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Grand Theft Auto V's three antiheroes feel as though they were torn
straight out of Sigmund Freud's structural model of the human psyche.
The wild, feral Trevor represents the id: a psychopath led by instincts
and urges without any consideration for others. Retired criminal Michael
is the super-ego: the critical, realistic, moral force that strives to
keep the id in check. That leaves young Franklin as the ego: an
organized, realistic partner that mediates between the desires of the id
and the super-ego--or, in this case, two psychopaths that always seem
to be a hair away from strangling each other. Throughout GTA 5 you'll
swap between the trio, seeing San Andreas through the eyes of three
wildly different personalities, each of whom brings their own breed of
psychosis to one of the most exciting games of this generation.
As
is the case with the human psyche, these different parts work together
to create something stronger than the individuals ever could be. Whereas
previous Grand Theft Auto characters have struggled with maintaining an
interesting personality as they were tasked with slaughtering innocents
for gameplay's sake, breaking the campaign into three parts makes for
three better characters. They're all exceptionally written, and play off
of each other well. Instead of forcing one character to climb his way
up his own slice of the criminal underworld, GTA 5 does a remarkable job
of providing each with their own motivations, their own missions, and
their own personas you'll come to love as you swap between them.
Switching characters is a major part of what makes GTA 5
unique, and it's as seamless as you could possibly hope. At almost any
time you can jump between them, zooming the camera out for a moment
before warping back, showing what the characters have been doing since
you last played as them. You might find Franklin walking out of a bar,
only to be called by a panicking friend who needs to be bailed out of a
dumb situation; and swapping to Michael could have him sitting by the
pool and smoking a cigar before heading off to do yoga with his cheating
wife. Trevor is typically found passed out in an alley or picking
fights with strangers, and his missions are usually the most
ludicrous--you'll be blowing up trailer parks and hijacking cargo planes
as you see the world from his warped, chaotic point of view. Some side
characters even jump between stories, making the world feel incredible
cohesive.
Along the way you'll find ample distractions to keep
you exploring San Andreas, ranging from random activities to wholly
optional side missions. At times the staggering amount of content can be
overwhelming; there's so much to do that it's easy to be paralyzed with
indecision. Whether you're exploring the upper-class suburbs of
Rockford Hills as Michael, the beautiful and scenic Vespucci Beach as
Franklin, or the hillbilly-filled Blaine County as Trevor, you'll
struggle to drive three blocks without finding something interesting to
do--be it preventing a robbery or helping a paparazzo take salacious
pictures of a teen star. Some will lead to interesting side plots, while
others simply exist to give more life to the colorful world. Though
they don't all have satisfying conclusions--with some sort of whimpering
to a close--they work to flesh out the characters and provide more
context to the satirical paradise Rockstar created.
Though you'll be pulled in a few directions at once, it won't take
much prodding to get back to the main campaign. The narrative is
exciting and exceptionally-written, and story missions, which have
always been fodder between cutscenes, are now explosive set-piece
moments amplified by the ability to swap characters. In one mission, you
need to fly a helicopter above an office building as Trevor, rappel
down the side of it as Michael, and provide sniper support as Franklin.
It's thrilling, and provides an experience totally unlike anything
you've played before--and it's hardly the best usage of this mechanic.
It
also helps that just about every mechanic is a marked improvement over
previous iterations. The most noticeable improvement comes with the
visual overhaul that makes GTA 5 one of the best-looking games currently
available on consoles. But this improved fidelity comes at a cost. The
game's massive, sprawling, detailed San Andreas is obviously pushing the
hardware to its limits, so don't be surprised to see framerate drops or
objects popping into existence as you speed down a highway. Other
changes have only positive impacts to the game--gunplay is extremely
strong thanks to improvements to the aiming, and while the driving
controls are looser than they are in some other open-world games, they
make for some thrilling chases.
These mechanics come to a head in the game's heists, which take
advantage of every improvement Rockstar has made to its franchise.
