GTA IV PC Impressions

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http://pc.ign.com/articles/934/934806p1.html

9.2 at IGN


PC gamers will get more freedom when it comes to music selection, as Rockstar has included Independence FM with this version. Since you're bound to get tired of hearing about Dragon Brain and Pisswasser eventually, you can load in music files to a game directory that play when this station is switched to, giving you a better ability to find something you like should you decide to go on one of the adrenaline fueled cross-city cop chases GTA is known for.

Then there's the online play, a major addition for the series and a section of the game that's been expanded with a larger player limit in the PC version and better search functionality. Accessed through Niko's cell phone you'll find a wide range of options for play, from races to deathmatches to a number of team-based games with more specific rule sets. The real draw of the online portion here is to engage in 32 person chaos across the expanse of the metropolis in free mode, but the structured content's there for players looking for something more organized. It would have been nice to see a few extra cooperative modes instead of those already packaged in the console versions, but the multiplayer remains a strong component of this product for the freedom it gives those who venture online.

Online or off there's no doubt you'll be impressed with some of GTA IV's visuals. It's not so much the character models, but the sheer diversity of the city's sections, from the glitz of Liberty City's "Times Square" to the grime slathered over the industrial areas, Rockstar has produced one of the most authentic, believable settings ever seen in gaming. Yet with the PC version, you're going to need a particularly powerful machine to see it in all its splendor at a decent framerate, as even on our system (Core 2 Quad 2.40 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 768 MB GeForce 8800 GTX with Vista 32) we were having performance problems even after toning down a few of the settings, and some of the effects (the shadows in particular) didn't look so hot when displayed in high resolutions



So has anyone tried this? It is really kicking my graphic card's ass. I can't even run this in 1080p as the game tells you that you dont have enough video memory. Also one of my quality setting is stuck at medium. I have a 9800 gtx.

Seems like there is a game that finally put the additional video memory to use... TIME TO UPGRADE!
 
God damn it!!!

9300 Quad Core 2.5ghz
3 gigs of ram
EVGA 260 896mb of ram.
22 inch monitor :(

vs
xbox 360 on a 37 inch hdtv lcd.


I wonder if the 360 controller is supported by this game on the pc?

I am going to wait til it reaches 19.99 or less. The music choice addition has been allowed since the earlier versions of the series.
Just wait for the MODS.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']God damn it!!!

9300 Quad Core 2.5ghz
3 gigs of ram
EVGA 260 896mb of ram.
22 inch monitor :(

vs
xbox 360 on a 37 inch hdtv lcd.

.[/quote]

Atleast you have a gtx260.. the extra video memory should let you run it at higher resolution than me.. i was going to get a new card but now that live cashback is dead.. im pretty much screwed for a bit
 
[quote name='guyver2077']Atleast you have a gtx260.. the extra video memory should let you run it at higher resolution than me.. i was going to get a new card but now that live cashback is dead.. im pretty much screwed for a bit[/quote]

Yea but I am stuck at 1600x1080 because that's the highest my 22 inch gateway monitor will run at. There are days when I actually MISS my old 19 inch CRT which I could run at 19xx by16xx!
 
[quote name='keithp']Heard it was a buggy mess on PC. Check out those Amazon reviews--ouch! How's it running for you?[/quote]

alot of those reviews are bs..

you have people saying that the game has ps1-like graphics? wtf

and another saying he upgraded to a 9400 for this game (yea good upgrade there).. pls.

Yea there is no question this game pushes the current hardware.. but some of these reviewers are just noobs
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']Yea but I am stuck at 1600x1080 because that's the highest my 22 inch gateway monitor will run at. There are days when I actually MISS my old 19 inch CRT which I could run at 19xx by16xx![/quote]Your monitor should be outputing 1650 x 1080. You can get 22" 1080p LCDS now if you really want that higher resolution. For example...
 
My impressions from the discussions at Rock, Paper, Shotgun: Buggy mess, runs like arse, and Social Club and GFWL are annoying.

If I owned a 360, I'd go for that version. In this case, I'm not seeing a "PC advantage," especially if you're uninterested in multiplayer.
 
Does this game use something similar to TAGES where it cripples the game if it knows it's pirated?

I know people that have bought or pirated GTA IV. Those that bought it seem to be having fun, but the ones that have pirated it can't seem to play the game for more than 5 minutes without something fucking up.
 
