Badmovies.org Forum

Yes, I know, I'm horribly out of date, but still hear me out.  

My niece loaned me her PS2 (remember, I only have limited access to the computer now so I need a new hobby), with a James Bond game and GTA 3 (the one that came before Vice City and San Andreas.)  Now, I'd played this game (and the other two) on the PC, so I figured  playing it on the Playstation would be much different (except maybe for longer load times and not having the ability to download mods from the internet.)

Well, I managed to play for about ten, fifteen minutes, and I have to wonder, how the HELL did any stand playing this game?  

Here's the thing, on the PS2 version, the contraols are like, you press the up button, the character walks DOWN (towards you), press down and he walks UP (away from you.)  Press right, he moves LEFT, and left he goes right.  WTF??  Also, most of the time when you walking somewhere, the camera seems to stay in FRONT of him, going backward, so you have NO idea where you're going.

Am I missing something here?  Who the hell that this control would be a good idea?  Crazily enough, when you're in a car, the right arrow turns the car RIGHT and the left makes it go left.  There's four different control configurations you can choose from, but as far as I can tell, none of them affect the moment controls, just which part of the joy sticks controls the moment, and, unlike the PC, I can't go in an assign each key to a specific function.

Again, am I missing something here?  Is my controller broke?  Or do you just have to fumble along and get "used" to this inane setup?

I know it's probably been years since anyone here who has a PS2 has even played this game, but I figured I'd ask anyway...

From what I remember, I just got used to it over time. Frankly, haven't played it since San Andreas came out, and Andreas is worlds better.

I was very late to the Grand Theft Auto party. I blame this entirely on the fact that the PS2 never seemed to go down in price. So I didn't get to GTA until many years after it came out. Don't get me wrong, I was chomping at the bit to play it, but I'm not a guy who has all that much money.

I don't remember the control issues you bring up. I had no problem with it, but it has been years since I put it in. Then again, I played the Xbox port, so I probably I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I do remember from the Xbox port that the gunplay was pretty much broken. I dreaded any mission where I would have to shoot people, because it was like pulling teeth. I actually never got too far in GTA3, for that very reason. Also, I found it kind of boring. Shame really, because the little bit I played of Vice City was pretty compelling.

I think that GTA3 is a watershed of gaming, only later eclipsed by Vice City and San Andreas. For all their controversy, Rockstar is really a powerhouse of a game studio, who deserve every accolade they get. I didn't get on board until Grand Theft Auto 4 and Red Dead Redemption, but those games are both on the forefront of the power of narrative in games, while also pushing the idea that "open-world" gaming is a valid artistic experience.

Is it broken? I bought the first five GTA's on Steam. Haven't played them yet.

I echo what Happy said, it takes getting used to.  Matter of fact, I wanted to return the game after 20 minutes of gameplay as well.   However I'm glad I didn't stop.   

San Andreas and Vice City's targeting helps millions.  San Andreas is probably my most favorite game of all time. 

I never remember anything like that when I played GTA III years ago. I thought the controls/camera were fine. I loved that game when it came out, I thought nothing could top it. Then along came Vice City...

^  Plot wise and setting wise, Vice City rocks.  If they combined the gameplay elements from San Andreas it would be a perfect game.

As far as revolutionary games go, GTA3 was a big game changer for Rockstar, giving rise to all the glorious sequels to follow: the sandbox style gameplay was amped up considerably in this one, the world-space in general immense [until San Andreas came out] and pretty much most of their games Rockstar have released since integrate at least a small part of the legacy of GTA3.

That being said, I quite liked it and it made a huge impact on what I could expect from a game.  Comparing it to the later releases of course it suffers, but still...

Must say I own GTAIV but barely played it.  Was sick of that style of game by that point until Red Dead Redemption came out.

I need to replay that game, because I don't remember it controlling like that at all...  :question: