Splinter Cell:DA (360 vs. PS3) Ocelot's take.

[Ocelot]

Well...I feel like a complete idiot, I really do. About 2 days ago I was so happy to finally be able to play the "Ultimate Edition" of Splinter Cell for my PS3. I waited months for this game, resisting every temptation for getting the 360 version. I just had to wait it out. Besides I needed another game besides R:FOM to play on my PS3.

Well shortly after playing the first 3 levels and then reading the painful post from Drunken Thumbmaster regarding the IGN review for this game, I just felt sick to my stomach and felt ripped off. I spent an extra $40. on an inferior product. So I basically took the PS3 version back and told the Service rep that I bought the wrong version and I needed the 360 version, she granted it and exchanged the game and refunded me the difference. So now I've had a chance to play both versions and here is my take.




Visuals:


PS3: The PS3 version of SC:DA boasts an impressive array of visuals, but not without faults. First off the PS3 version runs in 720p. The lighting and normal mapping were intact but Char models seemed lacking. This is one dark game. I had a hard time finding my way around the server room in the NSA HQ. The first level (near the end) had a MASSIVE frame rate drop, almost like a slide show...I kid you not.
The biggest flaw I noticed is when I got to the Tanker level. While the Ice looked really "Icy" bumpy and slick textures..impressive...but wait....what are these grainy muddy textures on that same ice formations? Nooooooooo. I expected far more from this title and consider it a let down in some areas.
Score:8.1


360: This version runs in 1080i. Right off the bat I noticed the 360 version was brighter yet maintained perfect blacks. While roaming through the first level I noticed these windmills all over the place. The PS3 seemed to lack these?!?! Another thing I noticed is with your night vision. It just looks smoother and more realistic on the 360 version. The textures and lighting was far superior to the PS3 counterpart. I really noticed this with the flash lights on the guards. The shadowing is hands down better on 360. Everything from fans above fishers head to his own shadow cast on the wall beside him.

What's this? Those Icy caps and formations on the third level not only looked better and more realistic and not only were those pathetic muddy textures absent, there was this uber realistic snow covering the ice in a very realistic fashion only to see Sams footprints in the snow....Woooooooooooooooooooooot.

One of the most impressive things about the 360 version was the Char models. Sam looks far better on this version. From the sweat on his head to the Vascularity in his arms, the detail is staggering. I noticed the Levels were not only larger in this version but more objects were present. Like weight benches in the prison, Sams cell was cluttered etc.
Well done 360.

Score: 9.3



Sound: Well it's exactly what I would expect from a SC game, really good. Voice acting is usual fare. 5.1 Dolby Digital is intact. Environmental music really sets the mood for this stealthy title. Good job fellas. The 360 version seemed crisper and louder mind you. But I give them both the same score: 8.5 (for both)




Controls and Menus: For some reason attempting to save this game on the PS3 was annoying as it took far longer then it should have to access the save menu. The 360 version was fast and took little effort.

The actual game controls were exactly what you would expect from the series. For some reason this game seems native to the Xbox brand. I am really good at the SC games and I found the PS3 version harder to control and get the job done in terms of sneaking and killing etc. The 360 version was smooth and controls were easier and didn't have me loading my checkpoints nearly as often....yes I was playing both versions in "Expert" mode.

Score: PS3 = 8.0 360 = 9.0


The Game Itself: While I love what I've played thus far, this game just doesn't feel like the original Xbox versions of even the same game. They are different in almost every way. I actually prefer the Xbox counter part of Double Agent to be quite honest. I'll be buying this version also to clear it up.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my take on this fantastic title. The PS3 version will most likely please PS3 fans, but the 360 fans are the ones who are getting the best version here and best yet...it's half the price of admission.

[Gamer From '78]

Well...I feel like a complete idiot, I really do. About 2 days ago I was so happy to finally be able to play the "Ultimate Edition" of Splinter Cell for my PS3. I waited months for this game, resisting every temptation for getting the 360 version. I just had to wait it out. Besides I needed another game besides R:FOM to play on my PS3.

