Project Gotham Racing 2 on X-Box

Posted by: Rasher on 26 November 2004

I have a Dreamcast, PS2 and now also an X-Box that I bought yesterday when I should have been buying Christmas presents for people. I don't know how it happened, but I just found myself walking down the high street with this big carrier bag.

I only hang onto the Dreamcast because I love MSR - particularly the London circuits like St James' Park, which I walk though probably about 4 times a month & I love the idea of blasting it in a Porche 911.
It has been rumoured that Project Gotham Racing 2 on the X-Box is the same game, but enhanced with the London circuits intact. I have read the reviews and can find no reference to the London circuits, in fact they now seem to concentrate on Sydney & Edinburgh for some reason.
Can anyone tell me if the London circuits are in there somewhere to be unlocked, or have they just been dropped?
I would love to be able to ditch the Dreamcast console, because this is getting ridiculous, but I would hang onto it for MSR alone if necessary.

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Hawk

Rasher cant answer your question but have one to ask! how good is the XBOX verses the ps2?
Nearly did exactly what you did yesterday..!? and still might!!

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Mekon

No London. I hope you bought the XBox live kit so you can play online.

Keep an eye out for Forza on the Xbox. Along with Halo2, it is forcing me to reconsider my objection to the XBehemoth.

I would still take a PSTwo over an XBox, just for GTA: San Andreas, and we've ended up with a Gamcube as well, just for Mario-type games.

Glad to hear the DC is still going. I have a boot disk and a pile of .isos if you fancy trying some new games. I still get the Dreamcast out for the occasional game of F355 and Virtua Tennis.

From PGR2 trackguide - find more info here

quote:

2. Barcelona
3. Chicago
4. Edinburgh
5. Florence
6. Hong Kong
7. Moscow
8. Stockholm
9. Sydney
10. Washington D.C.
11. Yokohama

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Rasher

Thanx Mekon. I wonder if London is on the original Gotham Racing then?
Hawk - Do it! So many games now, and great selection of used in my local store from £6.99, hundreds of them. I need to get Need For Speed Underground 2 next.
It isn't a replacement for the PS2, but the graphics are way ahead. GTA:San Andreas is on the X-Box in March.
I have a two month free pass to on-line gaming.
I want to try Fable over the winter, but where to find the time for all this? I can't afford to try Halo - I'd never get to work in the mornings!

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by matthewr

Halo2 is a very average game. It's boring and repetitive. Half Life 2, however, rocks.

GTA: San Andreas I can't get started with as the really crappy controls just drive me nuts.

F355 on the Dreamcast is the greatest driving game ever, at least in tems of realism.

Am loving Burnout as well. Best arcade racer ever surely?

Matthew

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Mekon

I reckon FPS need a keyboard and mouse. I found Halo(1) dull. Didn't click for me at all.

I have sort of adapted to San Andreas, but IMO the targetting system has been getting worse since GTA3. Lost count of the number of times I have failed a mission because I ended up shooting up in the air. I just failed the sex shop mission because the camera angle shifted, and I walked out of the shop, losing the girl - SHE'S IN THE BLOODY SHOP!

F355 - best on a console, no doubt - GT4 promises better physics, but I didn't think Prologue was all that. I regret having played GPL on the PC, as it spoiled me for console racers for ages.

Burnout - I am stuck on 99%, as I haven't done all the signature takedowns. Everything else complete. Superb game, shame that on the PS2, the online setup is so flakey.

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by JonR

Blimey how many games consoles have each of you all got??

JR

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Rasher

I bought my X-Box with Burnout 3 and couldn't decide between that & NFS-2. I think Burnout is too arcadeish, and I will take it back tomorrow to change it for NFS2 instead.
I think I've found that London is on Gotham Racing 1 only.

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Mekon

I usually hate arcade racers, but I found Burnout to be quite subtle. It took a while to get used to drifting, and to work out not to overdo the boost. Once I got the hang of taking risks and taking out the other cars, it all came together. I found the focus involved in monitoring the line of pixels that make up the 'horizon' for any indication of oncoming traffic very absorbing.

Crash mode is a fun diversion, but way too easy.

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Hawk

quote:
Originally posted by JonR:
Blimey how many games consoles have each of you all got??

JR

basically not enough... the only saving grace for us is that they can't be hicapped!!!

Alex/Mekon/Rasher

Sounds like it would be rude of me not to pick up an XBOX so ill sort it this weekend.. The question is what game to pick...?

Ive got Halo and Unreal on the Mac, and GTA on PS2 so i want a kick arse driving game to get me going.... does it boil down to NFS2?

Cheers

Hawk

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Rasher

Hawk
Please join me in being an X-Box rookie. I would be interested in your views on comparisons.
For me, I think it does (NFS2). Burnout 3 is so pin sharp focus that the cars can look a bit unrealistic. The driving is also unrealistic - it's more arcade than simualtion. It has the crash mode and there is more to the overall gameplay than NFS2. I like driving simulation without the distractions of having to collect boost points and blindingly fast brain out dashes.
If you want more of a driving game , it has to be Burnout 3.
If you want straight realistic driving simulation , it has to be NFS2.
If you want a cheap great racer, Project Gotham Racing is used at £6.99 in the high street.
If you fancy an on-line race sometime, give me a nod.

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Mekon

Now I want to get one at the weekend

Has PGR2 got rid of the rubbish 'do a handbrake turn' kudos points system from MSR? Do the cars jump now?

If it's all good, I think some online smack talk will be in order.

1'Z 1337, UR T3H SUCK'ZX!!1

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Rasher

Mekon - It still uses Kudos.

Go to GameStation in Western Road and get a bundle with a new game. They have millions of used games.

Posted on: 26 November 2004 by Hawk

bought one on the way home

just waiting for her indoors to finish watching im a celebrity and ill plug it in..
Not sure how the online bit works, I have a wireless mac airport network but if i can rig it up ill be up for a race!
Hopefully it wont be as embarassing as my first online murdering at Unreal 2004! I might get my 14 year old neighbour to teach me a thing or two first!!

Posted on: 29 November 2004 by Hawk

One weekend down and the Xbox has it so far! I got NFS 2, but have spent most of my time playing MotoGP which came with it... its the only game that i also have on the ps2 and i have to say that its far better on the xbox, the graphics are much better...

Mekon, U 1'Z 1N N33D ....or something like that!?

Posted on: 29 November 2004 by davidm

PGR2 - is very good on the xbox. LIVE play is probably still the best out there. It is far better than the DC version of PGR. Better to play by far.

IMO Burnout 3 is hugely disappointing. Keep that turbo button pressed and drive round the edge of the scenery. Burnout 2 was great however, I think they have got the balance wrong with the latest version.

A really good arcade racer just out is 'Flatout'. Great fun

I too was spoiled by GPL on the PC and now N2003 with all the mods. For serious driving sims, they cannot be beaten (yet)

Music should be 'original' and played 'live'. No more overpaid Karaoke singers.

Posted on: 29 November 2004 by Rasher

I swapped Burnout 3 for NFS2 this weekend, so I'm ready to take you on Hawk whenever you are ready (but I haven't signed up yet).
I bought PGR too so I've now got my London circuits, and I've kept PGR2 for the new stuff.
Davidm - I'm glad you said that. Everyone seems to think I'm crazy that I am not in love with Burnout 3. It has lost something between 2 & 3.
I do love the free roaming of NFS2. I hadn't expected that. It's also good to make your own radio station.