GTA:IV Official Thread

[Dimahoo]

Yeah. But i mean even close up it works and theres so much of it.

If the sum of all parts makes for a stunningly immersive game then i don't think that texture mess shoudl be an issue.

[kerraig UK]

I'd personally give it a 8/10 with the caveat that it pushes gaming forward in so many new areas such as immersion and depth of character and layers of information etc. But for me the actual game mechanics are sub Saints Row and most definately last gen. Every time i play it its a bittersweet experience.

[Mr Do 71]

Just out of interest - is there anyone here who thinks this deserves a 10/10 grade?

Or anyone who doesn't think it's something of a step-back, gameplay wise, from San Andreas?

Edge 10 for me, as it's the 1st GTA game I'm really playing and enjoying.

[Dimahoo]

I'd personally give it a 8/10 with the caveat that it pushes gaming forward in so many new areas such as immersion and depth of character and layers of information etc. But for me the actual game mechanics are sub Saints Row and most definately last gen. Every time i play it its a bittersweet experience.

I can't think of a game this gen that doesn't have gameplay from last gen.

To be honest the single player game alone would score massively as is.

Then you've got MP as well which has subdued a little now but is still great fun.

[kerraig UK]

So I was wondering, are many of you looking at things close up and going 'Thats messy!' ?

What would you prefer a 100% sized GTA like this or a 50% one but with no seams, clean hi res textures, lots of variation etc?

I'm guessing it's the former, right?

The lighting is probably the best ive ever seen in a game. The vehicles are all absolutely fantastic. The character models and textures are merely ok but the world is so believable it doesnt matter.

What kills the graphics for me is simply the framerate. It makes it harder to see different shops, traffic lights, corners etc. in multiplayer it really affects my enjoyment of the carnage when it all breaks down.

If it was locked to 30fps it would be my favourite looking game of all time. As it is thats still on resident Evil 4 and Call of Duty 4.

I can't think of a game this gen that has gameplay that isn't from last gen.

To be honest the single player game alone would score massively as is.

Then you've got MP as well which has subdued a little now but is still great fun.

test drive unlimited, rock band, Oblivion, mario galaxy, wii sports, dead rising

Oh, also the wonderful GRAW 2 often gets overlooked. 16 player online fps coop anyone?

[Capwn]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRfpzjlZCVY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRfpzjlZCVY</a>

Hmm, this news report says you can chainsaw prostitutes in half. Where do you find the chainsaw??

special guest jack T comes on halfway through...

[CarloOos]

And other thing, what exactly was this much vaunted 'freedom' that was apparently available in the earlier titles that's so sorely missing from this? I'm yet to see anyone make any reference to it beyond blocking getaways with cars before a mission.

Frankly I'd take well scripted, story and cutscene-driven missions over the ability to pre-emptively 'break' the game any day.

[Chase]

I'd personally give it a 8/10 with the caveat that it pushes gaming forward in so many new areas such as immersion and depth of character and layers of information etc. But for me the actual game mechanics are sub Saints Row and most definately last gen. Every time i play it its a bittersweet experience.

It definately excels like nothing else before it in creating an in-depth and cohesive city, with a history and a vibe and characters and music and dialogue and a fully working, almost-dynamic media.

Then again, with a massive team, $100 million to spend, and upto 4 years to make it, it was inevitable the level of detail would be mental.

So I was wondering, are many of you looking at things close up and going 'Thats messy!' ?

Nope, haven't noticed bad textures or seams once. Don't really need to look at stuff close up in this game though since it's mostly outdoors and third person.

[Goose]

I'd give it a 9, but a bloody high one. When it works, it does it pretty much better than any other game, but it is has its failing too. But goodness, look at the amount of depth and detail that has gone into it. A lesser game would be lucky to get 50% of what features in this game. The phone and its usage would be enough to blow most games out of the water and GTA4 starts off from there and just get better.

[Dimahoo]

test drive unlimited, rock band, Oblivion, mario galaxy, wii sports, dead rising

I didn't mean the Wii though. IV isn't on the Wii.

I don't really agree on the others though but i've misunderstood what you mean by next gen gameplay.

[Chase]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRfpzjlZCVY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRfpzjlZCVY</a>

Hmm, this news report says you can chainsaw prostitutes in half. Where do you find the chainsaw??

special guest jack T comes on halfway through...

Oh god, that was masterful.

"People are gonna say 'oh here comes this crazy conservative on TV screaming about the dangers of video games...but like it or not, here's The Point tonight:

WE ARE TRAINING OUR KIDS TO BE KILLERS"

I always thought that was the sort of satire that Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip should have aimed at with their in-show skits instead of their kinda bland and unfunny news segments.

[Chase]

The phone and its usage would be enough to blow most games out of the water and GTA4 starts off from there and just get better.

