Grand Theft Auto IV (and R* rant)

[Bijo]

Some links:
http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/
http://www.gta4.net/news/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_4
http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/grandtheftauto4/index.html
http://ps3.ign.com/objects/793/793799.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=2924
_________________

You know what I want with GTA4? I want the developers to develop for PC first, and then for console, like it's supposed to be, like in the old days. I've always thought the PC versions weren't as good as the console versions in some regards, mainly control over control settings, gamepad support, bugs, lack of patches, bad porting, etc.

Look at GTA: SA PC... it really is a piece o' ****, and the only patch that came out was a 1.01 that removed some "pornish content" and made some minor updates.

But if you really look at the game, you see how it's flawed. Same old **** over and over. I think R* needs a better act, and stop reusing their old stuff like they've been doing for years now. I actually doubt they can come up with a worthy mind-boggling technically superior GTA4 for the PS3, or 360, let alone the PC.

I say this because in all those years they haven't done much in technical leaps when you regard those GTAs they made, as they were clinging to their old uses, here and there making a little engine upgrade. Now, the time has come to show that they gotta be tough sons o' ******* but whaddaya know? No GTA4's gonna come out, and the reason is that "the install base for the PS3" is too small. A LIE I TELL YOU!

Look at those Liberty City stories and the other one: I was thinking "What the ****???!?" They still reusing that old stuff like cheap bastards? :jawdrop: They're STILL NOT DONE MILKING OUT THAT OLD TECHNOLOGY?

Yeah, you got that right: I'm bashing R*. And I do it 'cause they are (almost) superior when it comes to game presentation in sound, in cutscenes with superior acting, superior motion captures, and the likes, but they STILL CANNOT properly take care of the other IMPORTANT GAME ASPECTS (superior graphics, flawless non-frustrating gameplay, no bugs, proper PC gamepad support, etc.).

I think it'll take a long time before GTA4 will come out, 'cause I think (1) they're too busy thinking of ways to milk out the old stuff without too much effort; (2) they are still learning for the PS3; (5) there's no 5, but you can think of some yourself before that, and after it.

If GTA4 will not be a superior and fresh enough game, it's certain that R* has no need to innovate their cool franchise, or it simply cannot.

[/rant]

So.... and what do you hope to see with GTA4? :laugh4:

[edyzmedieval]

More porn, drugs, alcohol, blood, street fighting, rap music, thugs & grillz & chains.... :laugh4:

Seriously, GTA is going downhill. Vice City rocked, SA was ok.

[doc_bean]

2 things:

1. The PC market is getting tiny, even companies like Id and Epic are moving to consoles (or combining), sales for PC games are pretty low and development can be tricky due to all the different hardware out there. Blame piracy, blame the market forces, but ultimately, they're companies and they need to make profit.

2. Rockstar was petitioned by fans to release LCS on the PS2, I heard, they released it for a budget price. It's not their fault people keep buying the same game over and over, people WANT more of the same, at least when it comes to GTA.

[Navaros]

The numbering in the OP and thread title is way off, which leads to confusion.

Vice City was GTA IV.

SA was GTA V.

This thread is asking about GTA VI, yet that's not what it says.

As for what I'd want in GTA VI, I'd want a deep story, deep characters, and deep gameplay. Ie: make it exactly like Mafia was, which in my view did the GTA-esque format a million times better than GTA ever did. But that probably won't sell as much as dumbed-down GTA-formula games do, so no chance of that happening.

[Geoffrey S]

If Rockstar call their game GTA IV, then that's probably what we should be calling it too.

[Talbot]

Vice City and San Andreas were still GTA3, reason being it they used the same engine.

The new one will be GTA4.

[The Foolish Horseman]

Cant wait for Gta 4


Cant wait for the trailer to come out this month for it.

Also it would be cool if they released in DX10 (direct x 10 n00bs) which is vista-only. As i am getting it in a couple of months to coincide with its release, it would make it more worthwhile.



:knight:

[Bob the Insane]

Yeah... back to the roots I say...

I want my GTA in 2d... Top down view with the biggest sprites on earth!!! :laugh4:

Progress sucks!!!

Seriously, despite owning a 360 I am a PC gamer at heart (the 360 is my first console, my first PC was a 286 10MHz with 1MB Ram and a 20MB HD, VGA anyone? Adlib sound card :2thumbsup:)...

Have you seen Saints Row on the 360? If GTA4 looks like that or a little better (and way bigger) I will be happy...

[TB666]

If they bring back the charm of Vice City then it will be good.
SA was just meh.

[Bijo]

2 things:

1. The PC market is getting tiny, even companies like Id and Epic are moving to consoles (or combining), sales for PC games are pretty low and development can be tricky due to all the different hardware out there. Blame piracy, blame the market forces, but ultimately, they're companies and they need to make profit.

2. Rockstar was petitioned by fans to release LCS on the PS2, I heard, they released it for a budget price. It's not their fault people keep buying the same game over and over, people WANT more of the same, at least when it comes to GTA.
Hmmmm, yes, you might have a point with 1.

Regarding 2, I think "these fans" are too easily entertained, and they aren't critical enough. The core development of GTA has stood still for years and it's time to move on. How can they not get tired of the same old rubbish?

[doc_bean]

Regarding 2, I think "these fans" are too easily entertained, and they aren't critical enough. The core development of GTA has stood still for years and it's time to move on. How can they not get tired of the same old rubbish?

They're 14 ?

[Bijo]

Maybe.

Any case, I've seen enough people who didn't participate in any petition who are old and who are GTA fans who were very happy to see milked out those games coming out.

[lars573]

Some links:
http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/
http://www.gta4.net/news/index.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_4
http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/grandtheftauto4/index.html
http://ps3.ign.com/objects/793/793799.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=2924
_________________

You know what I want with GTA4? I want the developers to develop for PC first, and then for console, like it's supposed to be, like in the old days. I've always thought the PC versions weren't as good as the console versions in some regards, mainly control over control settings, gamepad support, bugs, lack of patches, bad porting, etc.

Look at GTA: SA PC... it really is a piece o' ****, and the only patch that came out was a 1.01 that removed some "pornish content" and made some minor updates.

But if you really look at the game, you see how it's flawed. Same old **** over and over. I think R* needs a better act, and stop reusing their old stuff like they've been doing for years now. I actually doubt they can come up with a worthy mind-boggling technically superior GTA4 for the PS3, or 360, let alone the PC.

I say this because in all those years they haven't done much in technical leaps when you regard those GTAs they made, as they were clinging to their old uses, here and there making a little engine upgrade. Now, the time has come to show that they gotta be tough sons o' ******* but whaddaya know? No GTA4's gonna come out, and the reason is that "the install base for the PS3" is too small. A LIE I TELL YOU!

Look at those Liberty City stories and the other one: I was thinking "What the ****???!?" They still reusing that old stuff like cheap bastards? :jawdrop: They're STILL NOT DONE MILKING OUT THAT OLD TECHNOLOGY?

Yeah, you got that right: I'm bashing R*. And I do it 'cause they are (almost) superior when it comes to game presentation in sound, in cutscenes with superior acting, superior motion captures, and the likes, but they STILL CANNOT properly take care of the other IMPORTANT GAME ASPECTS (superior graphics, flawless non-frustrating gameplay, no bugs, proper PC gamepad support, etc.).

I think it'll take a long time before GTA4 will come out, 'cause I think (1) they're too busy thinking of ways to milk out the old stuff without too much effort; (2) they are still learning for the PS3; (5) there's no 5, but you can think of some yourself before that, and after it.

If GTA4 will not be a superior and fresh enough game, it's certain that R* has no need to innovate their cool franchise, or it simply cannot.

[/rant]

So.... and what do you hope to see with GTA4? :laugh4:
Wow! So many assumptions. :shame: GTAIV is being developed as an Xbox timed exclusive (which means the 360 version first others later). The Xbox has a very similar comfiguartion to a PC, and it's being done with some new engine. Unreal 3 I think. That said very few games are going to be developed for the PC first ever again. Being as it's so small.