Well shortly after playing the first 3 levels and then reading the painful post from Drunken Thumbmaster regarding the IGN review for this game, I just felt sick to my stomach and felt ripped off. I spent an extra $40. on an inferior product. So I basically took the PS3 version back and told the Service rep that I bought the wrong version and I needed the 360 version, she granted it and exchanged the game and refunded me the difference. So now I've had a chance to play both versions and here is my take.

Thanks for the unbiased comparison Ocelot. The unfortunate reality for PS3 is that games are harder to code for on it. Assasins Creed was a direct result of this. I'll try to find the link, but I read online (and in a mag) that Ubisoft was planning the game as a PS3-Exclusive, but when they ported their code to the 360, it worked so much easier, they got better AI, kept the same graphical fidelity and everything was quicker & easier to program. And in this day & age where unless it is bought & paid for OR 1st party, it will be multiplatform. Those griping about PS3 games like Devil May Cry 4 going to the 360 will really be crying when the 360 versions turn out superior.

And as for the "extras" in the PS3 version of SCDA, don't fret. These items & the female spy will be given free-of-charge to Xbox 360 owners through a dowload or via the OXM demo disc. And don't forget, Splinter Cell 5 is Xbox 360 ONLY!

[Ocelot]

Why does this feel like a rehash of the PS2, all ports were more or less expected to be inferior, minus a few exceptions (Project Snowblind). Now I keep hearing this excuse from the PS3 fans in every forum. I'm honestly getting sick of this excuse whether it's true or not. I didn't pay $700 to play crappy games. I'm starting to believe the Xbots and I think Assassins Creed and DMC 4 will most likely be superior on 360. Microsoft has proven to me that they deliver and I've seen this time and time again. I don't hate Sony and I still believe PS3 is a fantastic system, but I am loosing faith and they are fast becoming secondary to me. To be honest, I could live without my PS3 but don't take away my 360. I really can't believe I said that...cries!

[Mochan]

Saw a 60GB PS3 today on the shelf here for $560. It's an awesome deal in terms of US prices... it's actually cheaper than it is in the US! But with the current crop of games I am not quite interested in getting it.

XBox on the other hand is going for $440. Bad deal as usual.

[theWacoKid]

I'm not sure who in their right mind would wait on the ps3 version thinking that it would be superior. Ubisoft might be a multiplat developer but, their porting process sucks ass. Splinter cell games have always featured significant downgrades when ported to other systems. The ps3 wasn't even supposed to get this game.

You either code to a platform's strengths or forget about it. I'll say it again, the key differentiator with the ps3 are the spe units. SC:DA is a game that was programmed without regard to utilizing these units, so when they port over its likely these units were either passed over completely or only minimally used.

One of the big problems for the ps3 right now is the artificially high pricing on these port jobs. Asking $70canadian for a game that 360 owners won't pick up for $25 used for the 360 is not going to end well.

The ps3, much like the ps2 before it, will likely shine when games are programmed specifically for the system. However, the big problem for the ps3 is that the 360 will likely be the lead sku for multiplat titles. Mercs 2 will be an interesting acid test. Pandemic has stated that the ps3 is the lead sku for the platform yet at the gdc, the ps3 version was nowhere to be seen, only the 360 version was present.

[Ocelot]

Mercs 2 will be an interesting acid test. Pandemic has stated that the ps3 is the lead sku for the platform yet at the gdc, the ps3 version was nowhere to be seen, only the 360 version was present.


I've noticed this with a few PS3 exclusives recently announced on 360. Xbox Live has had an Assassins Creed trailer for ions now, but PSN has nothing of the sort. Microsoft is really doing thier homework. It wouldn't surprise me to see DMC 4 and Mercs 2 trailers and demos on Live first.

[Mochan]

Splinter cell games have always featured significant downgrades when ported to other systems.

Splinter Cell on the PC > XBox version.

