rjkclarke Posted September 10, 2021 Share Posted September 10, 2021 (edited) 17 hours ago, KindaSabbath said: it's hard wanting to play anything when you've just had an experience with a game, like you just did. Probably even more so when you know you will be writing about the next game. I'll say this: take your time bro. When you wanna play something, play it. If not, don't. But do not feel like you need to deliver on the same level with your next write up, if the game ends up being a far inferior experience. You're a talented writer. Not every game will be quite as demanding of your talent as Final Fantasy IX. Whatever you write next will be top quality, regardless. I have no doubt. Even if the next game you play, you end up writing: Yeah fuck this game, I wasn't feeling it, it sucks ass compared to FF IX and then proceed to *insert a bit of routine info on the game here* - I'm sure you would word it in such a way, it would still be awesome! I've just about shaken that feeling off now,thankfully - so I'm off to start Beholder 2. Thanks for all the massive words of encouragement though I really appreciate it. You should consider becoming a motivational speaker - in fact many of the people here should probably consider that! That's true about not everything being as demanding as that Final Fantasy IX review. I put about as much effort into it, as I did when I reviewed the PS2 era Tomb Raider HD trilogy in my thread about a month ago - that was an absolute blast to write, but I was a bit frazzled by the end of that week 10 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: It was Cannoli, last mission, and then the last few motorcycle courses I needed for the hundo. I must admit that as happy as I was to be done, it wasn't the healthy "holy fuck, wasn't that a good time!" I had been hoping for. I needed a break after that, and for whatever reason I didn't give myself one. Masochist, I suppose. Yeah I was the same - felt a bit underwhelming to be honest. I did it in a weirder way I got the hundo, started a new playthrough for Take the Canoli - then all I had left was to get that trophy where you've gotta perform quite a long wheelie. Thought it'd be easier to do Canoli that way, because the method where you just blow stuff up with cheats was really starting to bore me senseless. So I went with the method where you can just leave your console on whilst the sea sparrow fires into a box haha - seemed a bit less soul crushing. 10 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: As will I! Can't tell you how surprisingly grateful I was to be able to complete those games yet again. And you guessed right, I would be all over it! I'm still surprised at how uninterested they seem in reviving that, though from what I understand the soundtrack and voice acting might be a financially unpleasant thing for them to revisit and deal with - just a shame they haven't been running off with bags of money thanks to GTAO and don't at all have the means to address those issues Loved IV, and I love Vice City, but I must attest to the extraordinarily boring conclusion that San Andreas is my favorite. But Vice City, with San Andreas-and-beyond mechanics? No.. shh!! That is LEGEND. I know...... If only Rockstar were a bigger studio or something ?.... Nothing wrong with having San Andreas as your favourite - Vice City only just beats that out for me anyway. They are both fantastic games - San Andreas for it's time was absolutely insane how much content was put into that game, and how much of it is also, actually very good content. It holds up really well, even - what, 18 years later? Something like that. The best ones are always the timeless ones. 10 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: Haha speaking of button mashing, I tried it on the sped up mode thinking I could just hit the button as fast as I could... and no, no. Glad I wasn't the only one that had that genius idea backfire in their face - judging by that, you and I would probably fall for that trick where you look down a telescope and end up with a black eye ? 10 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: I bought the package with 0 and the kiwamis and the plan remains to complete the three and call it a day. My backlog is deep enough as it is, and I'm not tryin to get a 7+ game franchise not named Final Fantasy thrown into the mix.. but who knows? I'm so impressed with 0 thus far, and while I'm aware of the Kiwami backstory and that I shouldn't expect as much from it, I'm still really excited to see where the story takes me. I mean shit, Vice City is an original PS2 title and look at the crap that got us to do! We'll see how hooked you get....You gotta do what's right for you after all. Sometimes you've gotta know when to draw the line with these kind of things after all. It's something that I should do myself. I'm just hoping someone creates whatever pill they gave Carl in Beholder 1 where he doesn't need to sleep anymore. I don't sleep much as it is, but I'd like to y'know have some functionality go along with that. Don't go into Kiwami with low expectations or anything - it's a tremendous game. One which I hope you really enjoy. I just think Yakuza 0 is the absolute peak of the series so far, although Kiwami 2 does give it a run for it's money I'll admit. 10 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: Join the next one! Hell, you could probably even join the current one, just ask! It is a lot of fun, and I credit the Spring one I did last year with getting me out of my shell in this place. I also owe it a huge debt for getting me to knock out a large chunk of my backlog - games like Manhunt that I touched once, balked at the controls and fucked off from, never thinking I'd get a plat out of it, ended up getting finished because I knew that I'd committed to it. Doo it, doo it! Shit, still gotta finish Res 5, revisit 0, 1, 4, and possibly Code Veronica, and play 3. All of those will come and go before I even consider 6 Wise words on RE6 my friend... Then I'd probably make up a different excuse not to play it if I eventually managed to make it through all of those games.Like " I erm, I....... Have to mow my lawn with a pair of blunt scissors, I have a very special type of grass that won't allow any other kind of maintenance" It does sound like a good idea to try and get in on that event - I'll go message MidnightDragon, if it's not okay then I can always jump aboard the next one - but I definitely need some sort of a kick up the arse to get me to actually cut my backlog down a bit further, instead of - well just adding to it. I feel like I owe that event a debt of gratitude for getting you out of your shell - because it's been a blast just shooting the breeze with you the last month or so. Edited September 11, 2021 by rjkclarke 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 11, 2021 Author Share Posted September 11, 2021 (edited) 18 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I feel like I owe that event a debt of gratitude for getting you out of your shell - because it's been a blast just shooting the breeze with you the last month or so. I DON'T DESERVE YOU??? Thanks man, so have I! You're a sweet fella, and I hope you know you deserve to be reminded of this regularly! 18 hours ago, rjkclarke said: Yeah I was the same - felt a bit underwhelming to be honest. I did it in a weirder way I got the hundo, started a new playthrough for Take the Canoli - then all I had left was to get that trophy where you've gotta perform quite a long wheelie. Thought it'd be easier to do Canoli that way, because the method where you just blow stuff up with cheats was really starting to bore me senseless. So I went with the method where you can just leave your console on whilst the sea sparrow fires into a box haha - seemed a bit less soul crushing. I took the explosion cheat route.. I guess there really is no easy way to go about that one. It was definitely soul draining - it does one of the worst things that a game can do, it makes you feel like you're at work. I guess it will serve as a warm-up to 10,000 kills? Same as you though, the experience overall did nothing to diminish my love of the game itself! Just served as a lesson that there is not a uniformity among peeps who make these trophy lists... some are so kind and forgiving and shower you with gold trophies (......maybe a poor choice of words there) for simply playing the game, and then others are CLEARLY fuckin with us and wanna see the lengths we players will go to for sake of completion! 