[Bob the Insane]

Regarding 2, I think "these fans" are too easily entertained, and they aren't critical enough. The core development of GTA has stood still for years and it's time to move on. How can they not get tired of the same old rubbish?

Dude, some people still play tetris... :help:


Heck, I even know a few how play board games, on an actual table!!

[Bijo]

Tetris has nothing to do with this, and board games also. But if you want to include it.... Tetris is not the kind of game to be developed strongly ever since its birth, because it's good the way it is. It's one of those simple games that just hits the spot right away and becomes an instant classic people will be playing in a century (as a matter of speaking). Board games are out of the question totally as they are not video games.

Fact is GTA series are computer video games still seriously being brought out and "worked on", and it's common to develop such video games to be better and better. Fact is GTA's development has stood still for years, and that is an unpleasant fact (at least to a critical mind).

[lars573]

Actually what held back GTA III and it's spin-offs (what R* calls SA and VC) is that they were built for the PS2. Not the Xbox or the PC.

[edyzmedieval]

I still wonder how people can sell GTA VC and SA, and the buyers are under 18.

[doc_bean]

I still wonder how people can sell GTA VC and SA, and the buyers are under 18.

Morally or legally ? No one pays attention to age limits here. Well a little more than they used too, you could rent porn as a 12y old back when I was 12 (not that I did, of course), now I assume they enforce the 18 limit.

[lars573]

I still wonder how people can sell GTA VC and SA, and the buyers are under 18.
Since there are few laws about selling a M/18 rated game to anyone under that age it's up to the store to enforce the rating or not.

[Quintus Of Pompeii]

I would just like to say. Either you are immitating the games language or, You have a very bad mouth. If your mother saw that do you think she would be proud. Come on people. Just because we are talking about a M/18 game doesn't mean we have to violate the .Orgs rules does. Calm it down a bit.
For example "Look at GTA: SA PC... it really is a piece o' ****" and "Look at those Liberty City stories and the other one: I was thinking "What the ****???!?" They still reusing that old stuff like cheap bastards?"

-Q

[The Foolish Horseman]

Lets just say something here:

GTA SA is so easy to buy when you are under 18. Im in town right now, and i have already seen tow ten year olds with no parents present buy GTA


Thats is weird

[econ21]

Dumb question - but what are GTA games like? I play mainly strategy games and RPGs, so it is not clear they would appeal to me. But I've enjoyed Max Payne 2 and Mafia a lot - are there any simularities? I'd be looking for a game with a good story, characters and some fun combat. Stealing cars and running over innocents etc has no appeal in and of itself.

If I were to try one, which one should it be? (PC only).

[Bijo]

I would just like to say. Either you are immitating the games language or, You have a very bad mouth. If your mother saw that do you think she would be proud. Come on people. Just because we are talking about a M/18 game doesn't mean we have to violate the .Orgs rules does. Calm it down a bit.
For example "Look at GTA: SA PC... it really is a piece o' ****" and "Look at those Liberty City stories and the other one: I was thinking "What the ****???!?" They still reusing that old stuff like cheap bastards?"

-Q
Bah. The thread title described a rant, and it's obvious a rant can contain certain language. As far as I know, rules aren't broken. That example you put breaks no rules either, otherwise I would've already been warned by a mod when the thread was made, so the first post is in order. Your opinions and assumptions etc. - in that quote - are entirely subjective, personal, and understandable :bow: (and I'd even say irrelevant and illogical :P but let's not make it worse)


econ, I've heard there are similarities in gameplay regarding GTA and Mafia, but I'm not too sure. If you're gonna play a GTA game, I'd recommend Vice City, for it has great atmosphere, acting, presentation, and such. Stealing cars and running over people is just one of the many side things you might choose to do if you're bored or need to let off some steam or whatever. There's always the main story (missions) to be followed (wherein you'll probably need to steal cars once in a while anyway, and where you'd accidentally run over pedestrians when in a hurry, etc.).

-edit-
Forgot to answer your main question:
GTA is mainly about crime, and lots of things that you can do. Apart from missions and the story, you can go look around and buy safehouses, change your clothes, "change from" vehicles, make money on the side, run around and beat people up, or be beaten up yourself. Side missions include delivering pizzas for instance to make some more money, etc. GTA series are always big games with big game worlds, becoming bigger with every new one, and there's always loads of stuff to do.
Go for Vice City for a good experience, or go for San Andreas which is imo not so great, though still enjoyable if you look past the flaws (if you notice them in the first place).

[edyzmedieval]

Dumb question - but what are GTA games like? I play mainly strategy games and RPGs, so it is not clear they would appeal to me. But I've enjoyed Max Payne 2 and Mafia a lot - are there any simularities? I'd be looking for a game with a good story, characters and some fun combat. Stealing cars and running over innocents etc has no appeal in and of itself.

If I were to try one, which one should it be? (PC only).

Mafia and Max Payne are different from GTA, IMHO.

GTA is just about drugs, black people, prostitutes, shooting in the middle of the town ( I loved in Vice City taking the tank and starting to destroy everything possible. :beam:), blood, gangsters... It depends if you like it. I like it, because it's very comprehensive, and it takes some time to complete it. But after I complete it, I throw it away.

It's much violence. Do I have to mention that every 5 seconds you here the F word? :beam:

[doc_bean]

Dumb question - but what are GTA games like? I play mainly strategy games and RPGs, so it is not clear they would appeal to me. But I've enjoyed Max Payne 2 and Mafia a lot - are there any simularities? I'd be looking for a game with a good story, characters and some fun combat. Stealing cars and running over innocents etc has no appeal in and of itself.

If I were to try one, which one should it be? (PC only).

I didn't think I would like GTA games, but two years ago i bought Vice City on a whim and found it surprisingly entertaining. The missions feel very old skool, like a level you have to beat, some can be frustrating (flying sucketh) most are pretty entertaining. Driving around the city is pretty fun, especially because VC has an awesome soundtrack which you can listen too (and hilarious talk show radio).

The game is about crime, but you don't feel very criminal imo, stealing a car is just a matter of pressing a button, shooting and killing isn't nearly as gruesome as with some fps games. Mostly, I'd consider it a driving game, but with loads of freedom.

You really should try it, Vice City is dirt cheap these days.

EDIT: I never did finish the game though, not even the main 'quest', but I played it for many hours, so i definately feel like it was worth getting.

[lars573]

Dumb question - but what are GTA games like? I play mainly strategy games and RPGs, so it is not clear they would appeal to me. But I've enjoyed Max Payne 2 and Mafia a lot - are there any simularities? I'd be looking for a game with a good story, characters and some fun combat. Stealing cars and running over innocents etc has no appeal in and of itself.

If I were to try one, which one should it be? (PC only).
Either of the two GTA III spin-offs (Vice City and San Andreas) are good. Vice City is based on Miami in the 80's. Pastel shirts and vapid me generation, Scarface, and Miami vice jokes (very dark humor though). San Andreas is a mix of California and Nevada in the early 90's. Both have good stories. And a wide variety of missions. San Andreas has some RPG-esque elements for the main character CJ. He needs to eat. He can get fat, he can build muscle, and he can level up his stats in driving, running, swimming, etc.

[edyzmedieval]

I like SA because it's a mix of RPG, in depth game, cars and missions to accomplish.

Anyone tried the Hot Coffee mod? :beam: :grin:

[Bob the Insane]

EDIT: I never did finish the game though, not even the main 'quest', but I played it for many hours, so i definately feel like it was worth getting.

It would not bee to much of a spoiler to say it has a great Scarface-esk ending...

[LuckyDog Trojan]

I've always enjoyed the GTA series of games - and I am looking forward to the release of their latest installment in the line later this year. Even though I'm a PC die-hard, I've only played the various GTA games on a console unit. (Probably because it has really been designed for that platform).