[Tappy_Tibbons]

Why does this feel like a rehash of the PS2, all ports were more or less expected to be inferior, minus a few exceptions (Project Snowblind). Now I keep hearing this excuse from the PS3 fans in every forum. I'm honestly getting sick of this excuse whether it's true or not. I didn't pay $700 to play crappy games. I'm starting to believe the Xbots and I think Assassins Creed and DMC 4 will most likely be superior on 360. Microsoft has proven to me that they deliver and I've seen this time and time again. I don't hate Sony and I still believe PS3 is a fantastic system, but I am loosing faith and they are fast becoming secondary to me. To be honest, I could live without my PS3 but don't take away my 360. I really can't believe I said that...cries!

Ok then, let's see you change that sig ;)

[Ocelot]

Ok then, let's see you change that sig ;)

Lol, I guess I should put my Gamertag back in my sig.

I guess I'm just getting tired of waiting for Sony to deliver when Microsoft is constantly doing things right and going above and beyond expectation with nabbing Sony's heavy hitters plus dishing out games I really want and others that interest me. I really had a ton of fun with my Xbox near the end of it's life. My 360 has already entertained me with games like Lost Planet and now Kameo and Vegas.

Mass Effect looks more and more promising every time I see updates. The 360 has so many kick ass games coming out, I don't even know where to start.

I'm changing my tune I guess.

[Glockstar]

Ocelot and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but I know a commendable achievement when I see one. And I definitely see on here. Buying and playing two versions of the same game... you gotta admire that. Buying, playing, and then reviewing two versions of the same game... you gotta respect that. Give that man a Gamerpoint!

[PapaSmurf]

I'm changing my tune I guess.

We're all changing our tunes, we should all play some Gears non ranked sometime.

[Gamer From '78]

Lol, I guess I should put my Gamertag back in my sig.

I guess I'm just getting tired of waiting for Sony to deliver when Microsoft is constantly doing things right and going above and beyond expectation with nabbing Sony's heavy hitters plus dishing out games I really want and others that interest me. I really had a ton of fun with my Xbox near the end of it's life. My 360 has already entertained me with games like Lost Planet and now Kameo and Vegas.

Mass Effect looks more and more promising every time I see updates. The 360 has so many kick ass games coming out, I don't even know where to start.

I'm changing my tune I guess.

I believe that down the road, the PS3 will be worth owning. If for nothing else, God of War III alone will make me want one. But while Xbox had a slow build-up of games I wanted to play, the 360 has done so much more in such a short period of time.

Great games I already own for it? Call of Duty 2 & 3, Condemned, Dead or Alive 3, Dead Rising, FEAR, Gears of War, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1 & 2, Kameo, Lost Planet, Oblivioin, Prey, Project Gotham 3, Splinter Cell Double Agent, Rainbow Six Vegas and Viva Pinata. I own several others, but these are stand-outs for me personally.

With alot of games going multiplatform, we are seeing that the year-older 360 is kicing the PS3's fancy new rear all over the place. Hell, the one game that is better on the PS3 visually-Oblivion is set to recieve a free update from Bethesda that brings this VERY MINOR difference to a close. Not to mention all the downloadable content that the 360 has that hasn't been mentioned for the PS3 version.

Don't get me started on the controls either. The 360 controllers is leaps & bounds above the PS3's Sixassis piece of crap. Not to mention free headset with the 360! And for those who do care, 360 is customizable with faceplates. Don't tell me this is a gimmick when it's the hottest trend in cellphone tech.

Then you have the 360's bread & butter: The exclusives. With everything out so far that is spectacular, we still have Halo 3, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Forza 2, Gears of War 2, Halo Wars, Blue Dragon, Too Human and Lost Odyssey among many others that look spectacular. And while the PS3 is eathing sloppy-joe's like Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Team Ninja's head Tomonobu Itagaki is working away at actual NEW games for the 360 including Ninja Gaiden 2!

I'm sorry man, but if I bought a PS3 right now, I would feel like I was eating a big turd sandwhich. Down the road after some price drops and actual GOOD games? Yeah, sure. But for every wrong move Sony makes, Microsoft is smiling and saying "Hello and welcome to the world of Xbox 360 gaming." :cool:

[Glockstar]

I thought the 360's first four months were pretty slow too. Nowhere near as slow as the PS3's, but still pretty slow. What helped the infant 360 along imo was Xbox Live Arcade. Don't you people that own a PS3 get into the PS3 Network and it's games? I know flOw is a game that I would have bought for sure...