You're not just showing up to a question mark on the map and taking part
in a bank robbery mission, you're an integral part of the planning
process of awe-inspiring cinematic moments. Being able to choose between
two wildly different plans, deciding on the getaway car, picking from a
handful of different teammates--you're in full control in a way no
other game has ever attempted. When the mission actually begins, you're
able to see your hard work unfold, with different outcomes depending on
your planning and actions.
Rockstar also made sure to create an
economy that actually makes sense, instead of just dumping money into
your in-game bank account without any real purpose, as was the case in
past games. You're able to customize every weapon and vehicle in the
game, and there's a robust real estate system with dozens of different
properties around San Andreas that can be purchased. Some feed more
money to you, while others actually open up new tasks and missions.
There's even a dynamic stock market that actually reacts to in-game
events, letting you make even more money by researching missions before
you complete them. The number of moving parts in GTA 5 is astounding,
and you'll be amazed by how well they all work together.
Five
years ago, it looked as though it would've been difficult to make a
bigger, more impressive game than Grand Theft Auto IV, but Rockstar
didn't just settle for improvements to visuals. Instead, it polished and
iterated upon every single element of the game--and the genre. The
world is massive and detailed, the gameplay is damn near perfect, and
though there are some lackluster side missions, the actual story is
filled with memorable personalities that feel more fully-realized than
even the best of GTA's previous characters. It's a remarkable example of
open-world gaming at it's finest, and while it doesn't reinvent the
genre or do anything all that new, it does so much so well that it's
hard to find flaws in Rockstar's massive blockbuster.
FIFA 2005 is out now on PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, PC and GBA
Office debate no. 963. There's something wrong with FIFA 2005. But
nobody can agree on what. "It's less, err, fluid than PES4," murmurs
writer, Nathan. "The set pieces are rubbish," argues art monkey, Milf.
"No, that's not it," offers a mystery voice from a neighbouring Xbox
magazine. "The problem is that while PES4 feels like a simulation, FIFA
2005 plays like a game - you've got to think about every move, rather
than acting on instinct." The office falls silent. The inability to
define the problem is the problem. Unlike PES4, where every button press
yields a measurable result, FIFA 2005 too often leaves you guessing.
Take
crossing, for example. A lengthy prod of Square sends a floating ball
into the box, but even with analogue stick guidance, you're never quite
sure where it's heading. Even when you meet the ball with a header,
you're never sure if you've held the shoot button long enough,
invariably looping the ball wide. Your teammates rarely make intelligent
runs, and often go missing, leaving you as the sole midfielder in a sea
of opposition players. It's possible to wallop the ball into the top
corner from twenty yards, but one-on-ones are invariably smothered by
the keeper. You can run thirty yards with a defender trailing behind,
but after a while regardless of whether he's made up sufficient ground
he'll inevitably regain possession with a slide tackle.
Don't get
us wrong. The abiding impression is of an intelligent passing game, but
FIFA 2005 seems to be forcing situations to keep everything ticking
along. In fairness, PES does exactly the same thing, but does so
naturally you rarely spot the computer's balancing intelligence at work
(like the way it slyly aligns players for tackles). FIFA 2005 keeps
things tight at least, by making, say, Van Nistelrooy inexplicably shin
one from five yards, or urging the keeper into a great save.
It's
far from bad news. The new First Touch feature works sublimely. A flick
of the right analogue stick as you receive the ball, pokes the ball in
the corresponding direction and lets you steal a yard on a defender - a
feature sorely missing from FIFA 2004, where it was impossible to break
the defensive line without repetitive passing triangles. The skill move
system has also been refined, so rather than perform a pointless
on-the-spot dance before losing possession - like FIFA 2004 - you can
snatch a yard and lose the defender. By tapping the right stick at 90?
angles to your movement, you can shimmy past opponents sideways, like
the invaluable R2 shuffle move in PES. Hold the right analogue away from
your direction of movement, and great strikers like Henry will even
skip the ball over an advancing keeper another great touch, dependent on
timing.
