PS vs PC

[Job McYossie]

MOD EDIT: This thread was split off from Q&A following this post here.

It seems to me like most people here enjoyed the PlayStation version of the first oddworld games. I always thought that the PC version was superior by far, but clearly other's disagree a fair amount. So my question is: Does anyone else think the PC port is the better version? Because I have not met anyone who has said they think that.

[AvengingGibbons]

Theyre the same game aren't they? Identical?

The only differences are the controls. Using a playstation controller is always better than using a keyboard.

[Nepsotic]

No, there are loads of differences.

[Crashpunk]

There are differences. I mainly notice them in the audio.

Also wasn't the PC game a port from the PlayStation?

[Job McYossie]

Also wasn't the PC game a port from the PlayStation?

I think so.

The only differences are the controls. Using a playstation controller is always better than using a keyboard.

I highly disagree. There were not enough buttons on the PS controller. Having the num pad for game speak made it much faster than having to use the same buttons multiple times.

[Manco]

There are differences. I mainly notice them in the audio.

I’m fairly sure that has something to do with the game’s age – there are a lot of audio bugs now which I don’t think were present when playing on Win98.

I highly disagree. There were not enough buttons on the PS controller. Having the num pad for game speak made it much faster than having to use the same buttons multiple times.

I always felt like it was easier to memorize the button combos for GameSpeak than remember which number between 1 and 9 did the thing I was looking for.

[Nepsotic]

Not to mention the unresponsive keyboard controls.

[Slog Bait]

The ones we literally just finished talking about

[Phylum]

I think the better question is, does anyone prefer the version that isn't the one they played first?

[Job McYossie]

That is a good point. I have nostalgia attached to the PC version, and therefore will view it on a weighted scale.

[Manco]

I played the PS version first but play the PC version more often nowadays. Mainly out of convenience, but that’s kind of a preference.

[AvengingGibbons]

I highly disagree. There were not enough buttons on the PS controller. Having the num pad for game speak made it much faster than having to use the same buttons multiple times.

There was exactly the right amount of buttons on the playstation controller. After a short while of gameplaying, you don't even have to think about the controls. Using the same buttons multiple times, you mean button combos for gamespeak (L1/L2 + tri/cir/X/squ)? It's no trouble at all doing the button combos, it's really easy, so easy that I'm surprised that you or anyone else would raise an issue about it.

I'll always prefer console gaming to PC gaming. Just the fact that it's more sociable within your immediate environment because of the use of a TV, and the gamepads are snug in your hands, and you are snug on your couch

[STM]

I never had a numpad on the laptop I've had since I got thanks Manco <3 AO and AE, as such it's reeeeealllly hard to do gamespeak quickly. I prefer the PS1 version because I'm used to it and find it easier. I'd not say it's -better- for that reason though, it had better audio I think.

[Job McYossie]

There was exactly the right amount of buttons on the playstation controller. After a short while of gameplaying, you don't even have to think about the controls. Using the same buttons multiple times, you mean button combos for gamespeak (L1/L2 + tri/cir/X/squ)? It's no trouble at all doing the button combos, it's really easy, so easy that I'm surprised that you or anyone else would raise an issue about it.

Perhaps it was easy for you, but I never got used to it. I played through AE on PlayStation and even by the end of the game the gamespeak button combos through me off. If always felt as if I was supposed to have more buttons than what was given, which the PC version had. Not to mention, not having to switch discs was nice on PC. =P

[Phylum]

The PC version that I borrowed from a friend had a disk swap around Feeco.

[Paul]

After playing the PC version so much I noticed that the PS1 version seems to have lower framerate and slower animations. Check out Abes jumping animation on PSX vs PC, on PSX it feels like its in slow motion :s

[Nate]

*splits thread*

[DarkHoodness]

The PC version that I borrowed from a friend had a disk swap around Feeco.

My PC version of Abe's Exoddus (Infrogames "Replay" re-release, year 2000) has an install disk and a play disk, though said play disk only contains the FMVs, and it's possible to play without it.

It's a shame the PC ports of both games weren't quite as good quality as the original PSX (mainly sound issues and some low res sprites), but it was still nice to have them on the PC at all - I don't recall many console games getting PC ports back then.

