GTA:IV Official Thread

[Smitty]

Ok, so since I never completed San Andreas, what was so amazing about the missions in it compared to IV? I mean, I did about 50% of SA, but it was still pretty much just drive-shoot-drive-pickup-object-drive in that, too..

Well, I can't remember exactly, but i'm sure I remember more variety.

Anyway, even if that's true, that hardly merits GTA4 a gold star, does it? Surely the missions should be complex, more sublte, more involved, different ways to do them and so on?

It looks like you're saying ''the mission aren't worse, they're about the same''. Either way, I think Meh is right in saying meh, if we're being cold-hearted about this.

[Super Craig]

The Terminator 2 mission was great. That, the song writing mission and the forklift mission are the only ones I can remember.

[ras el hanout]

I bought this game on the basis of previous GTA threads and this one. When people talk about the freedom, just walking around looking at the amazing vista and what not it fucking sounds amazing. Just going down to the beach and chilling out and listening to the waves. It's post like that which made me get this game or the previous ones where there was a photo thread. And then you get the game and you can do all that, it's just a bit of a chore. I mean, there's a lovely beach down the road from me in real life and I often think wouldn't it be nice to just go down there a chill, but I never do as it would mean getting in car, driving there, getting out of the car etc. I am a lazy fucker and a bit too much of this games seems like hard work to me. I'm probably intimidated by the sheer scale of the game as I don't think I'm ever going to be able to find my way around.

Although the first time I got drunk in the game kinda made up for all this.

[Uzi]

Well, I can't remember exactly, but i'm sure I remember more variety.

Anyway, even if that's true, that hardly merits GTA4 a gold star, does it? Surely the missions should be complex, more sublte, more involved, different ways to do them and so on?

If you can't remember them they can't have been that good man. I can remember more from GTA3 and Vice City.

[robdood]

Well, I can't remember exactly, but i'm sure I remember more variety.

Anyway, even if that's true, that hardly merits GTA4 a gold star, does it? Surely the missions should be complex, more sublte, more involved, different ways to do them and so on?

This is where I see the series heading eventually, however I really wasn't expecting it from this game.

The Hype is a bad thing, clearly

[Rayn]

I just don't see how anyone could deny that SA had more interesting missions.

The missions themselves are exactly the same this time round, which in itself is the only letdown I've had so far. I don't think the missions were any diffrent, mechanic vice, in SA, but the different locations added different flavours/themes to the missions, making them look different. I, for one, is glad there haven't been a "learning how to fly" series of missions in GTA4, those did my head in in SA (especially the last helicopter one with it's "now shoot the fucking randomly moving cars").

In hindsight, I think GTA4 is a great leap for the series AND for next gen gaming, I think this is the most next-genny game released so far. I do, however, wish that the next installment will see a bigger and more varied gaming world, like the one in SA, but I don't see that happening on the 360, unless MS make a Bluray addon for their console.

[Uzi]

And countryside. And Jetpacks. And barbers. And gyms. And you could bomb about on a BMX at four oin the morning wearing nothing but boxers.

Countryside- Emptyspace with trees. Fun for some reasons (feeling alone, radio) but empty space with trees.

Jetpacks: Lolz, but not used more than twice

Barber- Er whats fun in cutting your hair and looking like a fool? It wasn't even gameplay.

Gyms- Boring. Mashing buttons on a treadmill.

BMX- They were fun but not missed.

Try harder man

[robdood]

Countryside- Emptyspace with trees. Fun for some reasons (feeling alone, radio) but empty space with trees.

Jetpacks: Lolz, but not used more than twice

Barber- Er whats fun in cutting your hair and looking like a fool? It wasn't even gameplay.

Gyms- Boring. Mashing buttons on a treadmill.

BMX- They were fun but not missed.

Try harder man

That's not fair, and you know it. Everyone likes different parts of GTA - it is a shame they lost the character customisation, the clothes choice is pretty limited, too.

[murray]

One quick question, where are the photo's stored that I have taken with my phone?

[robdood]

One quick question, where are the photo's stored that I have taken with my phone?

I don't think they are...

[murray]

I don't think they are...

FUCKING WHAT.

Add that to the list. I took fucking loads of pics in SA.

[Uzi]

That's not fair, and you know it. Everyone likes different parts of GTA - it is a shame they lost the character customisation, the clothes choice is pretty limited, too.

It's completely fair. The discussion is around gameplay and missions and I don't see how those elements made SA any better. You can argue that you can't buff up Nico, give him an afro or stick him alone in the woods and I would agree, but those are personal elements rather than gameplay differences.

[Pob]

Yeah, I was totally too-hyped, but the game just doesn't seem to push the boundaries where I thought it would. Missions seem to have taken a step back for one thing, as someone else said earlier.

There was a lot of specific hype about improvements to the mission structure - the blurring between being 'on mission' and 'off mission', previews talking about multiple ways to do a hit, making it sound like Hitman etc. None of this has turned out to be true, as it happens, so it's inevitably disappointing.

It tells me that, if they haven't done it now, R*will probably never make a game with intricate, open missions. They seem too fond of directing the action and preventing people from mucking up their movie-like set-ups with a cleverly placed van.

People who love open-world games generally also like the ability to think outside the box (sorry) and hatch cunning plans of the "it might just work!" variety. It makes you feel clever and is immensely satisfying. Within the story missions of GTAIV, this kind of thinking is actively discouraged.

