Before the GTA IV Review: 360 vs PS3

Well, after months of hype and thunder, GTA IV has finally hit shelves. And now, two weeks later, the most exciting part of the GTA IV blitz arrives: I'm finally posting a review. I'm sure you've been breathless with anticipation.

So, my GTA IV adventure started with the Gamestop midnight launch. No, I didn't wait around in line for a couple hours. I showed up a little after midnight, waited my turn, and bought the game like a normal person. No reservation. Why didn't I reserve I game that I knew full well I'd be purchasing? Because I didn't know which system I was going to buy it for.

See, one of the downsides of owning both a PS3 and a 360 (aside from being out close to $800) is that whenever a new, multi-platform release hits the market, you have to choose between the consoles. And about half the time, one version of the game or the other has some sort of annoying ass glitch. Last year's Madden had an appalling frame rate on the 360. Turok on the PS3 has that annoying texture pop-in, and Condemned 2 on the 360 had a bug that ATE SAVE DATA. So, seeking to avoid disaster once again, I decided to wait until someone out there posted a comparison between the two versions of the game. And it just so happens that the day of the game's release, I got the information I needed. According to a handful of comparison reviews, the 360 version had slightly longer load times, and the occasional texture pop-in problem. The PS3 had the mandatory 3.4 gig install, but seemed the stronger of the two graphically (albeit by a slim margin). The XB360 did have the benefit of easier multiplayer, via XBL, but I rarely play games online these days anyway, so I decided to spring for the PS3 version, and finally get some serious mileage out of that damn thing.

And, as with every other time I've given the PS3 a chance to redeem itself, I payed for it. After the 3.4 gig install, I settled in to play some GTA 4, only to have my PS3 crash (not freeze, not lock up, CRASH) before the opening cut scene ended. I'll cut the rest of the story short, but after going out and buying an intercooler (thinking the PS3 might be overheating), calling Rockstar tech support (they had no idea), uninstalling and reinstalling the game data, and trolling the internet for a fix, I was still stuck with a copy of GTA 4 I couldn't play. Thankfully, the guys at my local Gamestop know me well enough to allow me to swap out the 'defective' PS3 version for an XB360 copy.

I haven't had any trouble at all with the 360 version. I have occasionally noticed a texture pop-in, but it's usually pretty quick, and tends to only come up when I'm absolutely hauling balls in a graphically busy part of town. I'd still have liked to play it on the PS3, if for no other reason than to justify my purchase of a Dual Shock 3. But to Rockstar's credit (and the dismay of many a fanboy) it seems that GTA IV gives out an equal experience on both platforms. In other words, the only reasons to buy it on one system or the other are: which controller do you prefer, and who are you going to be playing it online with?

...assuming your 360 doesn't RROD, and your PS3 doesn't... well, doesn't do whatever the hell mine did.