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Grand Theft Auto Double Pack |
by Chad
11/18/2003 |
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Grand Theft Auto has arrived on Xbox. Many Xbox owners have waited, hoped, wished and prayed that this day would come, and it finally has. We don’t care how Rockstar was able to release the game that had been slated to be a PS2 exclusive until next year, we’re just happy it’s here. The question now is, after all of the anticipation, rumors and waiting, Does Grand Theft Auto live up to the hype? To put it in simple, easy to understand terms, hell yes.
The Grand Theft Auto series has earned accolades, created controversy, caused lawsuits, inspired a new genre of games, and generally kicked ass since its inception in October 1997. It has done all of this in spite of the less than stellar graphics, proving that in the world of console games, gameplay rules. However, Rockstar have managed to raise the bar even higher with the release of the Grand Theft Auto Double Pack for Xbox.
Following is a list of improvements that Rockstar have implemented for the GTA debut on Xbox:- Specular Lighting: Visual improvements with the use of Specular Lighting redefine Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. This feature allows for objects to be illuminated by the light that is cast from every street lamp and headlight in real time.
- Reflection Maps: Reflection Maps result in smooth graphics throughout both Liberty and Vice City and are particularly noticeable on the 50+ vehicles. Real Time reflections are cast of varying degree. The result is high-end sports cars looking the part with a styled gloss, while the older, low end cars are do not gleam and are not as slick.
- HDTV 16x9 480P Support: The Xbox version of Grand Theft Auto has taken advantage of the technology available and now has HDTV 16x9 480P Support. The end result is a larger viewable frame that is considerably sharper.
- Custom Soundtracks: Players can make multiple custom soundtracks by ripping their favorite CD's onto the Xbox hard drive. From there, the game recognizes each soundtrack as a CD or tape that can be changed by the new CD changer/Tape Deck (in vehicle).
- Texture Re-Insertion: Brilliantly detailed environments are the result of almost every texture in the game being reinserted at a much higher resolution. The end result is a game that looks very sharp with intricately modeled areas and landscapes.
- Higher Polygon Models: Every single vehicle in the game has been enhanced due to a higher poly count. In addition, each major character has been updated and skinned using higher polygon models creating a seamless look.
- Enhanced Audio: The sound in both Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City was meticulously put together and each audio effect is at its best as a result of the Xbox supporting Dolby 5.1.
- Enhanced Particle System: All of the game's particle effects (from smoke to water sprays) have been enhanced to give of a more realistic reaction and look. Rain drops now cling to the game’s camera and fire gives off more radiosity resulting in a more realistic appearance.
 
The double pack includes Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. These are two unique storylines that take place in separate locations and in different times.
Grand Theft Auto III
First up is Grand Theft Auto III, the cultural phenomenon that took the nation by storm and Time magazine called a national obsession. GTA III takes place in Liberty City, a completely immersive universe that has its own laws, morals, ethics, standards and morals. The city is divided into three parts; Portland (industrial zone), Staunton Island (commercial district), and Shoreside Vale (the suburbs). New areas become available as you progress through the city. The time of day plays a key part in the game, as Liberty becomes a different place at night. You become a part of the city, and you can either follow the rules and become a productive member of society, or you can blaze you own path, get the cops after you and create havoc on the streets. Everyone knows which path is the one that leads to the most fun. There are 60 missions in GTA III, and too many side missions to count. Throughout the game you will work your way up the criminal food chain with a single motivation: Revenge. You will navigate the local gangs, get jobs, complete jobs and meet bigger bosses. The bigger the boss, the better the job. The story is multi-layered and spans all missions, so don’t be surprised to see familiar faces pop up and past deeds come back to haunt you. There are about 25 methods of incapacitating your enemy, including baseball bats, pistols, Uzis, machine guns, rocket launchers, M-16s, grenades, flame throwers, and for the grass roots freedom fighters, the ever popular Molotov Cocktail. If you’re the really, really boring type you can just beat the crap out of someone using nothing more than you fists of rage and feet of steel, or something like that.
  
Let’s not forget out the cops, which will get in your way throughout the game. Believe it or not, there are organized police forces in Liberty. There are also SWAT teams, the FBI, and the Army. They will do everything in their power to try and stop you. One of the most popular things to do with a group of friends is to play your own version of police chase. In this little made-up game, you commit as many crimes as possible and as see how many police cars you can get chasing you before you are caught. The object is to avoid being caught and continue to rack up the cops in pursuit. Of course, this is not officially part of the game, but fun nonetheless.