To go on, doc bean touches on a note-worthy point above: the ratio of PC & Console gamers. At one time, I was PC ONLY and snubbed my nose at the console systems. I used to view console units being played by 12 and thirteen year olds. Not any more. Game content & material has improved dramatically - and - the technological gap that used to be quite wide between the two platforms has been reduced considerably.

[Bob the Insane]

Well the teaser trailer is out...

I have to say, I am impressed with visuals presented in it...

It would appear we are returing to Liberty city in it's full Next Gen glory. It could almost be TV footage of NYC, unless you stare to close in which case it is obvious computer generated. There is a lot of debate about whether this imagery indicates a new move towards realisim or not, but then this is just a teaser trailer...

There is also debate at whether this indicates a reduction in scale from the GTA3:SA release...

I am glad to see all the old humour... Clucking Bell is still in, there is a movie title "I slept with your Mom", MeTV, a drink called "Sprunk - the essence of Life", eCola, the GetaLife building, a beer called Pisswassier, a show called "America's Next Top Hooker", Burger Shot is adveristing the Heart Stopper...

It is only a teaser trailer and I am laughing already... :D

[Bijo]

Trailer looks nice indeed. Too short for my taste, but good anyway.


There is also debate at whether this indicates a reduction in scale from the GTA3:SA release...
I was thinking of that too. It is a rational thought to consider or suspect a smaller scale game world, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. Technology could very well permit grand visuals and grand scale for GTA.

[edyzmedieval]

http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/trailer_splash.html

I wish the map is bigger than in GTA SA. So far, the graphics look superb.

[Abokasee]

Oh so the finaly base GTA 4 in NY, if the character they got now is of middle eastern origin (I didn't want to use the only alternative word that I know), means that it can only lead to dodgy looks from supicious police... and shoot outs, personally if GTA 5 (if there is one) is based britain I would by it, just to go drive by shooting in a double decker bus

[Marius Dynamite]

There is also debate at whether this indicates a reduction in scale from the GTA3:SA release...

I hope they include more than just NYC. San Andreas was good because you could go countryside and desert. I loved going from LA to San Francisco on the motorbikes over all those hills, over bridges then finally getting into a city like old style GTA.

It should be bigger, NYC should be huge, but I think it needs different enviroments like open hilly expanse. Otherwise its just like GTA 3 and driving in a repetitive box.

I wonder if the guy is middle eastern or eastern European?

[Bijo]

When I heard the sound of his voice it certainly made me think of an Eastern European one, not a Middle Eastern one.

[Abokasee]

On second time round wacthing the preview, its definately eastern europe, especially the clue of "selling people" (Romania Human Trafficing anyone?)

[edyzmedieval]

The guy is a Russki. So, we're gonna deal with Russkies.

Anyone PLEASE offering to get me past a San Andreas mission? Cesar Vialpando. Tried it at least 20 times, I always get under him with 50 points.

[Craterus]

How? The lowrider meet? I think that's easy, just figure out when you get perfect and then hit the direction when it gets to that part of the circle. Might be a bit harder on PC, I only play GTA on the PS2.

As for GTA IV, there is a rumour that Rockstar are planning to separate NY/LC into districts with different gangs for each district. Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn.. things like that. I think it will be a smaller game world but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Especially when the entire thing looks so fantastic.

[Bijo]

This is one of those cases where I say that smaller is better :laugh4:

In SA it was big, goddamn big, and while it might've been nice, it was just TOO big so it would take a long time to get from one place to another. I say better quality graphics and smaller setting and of course good gameplay.

[edyzmedieval]

Pls someone. It changes so fast, I can't even press the button because it changes.

[Bob the Insane]

Pls someone. It changes so fast, I can't even press the button because it changes.

Just use the number pad... All this talk got me installing SA on my Vista PC last night (with the patch in place it works great and runs nicesly are 1080i on my HDTV)...

I did the lowrider meet mission (where you are following your sister and meeting her boyfriend). You just hit the direction buttons in time with the beat. I did't do all the well really, but you opponent scores such a pathically low score it is hard not to beat it...

I am tempted to try setting my 360 controller up to work with it to see how that goes, but the shooting is so much easier with mouse and keyboard...

[edyzmedieval]

Damn it. In my game, it changes incredibly fast. And the guy cranks up 700-800 points and always score 100-150 below him.

[The Spartan (Returns)]

anyone played Saint's Row?

it's the sptting image of GTA; i'm surprised no mentioned it.

[Bob the Insane]

Saints Row, Got it, played it, think it is great...

I don;t think it is really as varied and edgy as GTA and the scope is way smaller than GTS3:SA but it looks fantastic in HD... The cars drive well, the camera was great, the action was exciting...

What I hope Saint's Row achieved was showing Rockstar that they can't rest on their laurels any longer with the GTA series and that GTA4 needs to be both innovative and very pretty to stay ahead of the crowd...

[Craterus]

2 months to go till UK release!!

[Xehh II]

I'm looking forward to GTA:IV unfortunatly I'd never get a chance to play it.

[Kekvit Irae]

Eh, Vice City is still the best GTA game, in my opinion. 80s music = :loveg:

[Xiahou]

Eh, Vice City is still the best GTA game, in my opinion. 80s music = :loveg:
I agree. Vice City had the setting and a more light-hearted, cheesy tone that I felt was perfect for the subject matter. :yes:

[The Wandering Scholar]

What would be great but will never happen is a complete remake of a city. Imagine it, every back road of London, Wembly, Oxford Street, the darker side ie brothels and gang areas to take... That would be great.

Edit, do you think it could happen?

[edyzmedieval]

For me GTA San Andreas was perfect. Huge area, lots of missions... Excellent.
Vice City was indeed really nice, but the city was too small.

[Viking]

For me GTA San Andreas was perfect. Huge area, lots of missions... Excellent.
Vice City was indeed really nice, but the city was too small.


I second that...just too small maps. GTA:SA rocked. :2thumbsup:

[Quirinus]

Eh, Vice City is still the best GTA game, in my opinion. 80s music = :loveg:
Agreed. Though I enjoyed GTA:SA too..... I liked the music and the setting of VC more, but, purely from the gameplay perspective, GTA:SA is definitely better.


And, come now, the reason they keep doing the same thing is because it works. Nobody is complaining about Tetris. Or Monopoly. Or Diablo II. Or the Total War games for that matter. And I didn't notice many bugs when playing either VC or SA. Could you list a few?


Anyone PLEASE offering to get me past a San Andreas mission? Cesar Vialpando. Tried it at least 20 times, I always get under him with 50 points.
Ugh, yes, I hated that mission. I was stuck there for a long while too. I had to ask two friends to help me man the buttons to pass that. :shame: The only other mission I had such difficulty with was the VC one where you have to use an RC helicopter to bomb the building.

[rajpoot]

I found GTA SA better mainly due to the larger map, and the fact that the charecters and the story were more interesting than Vice City; ofcourse the fact that you could fly a Hydra made it all the better :laugh4:
But it really is dissapointing that no game from the series has been released for PC since.....and no word of any release coming up either........read some place that it was due to the fact that piracy in PC versions was a lot more rampant.........

[The Wandering Scholar]

How good is Vice City? How much is ors going rate? Worth it?

[Warmaster Horus]

But it really is dissapointing that no game from the series has been released for PC since.....and no word of any release coming up either........read some place that it was due to the fact that piracy in PC versions was a lot more rampant.........

The last game released on PC is GTA SA. The two games not released are Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories, developped for the PSP and subsequently released on PS2. I figure the reason for them not having been released is because R* decided to concentrate on GTA IV.

As for no word of the PC release, well... GTA games on PC have (always, I think) been released a few months afterwards. Look at GTA SA: confirmed for PC a month before PS2 release, then dated a month after PS2 release. I say we (PC gamers, that is) get worried if by April R* hasn't said anything.

The Wandering Scholar, Vice City is great. The music (talk stations included), atmosphere, etc. are really nice. But if you played SA before VC, then... you could be disappointed. There's more to do in SA than VC, in my opinion.

