of a Different Drummer Savvy Xbox developers have harnessed what, in this writer's opinion, is perhaps the greatest innovation in console gaming since Xbox Live™: custom soundtracks. This oft-underappreciated feature allows you to rip your CD collection to the Xbox hard drive. While you could just use the music functions of the big black beast as a jukebox to entertain your guests outside of a game, it really shines when you bump your favorite tunesin-game. The gurus at Rockstar North (the game's development studio in Ireland) have harnessed the custom soundtrack feature, with a twist. In the Grand Theft Auto Double Pack, players could stream their own songs by activating a vehicle's "tape deck." The downside to this feature was that while you could customize your own playlist, you'd inevitably miss out on all the hilarious DJ commentary and commercials present on the regular radio stations.
Cap some Russkie mobsters to your favorite tunes.
New to the Xbox version of San Andreas is a custom soundtrack radio mode. So while you're cruising the beach and blasting your own tunes, you hear some of that golden DJ chatter between songs. In other words, you can listen to whatever music you like, and still get the full experience. You can also randomize the songs on your hard drive (without the commercials), or just play album by album. In essence, you can create your own radio station. Is that cool, or what?