18 hours ago, rjkclarke said: Glad I wasn't the only one that had that genius idea backfire in their face - judging by that, you and I would probably fall for that trick where you look down a telescope and end up with a black eye I felt like such an idiot??? This was me trying that, thinkin I was bein slick.. 18 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I'm just hoping someone creates whatever pill they gave Carl in Beholder 1 where he doesn't need to sleep anymore. I don't sleep much as it is, but I'd like to y'know have some functionality go along with that. THIS. Also I love how they just trotted that little chestnut out right at the beginning of the game, like a deus ex machina in advance? 18 hours ago, rjkclarke said: It does sound like a good idea to try and get in on that event - I'll go message MidnightDragon, if it's not okay then I can always jump aboard the next one - but I definitely need some sort of a kick up the arse to get me to actually cut my backlog down a bit further, instead of - well just adding to it. YES! I saw that, I'm really excited to have you on board, it's gonna be a lot of fun? Edited September 11, 2021 by YaManSmevz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 (edited) 9 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: I took the explosion cheat route.. I guess there really is no easy way to go about that one. It was definitely soul draining - it does one of the worst things that a game can do, it makes you feel like you're at work. I guess it will serve as a warm-up to 10,000 kills? Same as you though, the experience overall did nothing to diminish my love of the game itself! Just served as a lesson that there is not a uniformity among peeps who make these trophy lists... some are so kind and forgiving and shower you with gold trophies (......maybe a poor choice of words there) for simply playing the game, and then others are CLEARLY fuckin with us and wanna see the lengths we players will go to for sake of completion! I was doing the explosion cheat route - but then I was very quickly getting hacked off by the fact that I kept screwing up and having to get more Sea Sparrows to put on the roof of that building. Amazing how fast you can input that cheat after a while though right! Doing it that way seemed to be taking me so long - in reality it probably wasn't half as bad as I thought it was at the time. I suspect you probably had the brighter idea and stuck with doing it that way, instead of starting a whole new playthrough and recollecting 80 hidden packages - and all the other strange things you have to do to get Take the Canoli at the start. That's a great point about the people making the lists, just toying with us a little bit haha - it's probably very true. They are probably lying back in their baths of money, going look at those chumps standing on a roof inputting a cheat until their faces turn wrinkly - NEEEEEEEEEERDS. 9 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: I felt like such an idiot??? This was me trying that, thinkin I was bein slick.. Man - you absolutely crack me up - what is that even from? I'm sure I've seen it before. I think I made like 11 jumps at triple speed before I noped out of there. It's a shame we couldn't slow down the time, that would have made it ridiculously easy. 9 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: THIS. Also I love how they just trotted that little chestnut out right at the beginning of the game, like a deus ex machina in advance? It's probably better that they did - otherwise you'd have people scrutinising it, with a pair of dick head specs on going "erm - well actually, how does that work then when Carl doesn't sleep..... Plus The Incredible Hulk isn't at all realistic because I've never once seen him eat breakfast or use the toilet, or drink a glass of water.... It so breaks the immersion." .... That escalated pretty quick, but I get really frustrated when people get pedantic like that, even ones I've just made up in my own head Dude, on the subject of Beholder 2... I am proper hooked - I really ought to be a sensible person and go to sleep, but I so want to play some more of it for a while - I really liked the first one, but I LOVE this one... it feels like such a huge progression, compared to the first - which I obviously thought was stellar too. I'm so glad you and realm got me interested in playing it. 9 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: YES! I saw that, I'm really excited to have you on board, it's gonna be a lot of fun? I definitely think it will be - bring it on! Edited September 12, 2021 by rjkclarke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 12, 2021 Author Share Posted September 12, 2021 1 hour ago, rjkclarke said: I was doing the explosion cheat route - but then I was very quickly getting hacked off by the fact that I kept screwing up and having to get more Sea Sparrows to put on the roof of that building. Amazing how fast you can input that cheat after a while though right! Doing it that way seemed to be taking me so long - in reality it probably wasn't half as bad as I thought it was at the time. I suspect you probably had the brighter idea and stuck with doing it that way, instead of starting a whole new playthrough and recollecting 80 hidden packages - and all the other strange things you have to do to get Take the Canoli at the start. I weighed the options, and as much as I hated getting all the helicopters, cramming them into the garage, getting up top the building and hitting the code over and over til I had to repeat the process cuz the damn things kept coming out of the garage and disappearing... I actually preferred that over hunting down the packages all over again. ESPECIALLY the ones near bodies of water! Like I mentioned before, both methods suck, and I don't think either of us got off easy? 1 hour ago, rjkclarke said: Man - you absolutely crack me up - what is that even from? I'm sure I've seen it before. I think I made like 11 jumps at triple speed before I noped out of there. It's a shame we couldn't slow down the time, that would have made it ridiculously easy. That's from Aqua Teen Hungerforce! Sometimes I'll think of a specific gag from a show, cross my fingers and Google images for it. Every once in a while, someone has been kind enough to have done all the work already! 1 hour ago, rjkclarke said: It's probably better that they did - otherwise you'd have people scrutinising it, with a pair of dick head specs on going "erm - well actually, how does that work then when Carl doesn't sleep..... Plus The Incredible Hulk isn't at all realistic because I've never once seen him eat breakfast or use the toilet, or drink a glass of water.... It so breaks the immersion." .... That escalated pretty quick, but I get really frustrated when people get pedantic like that, even ones I've just made up in my own head I suspect there are just some people who value trying to look smart over permitting suspension of disbelief to let them just forget about reality and have a good time. Of course there are things so egregious that it merits a call out sometimes, but these are the kind of people that would be like "Rocket League?? Well ACTUALLY cars can't fly, and they don't make soccer balls that big. Sounds like a bullshit game to me." 1 hour ago, rjkclarke said: Dude, on the subject of Beholder 2... I am proper hooked - I really ought to be a sensible person and go to sleep, but I so want to play some more of it for a while - I really liked the first one, but I LOVE this one... it feels like such a huge progression, compared to the first - which I obviously thought was stellar too. I'm so glad you and realm got me interested in playing it. I'm so glad to hear that! There were a few things I missed from the first game, but by and large it was a massive step forward and such a joy to play. The world feels SO much more fleshed out, and I particularly enjoyed the references to the first one. I feel you on gettin hooked, you can't help but to keep playing haha.. you're gonna have this one wrapped up in no time! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 On 12/09/2021 at 5:37 AM, YaManSmevz said: I weighed the options, and as much as I hated getting all the helicopters, cramming them into the garage, getting up top the building and hitting the code over and over til I had to repeat the process cuz the damn things kept coming out of the garage and disappearing... I actually preferred that over hunting down the packages all over again. ESPECIALLY the ones near bodies of water! Like I mentioned before, both methods suck, and I don't think either of us got off easy Oops - I'm just realising I never replied to this, I must have had a fever dream that I had or something. My bad!! No we didn't get off easy - but we did get a platinum in a game we both love out of it - so in a way it was worth it, we'll always have that - well that and callouses on our hands from inputting a cheat code too many times. I must have done it for a good couple of hours before I gave up. On 12/09/2021 at 5:37 AM, YaManSmevz said: That's from Aqua Teen Hungerforce! Sometimes I'll think of a specific gag from a show, cross my fingers and Google images for it. Every once in a while, someone has been kind enough to have done all the work already! I definitely hadn't seen it then - I had to google what that show was... That sounds like a bonkers show - I don't know that we ever got that over here, not on terrestrial TV anyway. That's when google is definitely your friend when you stick something in - even with a very vague description and sometimes come out the other side finding a nice picture gif or video that had everything you wanted to post already there for you. On 12/09/2021 at 5:37 AM, YaManSmevz said: I suspect there are just some people who value trying to look smart over permitting suspension of disbelief to let them just forget about reality and have a good time. Of course there are things so egregious that it merits a call out sometimes, but these are the kind of people that would be like "Rocket League?? Well ACTUALLY cars can't fly, and they don't make soccer balls that big. Sounds like a bullshit game to me." Those types of people tend to be some of the most boring people you could ever have the misfortune of encountering in my experience - they wouldn't know fun or humour if it ran them down in a three wheeled multi coloured clown car. Their last words would still be " typically Cars don't even have three wheels..... Technically it's not a even a car, it's a tricyc.........ARGH!" As the clown car screeches into the distance honking an air horn. The same person who would say that about Rocket League - would also switch off the bit in E.T where they decide to go flying....... Provided they'd also managed to ignore the other parts containing the alien that looks like he's primarily made out of faecal matter. On a stupid side note - E.T absolutely terrified me as a child. On 12/09/2021 at 5:37 AM, YaManSmevz said: I'm so glad to hear that! There were a few things I missed from the first game, but by and large it was a massive step forward and such a joy to play. The world feels SO much more fleshed out, and I particularly enjoyed the references to the first one. I feel you on gettin hooked, you can't help but to keep playing haha.. you're gonna have this one wrapped up in no time! There are a few things I'm missing from the first game - I think the gameplay was a little more involved in that one. The timer gave the game a certain urgency that the second one doesn't quite have. Yet it's still very good. I've enjoyed the few references I've seen the first one as well - I'm fairly sure I've seen Carl more than once, but then if I have that means they went with a very specific ending from the first game as the canon one. Either way I'm excited to find out more about it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 14, 2021 Author Share Posted September 14, 2021 15 hours ago, rjkclarke said: Oops - I'm just realising I never replied to this, I must have had a fever dream that I had or something. My bad!! Don't even trip man, completely understood. I do that far more often than I'd care to admit? 15 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I definitely hadn't seen it then - I had to google what that show was... That sounds like a bonkers show - I don't know that we ever got that over here, not on terrestrial TV anyway. Oh it most definitely was. First episode I saw had me like "the fuck is this?" and by a few more later I'd latched onto the general humor, and it had me hooked. Could be a bit hit or miss at times but it was in the very least always unique! 15 hours ago, rjkclarke said: On a stupid side note - E.T absolutely terrified me as a child. E.T. was a jerk! Okay no, he wasn't. I haven't seen that movie since I was a child, and as such any mention of it gives me strong memories of the eighties. I wouldn't call that stupid at all, he was a freakin' alien! You were a kid, how did you know he wasn't gonna eat you or some shit?? If it makes you feel any better, when I was really little one of my uncles did that old trick where it looks like you're pulling your finger off, and even as my family laughed, I just screamed bloody murder and ran away as fast as I could! That's all I remember, I could have ran to Mexico for all I know, I just recall that one moment, and as an adult I look back and think "sheesh, what a dumb kid." 15 hours ago, rjkclarke said: There are a few things I'm missing from the first game - I think the gameplay was a little more involved in that one. The timer gave the game a certain urgency that the second one doesn't quite have. Yet it's still very good. I've enjoyed the few references I've seen the first one as well - I'm fairly sure I've seen Carl more than once, but then if I have that means they went with a very specific ending from the first game as the canon one. Either way I'm excited to find out more about it. Yeah, I still feel there were a scant few areas where the first game beats the second, but for the most part I feel the second is more fully realized. The series has that wonderful quality where the first isn't rendered obsolete by the second, it's just a little different. I saw you got the trophy for.. well I forget what exactly, I just remember it involved the party you have to throw for your first boss, and I remembered the strippers in all their pixelated glory and how inexplicably hard that made me laugh. That was just such a nice touch. And that game is full of those! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted September 15, 2021 Share Posted September 15, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: E.T. was a jerk! Okay no, he wasn't. I haven't seen that movie since I was a child, and as such any mention of it gives me strong memories of the eighties. I wouldn't call that stupid at all, he was a freakin' alien! You were a kid, how did you know he wasn't gonna eat you or some shit?? If it makes you feel any better, when I was really little one of my uncles did that old trick where it looks like you're pulling your finger off, and even as my family laughed, I just screamed bloody murder and ran away as fast as I could! That's all I remember, I could have ran to Mexico for all I know, I just recall that one moment, and as an adult I look back and think "sheesh, what a dumb kid." What kid wouldn't find the idea of somebodies finger just being pulled off terrifying. I hate to say it, but that's pretty hilarious though. E.T was a very popular movie in my family - well it was with everyone that wasn't me. That E.T was a jerk line just made me imagine E.T in a wife beater and a backwards baseball cap, just hoofing Elliot straight in the nuts.... That "I'll be right there" at the end - I wasn't sad, just glad he wouldn't be there to frighten me anymore ... I have since watched it as an adult and it's a very good film... Although I still think when Elliot remarks "I'm keeping him" like E.T was a pet or something has always baffled me. Especially as E.T is a botanist, according to Spielberg anyway. I'm fairly sure you don't just bundle human boatanists into the back of Vans and "keep them........." Like butterflies or cats or dogs or chinchillas.Well that escalated into something else very quick haha! 7 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: Yeah, I still feel there were a scant few areas where the first game beats the second, but for the most part I feel the second is more fully realized. The series has that wonderful quality where the first isn't rendered obsolete by the second, it's just a little different. I very much agree with that - I just got the platinum on it about half an hour ago, so I'm off to go write a review on it whilst it's still all fairly fresh in my mind. 7 hours ago, YaManSmevz said: I saw you got the trophy for.. well I forget what exactly, I just remember it involved the party you have to throw for your first boss, and I remembered the strippers in all their pixelated glory and how inexplicably hard that made me laugh. That was just such a nice touch. And that game is full of those! You weren't the only one man - that really cracked me up, especially the guy on the floor who's got genitals drawn all over him and you then go and draw more, he gets really angry about it, but he's too smashed to do anything. Just passes out. I think I launched coffee halfway across my room too, at the bit when the person who wants to smoke a cigar asks you for a light after having it away in a barrel of whiskey and they just go up in flames, very dark - but so very funny. It was a bad time to take a sip Edited September 15, 2021 by rjkclarke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 15, 2021 Author Share Posted September 15, 2021 1 hour ago, rjkclarke said: E.T was a very popular movie in my family - well it was with everyone that wasn't me. That E.T was a jerk line just made me imagine E.T in a wife beater and a backwards baseball cap, just hoofing Elliot straight in the nuts.... I will forever think of E.T. now as an obnoxious dudebro who greets his friend like "Hey man what's u-BALL TAP!!" Could've been a helluva sequel! 