This Is Not A GTA IV Review
Grand Theft Auto IV needs no introduction. It also doesn’t need another review, which is why you’re not going to read one here. But with such a notable reputation, and consequently a (climatic?) build-up to finally playing it, I feel I should at least note some of my thoughts accumulated over my current 20 hours of gameplay (which only clocks in at 31% completed. Wow).
Admittedly the last GTA game I actually played was the 2D, top down ones on the original PlayStation (I can hear you all gasping). GTA IV was new territory, and having loved the simplicity of the original, I wasn’t sure how I’d take to the maturity in gameplay and environment. Sounds crazy, I know, but Sonic The Hedgehog continues to prove that some games just work better in 2D. Add to that my uncertainty of Niko Bellic (I didn’t find him instantly likable), and you have what can only be described as apprehension. Ultimately, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
The Combat - GTA got off to a bad start. Earlier missions are all about hand to hand combat, which turns out to be GTA IV’s major weakness. Having that exposed immediately didn’t bode well for initial impressions. Firearms are easier to handle, but I found myself cursing the auto-lock system all too often. When certain missions require you to take various fleeing gang members down in a busy street, accidentally locking onto a pedestrian instead, which happens more than it should, leads to a lot of unnecessary frustration
Auto-lock. I’ll never understand it.
The Hype - My first mention of GTA via Twitter spurred the most replies any of my Tweets has ever had. The words “tedious” and “boring” cropped up a lot, and hazarding a guess, I’d say most people haven’t had the desire to even finish the main plot. So with a bad experience in combat, and a ton of criticism directed towards the game, I wasn’t too excited about advancing.
The City - Okay, so the free roaming nature and incredible environment is GTA’s flagship feature, right? GTA IV - unlike most games - feels real. When I’m swaggering around Liberty City in my cheap tracksuit, I actually feel involved in the surroundings, especially as it’s very possible to eavesdrop in on pedestrians interesting conversations (”So… Did you actually go down on that girl?”).
I’ve played and enjoyed Saints Row, and while they’re both similar games, Saints Row (I can only speak for the original) didn’t pay attention to detail like Rockstar has. Quite literally no corner is overlooked, and this doesn’t go unappreciated. Each area of the city has its own personality, which makes quite an incentive for exploring the island. What I thought would be a possible downfall of the game (was I going to find it too much?) has turned out to be the element that’s impressed me most. And as I unlock more of the city, it only gets better.
The Characters - I didn’t find the idea of playing as Niko Bellic remotely exciting in the beginning, especially with his constant whinging about his disappointment regarding the ‘American Dream’. He was, in a nutshell, instantly dislikable. But his cousin, Roman, was much more exciting; an unattractive and under-achieving middle aged man who believes the ladies adore him. Bless.
His rapport with Niko is worth watching unfold, and it was actually this rapport that warmed me to Niko. I stopped wishing for Bellic to transform into the cliched video game protagonist, and just accepted him for who he was. Now, I actually like the fact he’ll murder a man without a blink of the eye, or that he’s so wishy washy about everything, including his relationships with women.
The Missions - Sometimes I feel there’s too much to do. In fact, scratch that. I feel there’s too much to do all the time. Keeping everyone in my contacts happy, advancing with the plot, progressing with side missions, dating, socialising, answering calls, responding to emails… Give me a break! And as I’ve spent some time alone around the city, shopping for clothes, topping up my ammo, recharging my batteries, I’ll inevitably get that call. You know, that call? “Hey Niko, it’s your cousin, Roman. Let’s go see some titties, huh?”.
Whilst GTA offers a massive environment to explore at your own peril, it feels for the most part to be one big tease; you’re only going to get interrupted and called away on your next duty. It feels akin to the days you could only ‘go out to play’ after tackling your school homework. Except your homework never actually ends. Such is the life of a criminal.
Ultimately, I’m super impressed with the latest in the GTA series, and I’m happy to have finally made the (long overdue) jump to 3D Grand Theft Auto. With each session, of which I’m putting in 3-4 hours each sitting, I can feel my addiction growing stronger, and at 20 hours in I think I’ve seen it all, but then again, I’m going to assume you can never get too comfortable with life in Liberty City. That said, I won’t be giving up on the missions irrespective of how “tedious” they become. Why? Because there’s so much more to do. And that is the sheer beauty, and excitement, of Grand Theft Auto IV.
How far did you get, and how many of you actually completed the game? Is there anyone who finished the plot, 100% the game, and played the DLC?
I don’t have anything derogatory to say about Alan Wake. My advice to you? Spend a night in Bright Falls and soak up the eerie atmosphere. Alan Wake excels at thrilling you psychologically. Which is why it’s called a psychological thriller, I guess…
MrQwest