HomeJust received my copy of GTA IV Special Edition through the courier. As you can see from the picture below, it’s quite nice. The metal box is especially sturdy with “Grand Theft Auto IV” embossed into the case, and comes with metal keys and a Rockstar key-chain. The book has some nice pictures, nothing too special, and then there’s the Rockstar duffel bag and the soundtrack CD. I’m not quite sure what the standard version of the game is like, but the actual game’s cover has embossed lettering as well (although I believe the standard edition also has that … haven’t really checked if there are any other differences).
I actually have the standard version on order since I was able to get a good price on it, so I might actually sell this version on eBay (the collector’s items are nice, but it just means more stuff that I will have to find room to store). I’m an eBay newbie, so I’m sure I will have plenty to learn.
As for the game itself, I’m sure you’ve all read the glowing reviews. It has received pretty much near perfect scores from all the usual review sites/magazines, which is quite rare these days when you have so many review sites and people are usually over critical.
As for which version is superior, the PS3 or the Xbox 360 version … most reviews have said that the PS3 version has the graphical edge, in that it has less pop-ins and slightly sharper looking picture. The Xbox 360 version is said to have better colours, although this may be related to the PS3 and its default HDMI output settings. The PS3 version has a mandatory HDD install, which is why it looks and runs slightly better. The Xbox 360 version doesn’t have HDD install, although you can never rule out an update enabling this option in the future. But as all the reviews have mentioned, the edge is so minor (for example, a few seconds shaved off loading time in the PS3 version) that you may not even notice unless you do a side by side comparison.
What may be more important though is your preference for the controller. If you like the optional PS3 Dual Shock 3 controller (rumble is supported in the game), or if you prefer the Xbox 360 controller, might determine which version you get. Then there is multiplayer, and usually people prefer Xbox Live over the PSN. And you should also note which version your friends are buying, as multiplayer is an important part of the game.
Lastly, but perhaps most important of all, the Xbox 360 has exclusive downloadable content (DLC) in the form of two episodes. There has been a lot of rumours on what these new episodes bring, but given that Microsoft forked over quite a bit of money ($50m to be exact), and that the rumours have generally said that these episodes will be *huge*, this might help sway your opinion towards the 360 version.
So basically to find out which version you should buy, you should consider the PS3’s slight graphical edge, the 360’s exclusive DLC, 360’s Achivements system, which controller you prefer and finally, which version your friends are buying. At the end of the day, and as the reviews will confirm, both versions are near perfect and you should be more than happy with either one.
Personally, as you would have found out if you read the first section of this blog, I went with the 360 version (mainly because I don’t have a Dual Shock 3 controller yet, plus I love Achievements and the 360 version was cheaper).
Update: Apparently the PS3 version is only 630p, while the Xbox 360 version runs at the higher 720p resolution. In fact, the PS3 version might not even have AA, while the 360 versions as 2xAA. You would think this would give the 360 a huge advantage, but apparently this means nothing, and in fact, the PS3 seems to look better according to most reviews. There are sharper looking detail on the 360 version, but whatever the PS3 does differently, the PS3 still looks slightly better. But again I want to stress how minor these differences are (as in if you were asked which version was running just by looking at the TV, you wouldn’t be able to tell), as Rockstar have spent a lot of effort to ensure both versions looks great. Things like controllers (your personal preference) and multiplayer (which version your friends have) are far far more important. Also in my original comparison I forgot to mention Achievements, which is a great feature on the 360 that almost makes you want to play the game twice (I basically did it for Dead Rising). For those that say Achievements and Gamerscores are nothing more than the modern day “High Score”, well many pennies were spent in the olden days by people trying to best previous high scores, and as long as it adds to the longevity of the game, then it’s a good thing to have.
