Cuts and differences in Xbox version

[ashwin]

I just had a first experience of Max Payne on the XBOX system few days back. The controls are good(takes time to get used to it) and the graphics looks great also for a console. But I noticed some differences from the PC version which I own.

1) The loading of an entire level is done in 2 or 3 parts whereas in the PC version the entire level loads in one shot.

2) Some parts of the levels are cut. I just managed to play the prologue and first chapter of part 1. In chapter 1, in the platform with the inspection car, only the room with the guard is accessible.

What is the reason for these differences. I expected it to be an exact port of the PC version.

Ashwin

[smattbac]

Lack of memory I suppose.

[Steve]

The Playstation 2 version also has that. Yes, because of the memory images/icons/smile.gif

[ashwin]

How much memory do the PS2 and XBOX consoles have and how does it affect the game??

[Joe Siegler]

Well, given that the Xbox has I think 64Mb of memory, and the PS2 less than that, you can only load so much in memory at once.

If you didn't notice, you can't go backwards, either. In Max PC, if you wanted to, you can go backwards to the start of a particular level. On the Xbox version (I've not played the pS2 one first hand) you can't do that.

As such the "I've declared war on Rats" joke in level 2 isn't there, because you can't go to the start of the level once you get to the end of it.

[ashwin]

Thanks Joe for the info. Thankfully the PC version is the best bet. Well then what is the hard disk in the XBOX for. Is it just to store saved games.

BTW what happened to the online walkthrough. It has not been updated yet.

Ashwin

[biXen]

Originally posted by ashwin:
Thanks Joe for the info. Thankfully the PC version is the best bet. Well then what is the hard disk in the XBOX for. Is it just to store saved games.

BTW what happened to the online walkthrough. It has not been updated yet.

Ashwin<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">A harddisk isn't replacement for Memory. A PC uses HD for swapping when it runs out of memory, but this is heaps slower than actual memory. The game is made to fit within certain limits, 64MB are those limits on X-Box I think... 32 on PS2 version...

[ashwin]

Thanks Bixen. But if the memory is a limitation, the loading of the level can be done in parts so as to satisfy the memory constraint. But why cut the gameplay??

And based on what Joe said, if backtracking is impossible, that makes the game more difficult in the sense that if u start with full ammo and u r low on ammo toward the end of the level, any ammo found in the beginning goes a waste.

Thanks for the replies.

Ashwin

[biXen]

Quite frankly, I don't think the PS2 players need MORE loading, or it would start reminding them of a C64... press play on tape to go back to beginning of level images/icons/smile.gif

I'm not sure how the loading's done, but I would guess they load a lot of the textures and stuff in the memory according to how it's used, then it's drawn on demand for the viewer on the screen, I don't think it would be possible to do it any other way on PS2 or X-Box... but I'm not quite sure how they do it, so don't take my word for anything images/icons/wink.gif

[ashwin]

Will the guys who made Max Payne for the XBOX be able to explain the reason in more detail on this post??

Thanks,

Ashwin

[SkavenRMD]

Thanks Bixen. But if the memory is a limitation, the loading of the level can be done in parts so as to satisfy the memory constraint. But why cut the gameplay??<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Because, just like Joe3DR said, some parts of the level involved seeing the end (or a later part) of the level near the beginning, for example, the barred maintenance tunnel in the Subway level.

If the level has to be split into parts to fit the memory, connections like these can't be present, because the bit you see would be in another part.

"So why didn't you guys implement level streaming?", you ask. Because the console ports had to come out the same year as the PC version.

[Guest]

seems like without the overhead of a windows operating system, 64 meg would be plenty.