That's another thing and something that genuinely annoys me in this game. What I don't like to do whilst playing this game is have to lean forwards and squint every two minutes to read the tiny grey-on-dark-grey text on a tiny mobile screen in the corner (and it's set to large font), or to decipher what the 10 by 10 pixel icon in the GPS is supposed to signify. Is that a clucking bell or a car wash?

I can't play GTA sitting back against my sofa because they designed the game to be played when you're sitting 1cm away from the screen.

[Qazimod]

I can read it alright. Get some glasses?

[Dimahoo]

You can change the phone theme. That might help.

[Strawp]

The phone stuff had already been done in Saint's Row and Scarface.

I've been playing GTA games since the pre-release demo of GTA1 and I just don't think the designers are learning anything or improving it. They seem to be blind to all the annoying stuff that's been with the series since the start - easily avoidable stuff as well.

[Dimahoo]

I don't think the game plays any worse to any other 3rd person game. SR included.

[kerraig UK]

I don't think the game plays any worse to any other 3rd person game. SR included.

Well the combat plays FAR worse than many other 3rd person combat games. GRAW2, Gears, Rogue trooper, unchartered etc etc.

The driving however is simply sublime.

[Goose]

On the strength of Kerraig, I've just won an auction on ebay for Saints Row.

I hope the DLC isn't just going to be more clothes/phone types and radio stations.

[Strawp]

I think basically my issue is that I was lead to believe that what I was going to get was as big a leap forward as the GTA2->GTA3 step, and it really isn't at all.

[Yoshimax]

That's another thing and something that genuinely annoys me in this game. What I don't like to do whilst playing this game is have to lean forwards and squint every two minutes to read the tiny grey-on-dark-grey text on a tiny mobile screen in the corner (and it's set to large font), or to decipher what the 10 by 10 pixel icon in the GPS is supposed to signify. Is that a clucking bell or a car wash?

I can't play GTA sitting back against my sofa because they designed the game to be played when you're sitting 1cm away from the screen.

Get an HDTV

[Dimahoo]

Well i use free aim and don't have too many problems but then it helps to use the right weapons too. I will agree theres camera issues but they've not given me to many problems.

Its like i said earlier though - i tend to adapt to whats given to me and take that into account.

I mean theres things like the duck and cover system which work really well, and taking things nice and slow helps a fair bit as well. Obviously this doesn't apply to the missions where you don't have long but thats only been a problem for me

on Packies sniper mission.

.

What i won't dispute is that many most main missions have taken me twice to do. At least. And yes, the checkpoint thing and having to drive to whereever can be a pain - but as said, you can take a cab and skip straight to the mission.

[Chase]

Holy crap - Jack Thompson says you can have anal sex with strippers in this game!!

I've changed my mind - 10/10!!

[Chase]

Get an HDTV

I'm playing it on a 43 inch Pioneer HDTV in my living room. Don't you think it's at all silly of them to put so much info into a tiny grey box in the corner of the screen and tinier icons in the gps?

[Uzi]

I agree with quite a few of the criticisms put forward, but honestly, even with them in mind, I'm havin a riot. Love this game so much, and it may be flawed but can't remember having this much fun and immersion with a game in ages.

[Dimahoo]

o/\o

[Warszawa]

Yeah, same here. I'm enjoying it too much to bother with its flaws. I'm taking it really slowly (just over 30% with about 24 hours played) and just soaking in the atmosphere of the city, too...

[JohnC]

The lighting is probably the best ive ever seen in a game.

I was following a guy slowly and sometimes had to stop at traffic lights a bit behind him. That's when I noticed the shadows of the buildings slowly moving across the ground. I thought that was nice.

[Chase]

I agree with quite a few of the criticisms put forward, but honestly, even with them in mind, I'm havin a riot. Love this game so much, and it may be flawed but can't remember having this much fun and immersion with a game in ages.

Totally. The game is GTA - it's fun and pretty. And I've played it every day I've had it.

All I was saying is that it's not revolutionary and it's clearly not an Edge 10, or a Metacritic 99.

[JohnC]

I was flying a chopper and decided to go do a mission. Turned out to be the mission where you had to follow the train as it happens. So that was a piece of piss

[Dimahoo]

Thats the key thing. The two factors that i love about videogaming are fun and immersion and this does nail both very well.

I don't think any third person game this gen will feel the same again.

was flying a chopper and decided to go do a mission. Turned out to be the mission where you had to follow the train as it happens. So that was a piece of piss

thats fanastic. I didn't think of that.

In previous games you've been led to not thinking out of the "sandbox" but this game enables you to do so.

And i wonder if you jump straight to whatever station it is (after Hove beach i think) that you can beat the train. I'm not sure it would allow that.