[TB666]

Only thing nice with SA was that you could fly more airplanes and had more room to do it in but other then that VC was far better then SA, setting, music, characters.
I'm looking forward to GTA 4.
Hopefully they will bring back the charm of VC and it is nice to see that they finally did something with the horrible combat mechanics of the old games.

[edyzmedieval]

Ugh, yes, I hated that mission. I was stuck there for a long while too. I had to ask two friends to help me man the buttons to pass that. :shame: The only other mission I had such difficulty with was the VC one where you have to use an RC helicopter to bomb the building.

It turned out to be my antique laptop. I used it on my desktop and I passed it from the first try.

Oh yeah, the RC bombing was so idiotic...I did it, but after like 5-6 tries.

About GTA IV, they said it comes with a new engine, the graphics are waaay improved, and it won't be as big as SA, but every part of the city will be used, so no football pitch sized empty spaces.

[Quirinus]

Vice City is great. The music (talk stations included), atmosphere, etc. are really nice. But if you played SA before VC, then... you could be disappointed. There's more to do in SA than VC, in my opinion.
Agreed! I remember just driving around for hours and hours on the Cheetah (my favourite car) listening to Vice City Public Radio. I didn't care that it was repeating over and over again, it was cool anyways.

The talk stations in SA was pretty good too, but VCPR is the best. The other radio stations are very good as well. Seriously, the game is worth buying just for the radio stations. Does Rockstar sell soundtracks of the games? I want to port it on my iPod or something.

[rajpoot]

Yup, you can buy (http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Theft-Auto-San-Andreas/dp/B00068NWQ0) official soundtracks. And with GTA SA OST, you also get a bonus 20 minute movie, The Introduction, it tell you about the events that occured before, and then led upto, the arrival of CJ in SA. Fills in the gaps in the plot very nicely.

[Adrian II]

San Andreas is a mix of California and Nevada in the early 90's. Both have good stories. And a wide variety of missions. San Andreas has some RPG-esque elements for the main character CJ. He needs to eat. He can get fat, he can build muscle, and he can level up his stats in driving, running, swimming, etc.Yeah, I really love that game (EU PC version). It even has some RTS aspects in that you can create gangs and use them tactically to conquer territory.

If it weren't for moral scares and legal pressure from Brussels, GTA would be rated 12+ in my country. My kids (10 and 12) aren't the least impressed, since they play the game (like all other games they play) under my benevolent supervision. I know what games are all about and I teach them to regard games as 'magic circles' where reality is suspended, even though they refer to reality for depth and context. So they understand that GTA SA is a spoof of a spoof of black gang culture, and as such it is very educational; they realize that in an area where everything is throw-away - morals, food, cars - life itself becomes a throw-away.

Oh, and they love to pick up the dildo in the police showers and use it as a truncheon..

[Caius]

Holy necromancy thread Batman, I remember this thread!

[Mikeus Caesar]

Yeah, I really love that game (EU PC version). It even has some RTS aspects in that you can create gangs and use them tactically to conquer territory.

If it weren't for moral scares and legal pressure from Brussels, GTA would be rated 12+ in my country. My kids (10 and 12) aren't the least impressed, since they play the game (like all other games they play) under my benevolent supervision. I know what games are all about and I teach them to regard games as 'magic circles' where reality is suspended, even though they refer to reality for depth and context. So they understand that GTA SA is a spoof of a spoof of black gang culture, and as such it is very educational; they realize that in an area where everything is throw-away - morals, food, cars - life itself becomes a throw-away.

Oh, and they love to pick up the dildo in the police showers and use it as a truncheon..

You sound like an awesome father. The world needs more people like you.

[Kenshin the vega bound]

Yeah... back to the roots I say...

I want my GTA in 2d... Top down view with the biggest sprites on earth!!! :laugh4:

Progress sucks!!!

Seriously, despite owning a 360 I am a PC gamer at heart (the 360 is my first console, my first PC was a 286 10MHz with 1MB Ram and a 20MB HD, VGA anyone? Adlib sound card :2thumbsup:)...

Have you seen Saints Row on the 360? If GTA4 looks like that or a little better (and way bigger) I will be happy...


God. All those wonderfull Nintendo and Sega games you have missed.

[Adrian II]

You sound like an awesome father. The world needs more people like you.In some ways I'm still a kid myself, really. Maybe that's why I feel very strongly about parental guidance. I never negotiate with kids, it makes them uncertain and gives them a fake sense of control (which they are aware of). Of course kids should have their own space where they can do what they like while nobody enters. But as soon as children enter grown-up spaces in this world (like adult games), they need an adult companion, someone who loves them, who explains things, and who sets an example if need be.

For instance the best way to familiarize your children with dental checks is to take them along on your own check, to let them stay and watch how you handle it. Or you can show them that certain emotions are okay, or that adult stuff often isn't as adult as it's advertized to be. Show them what's important and what isn't in a given situation. I teach them all the four-letter words so they will never be impressed by them, and I also teach them how proper language can be much more effective, and deadly.. It's simple really, it just takes some effort.

https://img299.imageshack.us/img299/3051/buffalowreckedlz5.th.jpg (https://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=buffalowreckedlz5.jpg)
A Buffalo wrecked by my 10-year-old..

https://img256.imageshack.us/img256/3200/cjontopofcarxv3.th.jpg (https://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cjontopofcarxv3.jpg)
The quickest, slickest motherlover in the hood


The talk stations in SA was pretty good too, but VCPR is the best. The other radio stations are very good as well. Seriously, the game is worth buying just for the radio stations. Does Rockstar sell soundtracks of the games? I want to port it on my iPod or something.K-Jah is my favourite, with Marshall choking on-air on his own ganja - "Oww, this stuff goes straight to my head, man. Ah teenk ah need a doe-not."

BTW The Cesar Vialpando lowrider dance challenge is indeed much easier with the Num keys! Now, Zero's darn model plane mission, that's what I broke my teeth on time and again.

I think they have a DVD-series out with the music of all the stations, but it seems they integrated Radio Los Santos with Playback FM on one DVD -- this while RLS is teh favorite station among GTA players!

P.S. Speaking of GTA/SA, does anyone know a way around the PC 'cheat bug'? There are so many cheat codes for this game and they can be entered so easily in the screen that you sometimes activate a cheat unknowingly. From then on your game is fubar. Is there a way to block the console registering code?

[Quirinus]

I've never actually encountered this problem before-- the cheat codes seem to be totally random, and spread across the keyboard. Which cheats did you activate?

[Adrian II]

Which cheats did you activate?I don't know! It doesn't say so anywhere..
And even if I did, I wouldn't know how to undo it. :wall:

[Craterus]

So, who already knew that GTA IV will include drink-driving?

http://www.eurogamer.net/forum_thread_posts.php?thread_id=105244

[Viking]

So, who already knew that GTA IV will include drink-driving?

http://www.eurogamer.net/forum_thread_posts.php?thread_id=105244


Boomshine mission, or something, much of the same.

[Mikeus Caesar]

So, who already knew that GTA IV will include drink-driving?

http://www.eurogamer.net/forum_thread_posts.php?thread_id=105244

Yeah, while it is meant to show the stupidity of drink driving, i can tell the media will instantly latch on to it and say that this 'evil' game is promoting drink driving to our poor dear children, rather than focusing on what it's doing to help show the stupidity of it, and just why our poor dear children are playing it anyway.

[Craterus]

It's not really a single mission. It appears to be similar to the 'dates' on San Andreas. It says your relationship with people increases if you take them out for a drink and get them home in one piece.

Would be nice to have the choice to play 'drunk' all the time though.

[rajpoot]

Btw, what do you think would be the age of the protagonist in the game? Chap looks pretty old in the trailers.......

