Controls

the first thing you will have to get used to with gangstar vegas, particularly if you've never played one of the previous games in the series, or a similar game on a portable device, is the controls. These take a considerable amount of time to become comfortable with, but fortunately Gameloft make things a little easier by offering you a wealth of customizable control options.

Below we look at a few of these and analyze why you might want to choose some over others.

Foot Controls

the default on-foot controls are very simple. The game has a virtual analog stick on the left, which you can hold over with your finger and move it to control which way Jason jogs. If you want him to sprint, hold on the icon on the right of the screen that looks like a running man.

you will be using these two 'buttons' a lot in game. Bear in mind that when Jason is sprinting, he is also capable of free-running. That means that if you sprint into a low wall, he will vault over it. If you are trying to run down a gangway suspended over the road, there is a chance, if you touch the side wall, that he will vault over the side. You have to be careful and try to jog rather than sprint in any situations where Jason may do the wrong thing.

you don't really have a choice with foot controls, all you can do in the options is turn the sensitivity up or down if you find yourself changing direction too rapidly.

Car Controls

the driving controls are probably the hardest to get used to. The default gives you a gas and brake pedal, and asks you to use motion controls to steer the car. Depending on your device, you may find this problematic. The game is very forgiving with the driving sections, so precise control isn't too important. However, you will still find yourself getting very frustrated at constantly crashing into objects and having to reverse using motion control.

you do have to brake going round corners too, so bear that in mind when trying to drive quickly.

Alternative control methods are available, such as swapping the gas pedal with a sliding scale, which also allows you to brake. Replacing the motion control with a steering wheel or left-right arrows is a good option if you can't stand the motion control. The game gives you a choice of any of these methods in combination, so you should be able to find the right one for you.

My preferred version is the sixth one in the list, using a fixed left-right steering method and a standard gas pedal.

Bike Controls

Bizarrely, the game's bike controls are different to the cars. you lose the option of a fixed left-right gauge and instead have to use motion or a handlebar indicator. All the same, you shouldn't have too many problems adapting to bike riding.

Helicopter Controls

Flying helicopters is always a challenge, but you don't have a choice of using motion controls here. Instead, you just use the up and down arrows on the right, and the analog stick on the left for direction.

Plane Controls

Like the helicopter, flying a plane is pretty standard and you can't opt for motion controls. Use the scale on the right to accelerate and decelerate, and the flight stick on the left to steer.