Standard passing is intuitive, if slightly sticky due to the (beautiful)
lengthy animation frames. In five minutes, you'll be stroking the ball
about like Arsenal, exploiting open space and cute angles. The ability
to press o and send players on runs works brilliantly, unlocking
defences and showcasing the enhanced through ball dynamics. (Hold L1 and
Triangle for lofted passes, like PES). The 'revolutionary' - ie. shit
and confusing involving four button presses - Off The Ball system
returns, but tucked away like a ginger stepchild. Your capacity to
initiate teammate runs is so flexible, it's as if the developers have
chosen to keep them still unless prompted. Is it really too much to ask
for Frank Lampard to move five yards ahead without having to jam down
the Triangle button and pray he reacts in time?
As usual player likenesses are superb, with realistic animation and
loquacious commentary. Naturally. Game modes are extensive from the LDV
Vans trophy to Spanish Second Division but the haphazard quantity
diminishes the prestige of individual events. The 'throw enough shit and
it sticks' approach extends to the music, lurching unfathomably from
Morrissey, to The Streets to dire Italian house. The Career mode lets
you tinker with every element of a club, but when tactics make little
difference to the way you play, and with players feeling so similar
there's little to choose between Rooney and, say, Tommy Doherty the
effort seems wasted.
In terms of individual elements shooting,
passing, trickery it's the best FIFA by a mile. Sadly, like Chelsea
under Claudio Rainieri, it fails to gel as a team. As with every FIFA,
you'll love your first ten minutes, but the compulsion to return soon
diminishes. FIFA 2005 might have the First Touch, but lacks the lasting
impression.
You see that game on your shelf called Gran Turismo 5? Pick it up. Now
drop it in the nearest bin and forget it ever happened. Gran Turismo 6
delivers the racer we always knew the PS3 and Polyphony were capable of.
In fact, it’s so good that even its minor annoyances can’t hold it back
from negating the generational divide and snatching back its title of
‘best console racing sim’, next-gen be damned.
Even on hardware from 2006, GT6 manages native 1080p, 60fps (except for
replays and particularly busy moments), and grids full of
immaculately-modelled, licensed cars. And it tops all of this off with
day/night transitions and wet-weather racing. It’s the full package
straight out of the box, making its next-gen competition (*cough* Forza
5) look like a demo. For lens flare effects. Yes, I just went there
The very first thing you notice when you take control of the initial
race around Brands Hatch is the responsiveness of the steering. It’s all
about realism, weight transferral, and inertia, yet there’s enough grip
there to swerve around a slower AI car without having to cancel things
in your diary to accommodate the manoeuvre. I cannot emphasise enough,
driving a car in GT6 feels like no other racing game on the market, and I
love it.
Obviously the first thing you’ll want to do is turn off all the assists,
which include the obligatory dynamic racing line, traction control,
ABS, and what have you. The game doesn’t need them and neither do you.
Why? Because the cars are so controllable in their natural state, so
perfectly balanced between realism and accessibility, pinpoint driving
is possible even with a DualShock 3.
But while playing with the pad is perfectly enjoyable, purists will
prefer a steering wheel. With a racing seat and Logitech Driving Force
GT force feedback set, the experience is more realistic, but also far
more physical, as you need to steer wildly just to catch an oversteer
moment on full-lock. The force feedback is strong and solid-feeling,
which couples with the game’s ultra-smooth movement to create a flowing
sense of motion that you’ll want to savour.
However, get a corner wrong with either controller and the resulting
physics are pretty special. In some cars, the sudden lack of grip on the
grass means a dinner trolley slide into the barriers. Conversely, in a
4WD Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, it means a few seconds of rally driving as
you try to keep it under control and wrestle the car back onto the
circuit. Both simulations are exemplary.
Unlike many modern racers, there’s no rewind button. But that’s the
cheat’s way out anyway. As a trade-off, impacts won’t end your race as
thumping your car into the wall won’t affect your handling like it does
in Forza or GRID. Damage is limited to a few scuff textures instead of a
gearbox full of 3rd gears. You’re basically indestructible, which is
one area the GT series still comes up short.