[Adrian II]

Would be nice to have the choice to play 'drunk' all the time though.I hope the devs won't wax educational on the issue. Pullease. It'll be fun to find out how many homies, cops and Grannies you can crush on the streets in a fit of drunkenness. Just like it's fun to try and waste as many cops in one go, without either dying or pay-'n'-sprayin. Molotov cocktails are great for that. Also, it pays off to stop a lot of cars in a street (park your own car across the road to begin with, kill some other drivers, etcetera) and once you have built up a nice traffic jam, set of a chain reaction with a bazooka or a well-aimed shot into a gas tank. "Vavoom!" goes a [insert racial expletive] from the dockside..

[Praxil]

Well, now that I have finally seen some of the actual gameplay from the game, I think that I'm gonna go and buy my first console GTA ever. I got III, VC and SA on PC.

Seeing those gameplay videos I really like how big cars finally are, they look way more realistic. Not only that it looks like they will also feel a lot heavier and will behave more properly, when you drive them. The game is all about driving something for me, I mean you spent over 80% of your time driving in the previous games. So, the whole driving part is very important.

I don't like the camera while driving though. If you make sudden turn, the camera seems to be horribly late (like in San Andreas) from that. So for some time you will drive forward not knowing if there is somebody in front of you or not. Maybe I just need to get used to it and I'll be fine with it.

Anyway got to be patient and wait for some full reviews.

[Papewaio]

Apparently its being pirated heavily... is that ironic or poetic?

[Husar]

I saw all the videos and the review on GameTrailers and I was never sooo close to buying a PS3 before. Unfortunately I'm lacking a monitor to use it with so I'm looking at 750-1000 EUR total(hehe, well, not including the game) if I want a proper 24" monitor for it. It looks like I won't be playing this anytime soon. :sweatdrop:

[rajpoot]

Apparently its being pirated heavily... is that ironic or poetic?


:laugh4: ~:) A Grand Theft Auto game being pirated, I never looked at it in that way before....

[edyzmedieval]

It's more like poetic. GTA along with Need for Speed and Call of Duty are the most pirated games on the internet. On peak times on torrents, you could find round 1000 NFS Pro Street seeders and 2000 leechers.

[Geoffrey S]

Oooh. Chap in my house has got it, and it's sweet.

[Craterus]

Back in a few weeks ~D

[Catiline]

let's tread carefully on the piracy issue please guys.

[naut]

Of those that have got it, would you recommend it?

[Geoffrey S]

At the risk of joining the hype, I'd give that a whole-harted yes. Visually stunning, extremely funny, best characters I've seen in ages, and I had plenty of fun in two hours gameplay thus far without even starting on the story missions properly. There are probably faults, but I'd be surprised if they're anything but minor nitpicking.

[rajpoot]

Uhh, I seem to have lost the thread of conversation here, what game are we talking about? GTA IV still has to be released right?

[Praxil]

Of those that have got it, would you recommend it?


By no means is a perfect game and is clearly overrated one, I don't get these professional gaming editors at all. I never search for flaws in the games, it's just that I haven't played pure 10/10 game so far in my life. However what GTA IV is, is the best GTA so far. So shortly, if you liked some of the GTA games before you will probably like this one too.

For PC players wondering how is it to play with controller instead of mouse + keyboard. Well, it's up to you because I can, but that's just me. Then again I find myself open minded and flexible on that issue, willing to learn to handle it. So, I think that it comes down to the attitude, controls aren't perfect in my opinion, but you will learn to handle them.

In case where someone who hasn't ever played one yet. GTA series is all about humor and highly sarcastic one too. Adult games as they are, even despite that I find the violence highly cartoonish to take it seriously. Every single thing in the series is over the top, things are too cocky, too hostile, too angry, too happy, too friendly and so on. The main plot in every single edition from III to IV is to live "The American Dream", and that is also the biggest sarcastic "thing" in the game. You come from nothing on to the top, well sort of like that. These games have a lot of driving and somewhat shooting (you can also fly), that's pretty much it. But there is so much more in to them, so much more to do.


"Be a Patriot. Eat at Burger Shot today."

[naut]

GTA IV still has to be released right?
Came out this week here. Last Tuesday.

Thanks Praxil for the info. :2thumbsup:

[Spartan198]

And what about those new working girl animations, huh? :eyebrows:

But, seriously, GTA IV is definitely the best GTA yet and the amount of detail put into the revamped Liberty City is unreal. Any fans of past GTA games will love this one. But unlike past GTA games, the actual driving takes some strategy and luck to master, as it seems to reflect a bit of a Midnight Club or Driver influence with vastly improved vehicle physics.

Sucks, though, when you find out "Michelle's" ulterior motive.
Let's just say I'm looking forward to putting a bullet in her head. :smg:

[Geoffrey S]

By no means is a perfect game and is clearly overrated one, I don't get these professional gaming editors at all. I never search for flaws in the games, it's just that I haven't played pure 10/10 game so far in my life.

Perhaps. But I think GTA IV comes as damn near close as I've ever seen a game. The sheer scale is incredible, and the basic gameplay spot on. Cars are a joy to drive and there's always something to do, even outside the storylines. There may be minor niggles but I've rarely played a game which just feel so right to play and so polished in production values.

[rajpoot]

Just checked the review on Gamespot. They've given it a rare 10 rating.
~:shock:

Heard that PC version is due in October.

[frogbeastegg]

I'm going to start playing this in a bit, the 360 version. :sweatdrop: As I said over in the "What are you playing?" topic chances are evenly split between my hating it or liking it enough that I can tolerate the aspects which don't appeal to me.

-I don't like gangsters, gangs, and all of that. I don't find them interesting, and I have never found anything related to them likeable, be it books, films, or games.

-I don't care for games in modern settings that much.

-I don't like driving games.

-I am not fond of swearing, ultra-violence and all that in my games. I can play and enjoy a game with it in (most recently Condemned) but given a choice I'll do without it, thanks.

-If I'm going to play a thief then I'd rather play a Garrett style one. i.e. sneak about in the dark, kill very few people, and after a well-guarded item. A skilled thief, not a thug or a looter.

-GTA as a series is one which I have never played. Too many glaring faults lurking under the hype.

-I don't find running over pedestrians and killing prostitutes funny.

BUT!

+ I have always liked sandbox games.

+ GTA + Bart Simpson + Dennis the Menace = Bully. GTA + wild west theme + smaller, more concentrated game world = Gun. I liked that game too.

+ GTA4 finally fixes the more glaring faults, e.g. the hideous checkpointing and difficulty spikes.

+ I love the animation! The game looks fabulous in action in the bajillion and twelve videos out there. It is technically impressive, and I'd like a closer look at it in action.

+ This one is getting a lot of praise for its story and characters.

+ A lot of the content is optional. It always has been, whatever the hysterics wanting it banned say. I don't have to murder random people in the street or whatever.

+ I play a lot of niche and smaller budget games; sometimes it is nice to load up a huge budget game and see what can be done when you've got $100 million to spend.

Any tips for a frog new to the series?

[rajpoot]

-I don't like gangsters, gangs, and all of that. I don't find them interesting, and I have never found anything related to them likeable, be it books, films, or games.

-I don't care for games in modern settings that much.

-I don't like driving games.

-I am not fond of swearing, ultra-violence and all that in my games. I can play and enjoy a game with it in (most recently Condemned) but given a choice I'll do without it, thanks.

-If I'm going to play a thief then I'd rather play a Garrett style one. i.e. sneak about in the dark, kill very few people, and after a well-guarded item. A skilled thief, not a thug or a looter.

-GTA as a series is one which I have never played. Too many glaring faults lurking under the hype.

-I don't find running over pedestrians and killing prostitutes funny.


You're saying you don't like anything the GTA games are all about.... :no:

[frogbeastegg]

Don't like anything about the setting, yup. The sandbox, on the other hand ...

[rajpoot]

Well, considering that you don't like any of the stuff that is actually supposed to be done in the sandbox gameplay......driving, shooting, causing mayhem in general, I really doubt you'll find the game interesting. Many other sandbox games out there though. Assasin's Creed I have not played first hand, but it's supposed to be really nice.

[Craterus]

I don't think you have to be killing prostitutes to enjoy the sandbox play.

