How could I miss this spectacular video of Mercenaries 2: World in Flames? I have no idea. One thing’s for sure: it looks even more promising than Grand Theft Auto IV ever was. Strangely, Mercenaries 2 is flying below the radar despite its potential.

In case you’re wondering what the video is about, let me give you a brief description: remember how the original game lets players choose between three mercs? Well, the same characters are still here and they have different ways of completing an objective. You can either go for tactical, covert, or overkill.

Since the guns and fireworks are provided, it would be a shame not to use them. My money is on overkill.

Post from: EveryJoe

Mercenaries 2 lets players approach objectives differently

Using the FragFX on shooters is great. It gives the player PC-like controls and provide pinpoint accuracy when shooting. Given its benefits, I’ve decided to try playing Grand Theft Auto IV using the FragFX. What could go wrong? GTA IV requires a lot of shooting, so the optimist in me was stoked.

Let me tell you, it was terrible.

Despite my strong affinity to the PC and keyboard controls, I was appalled how the FragFX handled in GTA IV. To begin with, it’s tough to shoot using the default settings. Pressing R2 was an exercise in frustration because of the inexplicably sluggish response.

Strangely, the response of the R2 button varies in every game. For instance, the reaction is rather quick in Resistance: Fall of Man, Call of Duty 4, and The Darkness, but was a struggle in Kane & Lynch (in addition to GTA IV).

Here’s another FragFX problem in GTA IV: It’s tough to find the sweet spot for camera movement. It’s either too sensitive or too slow. See, you need the speed to look around, but you need to turn down the sensitivity when you start shooting. Sure, there’s a knob for on-the-fly changes to target sensitivity, but to adjust it, you need to pry your eyes away from the screen, which is a complete no-no.

The Frag button isn’t helpful either because the targeting cursor becomes too slow, and it’s not like you’ll need to use the sniper rifle in every gunfight.

Now combine all those problems and start driving vehicles.

FragFX is a great piece of equipment, but it clearly isn’t designed for this sort of game. What I do want to use when playing GTA IV is the DualShock 3 controller, which comes with rumble. I hope to feel the vibration when shooting the denizens of Liberty City in the face.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV and FragFX don’t mix

Let’s face it: the previous Grand Theft Auto games were absolutely pathetic in the shooting department. Press a button to automatically aim, and then press another to shoot. Was it fun? Nope. The only reason past GTAs sell well is the sandbox-style gameplay that lets you do anything (i.e. run over pedestrians, shoot people, steal cars, etc.) you want, anytime.

When Rockstar introduced the concept of shooting individual body parts in GTA IV, it completely changed gameplay. Not only does it add new mechanics for players to toy with—the gunfights are also shortened to a great degree. If you can make headshots, at least.

To aim at a certain part, all you need to do is press the right analog stick towards the body part while locked. You have to maintain the angle of the right analog stick to keep the crosshair on target. This makes the shootouts more engaging.

However, this concept isn’t new because The Godfather, a GTA clone another sandbox-style game, has implemented it as well. I can’t really say which is better though. In The Godfather, the crosshair stays on the body part as long as the enemy is locked on. There’s no need to maintain the right analog stick angle so all you have to do is press fire when a foe steps out of cover.

In any case, the GTA IV shooting mechanics have changed from “abysmal” to “somewhat fun,” but it’s not quite Gears of War yet in caliber. I now look forward to taking on small armies of thugs using a variety of firearms because GTA IV now feels like a lightweight third-person shooter.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

The joys of GTA IV #2: GTA IV is Shooting People in the Face^TM Lite

I’ve always hated the tradeoff of using motorcycles versus cars in Grand Theft Auto games primarily because I can’t shoot from inside a car, and that chasing someone in high speeds while riding motorcycles is bad for your health. It was a vicious circle that made GTA more difficult than enjoyable.

GTA IV seems to have solved that problem now that shooting is allowed inside cars. All one has to do is press L1 (or perhaps a shoulder button on the Xbox 360) and Niko would start shooting. If the glass window is intact, our protagonist would proceed to break it. No, the windshield stays in one piece.

Niko can also shoot from inside taxis, but don’t expect your cab driver to stick around.

I originally intended to write this entry as a rave about shooting from inside cars but after some thinking, I remembered that there’s a problem: aiming the blasted cursor at your target is exasperating because the cursor is fixed at the middle of the screen. To move the cursor, you have to move the camera using the right analog stick, which brings us to another problem—the direction of the camera determines where the vehicle will steer.