[Mochan]

And for those who do care, 360 is customizable with faceplates. Don't tell me this is a gimmick when it's the hottest trend in cellphone tech.

One very important difference: cellphones are things you lug around in your pocket and show off to your high society friends. It's a social thing. You think this is synonymous to Xbots dressing up their 360 and invite their gamertag friends into their rooms to gawk at it?

I also thought about it more, I said before PC geeks like to mod their systems and the faceplate thing was similar. However it wasnt quite the same. Hardcore modding is a real hobby and you come up with things like these:


http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/amdcase/images/amdcase-0006.jpg
http://ciberia.ya.com/sevilorcio/DSCN5677.JPG
http://www011.upp.so-net.ne.jp/kat2/pc/ern005/gra/picture/50.JPG
http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/doom3/d3_2.jpg

And those are worthy of posting in a blog to show off. And even then, less than .0001% of PC users around the world do stuff like this. It's not exactly "the hottest trend"

Yet the faceplate thing isn't quite like this; it's intended to have mass market plates available for sale (like celphone covers) so there is no real sense of accomplishment and uniqueness like you get from PC modding. Once XBots get their Dremels and airbrushes, maybe we're onto something but right now this is just like the celphone plate rush, except you're not exactly lugging your Xboxes to show to your friends.

[Mochan]

While I'm posting idiot PCs might as well post this mind-boggling one:

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/projects/nighthawk/stealth_complete-(78).jpg

[Glockstar]

I don't know about that last one, but the R2-D2 one and the Doom 3 one are... frickin' cool as hail!!!

I don't know which one I like better... the R2 one is genius, while the Doom 3 one is just plain old awesome.

[Mochan]

I agree, the Doom 3 one was freaking cool. There are some other cool ones like the Biohazard case, the Alien Queen case and stuff but I'll leave my case voyeuristic hobbies to myself.

[Ocelot]

Ocelot and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but I know a commendable achievement when I see one. And I definitely see on here. Buying and playing two versions of the same game... you gotta admire that. Buying, playing, and then reviewing two versions of the same game... you gotta respect that. Give that man a Gamerpoint!


Glock thanks for that. But I'm just bein' honest. I know some might think I'm just changing sides and posting in 360's favor but I post what I see and what looks better IMO. Last week I made the final decision to make 360 my primary console and quit being in denial.

I sat down and took a good look at upcoming titles and what truly had me counting the days. 360 answered 95% of those. Like I said my tune is changing and I simply can't deny that I adore my 360 the way I was supposed to about my PS3. I've been let down one time too many and now I've switched sides. I'll always enjoy what Sony dishes out but the real guns are in Microsofts camp and I'm officially a proud 360 owner. FTW





Oh yeah I was just on the Gamespot Forums (http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=25536393)and the PS3 fans are calling IGN liars regarding their insider comparison video. They think the shots are the PS2 version of the game. Nice try, these pics are from PS3...not very promising ones...but PS3 nonetheless.

[Gamer From '78]

Glock thanks for that. But I'm just bein' honest. I know some might think I'm just changing sides and posting in 360's favor but I post what I see and what looks better IMO. Last week I made the final decision to make 360 my primary console and quit being in denial.

I sat down and took a good look at upcoming titles and what truly had me counting the days. 360 answered 95% of those. Like I said my tune is changing and I simply can't deny that I adore my 360 the way I was supposed to about my PS3. I've been let down one time too many and now I've switched sides. I'll always enjoy what Sony dishes out but the real guns are in Microsofts camp and I'm officially a proud 360 owner. FTW


Check this out! Ocelot can confirm for us! http://www.ps3forums.com/showthread.php?p=1278857

What kills me about the whole thing is the typical Sony fanboy response. It must be bad coding! It must be bad porting! Oh, it COULDN'T BE that the PS3 is a POS to develop for! It couldn't be that Sony made it hard-as-hell on developers to make games run properly!

The PS2 was clearly a step above the Dreamcast from Day One!
The Xbox & Gamecube were clearly a step above the PS2 from Day One!
The Xbox 360 was clearly a step above everything ELSE on day one!
The PS3? A step back!