Saying that, I did do a mission yesterday which involved a lengthy, uinterrupted shoot-out through a skanky appartment block. It felt just like the shootout in 48 Hours, which is quite an achievment.

[Meers]

I miss the rural/nature areas from SA too in GTA4. They made the world feel more believable and complete than just slapping a massive city on 3 islands.

[Kelthink]

It's completely fair. The discussion is around gameplay and missions and I don't see how those elements made SA any better. You can argue that you can't buff up Nico, give him an afro or stick him alone in the woods and I would agree, but those are personal elements rather than gameplay differences.

A lot of people are saying how great it is that the city feels alive and breathing now. Is that also a personal element?

[robdood]

It's completely fair. The discussion is around gameplay and missions and I don't see how those elements made SA any better. You can argue that you can't buff up Nico, give him an afro or stick him alone in the woods and I would agree, but those are personal elements rather than gameplay differences.

Oh sorry I just thought you meant in general!

And I am finding it quite amusing that no one can clearly name some of the 'variety' that was in San Andreas comapred to IV... Bar from the occasional Jetpack or plane mission, what else was there though?

[murray]

So seriously, you can't save pictures taken with the camera? Then what's the fucking point? Just to receive pictures?

AAAARRRGGHHHHHHHHHH.

[Meers]

So seriously, you can't save pictures taken with the camera? Then what's the fucking point? Just to receive pictures?

AAAARRRGGHHHHHHHHHH.

Maybe there's a patch later to upload them to a website, like Forza 2, Skate, PGR 3&4 and Halo3 have done before.

Hmm, all 360 games too. A Theatre mode as DLC? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[Sng]

Yeah, this game needs an update that lets you save replays and screenshots, big time!

[murray]

Yesterday I got on top of the tallest building in New York - you know, the one with the blue and pick roof - to take a picture, and I couldn't find the picture afterwards.

DEVASTATED,

Yeah, this game needs an update that lets you save replays and screenshots, big time!

And the ability to play online LOL.

[Meers]

I'm sure the phone camera isn't there for nowt, Murray.

[Parappa]

It will get better over time, a few timely updates from Rockstar and A LOT can be fixed. I fucking hated SA , but im loving this so far, and when it works the multiplayer is fantastic. Just give this baby time.

Trust me.

[Sng]

And the ability to play online LOL.

You missed out on some funny online play last night. Hopefully it'll be sorted now.

Me and Spacehost were in a police car bringing law and order to the city, in the rllmuk way. "NO RUNNING ON THE SIDEWALK!", blam blam.

[Meers]

And the ability to play online LOL.

LOL indeed. While the 360 owners are having massive funs, the PS3 owners paid full price for only half the fun.

[murray]

I'm sure the phone camera isn't there for nowt, Murray.

Nah, I mean I know it's there to take pictures in missions, and to receive pictures of criminals for missions. But again just like the drinking in bars, it's seems that the interactivity is saved soley for missions, and nothing else.

[Talk Show Host]

On a technical level? Emphatically yes.

Gameplay wise? I'm not so sure...

Not Halo 3 or CoD4 progressed gameplay wise either. They just refined the basics, just like GTAIV. If you judge GTAIV for not progressing much in gameplay terms, you have to do it for every next-gen game out there because no game has really showed anything new.

I agree there are some elements that could be better but I really believe people were hyping themselves up for a game created by God himself.

[Uzi]

A lot of people are saying how great it is that the city feels alive and breathing now. Is that also a personal element?

I'm talking strictly gameplay/missions SA vs IV Mr Nit Picky

[murray]

You missed out on some funny online play last night. Hopefully it'll be sorted now.

Me and Spacehost were in a police car bringing law and order to the city, in the rllmuk way. "NO RUNNING ON THE SIDEWALK!", blam blam.

I kept receiving your invites, only for it to not connect to the fucking game provider.

And my headset wouldn't work unless I restarted the PS3 and reconnected the heaset in accessories setttings.

[Ste Pickford]

If you judge GTAIV for not progressing much in gameplay terms, you have to do it for every next-gen game out there because no game has really showed anything new.

Oblivion felt genuinely new to me. Sure, it was buggy, and flaky, and was limited in some ways, but it genuinely attempted to make a living world with more meaningful interactions with NPCs than I'd come across before.

You had a lot of freedom to choose how to achieve your mission objectives - all that mattered was that it was achieved, not how it was achieved - and there were a lot of interlocking sets of consequences. At one point you're going around the whole world gathering soldiers to join you in a later mission. Some soldiers might not even be available if you've grassed them up for corruption and sent them to prison in an earlier (optional) mission, for example, and the game handled things like this fairly elegantly. They attempted to apply sandbox type dynamism to the gameplay itself, rather than just the cosmetics. Oblivion was far from perfect, but it felt like an attempt at a 'next gen' interactive, mission based game world.

[squirtle]

Not Halo 3 or CoD4 progressed gameplay wise either. They just refined the basics, just like GTAIV. If you judge GTAIV for not progressing much in gameplay terms, you have to do it for every next-gen game out there because no game has really showed anything new.

No game has offered anything new this gen?

Hmmm... I'd argue that games like Dead Rising, Test Drive Unlimited, Wii Sports and Super Mario Galaxy have offered quite a lot of new stuff. I'm sure there are others that I could mention if I really put my mind to it.