This becomes a huge problem when you’re driving in breakneck speed since like real automobiles, sudden turns in your virtual car would cause you to careen wildly (i.e. lose control). Thing is—you need to make these sudden turns to keep a bead on your target. The result? An overwhelming urge to hurl the controller from the roof of a 72-storey building with the GTA IV disk right after.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV annoyances #2: Shooting from cars not as cracked up as it should be

Look what got Tom’s goat now:

According to our blend-happy host, he wanted to steal a 1968 Mustang GT300 in Liberty City. To his disappointment, there was none so off to the blender Niko goes.

Source: PlayStation Monger

Post from: EveryJoe

Will GTA IV blend?

Remember the patch by Sony and Rockstar to improve Grand Theft Auto IV’s multiplayer at PSN? It’s been available for quite some time now, but I was having difficulty downloading it. Every time I try to download the patch, I get the following message:

“An error occurred during the download operation. (80710092)”

I reasoned that since every man, woman, and child is playing the game online, perhaps the heavy traffic just needs a few days to clear. Little did I know.

After waiting for a few more days, I still couldn’t get the patch—meaning, I still can’t play the game online. Other than continue with the single-player missions, what was I to do? Dig around for an answer, that’s what.

Here’s what I found out how to get the download working: On your PS3’s XMB bar, visit Network Settings then change your primary DNS to 4.2.2.2 and your secondary DNS to 4.2.2.3. Aside from these, I didn’t dare change the settings for the others details. Doing this would somehow fix the downloading error. Download patch 1.01 and you’re set for multiplayer mayhem.

Images: FPS Rantings
Grand Theft Auto IV is developed and published by Rockstar.

Post from: EveryJoe

Can’t download the GTA IV patch? Read how to fix it here

There’s always a good chance one won’t survive the mission, so I’ve decided to create a little guide just for The Snow Storm. Beware; I’ve also embedded a video walkthrough at the end of this entry, but it contains major spoilers so watch it at your own risk.

Phase 1: Getting the coke
Getting into the old hospital is a piece of cake even in the ‘first’ attempt because the enemies involved in this part are your friendly-neighborhood dealers. Just choose any automatic firearm when approaching the place and take cover. Take note of the two guards at the door and another peeking from the second level. Make sure you’re crouched when approaching the entrance because of the hoods hiding inside.

By the way, I suggest you move the pickup closer to the entrance/exit of the old hospital, but make sure it faces the street. You’ll understand why later.

Hiding in cover from the first room, you’ll observe that there are many goons hiding in the corridor ahead. You can flush them out with grenades or just time them with well-placed headshots when they peek out. After taking all the dealers down, you can get the health pack hidden in one of the side corridors or the far room at the end of the hall. There’s also a body armor vest beside Elizabeta’s coke.

Once you get the coke, the second phase begins.

Phase 2: Getting out of the hospital
The place is now crawling with cops. There will be several SWAT team members that would be attacking in moments so it’s smarter to stay in the room where you got the coke and hide behind the square desk that gives you a good view of the door. Using the combat shotgun at this point would be wise because it can easily take down cops at one hit—even if you don’t aim for the head.

After taking down several cops, there would be a short lull as LCPD sends in more. This would be a good time to move. Do you still remember the place where the first health pack was hidden? There’s a metal safe behind it that would provide excellent cover. The room to your right is the only way out, so crouch/walk through it while pressing the aim button. There would be at least a couple of cops waiting for you here.

Remember the pickup I told you to move? It’s now waiting for you just outside the exit, perfectly positioned as your getaway vehicle. Enter the pickup and press the pedal to the metal.

Phase 3: Car chase city
The cops aren’t too happy with your escape so they pursue. Make sure you get out of the island where the hospital is located because there’s not much room there to maneuver. There is no one ultimate route to get rid of the cops. When you get to the city proper, make sure you use side streets or opposite lanes to shake your tail.

Do not try driving in a straight line to get out of the cops’ search radius because it’s a waste of time. Try turning left then right in every street corner. If you see a cop car ahead in your radar, make sure you avoid it by making a turn. Once you get out of the search radius, slow down or stop and count a few seconds. The cops would be gone by then.

Like I promised, here’s the video walkthrough. Just brace yourself for the spoilers.

One final note: the player in the video was rather reckless so I urge you to be more patient when dealing with The Snow Storm. Rushing out of a good hiding place could get you killed.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV How To’s: The Snow Storm

What am I going to lambast this time? Artificial intelligence or the lack thereof.

As Niko Bellic, you’ve been tasked to clear a certain area of bad guys with big guns. As you proceed to the location and start shooting, you notice that your enemies are a bunch of brainless gun fodder. The Euphoria engine does nothing to make gunfights more enjoyable. So much for being advertised as having actions and reactions being “synthesized” in real time.

How bad was the AI? Thugs stand around and wait to be shot like it were a shooting gallery. Sure, enemies hide behind cover from time to time, but their actions are predictable since all one has to do is time shots. Even teammates are oblivious to gunfire and are unaware of cover.

And apparently, people in Liberty City don’t know what a grenade looks like.

Cops are another matter entirely. They resort to rushing tactics and head straight into your line of fire. Can’t these so-called professionals do basic tactics like cover fire and flanking? How’s this for stupid: policemen voluntarily jump off a building if you hide behind the edge. Don’t believe me? Watch this:

If it weren’t for your enemies’ numbers, Niko Bellic would never have the need to be taken to a hospital.

Post from: EveryJoe

GTA IV Annoyances #1: AI? What AI?

Clearly, Niko Bellic is not the star of Grand Theft Auto IV. He may be the lead character in Rockstar’s latest murder simulator epic crime drama, but the pièce de résistance is sprawling Liberty City, which is modeled after The Big Apple, New York City.

According to Wikipedia, Rockstar sent full-time researchers to NYC twice during the game’s development. They studied traffic patterns and makeup of every neighborhood, among other details. However, Liberty City is not an exact recreation of NYC. Rather, it feels more like a caricature. Liberty City attempts to depict the real-life city’s sights and sounds, and twists it into something comical that, while grotesque at times, takes on a life of its own.

Bellic, the game’s protagonist, starts out in Broker, the “industrial” side of town. He eventually gets a chance to walk the streets of Algonquin (or Manhattan) and witness the sights of Star Junction, Liberty City’s equivalent of Times Square.

The dissimilarity in each road and borough are remarkable. The textures are different, the people are diverse, their clothing is varied, architecture is distinct, and so are the vehicles that whiz by. Detail is king in Liberty City, and it never seems to get old. For the record, I don’t think I’ve seen every detail that this virtual metropolis has to offer.

Of all the games I’ve played (and I’ve played quite a lot), there’s nothing quite like GTA IV. I may not have finished this latest installment yet, but Liberty City is just oozing with so much charm that I can’t help but get lost in its streets with a sense of wonder. And rage if I’m chasing down a runaway target that won’t keep still as I try to get a shot off.

Image of Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

The joys of GTA IV #1: Liberty City is a breathtaking sight

I’ve just hit the jackpot in Grand Theft Auto IV, and it’s only going to get even better. Remember when Rockstar representatives said that the game is a progression of “rags to slightly-better rags”? I think the publisher’s powers-that-be should sack these reps because they don’t really know what they’re talking about.

At my current playthrough, Niko Bellic has already made it big. Our likeable protagonist is already getting paid thousands of dollars for whacking each of his clients’ enemies. Niko wears the most expensive suits, takes a cab to his destinations (instead of manually driving from point A to point B), pays for each taxi trip no matter what the rate, and goes about in style. I may not be able to get him a new pad since one can’t buy property in GTA IV, but Niko is practically rolling over in money with all the financial rewards I’ve gotten him.

The best part? The tedium of driving long distances is now limited to missions where Niko must use a certain vehicle. Driving around a huge virtual city may be fun at first, but it gets old soon enough—especially when you have to deal with things like traffic (depending on the time of day), cops lurking in every corner, and multiple tollgates, among others.

Interestingly, the option to ride a cab as a passenger was never given in previous GTA games even if you’ve already purchased multiple properties and achieved some sort of status. If not being able to get property were a penalty for being able to skip long and tedious driving, then I’d choose taxis any day. This is not “slightly-better rags.”

Without the driving grind, I get to focus on the game’s best parts: surviving extreme car chases and shooting people in the face with big, fancy guns. True, you can shoot individual body parts now, but I have an affinity for firing hot lead into people’s mugs. That way, enemies don’t get to shoot back.

Image for Grand Theft Auto IV is courtesy of Rockstar Games.

Post from: EveryJoe

Living the American Dream in GTA IV is about riding cabs ‘cause you can