There are over 50 different vehicles in GTA III, including all of the following: taxi cabs, sedans, family cars, mini vans, SUVs, trucks, 18 wheelers, sports cars, convertibles, buses (school and metro), fire engines, ambulances, SWAT vehicles, and even the ice cream man. The vehicles take damage on 18 panels and every vehicle in the game is ripe for stealing. You can also traverse the city by train or by boat.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Remember the 80’s? I do, because I’m old. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City forces the Don Johnson white sport coat with a neon green t-shirt look down our throats, all the while making sure that Duran Duran can live off of some sort of residuals. Tommy Vercitti is back on the streets of Liberty City after serving his time in a maximum security prison. He is sent to Vice City by his boss, Sonny Forelli, to get him the hell out of Liberty. Tommy had made enough enemies there, and the warmth of the south was a welcome change. Only there is a catch, Tommy has been set up, and upon his arrival in Vice City quickly finds the he has no money, no food, and nowhere to go. All he has in the clothes on his back, and he obviously wants everything back.
Tommy is faced with another set of problems in Vice City, namely the biker gangs, Cuban gangs, and gangs of corrupt politicians. Being the brilliant visionary that he is, Tommy figures the best way around all of this is to take over the city himself. Vice City has everything, from beaches and swamps to ghettos and high dollar homes. The non-linear storyline allows you to choose a number of paths, each with the same goal to become the ruler of Vice City.
The vehicles of Vice City as diverse and varied, including helicopters, motorcycles, golf carts, and sports cars. Vice City also includes a damage engine, and the same crime-committing fun of GTA III.
The major difference between the two games is the environments. Vice City is obviously based on Miami, with an entire culture built upon excess and money, while Liberty is a typical New York-style set with all of the elements of a major metropolis. Both stories are immersive and fun, with plenty of open options that allow the player to create their own story. Oh yeah, lots of hookers, and strippers. Everyone loves hookers and strippers.
Graphics 9
Previously (read PS2) the graphics were considered the weakest part of Grand Theft Auto. Well, that has changed with the Xbox version of the game. Everything, and I mean everything, is better on the Xbox. The game has lost a lot of its jagged feel and low polygon count. It is smoother, has better lighting, better physics, better environments, better shading, better textures and HDTV support. Rockstar has really stepped it up with the Xbox versions of the games, vaulting them to the top of the heap for GTA fans.
Sound 10
The soundtracks fit the games perfectly, but also give you the freedom to customize until your hearts content. There is now Dolby Digital 5.1 support, and every audio element has been reengineered for the Xbox.
Gameplay 10
This is where it began with GTA, and this is what has created a legend. The gameplay is still innovative and immersive, creating a world that you don’t want to leave. The combination of different gameplay elements and the non-linear stories have created two of the best games ever for any console.
Overall 10
Grand Theft Auto helped boost console gaming into the stratosphere, surpassing the film industry in total dollar revenues, where it now sits. There are not many game developers that can claim to have created a new genre by focusing completely and totally on the user experience and enjoyment of playing a game. The GTA series kicks ass, and that’s about all there is to it.
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Level-Up
X365 Member
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But is it True Crime?
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Mongo
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I raaaaan, ran so far awaaaaaaaay. This game looks rock-solid. I´m picking up a copy this weekend. I think the only thing that True Crime can compete on is the soundtrack
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xboxfreak04
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This game is awesome, I just rented it for a couple days and I couldn´t stop playing it. Talk about highly addictive, this has got to be one of the best games I have ever played!
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Steed
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True Crime is awful, this game beats it on so many levels. I bought it 2 weeks ago and have not stopped playing, simply awesome.
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Adrenaline112
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It´s in my xmas list. This game is a classic one should own.
p.s. hate to sound like a smartass but where you wrote "were just happy its hear" you were supposed to write "here".
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j west
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ok what the fuke are you talking about Adrenaline112 ? who are you quoting?