1 hour ago, rjkclarke said: You weren't the only one man - that really cracked me up, especially the guy on the floor who's got genitals drawn all over him and you then go and draw more, he gets really angry about it, but he's too smashed to do anything. Just passes out. I think I launched coffee halfway across my room too, at the bit when the person who wants to smoke a cigar asks you for a light after having it away in a barrel of whiskey and they just go up in flames, very dark - but so very funny. It was a bad time to take a sip That's great??? Congrats dude! I feel privileged that I get to read your Beholder write-ups while it's still fresh in my own head! Looking forward, man! 1 hour ago, rjkclarke said: What kid wouldn't find the idea of somebodies finger just being pulled off terrifying. I hate to say it, but that's pretty hilarious though. Oh you ain't gotta hate to say nothin, even I think it's hilarious? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post YaManSmevz Posted September 15, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 15, 2021 Platinum #25: Grand Theft Auto III My nephew and I are PS friends and he clowns on me for playing so many games that are considerably older than him. The balls on that little bastard! In all seriousness, he's right to make fun of me, that's what kids are supposed to be doing! But I'm completely at ease with this - revisiting old games is very much its own brand of nostalgia, and naturally the euphoria of it only grows stronger the older you get. When I got my PS4 and was introduced to the store, I was overjoyed to see GTA's PS2 trilogy and if memory serves it was the first thing I bought. I had an intense period of Rockstar fanboyism in the 2000s (in my defense, the run between III and IV was incredible), and I was all too happy to revisit. And, in writing about this game, happy to revisit yet again, apparently.. damn, what a loser! Please don't tell my nephew about this thread? Plus, the idea of having multiple generations' worth of games I've played all being in one place, complete with tracked progress, was super appealing. Sure, I got a hundred percent on all the GTAs for my PS2, but how does the world know that?? Now, before this starts feeling like a fluff piece, it needs to be pointed out that this game has aged like an open carton of milk on a hot summer day. The controls are awful - the aiming system in particular is a joke - plus without an in-game map this game gets a heaping dose of artificial difficulty. The story is just a sequence of similarly monotonous missions (some would argue that's still the case for the franchise), and the writing is light years away from the quality they would hit with San Andreas and IV. If you didn't play this way back when, it will not impress you in the slightest, and that's perfectly reasonable. Frankly, I was surprised at how little frustration I encountered replaying this game in 2021, but it seems my fond memories of being holed up in my bedroom and playing this game with ill-gotten beer were strong enough to get me through the platinum process. Can't say I'm mad at that! Back in 2001, I was freshly out of high school (I believe the UK equivalent is secondary school) and with as long ago as that feels, I may as well have owned a car built out of wood and stone with my bare feet as both the brakes and accelerator. While I was being blown away by Half Life, Metal Gear Solid 2, and other games I'll never write about here, I kept seeing a trailer on TV with what I now know to be O Mio Babbino Caro playing as all sorts of carnage and mafioso fantasy transpired. It was the most cinematic thing I'd ever seen as far as video games were concerned. It definitely helped that this was around the time I'd gotten myself acquainted with the mob movie classics - your Godfathers, your Goodfellas, and such - and here was a game inviting us all to live in one. As an 18 year old hooligan high on the PS2 and mafia movies, I was absolutely about it. If there was one thing that grabbed me the most, it was the utter absurdity of it all. Nowadays, the satire is a bit played out and it's like "yeah we get it Rockstar, everybody's stupid," but then it was just so bizarre. I'm reminded of the wonderfully pompous imbecile Morgan Merriweather, DJ for one of my favorite stations, Double Clef FM - "This powerful view can overpower the senses, much like a twelve year old nephew, who lets you bounce him on your knee, one last time." ...what?? The trend of passersby talkin shit started here as well, and I absolutely love it. There are far too many quotables, but to this day my sister and I will still reference the construction worker, particularly the ear-splitting read of "IN THE NAVY!" I thought it was dope how the voice actors were very much synonymous with the genre - the talent assembled as well as the acting itself wasn't at the height we'd see with Vice City and San Andreas, but it was a great start. Even if Michael Madsen clearly just went in, read his lines, cashed his check and peaced the fuck out? My favorite bit of dialogue to reference when talking about the lackluster writing: "This is the top capo, Tony Cipriani." "Yeah, I'm Tony Cipriani." "......" In what universe is this how anybody talks? This is some Tommy Wiseau shit right here! Claude the protagonist being mute kinda served as a microcosm for the game itself - they have this great idea, but they're not quite sure what to do with it yet, or where the execution falls short. Same thing with the dull, lifeless look to Liberty City, the single note quality of all the characters, and especially the blandness of the story. You won't keep many peeps on the hook if all you've got are words like betrayal and revenge - hell, this is why everyone else I knew who played this game didn't bother with the story at all, they were perfectly content blowing shit up and calling it a day, while I was completing rampages, driving through obstacle courses, and collecting hidden packages like a sucker. Not to mention a lot of the missions are a bitch and a half! Armor is non-negotiable, because your enemies all have action movie star aim and will shoot you to shreds. You really need to know your way around the map, because there is none - Espresso-2-Go the first time around, without Youtube's guiding hand, was a nightmare! While the radio doesn't so much as sniff the dizzying highs the next two games would reach, it was still cool. Flashback was basically the Scarface soundtrack (no shade at all, I fucked with that), MSX and Rise I credit with generally getting me more into electronica and K-Jah with reggae, Double Clef was just dope, and Chatterbox had me laughing my ass off. Every time I tired of a station, there was always something on deck to listen to. They were really onto something with this concept, and the fact that they doubled down on it from here on out did us all a huge solid. So for all the good and bad, gotta say I absolutely adore this game. It feels like I got in on the ground floor with the behemoth this franchise became, and it's been a real treat seeing it grow as exponentially as it has. It's a pity that III hasn't held up, though. It's like a movie you saw when you were young, and because you liked it then, it's just kinda grandfathered into your good graces. You know it's trash, and will never argue with anybody who calls it that, but since you got to experience it at just the right time and age, you got the maximum possible enjoyment out of it, and it's made even sweeter by the fact that that simply isn't possible to achieve anymore. THAT Trophy: Blood in the Streets There were two things that really threatened to rip the nostalgia glasses off of my head - the rampages and the timed driving missions, particularly Gripped and Patriot Playground. The shooting mechanics were far more broken than the driving ones though, so this trophy won the dubious distinction pretty handily. The sniping rampages are the worst. They require the utmost concentration, and with gang members showing at such random rates, you're very much at the mercy of the RNG. A bunch can show up all at once but they're all moving so fast that getting a head shot feels impossible. But alternately, when they don't show up at all it's absolutely maddening - ESPECIALLY when you're on a particularly good run! So many times I had two or three left with ten seconds and nobody showed up and I failed. I imagined the guys bein like "yo there's a sniper shootin at the homies, dawg! I ain't goin out there, fuck that!" The games we play are only smart when we don't want them to be I guess. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted September 15, 2021 Share Posted September 15, 2021 Love this review - you are so right here - if ever there was a game where the description is: ”Oh man, I love that game”… and then you immediately list 15 things that are terrible about it by modern standards, it’s GTAIII ? I’m right there with you - the game holds up about as well as newspaper in a storm, but the impact it had back at release has been more than enough to canonise it permanently in my brain anyways! It’s like Monster Munch, or The Highlander movie, or Hubba Bubba gum… I know they all suck, but there’s way too much good memories wrapped up in them that I can’t ever not love them anyways ? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 15, 2021 Author Share Posted September 15, 2021 18 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said: Love this review - you are so right here - if ever there was a game where the description is: ”Oh man, I love that game”… and then you immediately list 15 things that are terrible about it by modern standards, it’s GTAIII ? I’m right there with you - the game holds up about as well as newspaper in a storm, but the impact it had back at release has been more than enough to canonise it permanently in my brain anyways! It’s like Monster Munch, or The Highlander movie, or Hubba Bubba gum… I know they all suck, but there’s way too much good memories wrapped up in them that I can’t ever not love them anyways ? Thanks, Doc! Yeah it's definitely one of those culturally-significant-but-I-don't-recommend-playing-it-fresh-nowadays games. It was important for me to stress that I know it's shit by today's standards, but bruh if you'd have been there you would know? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather342 Posted September 15, 2021 Share Posted September 15, 2021 1 hour ago, DrBloodmoney said: Love this review - you are so right here - if ever there was a game where the description is: ”Oh man, I love that game”… and then you immediately list 15 things that are terrible about it by modern standards, it’s GTAIII I’m right there with you - the game holds up about as well as newspaper in a storm, but the impact it had back at release has been more than enough to canonise it permanently in my brain anyways! It’s like Monster Munch, or The Highlander movie, or Hubba Bubba gum… I know they all suck, but there’s way too much good memories wrapped up in them that I can’t ever not love them anyways Flaming hot Monster Munch suck, but pickled onion and roast beef Monster Munch are still awesome ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted September 16, 2021 Share Posted September 16, 2021 Fantastic review Smevz! I enjoyed every line of that - I think you pretty much summed up perfectly why the odd gaming nostalgia trip can be an absolute blast. It wouldn't be healthy to just play old things and live our entire existences based around that, but it sure is fun to take a trip down memory lane every now and then. This review proves exactly why that can be such a worthwhile experience. I wish that GTA III had aged a little better too. I had a false memory of it, when I replayed it a couple of years ago. I'd always thought that the game had a mini map. What I'd forgotten was that the map actually came in the game box back on the PS2. Kind of makes finding the hidden packages even more of a chore as a result. I still had a blast getting the platinum though, much the same way you did. That consciousness about the games quality just seemed to momentarily evaporate haha Was funny reading about the Sniper rampages - I think I know exactly which one you mean too, just from that description. That one was so frustrating, I failed that a bunch too, because they wouldn't spawn. If I'm remembering right, it's the one where you are kind of overlooking a big narrow street from above, I think there was a stunt jump nearby as well. Oh and doing rampages in Portland after a certain points a nightmare too - just because everywhere you go you get pumped full of shotgun shells haha. You managed to perfectly sum up exactly why that series has become memorable for so many people - I definitely shouldn't have been playing them at around age 13 - but there you go. I think I love them for many of the same reasons you do - as do many others. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 16, 2021 Author Share Posted September 16, 2021 1 hour ago, rjkclarke said: Fantastic review Smevz! I enjoyed every line of that - I think you pretty much summed up perfectly why the odd gaming nostalgia trip can be an absolute blast. It wouldn't be healthy to just play old things and live our entire existences based around that, but it sure is fun to take a trip down memory lane every now and then. This review proves exactly why that can be such a worthwhile experience. Thanks buddy! Truth be told, your FFIX review inspired me to stop putting off this review - that GTA trilogy meant a lot to me back in the day and I've been meaning to get around to it. Not 100% happy with how it came out, but I'd rather have it done and flawed than perfect and undone. 2 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I wish that GTA III had aged a little better too. I had a false memory of it, when I replayed it a couple of years ago. I'd always thought that the game had a mini map. What I'd forgotten was that the map actually came in the game box back on the PS2. Kind of makes finding the hidden packages even more of a chore as a result. I still had a blast getting the platinum though, much the same way you did. That consciousness about the games quality just seemed to momentarily evaporate haha I misremembered there being an in-game map too! It made me a bit sad to wake up and smell the game, as it were. In my head it was gonna be a glorious experience that I could in good conscience recommend to others - rather, it was very much a flawed revisit that I merely had the necessary prerequisite playthroughs to enjoy. I did thoroughly enjoy it, don't get me wrong - but I was very aware of the fact that it wasn't an experience for everyone! 2 hours ago, rjkclarke said: Was funny reading about the Sniper rampages - I think I know exactly which one you mean too, just from that description. That one was so frustrating, I failed that a bunch too, because they wouldn't spawn. If I'm remembering right, it's the one where you are kind of overlooking a big narrow street from above, I think there was a stunt jump nearby as well. Oh and doing rampages in Portland after a certain points a nightmare too - just because everywhere you go you get pumped full of shotgun shells haha. YES!! Staunton Island, not far from the police station, and by that indoor unique jump. Oh my GOD that shit drove me nuts. You had to kill Yardies, but it was on Yakuza turf so they would show up regularly and make shooting at them such a pain in the ass! Blechhh! And yeah, I also learned the hard way to get all the Portland shit done before finishing that island, those mafia shotguns will fuck you up. 3 hours ago, rjkclarke said: You managed to perfectly sum up exactly why that series has become memorable for so many people - I definitely shouldn't have been playing them at around age 13 - but there you go. I think I love them for many of the same reasons you do - as do many others. I was almost 19 when I started playing GTA, I can't help wondering what it would've been like playing it at a more developmental age. I'm picturing you typing that, and then mid-sentence picking up a gun and shooting someone outside your window, then resuming typing? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post KindaSabbath Posted September 16, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted September 16, 2021 (edited) Great write up there dude! It was a blast to read! I have so many fond memories of the old GTA Trilogy. Vice City being my personal favourite. 9 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: Love this review - you are so right here - if ever there was a game where the description is: ”Oh man, I love that game”… and then you immediately list 15 things that are terrible about it by modern standards, it’s GTAIII On the money there ?... This is an assumption, so correct me if I'm wrong, but - I'm guessing most of us here were blown away by the fact that we were playing a GTA game in the third person. Probably made it a little easier to overlook the obvious issues. 9 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: It’s like Monster Munch, or The Highlander movie, or Hubba Bubba gum Strawberry or Apple? 8 hours ago, Heather342 said: Flaming hot Monster Munch suck, but pickled onion and roast beef Monster Munch are still awesome Flaming hot all daaaaay. Cannot believe you said that ? 7 hours ago, rjkclarke said: You managed to perfectly sum up exactly why that series has become memorable for so many people - I definitely shouldn't have been playing them at around age 13 - but there you go. I think I love them for many of the same reasons you do - as do many others. I remember blagging my parents into believing I was sick to get out of school (coincidentally the day after they bought me GTA III ?) and then playing the game for a week solid. Good times man! I must of been 12'ish. Smevz, you're making me feel young here ? I also got pretty sick when I got my hands on Vice City and I remember getting really, really sick when I got hold of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Edited September 16, 2021 by KindaSabbath 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBloodmoney Posted September 16, 2021 Share Posted September 16, 2021 (edited) 1 minute ago, KindaSabbath said: On the money there ... This is an assumption, so correct me if I'm wrong, but - I'm guessing most of us here were blown away by the fact that we were playing a GTA game in the third person. Probably made it a little easier to overlook the obvious issues. You've got that right - I distinctly remember playing my first 5 or so hours with the top-down camera in GTAIII, just because the idea of 3D had broken my brain after playing GTA and GTA London for so long ? Edited September 16, 2021 by DrBloodmoney 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 16, 2021 Author Share Posted September 16, 2021 9 hours ago, KindaSabbath said: Great write up there dude! It was a blast to read! I have so many fond memories of the old GTA Trilogy. Vice City being my personal favourite. Thanks dude! San Andreas takes the crown for me, but really it only beats out Vice City by a hair. 9 hours ago, KindaSabbath said: I must of been 12'ish. Smevz, you're making me feel young here That's what I'm here for? 9 hours ago, KindaSabbath said: I also got pretty sick when I got my hands on Vice City and I remember getting really, really sick when I got hold of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. You're a funny mafucka? I picture you telling your parents in between fake coughs about how video games are supposed to build up your immune system, and them bein like "Is this true?? Somebody get little Sabbath his PS2!!" 9 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said: You've got that right - I distinctly remember playing my first 5 or so hours with the top-down camera in GTAIII, just because the idea of 3D had broken my brain after playing GTA and GTA London for so long I remember a friend playing London, and it looked cool, but I never actually played it (or the precious iteration, for that matter) myself. I am so spoiled by the 3D in fact that I tried the top-down camera and before long was like "...this sucks."? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post YaManSmevz Posted September 23, 2021 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 23, 2021 Platinum #15: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City I've been a bartender for quite some time, and it's important for me to give guests, new and regular alike, as welcoming a greeting as I possibly can. After all, if you sit at a bar and don't feel welcome, and there are several other options, why on earth would you ever go back?? A few greetings of mine I owe to the GTA series - for some of the regulars I'll steal Packie's "AAAYYYYY, THERE S/HE IS!" from GTA IV, or if I haven't seen them in a while, paraphrase Sonny Forelli and say "_________??? Shit. Didn't think they'd ever let you out!" Vice City came out pretty quickly after III, at least it felt that way at the time. A lot happened for me, though - shortly before turning 19, my first bid to move out of my mother's house failed miserably, and I ended up back at home after thinking that a string of temp jobs would easily keep my rent paid long-term (yes, I actually thought this). As I'm sure you've surmised, it did not, and as I'm re-situating to the loss of the short-lived sense of freedom I had, moving back into my old bedroom and looking for work, I start seeing yet another trailer on TV - much like O Mio Babbino Caro from the previous year, A Flock of Seagull's I Ran (So Far A-Waaa-aa-aay) - no, I can't even type it without singing it - wailed away as a new, sun-soaked variant of a mob story presented itself. To my recollection, this was the first instance of something in pop culture really fetishizing the 80s, or at least the biggest example up to that point. They really went for broke, too - the giant phones, the leisure suits and Hawaiian shirts, the MUSIC, the Commodore 64 start up screen, the goofy TV shows and movies referred to on the radio, the cars, the muzak in the mall, shit, the money was even given pre-inflation value! This thing is packed with references too - I'd be grossly oversimplifying if I said Vice City was Miami Vice and Scarface having a baby, given how many movies and shows are thrown in the proverbial blender, but that's by far the quickest way to put it so we'll go with that. Otherwise, we'd never get out of here! It's my understanding that this game was originally to be an expansion pack for when GTA III was ported to PC, but it quickly became clear that they could make a whole new game out of it. And while this wasn't a new concept for them (London 1969 exists after all), a different setting with more or less the exact same shit wasn't going to cut it this time. First of all, you're not just some goon plodding around at the beck and call of the underworld's figureheads. You're Tommy God damn Vercetti. Out on bail, fresh out of jail, Miami Beach dreamin. Soon as you step on the scene, you're hearin hoochies screamin. I'll stop. Apologies to Tupac. You're on an assignment to expand the mafia's operation to the GTA universe's version of Miami when a drug deal goes wrong and you're assed out of both the money and drugs, and now you're left holding the bag with a very pissed off boss and a seedy world to sift through to try and figure out what happened and get your goods back. Now that's a story. Clichéd? Sure. But it certainly beats puppy doggin Catalina across three islands! We're not quite there yet where every mission feels necessary, but the flow of missions with the story in mind is significantly improved. There are far fewer times where you're on a mission thinking "why am I even doing this, this is stupid," and Tommy will often speak for you, muttering about having to dress like a chump, or how this mission is the last thing he needs, save maybe an enema. And then of course there's the immortal "Dumb. Florida. Moron." Also, I found myself thinking "wait a minute, is that Ray Liotta? Burt Reynolds? Luis Guzmán? Gary Busey? Dennis Hopper??" They spared no expense on the cast, it's absolutely star-studded. Naturally Ray Liotta stole the show, but everybody did their thing. William Fichtner (one of those actors who seems to be in everything) nails his Carlito's Way inspired lawyer Ken Rosenberg. Lawrence Taylor as retired football star BJ Smith was pretty underrated, I thought he was hysterical - as was Guzmán's foul-tempered Ricardo Diaz. And Philip Michael Thomas, of Miami Vice fame?? Including him was