Here's what I'll say:

So far, Liberty City is great. It looks fantastic and has character. It's also huge (could be good, could be bad).

There's lots to do, even outside of the missions.

Hmm, the real strength would be (I hope, but not too far in yet) the story. GTA always has good storylines which, by the way, SHOULD BE PUT IN SPOIL. Grrr, I didn't even want to know about an ulterior motive. Damnit.

The driving is certainly a lot more difficult than the old games so that's something that you have to get used to.

Hmm, that's all I have to say. I like it so far, but I've been playing GTA games since 2002 (GTA3).

frogbeastegg, I think you should play it for a few hours and see if it grabs you.

[Geoffrey S]

Well, considering that you don't like any of the stuff that is actually supposed to be done in the sandbox gameplay......driving, shooting, causing mayhem in general, I really doubt you'll find the game interesting. Many other sandbox games out there though. Assasin's Creed I have not played first hand, but it's supposed to be really nice.
It's not about the driving, the shooting, the mayhem. Those are tools to a goal, which is furthering the personal plot of the main character in a continuous fashion. Above all, GTA IV is a game, and excels at that. I've played a couple more hours and seen plenty of really nice stuff, and the gameplay mechanics are way better than San Andreas - which I started to play, hated, and only enjoyed mucking about in with other people's save games. IV has cohesion and from what I've seen a very strong plot.

As for spoiler tags, this game needs them. I had guessed nothing about an ulterior motive, and can easily imagine there are plenty of similar surprises waiting. Please keep that in mind.

[frogbeastegg]

Well, I played for an hour and a bit. Done a couple of missions, wandered about a bit. In all that time I have killed 1 person, stolen 1 car, and been chased by the police once. There's definitely more to the game than crime and chases.

Overall the game world is impressive. The animation is as good as it looked on the videos, and the detail is nice. Niko got a bit of paper blown into his face when he rounded a corner. I've seen a few silly AI interactions too, the best being a police car banging into a parked car at some lights. The owner of the damaged car jumped out and started demanding insurance details from a befuddled policeman.

The wealth of options have enabled me to sculpt Niko into a semi-smartly dressed chappy who listens to classical jaz on the radio as he drives. When I get access to other shops I'll see if I can find him a nice suit. If I have to be a criminal I'd rather be a stylish criminal than a slob, and the game allows for that. Yay! Wish I could make him shave off that stubble.

Clothes and musical tastes aside, Niko shows promise. He seems like a decent guy who has been put through hell and now wants to move on with a new life. We all know he's not gonig to get that wish.

I've seen a bit of the famous GTA humour, mainly on the radio. A politcal interview with a candidate is probably the best so far. He starts out talking about trimming away the rights nobody uses so everybody can focus on the ones which are useful, and finishes by rambling on about breaking the teachers unions so money can be spent on the important things in education, like new uniforms and footballs. It's better than it sounds, honest. The advert for a TV program about a famous actress who is adopting a new child every day was good too.

The game has crashed once. It went very slow during the friends tutorial video, and then got stuck on a loading screen for several minutes. I had to exit to the dashboard and restart.

The audio levels are completely wrong. I have to crank up the volume on the TV by 4 notches and turn the music down to half if I want to hear the speech.

I have been on a date. Roman's car was ah ... crumpled into a smoking wreck and there didn't seem to be any other legal cars around, so I stole this posh looking parked vehicle. I turned up at her home in my smart new clothes, had a nice chat on the drive over to the destination, and fell into a shoulder deep ornamental lake as I was getting out of the car. Smooth.

I have played pool and bowling. Both were ok, nothing too exciting.

I keep driving on the left hand side of the road. I read the road paint British style: yellow lines = no parking, dotted white lines = the edge of a lane. I look for traffic lights at eye-level, not hanging from the air. The layouts of the roads are entirely alien to me - so many right angled turns, wide roads, and crazy junctions. Oh, the mayhem!

Driving is not realistic, whatever the reviews say. Or rather it is realistic for a car with bald tires on a road covered in sheet ice.

The manual is rubbish. It has next to nothing about playing the game, and so you are left reliant on tip boxes which appear once and once only. There are lots of things I am told you can do, and I have no idea how to. I'd like to change the wallpaper on the mobile phone to something which provides a better contrast with the text. Defaulting to dark grey and black?! Gah!

I like the conversations as you drive about during missions. They are well acted and well scripted. It appears each mission has at least two sets of dialogue for it, so if you fail you get to hear something different to the first time.

I encountered what must have been a glitch with a mission, and consequentally failed it. Minor spoilers for an early mission:I got boxed in by the police the instant the cutscene ended, meaning I couldn't get away. The second time I attempted the mission one car pulled in behind me and the second was driving in through the other entrance as I sped on out of there.

On that same mission I ended up skidding about all over the place as I tried to shake my pursuers. Crash, smash, bump - the car deformed beautifully, and my passenger kept making remarks about it. "Roman's not going to like that ..." as the bonnet flew off. Said bonnet knocked over some dustbins on the pavement, and scattered some nearby pedestrians. The things they shouted after me were not complimentary. Lol!

[rajpoot]

I've seen a few silly AI interactions too, the best being a police car banging into a parked car at some lights. The owner of the damaged car jumped out and started demanding insurance details from a befuddled policeman.


That's new, I'll love to see that; Seems like they've really made some progree with the AI.

[Kekvit Irae]

I keep driving on the left hand side of the road. I read the road paint British style: yellow lines = no parking, dotted white lines = the edge of a lane. I look for traffic lights at eye-level, not hanging from the air. The layouts of the roads are entirely alien to me - so many right angled turns, wide roads, and crazy junctions. Oh, the mayhem!

Welcome to America! :tongueg:

[Spartan198]

Hmm, the real strength would be (I hope, but not too far in yet) the story. GTA always has good storylines which, by the way, SHOULD BE PUT IN SPOIL. Grrr, I didn't even want to know about an ulterior motive. Damnit.
Oops. Uh, yeah, maybe I should have. :embarassed: But I didn't tell what that ulterior motive actually was, though, did I?

Welcome to America! :tongueg:
Chaos and mayhem at its best!

[frogbeastegg]

That's new, I'll love to see that; Seems like they've really made some progree with the AI.
There are lots of interactions like that, both with multiple AIs and with some AIs and the player. I clipped the wing mirror of a posh car with my dingy old taxi while learning the basic controls. The driver hopped out and ran after me down the street yelling "And who's going to pay for that? Eh? You :daisy:! Come back here!" He'd abandoned his car in the middle of the road, and another driver rammed it. He joined in, having a go at the other driver for parking stupidly. That caused a traffic jam with much horn honking and shouts of "Get a move on!" and "What's the hold up?".


Welcome to America! :tongueg:
That was what the shifty guy on the boat in the intro said :gring:

[Caius]

Looks like its improved. I only played GTA VC.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I keep driving on the left hand side of the road. I read the road paint British style: yellow lines = no parking, dotted white lines = the edge of a lane. I look for traffic lights at eye-level, not hanging from the air. The layouts of the roads are entirely alien to me - so many right angled turns, wide roads, and crazy junctions. Oh, the mayhem!

I suddenly want to see videos of Froggy playing GTA 4. ~D

[Kekvit Irae]

I suddenly want to see videos of Froggy playing GTA 4. ~D

:gring:

[frogbeastegg]

I suddenly want to see videos of Froggy playing GTA 4. ~D
I can't manage that, but here's a DIY guide.

1. Drive on the left hand side of the road. It's only civilised. From time to time suddenly swerve onto the right hand side as you remember that you're supposed to be in America, and people drive on the wrong side there.

2. The white dotted lines mark the edge of a lane, so hug your left side close to them.

3. The double yellow lines mean no parking or stopping whatsoever, any time, whatever the reason. If you can see double yellows you'd better keep moving.

4. There don't seem to be any traffic lights. There's no filtering policy, and no give way policy. That means you only need to stop for hazards directly in front of you.

5. Honestly, roads don't look like this, so they can't make sense and aren't intended to. Reading the road ahead? Forget it! Might as well try to read the mind of a butterfly. You'll have to drive by the seat of your pants.

6. When approaching one of those weird want-to-be jumbo crossroad junction thingies just check your satnav to work out which way you need to go, cross your fingers, and keep on going. Lacking traffic lights or a handy give way policy there is nothing at all which controls which car is going where. If you find one of those silly little turn right go forward a fraction then turn left junction freaky things then just ... try your best. In fact that applies to all of those other impossible right angle turns and such. Just try your best. People will understand that you can't tell where you are meant to be going, and be forgiving.

7. Why is the road so wide anyway?! What is this? A motorway? Uh oh, better hit the accelerator - dawdling below 50mph can get you pulled over, and that would only gain me attention I don't want.

8. No dangerous driving! (:tongueg:)


It's odd. American roads look weird but semi-usable in films and TV programs. This is the first time I've been placed in a position of 'driving' on them and it's like trying to read Greek.

[Papewaio]

Sounds like me in real life on a scooter in Taiwan...

[Kekvit Irae]

Or me in a taxi cab in Kingston, Jamaica.
:dizzy2:

[Craterus]

Well, today I discovered that doing any kind of job for Little Jacob and his friend is generally a bad idea.

[Ice]

Well, I played for an hour and a bit. Done a couple of missions, wandered about a bit. In all that time I have killed 1 person, stolen 1 car, and been chased by the police once. There's definitely more to the game than crime and chases.

Overall the game world is impressive. The animation is as good as it looked on the videos, and the detail is nice. Niko got a bit of paper blown into his face when he rounded a corner. I've seen a few silly AI interactions too, the best being a police car banging into a parked car at some lights. The owner of the damaged car jumped out and started demanding insurance details from a befuddled policeman.

The wealth of options have enabled me to sculpt Niko into a semi-smartly dressed chappy who listens to classical jaz on the radio as he drives. When I get access to other shops I'll see if I can find him a nice suit. If I have to be a criminal I'd rather be a stylish criminal than a slob, and the game allows for that. Yay! Wish I could make him shave off that stubble.

Clothes and musical tastes aside, Niko shows promise. He seems like a decent guy who has been put through hell and now wants to move on with a new life. We all know he's not gonig to get that wish.

I've seen a bit of the famous GTA humour, mainly on the radio. A politcal interview with a candidate is probably the best so far. He starts out talking about trimming away the rights nobody uses so everybody can focus on the ones which are useful, and finishes by rambling on about breaking the teachers unions so money can be spent on the important things in education, like new uniforms and footballs. It's better than it sounds, honest. The advert for a TV program about a famous actress who is adopting a new child every day was good too.

The game has crashed once. It went very slow during the friends tutorial video, and then got stuck on a loading screen for several minutes. I had to exit to the dashboard and restart.

The audio levels are completely wrong. I have to crank up the volume on the TV by 4 notches and turn the music down to half if I want to hear the speech.

I have been on a date. Roman's car was ah ... crumpled into a smoking wreck and there didn't seem to be any other legal cars around, so I stole this posh looking parked vehicle. I turned up at her home in my smart new clothes, had a nice chat on the drive over to the destination, and fell into a shoulder deep ornamental lake as I was getting out of the car. Smooth.

I have played pool and bowling. Both were ok, nothing too exciting.

I keep driving on the left hand side of the road. I read the road paint British style: yellow lines = no parking, dotted white lines = the edge of a lane. I look for traffic lights at eye-level, not hanging from the air. The layouts of the roads are entirely alien to me - so many right angled turns, wide roads, and crazy junctions. Oh, the mayhem!

Driving is not realistic, whatever the reviews say. Or rather it is realistic for a car with bald tires on a road covered in sheet ice.

The manual is rubbish. It has next to nothing about playing the game, and so you are left reliant on tip boxes which appear once and once only. There are lots of things I am told you can do, and I have no idea how to. I'd like to change the wallpaper on the mobile phone to something which provides a better contrast with the text. Defaulting to dark grey and black?! Gah!

I like the conversations as you drive about during missions. They are well acted and well scripted. It appears each mission has at least two sets of dialogue for it, so if you fail you get to hear something different to the first time.

I encountered what must have been a glitch with a mission, and consequentally failed it. Minor spoilers for an early mission:I got boxed in by the police the instant the cutscene ended, meaning I couldn't get away. The second time I attempted the mission one car pulled in behind me and the second was driving in through the other entrance as I sped on out of there.

On that same mission I ended up skidding about all over the place as I tried to shake my pursuers. Crash, smash, bump - the car deformed beautifully, and my passenger kept making remarks about it. "Roman's not going to like that ..." as the bonnet flew off. Said bonnet knocked over some dustbins on the pavement, and scattered some nearby pedestrians. The things they shouted after me were not complimentary. Lol!

Hahaha

Wait till you play the mission where you have to steal coke and "evade" many DEA agents. If you go through that one with only killing one person I'd be very impressed.

[frogbeastegg]

I don't remember playing a game which made me swing between frustration and fun so frequently as this. One minute it's great; the city is alive and I'm doing neat things. The next I run into an issue, or some outdated design, or it crashes on me.

My biggest, most persistent, tooth-gnashing bugbear is the interface. The mini-map is microscopic. All of the text is tiny. The phone has black text on a dark grey background, hard to read even in the large font size. The targeting hud is too small as well; I can't see how many blocks of health targets have. It can't be blamed on my TV either, as I'm playing it on a 32inch HD screen using a HDMI connection. Nor my eyesight; I have 20/19 vision with my contact lenses.

The last mission ('Clean Getaway') I completed is a text book example of the Gah! factor:
I was tasked with collecting a car for Vlad and driving it to his lock up. No problem. I hopped on the train as instructed and travelled to the location. The car was parked a short distance from the station, marked by a blue blob on the mini map. As soon as I arrive Niko starts speaking to the guy who owns it.

Once the conversation is done a lengthy tutorial text pops up on the screen, telling me how to sucker punch someone. It's in the usual tiny text, so it's not easy to read. The guy I'm meant to be practicing it on goes nutso on me as soon as the conversation is finished, so I have to try and defend myself while reading this text. To block you have to time your button presses, so you need to focus on the attacker - the guy who is on the opposite side of the screen to the text. You can see one or the other, not both. That's not hassle enough. A nearby policeman started shooting at me (train of logic: that guy is being beaten up and is not fighting back at all, I've got to kill him!) and I acquired a 2 star wanted rating.

A couple of shots later and I'm on my last hit. I leg it before I die. After much running (why do I have to hold a button to run? I'm not using a d-pad here) about on foot I lose the wanted rating, and can limp back for another go at picking up the car. The tutorial text is long gone, and will never be repeated. All I know about the sucker punch is that it's something to do with B in combination with something else, and unless I find instructions on the internet I never will know.

When I got back to the car the area was deserted. I picked it up and drove off with no problems. I take it to be cleaned, and drop it off in the lock up. Great. The game autosaves, and I breathe a sigh of relief. That might be it for irritation for a bit. I head on over to meet Vlad for the next mission. The game hangs at the loading screen. :wall:

This game needs a manual. A book which tells you the controls and features, not the self-indulgent pamphlet it comes with.

I spent a while driving around on the legitimate taxi missions, and I swapped to the first person camera. I'm now fine unless I have to drive at high speeds. Unfortunately that's what my next mission is asking me to do. Through loads of sharp corners. While watching a tiny blob on my tiny mini map. Failed 4 times in a row, and getting very fed up. I'm a bad chase driver and admit it, however the game could give me a helping hand. I have the distinct feeling that if it drew a line on the mini map from my location to the target I'd do much better as I'd know with a glance which direction to go. Plus the big line is easier to spot then a tiny blob. Then I'd be able to concentrate on where I'm going.