[quote name='silent h3ro']Your monitor should be outputing 1650 x 1080. You can get 22" 1080p LCDS now if you really want that higher resolution. For example...[/quote]


whoops meant to say..1680x1050 16x10
 
Got my new gpu in.. gtx 280!!! but still getting owned on GTA4. I think though it may be something else on my system thats underperforming.

Running it on high uses up 894 mb video memory so that is why i couldnt run it on high before.
 
That's a good indication that it's poorly optimized and the fact that it brings down a GTX280 to its knees. It's too bad they rushed this game.
 
are you fucking kidding me?!?!? With nearly a gig of video memory and a quad core, it still chugs!?!?!?! WTF Rockstar!?!!

This was built for the 360, but now requires something MORE beefier than a high end PC? what's this using? the Crysis engine?!!?
 
I've been a PC Gamer since the early 80's and this might be my first post to warn people not to buy a game. While my computer build is about 6 months old now, it should easily run this game (runs everything else I throw at it on high, including Crysis) but my frame rate is so poor that it's unplayable.

I typically don't mind fine tunning and tweaking as well but after a considerable amount of time and energy, I've given up. I was really looking forward to the game but unfortunately, they decided to sell a product that just was not ready.

This is also where I wish I could return the game but for now, I will just post my distain for this game here.
 
I'm just having the worst time figuring out how a game can run perfectly on hardware from 2005, but not hardware from 2008.

Rockstar for Studio of the Year 2008! Or not.
 
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']I'm just having the worst time figuring out how a game can run perfectly on hardware from 2005, but not hardware from 2008.[/quote]

Whaaa???
 
My favorite thing about this game is when you go into your safehouse to save and you find out it's not there, but instead it's missing textures and then when you open up the pause menu the game freezes to a point where the only way to unfreeze it is to press the reset button on your machine (not even crtl alt delete works). :bomb:
 
i think my problem was that i was aiming to play it at 1080p blasted.. seems to run alright on 720p maxed out with the occasional hiccups.


I played it for about an hour and finally had no crashes. I tried to extend the view distances etc past the defaults and after a little while i exhausted my video memory and the game crashed.
 
Yeah, I think I will pass. Haven't heard anything good, my machine isn't all that new, and I can't upgrade a laptop....lol. I've got SLI Nvidia Geforce 8600M combined for 768 GPU mem, dual core proc and a mere 2 gigs of RAM, and if I can't run the game at my native 1440 x 900, I'm outtie. Too bad Rockstar screwed this up, I was looking forward to this. I'll have to see how the reception to the patches goes. Thanks for the heads up guys!
 
You know even if the port was perfect, I don't know if I feel a need to continue playing this game, I just unlocked the 2nd island. Problem is there is really no fun to the game, yeah I can go play pool with someone but when it comes do doing all crazy shit, it is just too hard to do. I mean the missions are fun, but I finish GTA to unlock everything and then so I can do all types of crazy shit like multi car pileups and stuff. I don't feel the need here. Anyone know if you can do more crazy shit towards the end or is it gone?
 
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']You know even if the port was perfect, I don't know if I feel a need to continue playing this game, I just unlocked the 2nd island. Problem is there is really no fun to the game, yeah I can go play pool with someone but when it comes do doing all crazy shit, it is just too hard to do. I mean the missions are fun, but I finish GTA to unlock everything and then so I can do all types of crazy shit like multi car pileups and stuff. I don't feel the need here. Anyone know if you can do more crazy shit towards the end or is it gone?[/QUOTE]


Sounds like you should try Saints Row 2.
 
[quote name='CoffeeEdge']Sounds like you should try Saints Row 2.[/quote]Yeah saints row 2 is $40 for the PC so if wally world has it, I will pick it up tomorrow. I may go back and finish GTA IV because the story is fantastic, I mean I wish Rockstar would of just when you bet the game or something added a less serious mode to it, because I love everything else about the game.
 
Well, I may have to revise what I said----RAM is dirt cheap these days, so I doubled mine to 4 gigs, and I managed to find an auction of GTA IV, Legendary and Gothic 3 for $25, so we'll see how bad it is when it gets here!
 
[quote name='Holy_Headshot']Well, I may have to revise what I said----RAM is dirt cheap these days, so I doubled mine to 4 gigs, and I managed to find an auction of GTA IV, Legendary and Gothic 3 for $25, so we'll see how bad it is when it gets here![/quote]I wouldn't play this game on anything less than a quad core. Memory can only do so much. Nice deal on the game though.
 
It's amazing to me how crappy this runs on my system. My PS3 (which cost waaay less than my PC) which is now 2 years old runs this game better @ the same resolution.

Sure you can say it's not comparable, but I consider my PC decent and can run Crysis (which looks waaay better) at a better framerate.
 
The custom radio station is pretty cool. You can use your own music and stuff.

Performance wise i think this games pushes the most in regards to video memory. I still cant max out all the settings with my 1gb vid card. Maybe the 2gb cards can handle it.
 
Well, it does look awesome, but I still can't wrap my mind around the steep req's. It actually works on my system, which I hafta settle for, but the draw distance is terrible, keep running into things that aren't drawn in until too late, and I can only set my res to 1024x768. HUGE disappointment, but at least the game is playable.
 
I kinda figured that, but I have a question for ya silent h3ro. I have two 256MB cards running in SLI, and the tracker for the VRAM in GTA IV's settings says I only have 256 MB, is there any way to get it to detect both? And yes, I do have SLI enabled in the nvidia control panel.
 
The second patch for GTA IV is now availiable here:

http://www.rockstargames.com/support/IV/PC/patch/index.html

... or through Games for Windows Live.



Version 1.0.2.0


GRAPHICS FIXES / ADDITIONS:


  • Graphics Menu:
    • Added "Water Quality", "Shadow Quality" and "Reflection Resolution" sliders in graphics menu.
    • Added "Definition" and "VSync" toggles in graphics menu.
  • Rendering optimizations.
  • VSync optimizations.
  • Nvidia 7000 series
    • Mirrors fixed
PATCH 1 FIXES:


  • Direct input device support is now disabled by default and can only be enabled with the commandline: "-usedirectinput"
  • Supported Controllers:
    • Logitech Dual Action
    • Logitech RumblePad 2
    • Logitech Cordless RumblePad 2
    • Saitek P2500
  • Supported Wheels:
  • Note: Controls are unmapped, user must map controls using Manufacturer's mapping software.
    • Logitech G25 Racing Wheel
    • Logitech Wingman Formula GP Wheel
    • Logitech MOMO Racing
    • MOMO Force
    • Driving Force Pro
    • Driving Force
    • Formula Force
  • Added Commandline "-notimefix" which will help some users who are experiencing the fast/slow gameplay issue after patch 1 was applied.
  • Fixed a bug that caused some users to experience endless looping audio effects after Patch 1 was applied.
  • Benchmark was disabling sounds after Patch 1 was applied, this is now fixed.
CRASH FIXES:


  • Unable to load game fixed - For some users, a DOS window would open and close immediately upon Game Launch, GTA IV would never launch.
  • Hang on Initial Game Loading Screen fixed - Some users experienced Character Art Loading screens in an endless loop.
  • Certain causes of the RESC10 error have been fixed (Alt-Tab, change resolution). If you experience an RESC10 error, you must restart.
  • Certain Instances of the "GRAND THEFT AUTO IV has encountered a problem and needs to close" error have been fixed.
VIDEO EDITOR:


  • Naming clips is now mandatory on Export
MULTIPLAYER:


  • Legitimate players being kicked from Multiplayer matches has been fixed.
GENERAL ADDITIONS / FIXES:


  • Wireless 360 controllers not functioning - Triggers were full on/off, fixed.
  • In the Options menu accessed from the Title Screen a “Game” section has been added with the ability to turn Clip capture on/off.
 
[quote name='silent h3ro']The second patch for GTA IV is now availiable here:

http://www.rockstargames.com/support/IV/PC/patch/index.html

... or through Games for Windows Live.



Version 1.0.2.0


GRAPHICS FIXES / ADDITIONS:


  • Graphics Menu:
    • Added "Water Quality", "Shadow Quality" and "Reflection Resolution" sliders in graphics menu.
    • Added "Definition" and "VSync" toggles in graphics menu.
  • Rendering optimizations.
  • VSync optimizations.
  • Nvidia 7000 series
    • Mirrors fixed
PATCH 1 FIXES:


  • Direct input device support is now disabled by default and can only be enabled with the commandline: "-usedirectinput"
  • Supported Controllers:
    • Logitech Dual Action
    • Logitech RumblePad 2
    • Logitech Cordless RumblePad 2
    • Saitek P2500
  • Supported Wheels:
  • Note: Controls are unmapped, user must map controls using Manufacturer's mapping software.
    • Logitech G25 Racing Wheel
    • Logitech Wingman Formula GP Wheel
    • Logitech MOMO Racing
    • MOMO Force
    • Driving Force Pro
    • Driving Force
    • Formula Force
  • Added Commandline "-notimefix" which will help some users who are experiencing the fast/slow gameplay issue after patch 1 was applied.
  • Fixed a bug that caused some users to experience endless looping audio effects after Patch 1 was applied.
  • Benchmark was disabling sounds after Patch 1 was applied, this is now fixed.
CRASH FIXES:


