PC version of Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:00 am
I just gave this Windows 95 version a try.
Works fine in Windows XP but takes a bit to get it to work. Direct Draw has to be disabled in dxdiag. The game doesn't install and gives an error when running the exe from the disc. Instead, a shortcut has to be made to the desktop and then it oddly runs fine.
The game doesn't install. According to this derelict and ancient PDF of the PC manual, Space Hulk creates an entry in the registry where it stores save games so it just runs off the disc.
I noticed from YouTube vids of the PS1 version that they changed the look around a little bit, but the PC one is a direct port so everything looks the same.
The Windows version runs a little faster and is more smoother. Whenever voice acting comes on I hear my 3DO drive seeking. There are short pauses sometimes especially when it's looking for the the character's name. When there's way too much action going on it sometimes skips a sentence or two. On the PC version it's seamless. Maybe my 3DO laser is a little dirty or maybe it's the result of it's 2x CD-ROM but then again I am running this on modern hardware and the game is mounted on a virtual drive. Unfortunately I don't have a Pentium II machine to test it in it's native environment
PC controls are baaaaaad especially during melee sequences. Mashing either A or B is much either than Spacebar or TAB. Controls are all over the place. Very clumsy. You can change them but I prefer the 3DO pad.
The one fatal flaw is that this game is so old that there is only 1 resolution and it's programmed to stretch the image entirely over your screen so I have a low resolution game stretched out into a disgusting pixelated mess on my 22 inch widescreen monitor.
Basically, the versions are identical. I prefer the 3DO version due to the controls and not having to stare at a stretched ugly mess. You can change the difficulty in the PC version (but that's for n00bs obviously) and it does feature online play although I have no clue how that's supposed to work.
Works fine in Windows XP but takes a bit to get it to work. Direct Draw has to be disabled in dxdiag. The game doesn't install and gives an error when running the exe from the disc. Instead, a shortcut has to be made to the desktop and then it oddly runs fine.
The game doesn't install. According to this derelict and ancient PDF of the PC manual, Space Hulk creates an entry in the registry where it stores save games so it just runs off the disc.
I noticed from YouTube vids of the PS1 version that they changed the look around a little bit, but the PC one is a direct port so everything looks the same.
The Windows version runs a little faster and is more smoother. Whenever voice acting comes on I hear my 3DO drive seeking. There are short pauses sometimes especially when it's looking for the the character's name. When there's way too much action going on it sometimes skips a sentence or two. On the PC version it's seamless. Maybe my 3DO laser is a little dirty or maybe it's the result of it's 2x CD-ROM but then again I am running this on modern hardware and the game is mounted on a virtual drive. Unfortunately I don't have a Pentium II machine to test it in it's native environment
PC controls are baaaaaad especially during melee sequences. Mashing either A or B is much either than Spacebar or TAB. Controls are all over the place. Very clumsy. You can change them but I prefer the 3DO pad.
The one fatal flaw is that this game is so old that there is only 1 resolution and it's programmed to stretch the image entirely over your screen so I have a low resolution game stretched out into a disgusting pixelated mess on my 22 inch widescreen monitor.
Basically, the versions are identical. I prefer the 3DO version due to the controls and not having to stare at a stretched ugly mess. You can change the difficulty in the PC version (but that's for n00bs obviously) and it does feature online play although I have no clue how that's supposed to work.