- Very little. The X-Box runs on pc architecture with an Nvidia 3d card and a modified version of Windows CE as the operating system. This makes pc ports, either way, very easy.
The X-Box version plays at a lower resolution than the pc version is capable of. A high end pc will run the game at a much higher, more consistent framerate and will look prettier doing it.
The pc version may need several patches to clear up compatability difficulties. PC’s have literally thousands of different combinations of processors, processor speeds, graphics cards, operating systems, drivers, etc. The X-Box version was tweaked for a single processor, graphics card and operating system. Once it ran fine on any X-Box, it would run fine on every X-Box. It can’t be patched, but it’s unlikely it would need to be.
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Highly unlikely. The X-Box barely has the power to run it, and the save games are huge. The PS2 simply doesn’t have the power to run the game as it exists or the storage capacity for the enormous game saves. A lot of compromises would have to be made to simplify the game enough to get it to run at all on the PS2, and it would require extestive reworking. And it’s not a PS2 style of game.
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Nope. Baldur’s Gate is a story driven party RPG. Morrowwind is a single player open-ended free-form game. Morrowwind can be played for tens of hours without even attempting to solve the main quest.
4 and 5: Better than Morrowwind is subjective. I think Fallout 2 is the greatest CRPG of all time; other opinions vary.
Fable (X-Box): You start out as a young boy. Every decsion you make in the game helps determine what kind of character you develop. You play out your character’s entire life, from childhood to old age.
Knights of the Old Republic (X-Box): A Star Wars action RPG set 4000 years before the events in the movies.
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance (X-Box, PS2, GC): Duh, it’s Baldur’s Gate.
Dungeons and Dragons Heroes (XB, PS2, GC): Edition 3 D and D rules with gameplay very similar to Baldur’s Gate and 4 player simultaneous play.
Kindom Hearts (GC): This looks like a great game. Square programmed using a mixture of Square and Disney characters. The Gamecube also already has Zelda and Starfox adventures, so it’s a good choice for light adventure RPG’s.
Summoner 2 (PS2): A dungeon exploration game. You can have up to two cpu controlled companions.
In addition, the PS2 has a ton of existing games, including a couple very similar to the Baldur’s Gate style.
- The PS2 has a larger installed base and a huge library of games available. PS1 games will play on the PS2, which means you can play the single greatest console RPG ever, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The PS2 has well established franchises such as Twisted Metal that aren’t available on other platforms. The PS2 has more third party support due to a larger installed base; some X-Box games are ports of PS2 games.
The PS2 has one of the best, easiest to use standard controllers ever designed.
PS2 games are in their third generation. Major developers have learned the hardware and know how to make the most of it, resulting in games that can often look almost as good as X-Box versions.
The X-Box is more powerful. Morrowwind and the upcoming Doom 3 won’t run on any other console. The number of games exclusive to the X-Box because they won’t run on anything else will be increasing.
The X-Box already has more good games than most people can reasonably afford to buy anyway. There are tons of sports games, racing games, and what is regarded as the best 1st person shooter on any platform (Halo, which I’m in the minority in not liking much). It has the best looking one-on-one fighter ever (DOA2).
Multiplatform games tend to look better and play with less or no slowdown on the X-Box, thought the differences aren’t enough to base a purchase decision on.
The X-Box has a large hard drive included. It can be used to record tracks form cd’s that can later be used in some games or it can be used as a jukebox. The hard drive makes expansion of existing games possible through downloading costumes, cars, characters, etc. I just added a bunch of costumes to DOA3.
The X-Box’s regular controller has been criticized for being too large, though I find it quite comfortable (I have big hands). Newer bundles include the new S-controller, which my wife finds more comfortable.
The X-Box is HDTV compatable and looks absolutely fantastic when hooked up to a HDTV through component cables. As of yet, few gams support HDTV, though most due include a widescreen version which can then be upconverted by the X-Box or tv–they look better than the standard def, but not as good as native HD games do. It also is capable of 5.1 surround sound through a DD or DTS receiver. I doubt you’ll ever see a DTS encoded game, but you’ll start seeing a lot more DD encoded games.
The X-Box games are in their first generation, meaning that developers are still learning the system. As developers get the hang of the hardware, graphical quality will likely improve. The PS2 is likely either at or close to its peak already. The difference in graphics of
In short, the PS2 has more games and more third party support, while the X-Box has better hardware, some good games, and more potential for improvement.
Your best course of action is to do what you’ve already said you’re going to do: rent each platform and the games that look best for it. Buy the one that has the games you like best.
