GTA IV
There has been a project going on for quite some time, it was a procedure to port over the contents of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas into Grand Theft Auto IV. Some gamers might question what the purpose of this is, but it basically allows you to do everything you loved about San Andreas but in the amazingly awesome RAGE Engine with Euphoria support. Total conversion modification for the win.
I’m not going to waste a lot of time explaining stuff, so instead I’ll just leave you with the basics: You can play the entirety of GTA San Andreas in GTA IV. I don’t know if Rockstar would consider that pirating but you’ll still need a fresh, full copy of GTA IV before you can play San Andreas. So technically, anyone who buys GTA IV to play the SA mod is still giving Rockstar some sweet, sweet moola.
Enough about the legal ramifications, let’s take a look at some gaming goodnesss.
IV:SA “World Enhancement” Launch Trailer – Mod DB
Additional features of the mod includes enhanced graphics (duh), draw distance, lighting, Euphoria-based animations and AI reactions, vehicle damage, bullet/gun-physics and the nifty new replay and video editing system provided by the Rockstar Social Network.
I’m curious if this mod will boost sales for GTA IV the way DayZ is boosting sales for Arma II? I guess if the game starts appearing on the top 10 weekly Steam charts on a regularly basis then we’ll know for sure.
The trailer comes courtesy of Moddb but the actual game modification and additional details are available over at the Official GTA IV: SA Website.
Another total conversion mod is on the way from the Rage Classic Team, composed of several artists, coders and tweakers who have managed to come together and completely redo Grand Theft Auto III, the first 3D rendition of GTA for home consoles and PC, in GTA IV. This means that the original game will get better physics, lighting and weapon mechanics but maintain everything else that made it famous.
Now here’s the trippy part, unlike GTA IV: San Andreas, the Rage Classic Team has confirmed that they are porting over the mission structures as well, so technically the entire game will be playable from start to finish running on top of GTA IV. It’s terribly impressive and to give gamers a taste of the action a new trailer was recently released featuring some super sexy GTA III action taking place in the Rage Engine.
I find it amazing that the most milking the Rage Engine has had this generation of gaming has been from modders porting older GTA titles into Grand Theft Auto IV. Gamers can complain from here to the high hills of Glasgow about the over-ratedness of GTA IV, but you certainly can’t deny how amazingly scalable the game and the Rage Engine happen to be for modding and community creativity purposes.
I love what the community has done with the game and I can’t wait to see what the final project will look like for the GTA III Rage Classic Mod. You can learn more about the mod and its progress by paying a kind visit to the GTA Forums where all the under-the-hood garage work takes place for these kind of projects.
The Episodes from Liberty City is a stand alone disk all on its own from the Grand Theft Auto series, with two of the games add-ons: The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. It is for XBox 360, PC, and the PlayStation 3. With a price of around 22$, relatively new, is it worth it? Since this game comes with two add-ons, I’ll be reviewing them both and adding their scores to the overall.
Story 4/5
Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned is a great game that puts the player into the shoes of a biker and his biker buddies. As the leader, you bring yourself and your gang to soaring new heights as you progress through the story. The Ballad Of Gay Tony, on the other hand is a game more similar to the Grand Theft Auto regular format, you are mostly alone rather than with a group of bikers. You are a nobody who gets taken into the arms of a night club owner, Gay Tony. As you go further along the story you learn more of Tony’s past and attempt to correct the wrongs.
Gameplay 5/5
It gets a 5/5 because of the new features that the Lost and Damned add-on brings. For starters, you are no longer alone. You have a whole cast of characters by your side and riding with them makes the game fully come into flourish. There are many new vehicles and weapons such as the pipe bomb. The Ballad of Gay Tony has only a few new tweaks that comes along with the game. The vehicle and air craft game play has been a tad smoothed out as well as a implementation of a new environment. Oh, I can’t forget the mini games each of the add-ons have, it’s a hoot.
Graphics 3/5
Nothing too wowing here. A few new things placed here and there makes the game feel a bit fresh. I have to note that in the Ballad Of Gay tony there are many great night life scenes to enjoy.
Sound 5/5
Can you say wow? Both of the add-ons comes with a cast of characters that you get so attached to. Their personalities and voices really make the game really worth recommending. Other than that, the sounds like gun shots and explosions really haven’t changed that much.
Replayability 3/5
Hm.. This is where both of the games have their unfortunate flaws. Though the Ballad of Gay Tony isn’t necessarily a long game, neither is The Lost and Damned. Don’t get me wrong, the stories are great and all of the action you expect from a GTA game is there but the short game is the only thing I have to complain about. Other than the many mini-games scattered throughout the cities there’s not much else.
Overall 4/5
Two great games packed into 1 disk for your enjoyment. The Grand Theft Auto Series has really made their mark with GTA IV. They gave us awesome game play and great stories. They gave us characters that we won’t soon forget. The Stories Of Liberty city is a must for any Rockstar fan. Don’t miss this!
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