That aside, Polyphony has clearly learned a stack of lessons from its
GT5-shaped misstep. For starters, every track now looks worthy of its HD
resolution. Foliage is more naturalistic (softened by a touch of bloom
lighting), and the lighting effects add considerable atmosphere to even
the most basic races. The game also looks demonstrably better in 1080p
compared to 720p because the pixel meshes used for distant foliage are
less noticeable. There are a few jagged lines that betray the game’s now
last-gen tech, but it could feasibly pass for a PS4 game if you didn’t
know better.
All of this would be nought if the progression system was still
completely broken, but that aspect of the game has received a major
overhaul. For starters, the menus have been simplified, offering logical
shortcuts like showing you which cars in your garage are available for
the current event, or offering you ‘coffee break’ events if you fancy
something light-hearted to break up the tiered events of the main
career. It’s almost as if it’s been designed with the player in mind and
not just the enjoyment of Kazunori Yamauchi.
Unfortunately, it’s still possible to enter an event with a faster car
and win more easily, but nothing like the ‘miles in front by turn 1’
madness of GT5. It does so through the new ‘PP’ number, which ranks each
machine’s power. Most events have a PP limit, so if your PP is too big,
you’re not allowed to race (stop sniggering at the back). It’s not a
perfect solution, but it’s much, much better.
However, the AI is not better at all. The AI drivers do kick up some
dirt as they venture off-line and there is a modicum of defensive
driving exhibited by the leaders, but they’re still faceless and
robotic. The oddest problem with their behaviour is the way one or two
often dash off at the start into a 12-second lead then appear to wait
for you to catch up on the last lap. You can see them taking corners at a
crawl on the track map. Madness. The AI isn’t up to the quality of
everything else, which makes it stand out all the more.
I’ve never been one to champion quantity over quality, but GT6 manages
ridiculously generous portions of both. I don’t want to sling mud at
Forza 5, but where that game loops back to previously-visited tracks
extremely quickly, GT6 just keeps chucking in new raceways. Not only
does it have the likes of Bathurst, Spa, and Silverstone, it also has
Monza, Suzuka, Brands, Motegi, and Daytona. And more. And
that’s not mentioning the original tracks, rally stages, and karting
events. Oh, and snow races at Chamonix. AND ALSO THE MOON. (Note: Moon
events are stupid, slow, and stupid. But they are there.)
While GT6 exhibits most if not all of the series’ idiosyncrasies, it has
deftly pulled itself out from its own exhaust pipe, dropped 99% of the
pretentious jazz, and regained its mojo. With post-race confetti
sparkles (a cheap effect, but I like it), harmony guitar fanfares when
you win, and some stylish presentation, it feels like a video game
again.
GT is coming to PS4, but it no longer needs that machine to save the
series. This is everything GT5 should have been. So forget that game
ever existed, get this and enjoy it while you wonder why they skipped
straight from GT4 to GT6.
This game was reviewed on PC.
Someone in my caravan is stealing food. I have three options:
Question my apparently not-so-trustworthy clansmen, institute a
rationing policy, or assign extra guards to the provision stores. I
choose the first; panic spreads, reducing overall morale to "abysmal."
Cue the reload to a checkpoint an hour back. I choose the second; panic
spreads, morale is reduced to "super abysmal," and some of my clansman
kill each other out of desperation. Reload, third option; nothing
happens for awhile--until the thieves murder my guards and steal every
ounce of food I have left. By the time I reach the next town, half my
caravan is dead from starvation. Oh, and I have no currency left to buy
anymore supplies. The Banner Saga is undeniably cruel, but its endless
series of brutal scenarios plays perfectly into its wonderful, mature
end-of-the-world tale.