The Sony cheerleading brigade will be in full-force soon, led by their psychotic leader LastLoad about the power of Blu-Ray and the Cell's eight cores, yadda, yadda, yadda. Pretty pitiful when the PS3's savior of the day Motorstorm can't hold Project Gotham 3's jock in graphics. NOTHING on the PS3 is that good! But hey, it says Sony on it so the fanboys buy it without a second thought!

I sure am glad that I postponed buying this technogical nightmare. Especially if I had to look at piss-poor, stuttering framerate garbage like SCDA! :mad2:

[Mochan]

I wouldn't go so far as saying the 360 was better than everything else on Day 1, but it's certainly better than any of the other consoles right now.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

Splinter Cell on the PC > XBox version.

Wrong! I don't know about DA but the the first 3 SC games were better on the Xbox.

The games multiplayer features all performed better on live. The PC versions didn't even have Mic support in Pandora Tommorrow. Plus there were all kinds of server issuses.

Plus the games controlled better on the PC maybe it was just my control pad but the control on the PC just didn't seem as sharp.

And if you had a PC that ran CT better than the Xbox version at the time it was released you had a super uber $2000 and up PC.

[Ocelot]

Check this out! Ocelot can confirm for us! http://www.ps3forums.com/showthread.php?p=1278857

What kills me about the whole thing is the typical Sony fanboy response. It must be bad coding! It must be bad porting! Oh, it COULDN'T BE that the PS3 is a POS to develop for! It couldn't be that Sony made it hard-as-hell on developers to make games run properly!

The PS2 was clearly a step above the Dreamcast from Day One!
The Xbox & Gamecube were clearly a step above the PS2 from Day One!
The Xbox 360 was clearly a step above everything ELSE on day one!
The PS3? A step back!

The Sony cheerleading brigade will be in full-force soon, led by their psychotic leader LastLoad about the power of Blu-Ray and the Cell's eight cores, yadda, yadda, yadda. Pretty pitiful when the PS3's savior of the day Motorstorm can't hold Project Gotham 3's jock in graphics. NOTHING on the PS3 is that good! But hey, it says Sony on it so the fanboys buy it without a second thought!

I sure am glad that I postponed buying this technogical nightmare. Especially if I had to look at piss-poor, stuttering framerate garbage like SCDA! :mad2:



Yep those pics, as well as the ones posted on the Gamespot forums ARE PS3. Mind you those particualar PS3 shots don't do PS3 justice. It's true the 360 trounces the PS3 not only in the visuals but also in detail and content on screen. The ice textures were nice on PS3 as were some others. The pics where Sam is holding those jail guards hostage is spot on. I noticed that right away. They placed a simple looking guard lacking proper eye wear to alleviate the time and power of extra polys and shaders to make a simple set of glasses, reflected lenses and the extra facial expression barring teeth....sh*t like this just pisses me off, regardless if PS3 can't handle this or it's simple lazyness. This just proves 360 is capable in more ways then one.

There is so much missing in the PS3 version that having the extra female char and a few MP maps just doesn't cut it. Comparing the PS3 to the 360 version is similar to the way the older Splinter Cell games compared between PS2 and Xbox.

[NEO-360]

I wouldn't go so far as saying the 360 was better than everything else on Day 1, but it's certainly better than any of the other consoles right now.

I bet saying that was very painful for ya Mochan. But I'm proud of you. We all know in your eyes PC games is king anyway. Its all good. Looks like this time around MS learned alot from its first encounter with Sony during the last gen battle.

Sony better start climing out of the hole in a hurry before the PS3 becomes forgotten about real fast. Even after I read up on what extras the PS3's version of Double Agent was going to be I wasnt impressed with it. Now that the word is officially out from someone that has them both I think its safe to say that being worried about other ports coming to the PS3 would be an understatement at this point.:idea:

[ilnadmy]

Nah, Mochan's been saying that for a while now. Haven't you been paying attention?

[NEO-360]

Nah, Mochan's been saying that for a while now. Haven't you been paying attention?

Surreee. Rigghhhtt.:rolleyes: