GTA-Like 'Payback' Comes to the iPhone
posted by Blake Patterson on January 2nd, 2009 5:12 PM EST in Action, Simulation, Upcoming Games, iPhone games, iPod touch games
Apex Designs has written in to let us know that their Grand Theft Auto-like top-down title Payback will be making its way to the iTunes App Store early this month.
As you have probably guessed, the game is inspired by Grand Theft Auto, but every effort has been made to ensure that Payback beats that game in every way. The game engine supports texture mapping, environment mapping (reflections), distortion mapping, realistic shadows, alpha-channelling (lens flares, explosions and shockwaves), multi-channel 3D sound and spectacular physics. The game has also been translated into many languages.
Payback has been released for the Mac, Game Boy Advanced, Amiga, and GP2X mobile platform. The game is extremely similar to the original Grand Theft Auto, aside from a new camera angle and additional weapons.
Critics have found Payback to be worthy of some modest praise. As IGN tells it,
… it's clear that Rockstar should simply halt development of the official Grand Theft Auto for the handheld … a graphically impressive, as well as enormously fun Grand Theft Auto-styled game.
Have a look at a video of the GP2X mobile version of Payback.
We'll take a closer look at Payback when it makes its App Store debut. Stay tuned.
ho…holy f**k… this is my dream
2009 is going to be hard on my wallet..Looks like I'll have to add this to my buy without reviews list: Edge, Payback, Rebel Onslaught, and Equilibrio
that looks like fun
Looks okay I guess. Will just have to see how good the controls are
Oooh, I like it. A challenger to Car Jack Streets too! Which one to get…
YYYYYEEEEES, i had this on my GBA, it was pretty good, i was amazed by the capabilities of the old GBA when i saw it.
Hmmm…. do I want the iPhone version or the Amiga version?
@Nagromme: I've got the GP2X version but, hey…the Amiga is the ultimate platform, right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6uh1Q_D_XU&feature=related
Uch, I should surpass $200 by next week
I imported a copy of this on the gba — it was impossible to get in the USA — or at least prohibitively expensive. I think it never cleared nintendo of America because of the violent subject matter. The game is a notch above grand theft auto advance foe gameplay and miles better in technical terms. Any regret I had for letting go of my gp2x will be moot whenthis comes out.
worse than spending hundreds of dollars in games is having NO ROOM for all those icons in my springboard!!!
is there a way to increase the max number of tabs on my iphone??? 9 is NOT enough o_O
@ Ahiru
think about how many of your apps you REALLY use!
Or do you just want to keep some in case you have to show off?
About this game: I M P R E S S I V E!
@Ahiru: I hear your pain.
I would hope Apple addresses this at the Upcoming Meeting, or in June, or September
as it stands now, the only way is through jailbreaking…
i haven't done it yet, but it is tempting to have better organization and customization…but then i like the ease of updating..that is one reason i haven't jailbroken
There's a better video of the GP2X version here:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=J0M4IcAczQc
Whoa…didn't know Apex was still around. I have this for the Amiga, but I only played the first couple of levels (and some rounds of multiplayer) before the power supply died, years ago. It was pretty fun at the time.
Any ideas about the controls? Is it accelometer based? Nice graphics and looks like fun.
@ Ahiru:
http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=622&highlight=super+horsey
I'm sorry I have nothing constructive to say… It's been said above… Just in for the comment count.
If only we have the option to change the viewing angle. I'd like a follow-up camera view.
I'm somewhat disapointed.I want a next gen gta looking game, not the classic up/down view with some 3d elements in it.
Makes that sub-GTA 1 Car Jack City really look like feet, huh. This is almost GTA 3 quality (albeit, top down)
God dam you iPhone developers! I want my life back! I think I'd be safer with a nice healthy crystal meth addiction.
This game will make it's way to the number 1 spot pretty quickly.
They didn't localize the game well enough… everyone is driving on the left side of the street! To someone from the US, it looks very odd.
Arse, I'm working on something like this. Gonna have to start writing quicker
looks like a sunlit version of GTA2 to me. I'm very interested to see how this works, as said controls could be interesting.
i dont c any pedestrians or blood
@teagan
see the other youtube video, listed above:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=J0M4IcAczQc
ArtOfWarfare: Good. To someone who isn't in the US, it's very strange having to drive on the wrong side of the road in almost all computer games.
I think this game looks great, but the chances of it surviving Apple's censor squad are slim. I imagine that if it does make it to the platform, it will be heavily edited (ie. no blood and no cursing; saw plenty of both in the UK youtube vid.). I hope I'm wrong, but after the changes forced on ZombieMangle, I'd assume the worst.
Yay! Payback is finally here! Watched its development for years on the old Amiga, and I've had it on the GP2x for some time now. It rocks. It's the best GTA game that isn't GTA (especially if we're talking about the original top-down style of game.)
ArtOfWarfare: um, Rockstar never localised GTA so it would be right-hand-drive where I live ..in fact I don't know of any car game where they localised that. Now you know what we've had to put up with.
hehe. Give it time. You get used to it quickly. Payback is worth it.
Hopes the controls work well .. I know the iPhone is more than capable of everything else. And to the folks worried it doesn't have the violence of GTA: Oh yeah, it has all that. In fact, steal a car, run over the former occupant, you get an "irony bonus". I love their humour.
The pedestrians spat with lots of nice blood too.
I always used to drive on the left in GTA2 anyway – more amusing – especially in a tank. I wonder if it will have roundabouts? – That'll really upset the Americans!
@AdamH
Only if you obey traffic laws;)
There is already a finance app in the store called Payback…
But this game looks awesome.
Release it already!!!! It's early January now!!
@Arn & Blake:
Why you little….. Quit teasing me with awesome looking GTA style games. I know everything Appstore related is controlled by the TouchArcade mafia, so quit stalling! If that's what it takes I'm making out the check/pay to the order of Mr. Patterson……..The Don!
Seriously I've been checkin the app store every day since I heard about. Release the game already!!
Same here! I want it so bad it hurts.
they are still waiting for apple's approvement for their game… and i personally dont think it will pass since zombie mangle didnt make it…
Apex have announced that the game has been approved by Apple and is coming out on 15 January. They've also posted a new article about the iPhone version here:
http://www.apex-designs.net/payback_iphone_report.html