For the first time ever, I’ve got one of everything (PS3, 360, Wii). So if you have a multi-platform game (Burnout Paradise, Bioshock, Mass Effect, etc) is there an easy way to determine which platform it’s best on?
I say this because the Demo of Burnout Paradise on the PS3 doesn’t appear to be near as good as the Full game on the 360…of course, that might be the difference between a tech demo pre-release and the completed product, but that’s why I’m asking.
Well, do you have any friends that have one of the consoles? If all your friends have a PS3, then buy those games, except for console-specific ones.
I like the Xbox 360, because my friends all have them. I do my best not to mess with randoms, but that’s not to say that you can’t find some decent folks in the random pool of players.
From what I have heard, the Wii can be relied upon to be the worst. If you didn’t buy it because of the controller, get it for a system with more power.
The best, as a general rule, is probably going to be the PC version. The only exceptions I know of are where the creators made DLC for the 360 version and refused to make them available for PC.
The PC in the house is reasonably equipped, but I don’t ever use it for games (The 9800 GTS+ was purchased for Folding at home and Transcoding use), More to the point, if a game is $60 for the PS3 and the 360, is there an easy way to tell which platform will be best?
I’ve got Bioshock 2 on order for the 360, wonder if you’d see any differences or improvements with the PS3 version.
I disagree, often I would advise getting a game on PC only if you can’t on console. There are exceptions (mainly RPGs and FPS games, depending on whether you’re better at aiming with a controller or mouse), but there’s a reason the term “Console Screw Interface” exists. The Lego games, for instance, have very clunky controls on the PC. When I played Assassin’s Creed I had to go back to my 360 because it just didn’t control well. Not to mention that the worse ports forget we have six-billion keys and make us move, slowly, through six menus for something that could be hotkeyed, made worse if they don’t implement cursors in menus and make you scroll via WASD.
Edit: From what I can generally tell from comparison reviews, 360 versions are generally more colorful and have better shaders, PS3 versions seem to have better “all around” graphics and less screen-tearing, and the Wii version… don’t get the Wii version unless it’s a different game (it happens, like with Sonic Unleashed). I say that as someone who loves the Wii, by the way.
I figure there’s ZERO change of me buying a cross-platform game on the Wii…that’s not what it’s good at doing. Since Xmas, I’ve picked up the following:
Wii: New Super Mario Brothers, Mariokart
PS3: Dead Space, Little Big Planet (and the console…that was my xmas present to myself)
Xbox 360: Forza Motorsport 3, Lego Indiana Jones (for the kids) and Tuesday, Bioshock 2 (I’m positively giddy)
Do any of the online game reviewers review the game, then compare and contrast it with the different ports? I noticed Gamespot doesn’t seem to.
I could imagine getting the Wii version if it uses the remote in a useful way. But definitely check around and make sure that version isn’t severely crippled.
Honestly, the differences are so miniscule as to be pointless. GameTrailers, IGN and GameSpot regularly do console comparisons, but not with all games because most games are pretty much the same right out of the box.
Sometimes one of the consoles will manage to snag exclusive content for a multi-platform game. For instance, the PS3 version of Batman: Arkum Asylum has extra levels in which you play as the Joker, while the 360 version does not. I’m sure it goes both ways. Soul Caliber IV had a unique character for each of the systems, so if you wanted Yoda more than you wanted Darth Vader, you got that console’s version instead.
Mass Effect isn’t multi-plat (unless you count PC, which I don’t think you are).
For FPS and strategy/RTS games, I much prefer PC controls. For everything else, I still prefer PC if there’s modding possibilities. You can always attach a game controller to a PC port, but you can never attach a keyboard/mouse to a console (and modding games on consoles is virtually nonexistent). Furthermore, if your PC hardware exceeds console hardware, then the PC version will probably look better (assuming the devs did a proper port).
That being said, if there’s a multiplayer component to the game, and all your friends are playing online on a particular console, you may get more mileage out of the game on that platform.
If PC is out of the picture (rereading the thread, I get the impression you’re just asking for differences between consoles), then it’ll come down to 1) multiplayer and what your friends are using and 2) exclusive content. Barring any of those two factors, I wouldn’t say there’s any noticable difference unless you prefer one controller to the other.
ETA: Some games are designed on a particular platform and then ported over to a different one – in these cases, the original platform may play smoother and prettier, but this is not much of an issue for current-gen stuff – saw this quite a bit on older-gen.
To be fair, there were really strong rumors that it was going to be released on the PS3, and there is reportedly PS3 code buried inside it - so the developers were definitely thinking about it.
Wow, of all the systems that buying used/refurbed would be a bad idea, 360 has to top the list. Unless you’re hoping to find one with the old kernel version to hack or something.
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