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Vista Games Cracked to Run on XP
Next Generation is reporting that Vista PC games have been cracked to run under XP. Hacking groups who apparently wanted to play new titles like Shadowrun and Halo 2 with driver support have taken it upon themselves to open up the playing field a bit. "The news is sure to irk Microsoft who may now face an increased delay in some consumers adopting Vista at this early stage. However, it shouldn't come as a surprise. Earlier this month Falling Leaf Systems said in a press release that it believed Microsoft was deceiving consumers by stating that the titles would only work on Vista, and announced its intentions to release compatibility software to disprove the claim. 'Microsoft has, in typical Microsoft fashion, decided to launch their forced migration onslaught in full force with the release of two games that will only run on Windows Vista,' said Falling Leaf Systems CEO Brian Thomason in the press release." Relatedly, Mitch Gitelman of the (now closed) FASA Studios has taken exception to negative reviews of Shadowrun.
But it's a pretty damned good game on the platform it was created for, the console. The gameplay is top-notch stuff. I've played my way through a vast number of FPS games since Doom, and Shadowrun is ranking up near the top in terms of multiplayer gameplay.
But it's a raw deal on the PC. The control system is setup for a controller, not kb/m, so instead the kb/m controls are dumbed down. This is not that PC players are used to. The balance is there, the two platforms play on pretty equal footing, but only because PC players are not given things that have long been a standard for PC FPS play. You'll need Vista and Xbox Live Gold, which few PC players have, and aren't worth buying for this game.
The game is unusual in that it minimizes emphasis on aiming, and instead emphasizes tactics. I've played dozens of FPS games where aiming is emphasized and had a blast, but it's refreshing to see tactics govern the combat instead. It's simple to quickly get the crosshairs on an enemy. However, how long you can keep him in your crosshairs, and keep out of his, are now the determining factors, rather than shooting quickly. For example, I can fire a shotgun blast, teleport through a wall as he returns fire, teleport back out for another shotgun blast, teleport through the floor, and come back for a finish. I could render myself intangible to let his bullets pass through me and take a 100ft drop harmlessly with the Smoke power in an escape. I could let off Gust and blow the enemy straight into a corner, ruining his accuracy, and pinning him against a grenade I tossed. All in all, the gunplay is only half the battle, but guns alone won't get you anywhere. Quite interesting. Particularly in regard to how important teamplay becomes.
Also, Shadowrun has nothing to do with Shadowrun PnP. It should have been named something else.