Okay - so I've not (yet) gotten an XBox 360 (although once the shortages are over I almost definitely will) and I DO have a high-end PC. So I bit the bullet yesterday and decided to buy the Online Only "Gamer's Edition" of the game.
As noted this version is online (download) only and weighs in at just under a 5 Gig download. On my connection (Comcast Cable) it took about 7 hours. Unpacking those files took another 45 minutes and then installing the result took another 30 minutes. Read that carefully tho': You need 5 Gig to download the files, about 6 Gig to store the install files (which are deleted after you install) and about 6 Gig for the install. You need all this simultaneously: 17 Gig of free space just to install the thing. Not to mention the 9 or so hours required as well. ;^) The "Gamer's Edition" is supposedly the "best" version available and its system requirements (3GHz+ CPU, 2 Gig of RAM and a high, high end video card) prove it out. My system is admittedly on the low end for this: 3.06 GHz P4, GeForce 6800 Ultra and 2 Gig of RAM. My system _struggles_ with this game - and you have no option to degrade to the "standard" version (and no refunds are available for system issues). I find the game playable but there is (with the latest GeForce drivers) substantial tearing and lighting artifacts. Moving the camera is often jumpy and very often leaves you looking at the floor or the ceiling and completely disoriented. The game does look good... but considering the requirements no better (and sometimes worse in my opinion) than "Half Life 2", "Doom 3" or even "Farcry" (another UBI game) - all of which run like butter on my system. Also it seemed odd that the performance issues don't seem to be affected by resolution: I get seemingly the same performance at 1280x1024 (my LCD's native resolution) as I do at 640x480. This leads me to think that my system may not be completely at fault. So far I've played the game for less than two hours and am 17% through (although you can eventually play as Kong so far I've only played Jack). So far I've been less than impressed honestly. The game seems, at least on the PC, very rough around the edges. The video cut scenes don't blend well (the "loading screen" appears right in the middle of a word) and the scenes from the movie seem tacked on at best. Oh - and get to know that "loading" screen intimately - you'll be spending a HUGE amount of time with it. I know that this edition is supposed to have larger/better textures but levels can take as little as 20 minutes with upwards of 4 minutes spent on the loading screen. The game began badly for me: I started with a glitch. We approach a dark tunnel - too dark to see. Anne announces "I have something that might help" and then... promptly disappears. I spent nearly 30 minutes trying to find her in a rather small area then gave up. Upon restarting the game everything worked correctly - Anne makes her announcement then lights a flare and enters the cave and you follow. The story is changed substantially from the movie (and seemingly for no reason). This isn't a "in the margins" game - things (important things) are just plain different here. The game also seems to fall into some common traps. For example much of the beginning has you escorting Anne through the ruined Necropolis. Fine - but Anne can often scale walls or structures that you can't for seemingly no reason (several are broken ladders or walls which look clearly climbable). Anne can also (again for seemingly no logical reason) heal any other character. Weapons are odd. I've had access to three firearms (a pistol, a shotgun and a sniper rifle) but you can only hold one at a time (you can't hold both a pistol and a shotgun). However you can hold a "native" weapon (either a spear or a bone shard) at the same time as a firearm. Firearms are rather scarce but native weapons are plentiful and pack a good wallop when thrown (which leaves you essentially defenseless again) but are weak when used as melee weapons. They can be picked up again but soon break. Most the deaths I've faced have been when armed with a native weapon against two opponents. The terrain looks okay but is extremely dark and EXTREMELY confusing. I've spent most of my time trying to find the correct path. You most often have to follow an NPC - but detour even for a moment to pick up a spear and they'll happily leave you lost and alone. There are many (MANY) areas which look navigable but aren't (Jack can neither jump or climb). The control scheme is slightly more complex than it needs to be in my opinion. For example the "fire" button will always do a melee attack (jab with a spear, pistol or rifle butt). To actually shoot a gun or throw a spear you must also hold down the space bar. This makes movement while crouching (which admittedly isn't needed very often) a very difficult thing. The enemies so far (giant crayfish, centipedes, scorpions, bats and a few raptors) have been essentially brainless. They appear in front of you and run straight towards you making them very easy of you have a loaded firearm, somewhat easy if alone and if you have a native weapon handy and death incarnate if you're unarmed. Which the game running as choppy as it is now I'm not hopeful for the third-person Kong sequences, but I have heard that they're best part of the game. I have to assume that the XBox 306 version looks about as good and lacks the control and visual issues. The PS2 demo I played was honestly much more fun although it lacked the visual quality. But with a game this dark it's really hard to notice vast differences even between the PS2 and the PC Gamer's version. Perhaps the game will surprise me as I continue... but right now it's unfortunately just nothing special. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:198914 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
