GTA:IV Official Thread

[geldra]

GTAIV is the best helicopter flight sim I have ever played, i reckon at least half the time I have spent on this game has just been me dicking around in a chopper. Awesome.

Reminds me of Operation Flashpoint haha!

[Ste Pickford]

Is there no part of you that thinks that the dialogue is ruubish and that your life will be made better for not having to suffer more of it? No part at all?

Erm, not especially, no. I think the dialogue is very good.

Am I missing a beard or something?

[Tom_B]

Is there no part of you that thinks that the dialogue is ruubish and that your life will be made better for not having to suffer more of it? No part at all?

Some characters are better than others (Brucie is a highlight for me), but I really like Nico's deadpan putdowns...

[Capwn]

So the chat funtions on PS3 multiplayer don't work? Seems a shame, same for 360? Is it likely to change?

So anyway, Murray has been pestering me with text message invites. I finally joined and instantly found helicoptor and rocket launcher. That's why I've been put off multiplayer, it just throws all this stuff at you and I bet in the game the first moment in a helicoptor is quite a moment. So I'm trying to resist. Hey Murray, did you SEE me jump out the helicoptor?...

...you'd think after all their nice little touches they would bother to make a splat animation for long falls

[Padaxes]

My GTA gaming last night sums up the whole thing for me really.

I played a mission enjoyed it, but messed it up and had to restart it, that annoyed me and I couldnt be bothered so I switched off.

Later I decided to try it again, went back to get the mission again but instead got a totally different one, three hours of fantastic gaming ensued, several missions, some freeroaming, some side missions , ending up with me finally getting bored and making a huge pedestrian/car bonfire before turning off again.

[Shoes]

The cut-scenes are amazing. Dood (I think) was talking about skinning up whilst taking a taxi ride, and I lit up whilst taking one to Brucie's flat last night. It was amazing. And then I saw a cut-scene were

Niko punched Brucie in the stomach.

. I literally almost died laughing.

[Capwn]

OH! and also has anyone made the ZIT! request actually connect to the social club?? I can't! (have connected it to my PSN in edit profile etc)

[therev]

OH! and also has anyone made the ZIT! request actually connect to the social club?? I can't! (have connected it to my PSN in edit profile etc)

If you click on it it says it's US-only right now.

Very annoying.

[Sng]

They should still show up on the site. I think the US only part of it is being able to buy the tracks through the site.

The Social Club website is a fucking joke though.

[murray]

So the chat funtions on PS3 multiplayer don't work? Seems a shame, same for 360? Is it likely to change?

Hey Murray, did you SEE me jump out the helicoptor?...

I must've missed that, sorry.

What's really gay, I mean, other than having to exit the game to connect my headset EVERY FUCKING TIME - is that if you want to leave the game, there's no chat option to tell people you're leaving. Annoying.

[Capwn]

I'm finding I cannot play it for more than 3 hours at a time without getting sort of fatigued by it and have to turn it off. Nothing to do with being bored.

[robdood]

So anyway, Murray has been pestering me with text message invites. I finally joined and instantly found helicoptor and rocket launcher. That's why I've been put off multiplayer, it just throws all this stuff at you and I bet in the game the first moment in a helicoptor is quite a moment. So I'm trying to resist. Hey Murray, did you SEE me jump out the helicoptor?...

Hehe, this is the exact reason I'm not touching online til I've finished the singleplayer, now. Originally I had intended to totally ignore the single player, going straight into online. But then I did those first couple of missions, then realised I want all that.. 'discovery' and exploration to feel amazing and personal. Which of course it can in the multiplayer too, but for me, this way is best

I will never forget the first time I stumbled across the Heli Tours place

[Capwn]

I must've missed that, sorry.

What's really gay, I mean, other than having to exit the game to connect my headset EVERY FUCKING TIME - is that if you want to leave the game, there's no chat option to tell people you're leaving. Annoying.

They must be sorting this out though? surely they will include chat in the future??