Part tactical RPG, part Oregon Trail, and
part depression simulator, The Banner Saga offers a rewarding journey
drenched in misery. Its fascinating viking-inspired setting is overrun
by the Dredge, a race of malicious rock people bent on destroying the
world--your town included. With a caravan of survivors under your
command, it's your responsibility to lead them to safety. Only, you
quickly find out no such thing exists. Every trek is a perilous one, and
while no one in your caravan will die of dysentery, you must defend
them from brigands, Dredge, and even your own greedy clansmen, all while
managing the supplies necessary to keep your followers from starving to
death. Which is to say, you're basically screwed. Where many games task
you with saving the world, The Banner Saga makes it clear that a
handful of heroes can't do much when a million enemies are knocking at
their doorstep.
Initially, hopelessness comes in the form of challenging tactical
battles. These grid-based fights are similar to those in games like
Final Fantasy Tactics or Fire Emblem, where you have access to a dozen
or so classes, each with various strengths and weaknesses. Enemy AI is
frustratingly sharp, as your foes prioritize killing blows and ganging
up on a single, powerful unit. Even a single misstep can result in
losing a battle, and when you win fights, you'll often do so with only a
unit or two left standing. No matter the outcome, your journey
continues. The difficulty isn't impossible to overcome, but it does
force you to take advantage of every ability and item at your disposal.
Thankfully, your soldiers don't die when defeated (otherwise The Banner
Saga would be impossible to complete), though they do suffer health and
damage penalties until fully rested, making the fact that another battle
is inevitably just around the corner all the more devastating. Even
when you're winning, it always feels like you've lost.But the battles are nothing compared to gut wrenching tragedy that is
the in-between travels of your caravan. As you wander from one town to
the next, you're constantly forced to make tough decisions, the outcomes
of which typically range from "oh God I'm screwed" to "FUUUUUUUUUUUUU."
Do you face the huge army of Dredge on your heels and lose dozens of
clansmen? Or do you make the choice to flee, leaving the sick and
elderly behind to die? You won't permanently lose party members in
battle--but you will when you let a group of travelers join
your caravan and they end up shanking your tank before stealing your
supplies. It's impossible not to second guess your decisions when even
seemingly easy solutions have outcomes that are impossible to predict.
After only an hour or two you'll find these stressful situations to be
far more daunting than the battles ahead--especially considering you
can't manually save, which often feels more like a curse than a
blessing. If things prove too difficult, though, you can adjust the
difficulty setting at any time, if only to see the well-written story
through to the end
Should you win a few fights or accidentally stumble across the
lesser of evils when making decisions, you'll earn renown. What this
seemingly scarce (maybe it's me?) resource gets you falls in line with
The Banner Saga's theme of survival. Renown acts as a sort of currency;
it's used to buy items that empower your fighters or supplies to keep
your caravan alive. It can also be used to level up your soldiers,
making surviving battles a slightly more achievable endeavor. The thing
is, you're always in desperate need of each of these things. Items give
your fighters huge advantages in combat; leveling them grants a
much-needed stat increase; and as for the supplies, lower caravan morale
equates to more in-fighting and murder, making your journey all the
more difficult. You'd do well to keep them alive and happy. Again,
easier said than done.
However grueling your adventure may be,
it's the small triumphs and character connections that make it worth
enduring. Few things are as gratifying as building relationships with
party members, or downing a keg of ale and singing songs of heroism with
your clansmen after several days of terrible misfortune. These hopeful
moments--while few and far between--do a great job of making you feel
more connected to those under your care. Even the incredible music and
gorgeous hand-drawn art and animations alleviate some of the misery,
crafting a refreshingly unique aesthetic that works surprisingly well
for a story so saturated in doom and gloom.
By its end, The Banner Saga isn't so much about how many battles
you win, or what level your fighters are--it's about the journey of
surviving from beginning to end. All the branching choices and possible
playable characters mean your experience will be completely different
from that of your friend's, and the interesting 10-hour campaign will
keep you eager to see it through, difficulty be damned. You'll make
tough decisions. People you grow to care about will die. And by the time
the credits roll, you'll have woven a story all your own to tell.
