How to tell you are playing a console port on your PC

I was wondering, if you are playing a game on your PC, what are the signs that you are playing a console port, instead of a game designed from the ground up for the PC? Here are my thoughts:

1) Instead of saving the game whenever you like, your progress is either saved via checkpoints or you need to search the dungeons for a savepoint. Its funny, because consoles have hard drives too, so I guess checkpoint/savepoint saves are designed for 360 Core/Arcade Edition in mind, due to smaller storage size. This example is very true for FarCry on the PC.

2) You have the option to press the right mouse button to zoom in on enemies (in a shooting game) even when you have no need to, simply because the standard view is accurate enough for you to score headshots using the mouse. Obviously this "zoom in" function is designed primarily for consoles becasue analog sticks are not as good for aiming as the mouse is.

3) Press Action button to win. System requirements recommend you to use an Xbox 360 controller.

4) You are playing (insert game here) part 2, and it feels slightly less complex than the original for some reason.

Any other thoughts? I am NOT bashing consoles here, I am just wondering what things you have experienced during a PC game that made you think you are playing a console game.

I was wondering, if you are playing a game on your PC, what are the signs that you are playing a console port, instead of a game designed from the ground up for the PC? Here are my thoughts:

1) Instead of saving the game whenever you like, your progress is either saved via checkpoints or you need to search the dungeons for a savepoint. Its funny, because consoles have hard drives too, so I guess checkpoint/savepoint saves are designed for 360 Core/Arcade Edition in mind, due to smaller storage size. This example is very true for FarCry on the PC.

if savepoints were for 'x360 core' it wouldent matter at all because nothing can be saved without a hdd, it is just something that console games have, there are actually alot of games you can save wherever you want on console
the way to tell port based of saving is if you get a message saying 'now saving do not turn of your system'

2) You have the option to press the right mouse button to zoom in on enemies (in a shooting game) even when you have no need to, simply because the standard view is accurate enough for you to score headshots using the mouse. Obviously this "zoom in" function is designed primarily for consoles becasue analog sticks are not as good for aiming as the mouse except that the zoom in was made on the PC, CoD originated it because the hip fire just isnt acurate at range and to give it a more realistic feel/look. console shooters worked fine before the 'aim down the sighs'

3) Press Action button to win. System requirements recommend you to use an Xbox 360 controller.

there is only one game i can think of that does that and thats 'turning point:fall of liberty' a terrible game

4) You are playing (insert game here) part 2, and it feels slightly less complex than the original for some reason.

that dosent mean its a console port, alot of pc exclusive series get less complex over time, it dosent mean its consolized, the devs just wanted to give it a differetn feel

Any other thoughts? I am NOT bashing consoles here, I am just wondering what things you have experienced during a PC game that made you think you are playing a console game.

while your points are well thought out they are taken slightly out of context :)

PandaBear86

[QUOTE="PandaBear86"]

3) Press Action button to win. System requirements recommend you to use an Xbox 360 controller.

shadow_hosi

most capcom ports also show only controller buttons

Just look at Oblivion for PC.KeeperofDingo

Oh man lol. Oblivion got nerfed compared to Morrowind. Still an amazing game though.

I am confused as to what you are saying for Far Cry. That was not a console-to-pc port; the developers simply chose to implement a checkpoint system. A "save anywhere" feature was patched in later, but none of that information is relevant, because Far Cry was not a console-to-PC port--it was a PC-to-console port.

I have played plenty of PC shooters in which zooming in and iron sights were featured; and console shooters in which it was not. I don't believe that argument holds water.

I will give you 3 and 4. Capcom and Ubi are notorious for bad PC versions (which makes the quality of Assassin's Creed a lovely surprise). Playing Resident Evil 4 and Lost Planet on the PC was frustrating; Rainbow Six Vegas multiplayer was simply broken (it still had friends list menu options, on a platform on which friends lists don't exist). As for number 4, Deus Ex: invisible War jumps right to mind.

Quake 3 had zoom button for every weapon, 100% hardcore PC shooter;)