Wide screen (16:9) versus standard 4:3

[PZ]

I don't think I've seen a direct comparison on our site so I thought I'd post what I experience as the difference between game play on the PC versus the PS3.  As you can see, the console game play screen looks like it is cropped (because it is).

It is interesting that Ubi never patched the consoles to take advantage of wide screen.  This is another reason that I find playing FC2 on the PC so different - the amount of the world that you see in wide screen is remarkable.  On the PS3, I always feel that I can't see anything peripherally whereas on the PC, it feels much more like the real world.
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[Art Blade]

hmm... indeed interesting. It would be interesting too if we could see a screenshot of anyone who uses a 4:3 monitor with his PC in comparison. I only know widescreen.

[PZ]

Evidently the 4:3 on the PC is similar to what we see on the console - I just went in and did a quick screen cap (2 monitors on the same PC one 4:3 and the other 16:9):
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[Art Blade]

haha, thanks :) but owww... that's a difference... once you get used to widescreen, everything looks strange when you get to see some 4:3 stuff, can happen with movies (TV versions).

[PZ]

So true, I really don't like full screen.  I'd much rather see the black bands at the top and bottom so that I can enjoy the entire width of what the media should be.  In fact, I'd much rather see the black bands on the console than miss the lateral 25% of the image.

[DKM2]

Wow, thats a big difference. I've never seen it at 4:3.
I would hate to have to go back to that.....

[tehsam016]

Imho FC2 just seems like it was meant to be played on a big screen tv. I couldn't imagine being half as immersed on a smaller 4:3 tv. Having surround sound is half the battle of course as well :P. and the fact that consoles don't support "widescreen" doesn't really erk me since my tv is already wide enough/I've never really felt like the vision wasn't peripheral enough.

[Art Blade]

I'd like to see it on a big screen myself :) I have a sufficient 26'' monitor and yes, 5.1 does add a lot  to the game(s)  ;D

[tehsam016]

Tell me about it, I consider turning down my speakers sometimes when I'm shooting a 50. cal or especially the m249  :P

[Art Blade]

hahaha! more than once the game gave me quite a start when an explosion from behind felt like a kick in the back  ;D

[tehsam016]

Yeah they certainly did a great job in the sound department, you really can hear every nook and cranny of the game. I love how you can just sit outside at night and hear everything blowing in the wind while crickets chirp, very enthralling.

[Art Blade]

...and on a wide screen... I'd leave that on as a screensaver if the malaria attacks wouldn't spoil the fun (once left it on and fell asleep, waking because of the malaria-breakdown warning sounds... horrible alarm clock for that part LOL)

[tehsam016]

Lol I bet, would suck if you were having a dream about having a malaria attack beforehand  ;D

[PZ]

Well, I was trying to see why it is that I play better on the PC - thought that it was just the mouse aiming/movement (that is a huge part of it).  However, when driving on the PS3 and coming to an intersection, I can see left and right peripherally on the PC, but the PS3 makes me feel like I have blinders on (the kind you see on horses on the old westerns).

Now when I play on the PS3, I notice it all the more.  Still fun, but not nearly as "real" an experience as on the PC.  I wonder why Ubi did nothing about fixing the wide screen issue on the consoles.

[Art Blade]

I thought there were no patches possible for consoles?

[PZ]

I believe that there was a patch because my PS3 updated the game after which I started with the Jackal tape issue.  Sad to report that I started with a prior save and the Jackal tapes worked for a while, but then when the game reached tape #7 - the kid with a shotgun tape started repeating.