[Duckula]

Going by all the moaning in this thread it would be hilarious to see the reaction had GTA4 came out last year when it was initially scheduled to.

[murray]

They must be sorting this out though? surely they will include chat in the future??

You'd think so, eh?

Thing is, Rockstar are on their normal post-release 5-week holiday now... so it could be some time.

[Nate Dogg III]

The cut-scenes are amazing. Dood (I think) was talking about skinning up whilst taking a taxi ride, and I lit up whilst taking one to Brucie's flat last night. It was amazing. And then I saw a cut-scene were

Niko punched Brucie in the stomach.

. I literally almost died laughing.

There are so many opportunities for skinning up breaks.

For the last three months I've been playing COD4 as soon as I get back from work but it's annoying as I'm sat there skinning up frantically while the intro plays for the third time. The last two evenings I've fired up GTA and sat Niko down in front of the telly for five minutes. Then there's the cab rides, the cut scenes, or just pulling up in a nice spot listening to the radio.

Much like in real life, I seem to be taking cabs everywhere at the moment. Especially useful after an arrest where carjacking isn't a great option will all the filth about.

[Sng]

What's wrong with chat? I had no problems with it last night.

[robdood]

There are so many opportunities for skinning up breaks.

For the last three months I've been playing COD4 as soon as I get back from work but it's annoying as I'm sat there skinning up frantically while the intro plays for the third time. The last two evenings I've fired up GTA and sat Niko down in front of the telly for five minutes. Then there's the cab rides, the cut scenes, or just pulling up in a nice spot listening to the radio.

Much like in real life, I seem to be taking cabs everywhere at the moment. Especially useful after an arrest where carjacking isn't a great option will all the filth about.

o/\o

[Spacehost]

Bluetooth headset, right? You need to sync it with the PS3 (or just turn it on, basically) before you start the game. My USB one works fine, since it syncs the moment I turn my PS3 on. Me and Soong were calling you all cunthawks, didn't you hear it?

[hub2]

Watched the entire 'History of Liberty City' documentary on the TV last night - absolutely hilarious! Strange to think I'm looking forward to going to spend more time watching virtual TV on my TV!

Is there a programme schedule? Are shows on at a certain time?

[murray]

Bluetooth headset, right? You need to sync it with the PS3 (or just turn it on, basically) before you start the game. My USB one works fine, since it syncs the moment I turn my PS3 on. Me and Soong were calling you all cunthawks, didn't you hear it?

Couldn't get it to work. Seriously, this temperamental nature of the PS3 since putting GTA:IV in the drive has fucked me off so much I'm thinking of selling up and getting a 360.

[Yewone]

GTAIV is much more subtle - it's more like a proper racing game in that the cars have real inertia. Also, it really does depend on knowing the cars. Get a Sentinel, traditionally a best all-round car in GTA games, and you can do some easy high-speed cornering.

The car handling is sublime - the best thing about the game.

Totally agree, the handling is spot on, it makes you work a little bit at keeping the cars under control during pressure situations and its all the better for it.

Also I think all these disappointed "if only" type posts in the whole must stem from the hype around the game. I purposely avoided almost all spoliers/previews/video footage etc prior to release and Ive been totally and utterly blown away by it, and still am after 15-20ish hours play

The missions so far have been what I expected in terms of structure but they all feel that bit more involving than previous GTAs, mainly thanks to the new phyiscs and cutscenes. For example one of the very first early misisons that has you chasing someone over rooftops jumping from building to building. This has been done in every other GTA game but it just felt like something new and much more cinematic thanks to the camera work.. same goes for the ones that end up in massive semi-scripted gun fights, as Uzi said earlier thanks to the cover system they just feel so much more rewarding with you fully in control and not battling with the controls (like in previous GTA's). Hitman style missions would indeed be excellent but even for this gen, in this type scale of detailed sandbox arena I think its too big an ask.

