How is the combat in GTA IV balanced? If anything, it's a huge step backwards from San Andreas. And what impressive writing? If that story had been made into a movie it would have been a straight to DVD B-movie, sometimes aired on Cinemax.
Hmmm most everything that needs to be said was said. So ill go on my personal tangent focusing on GTA IV instead of the actual GOTY discussion The question is, what do u call a great game? See if i never played a GTA game and just picked up GTAIV, or didnt play many video games period, then my entire focus would be different. I would comment on how alive the city looks, how superior the graphocs are, and what a joy it is to examine the city for a half an hour. As I played, i might get caught up in the story, which, whether u think its good or not, has a epic, movie feel that most non gamers probably dont expect in a game.
But I play games, and all the GTA games specifically.
My impression was that it was pretty. And combat was decent. About hour 3 into the game, it just felt...well, i missed not being able to customize. In San Andreas, my ability to work out make Carl my weight and body type, pick my clothes to a tee, well it made me feel like I was playing the game. Instead I'm now watching Nico live. The relationships, the bulk of missions and sidequests, even the amount of things i could "get away with" before massive police intervention...it just started feeling a little too ...for lack of a better word, real. And real is a litle less fun.
I know its a long post, apologies. Anyway I can understand why GOTY honors were awarded, in future GTAs i hope Rockstar goes more for the sheer fun and less for critcal acclaim, just as i enjoy a lot of "popcorn movies" for entertainment and find most critically acclaimed movies to be pretentious. Please Rockstar, lets get back to the fun.
i wish i could agree with mr. schiesel, but i cant grand theft auto iv was maybe the biggest disappointment of the year for me. GTA IV pales in comparison with its predecessors, GTA IV got rid of so many features that i loved in sand andreas and vice city all for shinnier graphics and a multiplayer that while it was fun at first was pretty dull and dead. the story did show a persons perspective of a crime world that he did not want to go through yet was still forced to do so. i liked that but in the end that didn't really help replayability for me.
@Milkzhakes: While I was disappointed in the cutting of features from San Andreas as well, what really killed the game for me was the micro-managing of "friends".
Whoever thought that taking the most annoyingly frustrating feature of San Andreas (the dating aspect), and turning it into the MAIN COMPONENT of GTAIV should be taken out into a pasture, buried up to his neck, covered in honey, and then surrounded by fire ant colonies.
That one aspect of the game completely destroyed my enjoyment of it, especially since they based some unlockables on making sure you kept up those relationships. ARGH!
If the next GTA has any kind of 'friendship/relationship' aspect to it, I won't touch it with a 400 foot pole.
The industry has really come a long way in terms of how it's changing the perception of video games in old(errm... traditional)-media. To think that this game used to be considered the "devil".
I dont get how this game keeps getting game of the year awards. Yes it was a good game, but it feels like a step back in many ways from the previous 3D GTA games.
World design in the game is fantastic though, as is the lighting,
@lllusionx: This is mostly true. Although if you try hard enough, you can do some spectacular crashes. Enough to keep me entertained for hours one night (trying to get the roll over achievement, which I finally got.)
12/23/08
12/22/08
The question is, what do u call a great game? See if i never played a GTA game and just picked up GTAIV, or didnt play many video games period, then my entire focus would be different. I would comment on how alive the city looks, how superior the graphocs are, and what a joy it is to examine the city for a half an hour. As I played, i might get caught up in the story, which, whether u think its good or not, has a epic, movie feel that most non gamers probably dont expect in a game.
But I play games, and all the GTA games specifically.
My impression was that it was pretty. And combat was decent. About hour 3 into the game, it just felt...well, i missed not being able to customize. In San Andreas, my ability to work out make Carl my weight and body type, pick my clothes to a tee, well it made me feel like I was playing the game. Instead I'm now watching Nico live. The relationships, the bulk of missions and sidequests, even the amount of things i could "get away with" before massive police intervention...it just started feeling a little too ...for lack of a better word, real. And real is a litle less fun.
I know its a long post, apologies. Anyway I can understand why GOTY honors were awarded, in future GTAs i hope Rockstar goes more for the sheer fun and less for critcal acclaim, just as i enjoy a lot of "popcorn movies" for entertainment and find most critically acclaimed movies to be pretentious. Please Rockstar, lets get back to the fun.
12/22/08
God damn those commercials.
12/22/08
Niko- im looking for someone.
NPC- do this for me first.
*repeat 90 times*
What story was this guy watching?
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
Whoever thought that taking the most annoyingly frustrating feature of San Andreas (the dating aspect), and turning it into the MAIN COMPONENT of GTAIV should be taken out into a pasture, buried up to his neck, covered in honey, and then surrounded by fire ant colonies.
That one aspect of the game completely destroyed my enjoyment of it, especially since they based some unlockables on making sure you kept up those relationships. ARGH!
If the next GTA has any kind of 'friendship/relationship' aspect to it, I won't touch it with a 400 foot pole.
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
Alternatively: Kill yourself.
Either way, please kill yourself.
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
(sorry :p)
12/22/08
World design in the game is fantastic though, as is the lighting,
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
12/22/08
*APPLAUSE!*
12/22/08
12/22/08
I doubt I'll be alone in this by a long shot.
But there it is ... guess someone had to say it.
12/22/08
GTA3 will always be the king.