As you may be able to guess, I am currently on the frustrated side, not the fun side :gring:


Wait till you play the mission where you have to steal coke and "evade" many DEA agents. If you go through that one with only killing one person I'd be very impressed.
If I get that far without snapping the disc I'll be impressed. :blankg:

[Mikeus Caesar]

I just got this little wonder today, and so far it's all fun and games. A definite improvement on previous titles - no longer can you run into roads when you feel like it, otherwise you risk getting a hands-on demonstration of the swanky new ragdoll system.

And i quote from a post i made on 4chan:


Having a shootout at the hospital after having killed a bunch of people in the waiting room, a bunch of SWAT team members ran through the door. I promptly fired off my RPG, and watched with glee as they all jumped to the side. The rocket carried on going, smashing straight into the face of a cop who was coming up the stairs.

Then later on i was taking a nice Sunday drive through the park when i noticed a pedestrian who i thought would be great fun to sandwich between me and a wall. I went to ramming speed, and needless to say they jumped out of the way at the last second. Niko then turns into a human cannonball, flies over the wall and lands in a road, where he is promptly smashed into the next lane by a taxi, and then killed by a garbage truck.

The ragdoll system most definitely adds a lot of fun to this game, as does the intelligence now being included in the phrase artificial intelligence.

Tomorrow's objectives - fun with petrol stations. The youtube videos are very promising.

[rajpoot]

But if you are really really fast, you can still run over people right? I mean they won't all jump out of the way and simply ruin the fun would they? I loved running over people in the Combine Harvester you could drive in GTA SA.

[Mikeus Caesar]

But if you are really really fast, you can still run over people right? I mean they won't all jump out of the way and simply ruin the fun would they? I loved running over people in the Combine Harvester you could drive in GTA SA.

Oh, don't worry, you can still hit people, even without speed. I myself managed to kill 15 people in about 5 seconds when i wasn't paying attention and went on the sidewalk at low speeds. I then proceeded to floor it when i heard sirens, only to go flying off the big cliff at the end of the road, landing on a car at the bottom, then skidding along on my roof into even more people. Very fun.

[Spartan198]

(train of logic: that guy is being beaten up and is not fighting back at all, I've got to kill him!)
Typical American law enforcement right there, my froggy friend! :laugh4:

[Ice]

I just bought the game today. WOW is it amazing. I honestly could play it all night.

[Mailman653]

http://www.collider.com/entertainment/news/article.asp/aid/7867/tcid/1
Vlad and Niko on TV.

[Bob the Insane]

If you are having problems with the driving, try stealling a better car... A chase in Roman's old taxi is a pain, it wallows all over the place and will spin out if you try a slide around a corner. The sports cars are neat and anything that looks like a Japanse car or a BMW drives pretty nice...

Taxi's (cars, not the vans) and police cars drive well to...

The mini map is a little small, it is easy to miss a turn on your GPS if you are travaling at high speed. However if you steal a nice car the GPS will actually talk to you ("turn right in 300 yards!")...

Motorbike are fun, but really dangerous... It is very easy to come off and get badly injured when you hit/clip something... I have been killed instantly coming off a bike and then getting run over...

I love that the cops are more of a challenge now. Sure enough on 1 or 2 stars it is pretty easy to get away. From 3 stars things start to get interesting. You rarely get busted because it is easy to get away on 1 or 2 stars and by the time you are on 3+ the cops are shooting at you. You know if you are getting busted there is a moment when the cop stops talking that you can run away, they start shooting and you get an extra star (it is never worth getting busted as you lose you weapons). There are achievements for escaping after getting 4 stars and for staying alive for 5 minutes with 6 stars...

I have finished the story mode and have heard that there may be multiple endings but i am not sure how that works because the mission list is fixed I think...

The story was pretty cool and almost completely devoid of silliness...

And i don't think it spoils anything to say that the bank robbery is really sweet... Make sure you use cover!!

[Praxil]

I have finished the story mode and have heard that there may be multiple endings but i am not sure how that works because the mission list is fixed I think...

There are four main choices you can make during the game, as far as I know. Not only that, you can actually choose at least twice during the missions, whether to kill or let the target go.



And i don't think it spoils anything to say that the bank robbery is really sweet... Make sure you use cover!!

The bank heist was one of the first things R* revealed before the release. In my opinion is best mission in the game. I suggest to use grenades or RPG's against the cop cars and you'll do fine.


My top three characters, on dialogue/discussion lines.

1. Manny Escuela
2. Vladimir "Vlad" Glebov
3. Playboy X

Manny is definitely one of the best written characters in the series. Catalina in San Andreas holds the top podium. I have to play some Vice City, because I don't remember that much from it anymore. And if I remember it right, then Rosenberg had great dialogues in Vice City. Speaking of characters in GTA IV, I think that the "Italians" weren't that good this time. A "default" performances that's all. Maybe more of the Russian mobsters would have been better for the story. Or maybe the case with the IV is that at what time of the story you do job for them. Or maybe the reality is in fact that the Mafia is still bigger than the Mafiya in the United States. Still, best story in the series, for sure.

[Warmaster Horus]

Thread revival!

GTA IV coming for PC! (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/grandtheftauto4/news.html?sid=6195509&om_act=convert&om_clk=newlyadded&tag=newlyadded;title;1) Supposedly with better multiplayer...

Wonder what other new features they put in...

[OverKnight]

Good news, but November?! Ugh, I want mayhem now. :laugh4:

I must admit however that I was a bit underwhelmed by GTA: SA on PC. For those who've played both IV and SA, how do they stack up?

[Mailman653]

Better MP would be lobbies IMO, I'm not too fond of the current system currently employed on the 360 version.

[rajpoot]

Thread revival!

GTA IV coming for PC! (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/grandtheftauto4/news.html?sid=6195509&om_act=convert&om_clk=newlyadded&tag=newlyadded;title;1) Supposedly with better multiplayer...

Wonder what other new features they put in...


I'm so happy I could cry!!!

[Ferret]

Good news, but November?! Ugh, I want mayhem now. :laugh4:

I must admit however that I was a bit underwhelmed by GTA: SA on PC. For those who've played both IV and SA, how do they stack up?

Singleplayer is more dynamic and you have some choice, not much but a little, and MP is a lot easier to play quickly, and there are loads of game types to keep you at it for hours.

[Craterus]

Better MP would be lobbies IMO, I'm not too fond of the current system currently employed on the 360 version.

I'll assume it's the same as on the PS3 and I think it works fine if you have some understanding, so what are your difficulties?

[Husar]

I'll assume it's the same as on the PS3 and I think it works fine if you have some understanding, so what are your difficulties?

I guess some of the difficulties might be that the automatic game selection may just drop you into a game that lagsor select a game and then tell you that game doesn't exist... :laugh4:

The latter could be due to certain pingout settings or so but I have to admit sometimes I would like an expert option for those with a bit more understanding than the average consolero this seems to cater to. :shrug:

[Mailman653]

I guess some of the difficulties might be that the automatic game selection may just drop you into a game that lagsor select a game and then tell you that game doesn't exist... :laugh4:

Yeah something like that. Sometimes I join MP but it creates a game and makes me host when I didn't want to host, I just wanted to jump in a game in progress. And the other thing was (although maybe it was just the server I was on) if I wanted to play one mode and say I was in the game, and the level finishes, it jumps to another mode, say DM, when I dont want to play a DM match.

Then there are people that are just morons on there but R* can't fix that, or can they? :laugh4:

[Craterus]

I think it probably puts you in the lowest-ping unfilled game automatically. I only get lag on the cops and croooks mode and only as a cop.

I think connecting problems/finding a game is simply due to problems between your connection and those that you are trying to connect to. I find it works better to host yourself and then it will be others who are kicked from the game/can't join.

Mailman, are you doing custom match? Because that can mean that you are the host. It will definitely mean you are the host if you choose a number of private slots.

As for your second problem, that's the host's fault. They select the game mode at the end of each round. Frustrating, but there's not a lot you can do. Unless you host a game and just give it a little while to fill up with a decent amount of players.