Yes there are things I miss from GTA SA.. mainly the countryside, BMX's and photo mode, but hell GTAIV is still absolute leagues ahead in my book, it just feels like a much more complete package (and this is from someone who put 200 hours into San Andreas)

Lets just appreciate what this game does SO well and for those who are left wanting more just hope they impliment some of the other bits for the inevitable next one in a few years time.

[Pob]

I tend to use cab rides to catch up on text messages and make plans for the evening, both on my real phone and in-game phone. Bizarre!

[Duckula]

If they're going with the same sequel structure as the previous gen we'll probably see all the 'missing' features people are moaning about in the next iteration. GTA4: Vice City or whatever.

[kerraig UK]

That can be argued. In pure gameplay terms, Dead Rising was an action game with a twist, TDU a racing game, SMG a perfectly designed platformer and nothing more and Wii Sports just changed the way you interact with a game. Wii Sports is the only game that has some merit to gameplay changing mechanics.

So, as you can see, there really is no point in this.

you're seriously reaching now. Test Drive Unlimited is SO much more than a racing game. You havent played it have you? Only about 10% of the game is actually racing.

Dead Risisng completely innovated the way adventure games could be told and played. Theres almost nothing else out there with the same game structure. maybe steel battallion...

Rock band is another next gen game that pushes things forward drastically.

[Nate Dogg III]

The mayoral attack ads are amazing.

"He preaches family values, but his wife is a harlot who has aborted five children."

It's weird but there's all this stuff that's amazing to me - watching TV, getting cabs from A to B and actually watching the journey - that is firmly rooted in real life's everyday mundanity. I'll glady stare out the window for the whole of a ten minute cab journey but how many of us here would press a button to skip our commute if we could?

I never got on with Shenmue precisely because it forced you to live out another quite mundane life, yet this is different. Obviously it's different in execution and style and flair and all the rest of it, but it's interesting because I was dead set against Shenmue leading games down this less escapist path but after just three days with GTA4 I'm all for it.

It's also interesting imo that every single one of these things that amazes me makes the missus roll her eyes and groan. This surely is the blokiest, blokiest game of all time.

[tyler]

Follow a guy who's totally invulnerable to the 15 shots you've just put in his head, THEN shoot him in the head? Knob off. It makes no sense and is just totally shit. There is no freedom whatsoever to even try to make the shit missions fun.

There was a a mission where

I had to chase a guy on a moped through Central Park and I failed it because I lined up a sniper shot instead of chasing him. My 5 sniper shots to the back did nothing.

Those are the missions I have a problem with but more so because earlier missions have let me take my own approach.

I hate to be negative about it but seriously, just give me the whole map open from the start

A huge part of my enjoyment early on was seeing the skyline of Algonquin and knowing I'd be going there 'some day'. I'm such a romantic.

congratualtions, you are me!

Get your golf clubs out you oik. I expect to see you on the fairways this weekend.

[Strawp]

I was getting totally pissed off with the first Manny mission, as I kept failing the shoot out and then had to go through a long, tedious slow car follow sequence again every time I restarted, but what surprised me was how much alternate dialogue there was each time.

Yeah, this is something I'm really pissed off about. I only failed the first time, but the fact that they're STILL not putting autosaves in after boring driving sections and before really difficult shooty sections is incredibly irritating. Especially when the shooty section difficulty suddenly ramps up due to a scripted sequence

[Kelthink]

If they're going with the same sequel structure as the previous gen we'll probably see all the 'missing' features people are moaning about in the next iteration. GTA4: Vice City or whatever.

As far as I'm concerned there'll always be 'missing' features. But that's what you get with games trying to imitate life (to an extent). It's not easy to wrap up in a package like Tetris.

[Pob]

It's weird but there's all this stuff that's amazing to me - watching TV, getting cabs from A to B and actually watching the journey - that is firmly rooted in real life's everyday mundanity.

I've definitely been playing it too much, as whenever I go outside now, I think of other people as AI controlled 'peds'. I saw a woman carrying a plant yesterday and for a second considered bumping into her so she dropped it.

Also, I got a real-life taxi on Tuesday evening, and it felt sooo much like I was back in GTA.