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GameTag: GameYear
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adrenaline112
X365 Member
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lol.....they fixed it alreay
p.s. chad ...dude
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Judahin
X365 Member
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YOU SAID FUKE... lol..... i got GTA double package duff on stufsae.. "PORKCHOP SANDWHICHES!" "eh detetiv, deed no goin and you tell me do things i runnnin"
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Member: 1790
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jim
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YUM YUM YUM
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Al
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Only for january because Sony has keeped their exclusivity for the end of the year, only to block Xbox to have it this year... :(
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Nabeshin
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A must buy for me... if I didd´nt already own it on PC...
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Mad Gamer 2
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Well....this is a good game to say the least, and I am glad it finally made it to Xbox. Re-releasing this onthe PS2 might have been a waste of time, because if you go to th eright place you can get them for like $20 each. Just make sure you dont play it too long in one day, it can get boring after a while.
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Mad Gamer 2
X365 Member
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Oh btw, I havent tried True Crime yet. Even though I hear that its boring, I will still give it a shot anyway. I will try any game once...i mean come on, I played SUperman 64 for an hour......sheeeesh !!
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ADM_CASH
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ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT TO XBOX FROM PS2 WILL BE BETTER!!!!
I WOULD LOVE IT IF THEY WOULD BRING OUT SOCOM NAVEY SEALS ONTO XBOX LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ADM_CASH
X365 Member
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PUT IT THIS WAY 1NCE HALO-2 COMES OUT FORGET EVERYTHING, EVEN ALL GAMES THAT YOU OWN NOW!!.
SO PLAY EVERYTHING NOW WHILE YOU GOT THE TIME...
||-|| //-\ ||_ (( ))____ || || WILL MAKE YOU FORGET EVERYTHING ELSE!!!
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grand_master flash
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buy this game...now...run...no! run faster!!
P.S: turn off your caps lock...
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MasterChief
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Dont buy True Crime it can´t compete with GTA.
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NUTZ
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yeah, what he said
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Daniel Garbar
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this is the best game ever and when it comes out in europe on the xbox will get it and true crime eat your heart out you could never stand a chance trying to beat this game
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All4
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It best game I ever played but when is it released in UK I mean is it 5th dec 19dec mid jan comeon help me here I love this game too much to wait.
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numbnuts
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True crime sucks @!*%. It is a load of shite that looks like it´s ten years old and crashes more than a pissed up blind dog behind the wheel of a car. It´s full of bugs and glitches and it was obviously playtested by a housebrick. DO. NOT. BUY. It was a christmas rush job. GTA however, is the daddy.
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lil tazz
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i wish that u can get gta seperated because people like me dont want vice city and gta3 u wont know want to play.
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lil tazz
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i wish that u can get gta seperated because people like me dont want vice city and gta3 u wont know want to play.
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lil tazz
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i wish that u can get gta seperated because people like me dont want vice city and gta3 u wont know want to play.
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lil tazz
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true crimes is gay right on numbnuts
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chickens
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yo true crime is good, i dont know what your talkin bout, but his game is at least 10 times better
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Teutonic Terry
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WTF true crime is awesome, dont make fun of it! ideots but........BUT..the GTA series started it all and is #1 in my heart and in all of yours, so GO GTA, I think they should make another one, like maybe 1930´s or 40´s AL CAPONE gangster stuff in Chicago, I know its a stetch but i dont want it to end!
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BBallMan2006
X365 Member
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I heard somewhere that there is going to be anoother GTA. I hear that it going to be set in the 2060´s. I heard that there are going to be flying cras and such. But i´m not sure where i heard this or even if it´s true.
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RYAN
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ur all dumb @!*%s
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tony b
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My wife gave me the GTA double pack for Christmas. But, I can´t get either game to load fully. Has anyone had this problem? All other games I own and movies play perfectly. Thanks
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eeeeeeeee
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?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
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SPUD
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IVE GOT A CHEAT GO TO THE PASSENGER SIDE OPEN THE DOOR SHOOT THEM GET IN THE CAR AND WATCH THEM RISE FROM THE DEAD
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Uncle Bob
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this game fo shizzles my sizzle
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dookmiester
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This game sucks. It freezes up every time I play.
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cougar2
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Stupids ---True Crimes Better
IT has all the imports
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damaged
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GTA is a played out game.
All incarnations are identical and idiotic.
Besides everything except for music in this series is sub par.
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ACE 405
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Who in the crap cant beat vice city come on it is one of the easist games to beat
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crimekiller
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I think that socom is to good for X BOX LIVE.
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