a stroke of genius. It's a solid ensemble, and they all did an excellent job. Gameplay gets a huge boost as well. The shooting and driving mechanics have thankfully been touched up. There's an in-game map, something we have very much taken for granted since! And the map is a bit smaller, but unlike III, where the buildings pretty much just served as background, you can now actually go inside many of them. Your safe houses have interiors, and as you progress through the game there are bits of memorabilia that pop up, reflecting certain missions you've completed. You can change your outfit, which is cool as it is but if you change with one or two stars, it'll shake the cops off for you. You can rob stores. There are chainsaws and katanas, there are motorcycles ("No, my bike!"), you can even fly a freakin helicopter! III vs VC comes down to that silly mission where you have to operate a Dodo with clipped wings versus leisurely flying around, admiring the city lights and listening to the radio (which we will also get to). As Harvey Keitel said in Reservoir Dogs, "Ain't no choice at all!" Possibly the biggest thing was purchasable properties. You could buy not just safehouses, but businesses as well. A little over halfway through the game, you essentially take over Vice City, and the concept of obtaining and running businesses is introduced. I remember being absolutely floored by this - it was so immersive, you really felt like you yourself were taking over the city. You have your own gang at your disposal, and can even pay them to join you for whatever you're up to, be it a mission or mere mischief. Once you completed missions for a business, there was a regular payment for you to pick up out front. I didn't walk out into the kitchen wearing a pimp hat and talk to my mother in a stereotypical Italian mobster voice or anything, but I genuinely felt like a successful gangster. You could even swi- ...next time, next time. To modern players of course, this is all overwhelmingly unimpressive, and understandably so. It's just hard to explain what a big deal all these additions were without blurting out as many as I can think of, and I do apologize for that! Saving the best for last - the soundtrack. As the kids say, the radio is. That. Bitch. The selection here is an absolute masterclass in music appreciation. The 80s was a phenomenal decade for several genres of music, and everything is represented proper here. 80s metal? Three of thrash's big four are present, plus Ozzy, Priest, Maiden, and flash in the pan stuff you'd hear regularly from back then like Autograph's Turn Up the Radio, a song I actually hated until it was in this game? New Wave, Hip-Hop, Funk, Soul, Latin (I actually bought the Espantoso CD, that shit was my jam), and of course general pop music of the era were all tackled with such shocking expertise, lovingly compiled into a soundtrack even the mighty San Andreas couldn't topple on its best day. Not to mention there are two talk stations now, both of which had me cracking up. The stations are bursting with personality, and literally every DJ feels fleshed out and makes their respective stations just feel that much more real. With III there were a few personalities like Morgan Merriweather and Lazlo, but here I literally can't reference any because I'll end up listing them all, and fuck knows I have kept you here long enough as it is! The outstanding music selection alone proves that this 80s thing was no gimmick; Vice City is a genuine love letter to the decade I grew up in, and even something as simple as walking through the mall is done so authentically that it takes me back to being a kid standing on an escalator with my mom. It made me feel like I was revisiting so many songs, movies, and TV shows all in one place, gave me a great story and characters, and made Miami a bucket list destination for me. ....so yeah, I liked it. The controls have aged terribly, and The Driver is one of the worst GTA missions of all time, but this is a great game. It soundly rendered III obsolete after just a year as, and honestly in spite of its dated qualities, I'd say it's well worth playing even today. THAT Trophy: Take the Cannoli Some trophies you can't help wondering why the hell they exist. Like who would ever genuinely want to do this? What joy could be had in a thankless grind with no reward whatsoever except for an invisible trophy that allows you to get a bigger, but also invisible trophy?? WHY DO WE DO THIS TO OURSELVES?? I couldn't even fathom a guess as to how long it would take to work up to the Godfather criminal rating playing it legit. Even if you spent all day playing this game, running amok with a tank, you wouldn't be getting anywhere fast. I opted for the blowing-up-helicopters method, just because the idea of getting all the packages again sounded awful. Of course, the exploding vehicles route is no picnic either! I had to break it up over a few days, the monotony was just so palpable. I remember a few times the game would freeze for a split second and my heart would stop - it never did crash, but the fear of that happening kept me saving pretty regularly. Very glad I don't ever have to do that again! To anybody who read this gargantuan review, y'all are real ones. Sorry for letting this get so out of hand! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrunkenEngineer Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 I’ve often read of people waxing nostalgic about Vice City, but never really got it until this review. I missed the entire pantheon of GTA games except for 5 (in my college dorm GTAIII was played a ton, but I didn’t have a PS2) but had heard lots of good things about Vice City. I might have missed it in your review, but how would you classify the tone compared to GTA5? My biggest complaint with the latter was just how juvenile it could get. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 24, 2021 Author Share Posted September 24, 2021 5 hours ago, DrunkenEngineer said: I’ve often read of people waxing nostalgic about Vice City, but never really got it until this review. I missed the entire pantheon of GTA games except for 5 (in my college dorm GTAIII was played a ton, but I didn’t have a PS2) but had heard lots of good things about Vice City. I might have missed it in your review, but how would you classify the tone compared to GTA5? My biggest complaint with the latter was just how juvenile it could get. I won't lie to you, it can be fairly juvenile as well. The tone (for me, at least) was fairly light, and while it can be just as goofy as 5, there's considerably less of it so it might not get to you as much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkclarke Posted September 24, 2021 Share Posted September 24, 2021 I did read this last night - but I wanted to be a little bit more alert when actually writing something about it. That was a fantastic review, as usual. You being a bartender certainly makes sense - especially as you're so good at just making people feel at ease, and like the problems they might be having are just a temporary thing. That's an incredibly rare skill to posses, so any bar would be lucky to have someone like you there to help them unwind and feel welcomed. Just as you did with your review of GTA III - you did such an immaculate job of putting into words exactly why these games mean so much to you - and many others. Whilst I didn't grow up in the 80's myself, so I don't quite have exactly the same personal connection to the era, I can definitely appreciate how much of an effective love letter this was to the decade. I'm so glad that it evoked those memories for you, that's a true testament that it worked, that someone from the era had such a positive reaction to it. I'm very fond of a lot of music from the 80's myself and I'd have a hard time arguing that this title isn't in the mix for greatest video game soundtrack of all time. You aren't the only one that was completely blown away by the business element of the game - although I was about 13 or 14 when I played this one. On 16/09/2021 at 4:10 AM, YaManSmevz said: I was almost 19 when I started playing GTA, I can't help wondering what it would've been like playing it at a more developmental age. I'm picturing you typing that, and then mid-sentence picking up a gun and shooting someone outside your window, then resuming typing? Although I thought I'd replied to this, and clearly didn't sorry about that - I couldn't help but think of this when I was typing that...... Well my desk and PC is right next to a window so - funny how nobody has heard from my neighbour since he came back on a motorbike in the middle of 600 skipping rope jumps on Final Fantasy IX haha ?..... Nah in all seriousness though I also played things like Mortal Kombat when I was about 6 or 7, so thankfully I've managed to grow up into a chilled out person, instead of y'know a homicidal maniac. Anyway..... I definitely remember absolutely loving that taking over businesses aspect, it was one of the first times I can remember being excited to do side activities. I had so much fun going out and scouring the streets to try and find all of the cars for Sunshine Autos. It took me ages too, because there wasn't quite the same ease of access to guides back then, at least not in my internet free house, but I remember really enjoying just learning what each car looked like, and then that eureka moment when I would eventually find the one I was looking for. That's just a tiny element of the game too, it has so much more to offer than just that. I could go on and on - but my fingers will bleed. I'll simply say thank you for such a fantastic read, it's nice to be reminded why Vice City is my favourite one - I certainly won't be reviewing these myself any time soon, just in case they sound far too much like I'm copying your own amazing work.. I'm very much looking forward to reading your thoughts on San Andreas though. I know that's your favourite one, so I think that's going to be a really fun time. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 25, 2021 Author Share Posted September 25, 2021 3 hours ago, rjkclarke said: That was a fantastic review, as usual. You being a bartender certainly makes sense - especially as you're so good at just making people feel at ease, and like the problems they might be having are just a temporary thing. That's an incredibly rare skill to posses, so any bar would be lucky to have someone like you there to help them unwind and feel welcomed. Thanks, man. You're never without a kind word, it's always appreciated! 3 hours ago, rjkclarke said: Whilst I didn't grow up in the 80's myself, so I don't quite have exactly the same personal connection to the era, I can definitely appreciate how much of an effective love letter this was to the decade. I'm so glad that it evoked those memories for you, that's a true testament that it worked, that someone from the era had such a positive reaction to it. I'm very fond of a lot of music from the 80's myself and I'd have a hard time arguing that this title isn't in the mix for greatest video game soundtrack of all time. It's hard to describe, but they absolutely nailed the feel. The mall in particular I remember astounding me - that muzak was spot-on, and then you leave and Your Love by the Outfield is on the radio in the car. A very simple thing, but very much something that I experienced in that era! ...well, my mother was driving, and I've never asked but I think it's safe to assume she wasn't packing any heat. Absolutely agreed on the soundtrack! I started talking about V-Rock, and was gonna go over each of the stations I listened to the most until I realized that I listened to them all pretty extensively and immediately scrapped the idea? I can't say enough good about it! 3 hours ago, rjkclarke said: Although I thought I'd replied to this, and clearly didn't sorry about that - I couldn't help but think of this when I was typing that...... Well my desk and PC is right next to a window so - funny how nobody has heard from my neighbour since he came back on a motorbike in the middle of 600 skipping rope jumps on Final Fantasy IX haha ..... Nah in all seriousness though I also played things like Mortal Kombat when I was about 6 or 7, so thankfully I've managed to grow up into a chilled out person, instead of y'know a homicidal maniac. That neighbor got what was coming! Aw man haha I can only imagine the frustration. "Concentrate... concentra-" "HEY GUYS CHECK OUT MY SUPER COOL BIKE!!" ".....GOD DAMN IT." 3 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I definitely remember absolutely loving that taking over businesses aspect, it was one of the first times I can remember being excited to do side activities. I had so much fun going out and scouring the streets to try and find all of the cars for Sunshine Autos. It took me ages too, because there wasn't quite the same ease of access to guides back then, at least not in my internet free house, but I remember really enjoying just learning what each car looked like, and then that eureka moment when I would eventually find the one I was looking for. That's just a tiny element of the game too, it has so much more to offer than just that. I could go on and on - but my fingers will bleed. Yo, SAME. I loved the different stuff there was to do, what a teller of things to come! Haha I remember seeing super rare cars driving down the street and I would immediately stop whatever I was doing, mission or not, and make a beeline for it. Like those trash trucks! And aw man, even though it wasn't sophisticated enough for you to fully engage with your surroundings yet, it was so cool going to the beach, hitting the club, and also (barring The Driver of course), the whole bank robbery bit was such a blast! 3 hours ago, rjkclarke said: I'll simply say thank you for such a fantastic read, it's nice to be reminded why Vice City is my favourite one - I certainly won't be reviewing these myself any time soon, just in case they sound far too much like I'm copying your own amazing work.. I'm very much looking forward to reading your thoughts on San Andreas though. I know that's your favourite one, so I think that's going to be a really fun time. Thanks so much bro, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I felt that self consciousness in regards to the length, I made a few edits but for the most part I just thought oh well.. there's just too much to say, can't help it - if it's too long, then at least peeps can use it for a sleeping aid? Dude I'm simultaneously looking forward to and dreading that one, I don't want it to be long but again, just so much to talk about! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrooba Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 On 24/09/2021 at 4:39 AM, YaManSmevz said: This thing is packed with references too - I'd be grossly oversimplifying if I said Vice City was Miami Vice and Scarface having a baby, given how many movies and shows are thrown in the proverbial blender, but that's by far the quickest way to put it so we'll go with that. Awesome review on GTA VC man! Funnily enough, I was actually talking about Vice City with one of my older cousins at a function a couple weeks ago, alongside talking a bit about San Andreas. He said that Vice City was practically synonymous with the movie Scarface. He told me something along the lines that you just had to watch Scarface before playing the game, like it'd enrich the experience. ? Not verbatim, but it was something like that. But with that said, it's cool to see you find the similarity as well! Did I ever mention that it's soundtrack is absolutely killer? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaManSmevz Posted September 25, 2021 Author Share Posted September 25, 2021 11 hours ago, Shrooba said: Awesome review on GTA VC man! Funnily enough, I was actually talking about Vice City with one of my older cousins at a function a couple weeks ago, alongside talking a bit about San Andreas. He said that Vice City was practically synonymous with the movie Scarface. He told me something along the lines that you just had to watch Scarface before playing the game, like it'd enrich the experience. Not verbatim, but it was something like that. But with that said, it's cool to see you find the similarity as well! Did I ever mention that it's soundtrack is absolutely killer? Thanks so much man, always appreciate you stopping by! I would definitely agree - watch Scarface and then add on a couple episodes of Miami Vice, you'll be set! Most definitely a killer soundtrack, there are blockbuster movie soundtracks that pale in comparison! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KindaSabbath Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 Well, @YaManSmevz - you did my favourite GTA game justice. Fantastic review. I think Vice City really raised the bar - with the stellar music and the superb voice acting. The 80's viibes and overall presentation was just so far ahead in terms of quality, at the time. Best GTA ever made. Not as good as Sleeping Dogs, though... ? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now