  • Unable to load game fixed - For some users, a DOS window would open and close immediately upon Game Launch, GTA IV would never launch.
  • Hang on Initial Game Loading Screen fixed - Some users experienced Character Art Loading screens in an endless loop.
  • Certain causes of the RESC10 error have been fixed (Alt-Tab, change resolution). If you experience an RESC10 error, you must restart.
  • Certain Instances of the "GRAND THEFT AUTO IV has encountered a problem and needs to close" error have been fixed.
VIDEO EDITOR:


  • Naming clips is now mandatory on Export
MULTIPLAYER:


  • Legitimate players being kicked from Multiplayer matches has been fixed.
GENERAL ADDITIONS / FIXES:


  • Wireless 360 controllers not functioning - Triggers were full on/off, fixed.
  • In the Options menu accessed from the Title Screen a “Game” section has been added with the ability to turn Clip capture on/off.
[/quote]

nice.. thx.. checking it out now
 
The third patch for GTA IV was released yesterday (March 19).

Version 1.0.3.0
Today, in our continuing effort to support and enhance Grand Theft Auto IV on the PC, we are happy to announce Patch 1.0.3.0 is now available for download. Notable features include graphical optimization; greater user control over graphic settings, including a new "OFF" option for reflection and shadow quality; and the elimination of remapping restrictions for keyboard and mouse, allowing for user-custom control schemes.

To download the latest patch please follow the link:
http://www.rockstargames.com/support/IV/PC/patch/index.html


GRAPHICS:
Interior Lights for ATI 1900 series cards
- All light sources appear for users with 1900 series ATI cards. (ie. Pool Mini Game)
- ALT-TAB fixed

Graphics Settings
- Added menu option "OFF" for Reflection quality
- Added menu option "OFF" for Shadow quality

PERFORMANCE:
- Physics optimizations to improve situations with heavy physics calculations (ie. 32 player races)
- Graphical Performance Optimizations

MULTIPLAYER:
NAT Type detection
- Detect if user has a "strict" NAT and displays message for user

Voice chat is received even if your microphone is turned off

CONTROLS:
Keyboard/Mouse
- Remapping restrictions removed
- Allow Enter, Backspace, and Arrow keys to be remapped by user
- Allow multiple mouse buttons to be mapped

Enable/Disable DirectInput in Menu
- Users can now activate/deactivate Direct Input devices from "Controls" menu.
- If commandline "-usedirectinput" is active, it will override pause menu setting

Use 2 direct input devices simultaneously (ie. Wheel and Gamepad)
- Users can now use 2 different controllers at once, including 1 XInput and 1 Direct Input device

Added more Direct Input / XInput device support
- Saitek P380/P480/P580/P990
- Saitek PS1000/PS2700/P3200/P3600
- Gravis Eliminator Shock gamepad

SECURITY:
Detect modified files and prevent users from entering multiplayer if found
- Game will prompt with a message after blocking user with modified data files from entering multiplayer
- Should prevent multiplayer access from cell phone and GFWL join in progress

VIDEO EDITOR:
Scroll Bar improved response
- Tweaked to respond better to keyboard inputs

Sped up load times for users with many clips

TITLE UPDATE 2 FIXES:
Return of Hot Dog Stands and other props
- Missing hot dog vendors, fences, gates, pylons should be present throughout the world

Scrolling signboards
- Activate missing scrolling signboard text (ie. highway signs, Star Junction, Clock Tower Sign)

ALT-TAB pauses game during cutscenes
- Cutscenes should now pause and resume correctly after an ALT-TAB task switch. Audio remains in sync

GENERAL ADDITIONS/FIXES:
Mismatched MODO/Perseus Clothing
- Fixed a bug when Niko mixes clothing from Perseus and Modo

360 Controller Texture
- Controller image should be visible in Controller Configuration screen



Information taken from Rockstar Games Social Club splash screen.
 
The patch worked miracles for me. I'm getting better fps and no more texture problems. Now I hope more people pick the game up, mulitplayer is so damn fun. :D
 
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