[Nepsotic]

Yes, but it looks like crap compared to the PS1 version.

Perhaps it was easy for you, but I never got used to it. I played through AE on PlayStation and even by the end of the game the gamespeak button combos through me off. If always felt as if I was supposed to have more buttons than what was given, which the PC version had. Not to mention, not having to switch discs was nice on PC. =P

Christ, don't ever try to play Mortal Kombat then.

I can think of literally no pro's for the PC version. The objects don't look as good, the sound is HORRIBLE, the controls are unresponsive and also really hard to get used to. Looking back at it, they really screwed up this port.

[RoryF]

I always preferred the PC one, I mapped the run, jump and roll keys to ones that were way easier to pull off on PC than PS. I did mainly buy the PC one for the editing and -ddcheat and all that.

Dunno what sound issues you lot have mine sounds fine, the only weird thing is a slowdown whenever the Secret area sound plays, but that was only an issue on 98 PCs and stuff. The Secret area noise was screwed on the PC though if I remember, it was waaaay too loud and too high pitched but it's more than passable since it's not a big deal anyway.

[DarkHoodness]

Stuff I noticed in both AO and AE, PC sound vs PSX sound:

* Sound channels are reversed during gameplay. (but not in FMVs, so you couldn't just swap your speakers around) This is obvious when you hear sligs or meat grinders off to the sides of the screen that you're on.

* No reverb effects (eg, the slight echo in Rupture Farms applying only to sounds but not music)

* Some sounds have different pitches

* Some sounds effects sound clearer than they do on PC, while others sound like they haven't been converted correctly, almost as if they have lower bitrates than they originally had (like AE's secret area jingle)

E: But not that it was ever important or ruined the gameplay at all, it's just a little interesting. Or maybe not. Who knows?

[Jordan]

The only major thing I noticed about the PC version was the higher framerate, which I was happy about.

[Phylum]

Yeah I don't have a clue what Nep is talking about. I've played both versions heaps and there's no noticeable difference, other than the graphical changes, which look much nicer and fit with everything else better.

Also if anything the PC version sounds better because it's coming through my decent headphones rather than whatever shitty TV speakers.

[RoryF]

I liked not having to have a disc either, it's not a massive deal but it's something.

Also I'm pretty sure the Play disc is entirely useless on the Replay CDs, the FMVs and the whole game is already installable and playable with everything just with the Install CD. I never saw a reason to use it.

[Nepsotic]

Yeah I don't have a clue what Nep is talking about. I've played both versions heaps and there's no noticeable difference, other than the graphical changes, which look much nicer and fit with everything else better.

Well, the changes to the props for one thing. Certain things look different, and sometimes just not as good. And like I said, the gamespeak controls are really unresponsive. Not to mention it's just inconvenient when playing on a laptop. Is there any reason the Steam version couldn't have mappable controls?

Also if anything the PC version sounds better because it's coming through my decent headphones rather than whatever shitty TV speakers.

Have you even heard the secret area sound? It's pretty disgusting.

[Slog Bait]

The PC secret area sound gives me a headache and the music in FFZ on PC had something weird going on with it that made it sound like shit if I recall correctly

I think the only thing I prefer about the PC version is the slig controls, because you can walk a single space/turn without walking when you press a directional key. I finally figured out how to do it on the PSX, though, so that's not really a big deal to me anymore.

[Crashpunk]

I'm using Abe's Exoddus as the example.

On Playstation, The sound effects have more echo and the game runs slower.



On PC, it's the opposite.



I do love the echoing... Wonder why it's not in the PC version?

[Nepsotic]

Yeah, it's not as if PCs are incapable of reverb effects. Sounds like Abe's all up in your ear.

[Phylum]

Yeah but listening to both it doesn't actually make a huge difference.

Nep you can remap the controls through a file, but I don't know what the file's called. I think it should be and ini. It doesn't seem to be included in the Steam install but it's possible the game might read it if you put one there.

Can anyone with an old, non-Steam install of AO check to see what the file is called/if i'm bullshitting? I can't be bothered finding my disk and making a second install of the game just for this.

[DarkHoodness]

My AO is an original PC release from '97. Keymap file appears to be "abe.ini".

(E: ignore the image)