Posts Tagged ‘Grand Theft Auto IV’
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
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.
(more…)
Tags: Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto IV, GTA IV, Rockstar, Saints Row
Posted in General Gaming | 24 Comments »
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
So I’ve just (accidently) finished Fallout 3, and I’m actually pretty gutted it’s ended. You know you’ve played a great game when you’re disappointed to see the credits roll. Never-the-less, this paves the way for Tomb Raider: Underworld, The Last Remnant, and Grand Theft Auto IV – all of which are patiently sitting beneath the tree, awaiting my overly zealous hands to tear at the festive paper that adorns them, cradling them close to my body… Yeah, I’ve gone too far.
(more…)
Tags: Fallout 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, RPG, The Last Remnant, Tomb Raider Underworld
Posted in General Gaming | 9 Comments »
Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
Yes, I’m sad, I have a ‘Holiday Gaming Schedule’. It’s not laminated or anything. Far from it. In fact, all it is is a vague list of games floating around in my head, with a vague time frame to play them in. It goes a little something like this:
Finish Fallout 3 by Christmas as I will then have two new games to get stuck into; Tomb Raider Underworld, and – a bit of an oldie – Grand Theft Auto IV (both from my rock n’ roll Gran). My priority lies with Tomb Raider, being a big fan of the series. I’m not sure how long it will take me to complete it, but I point blank refuse to reference a guide for those inevitably sticky points, so it should hopefully take me up to my birthday, which is nearing the end of January.
By this point I can either console my lack of gaming birthday presents with Grand Theft Auto IV, or drop enough hints to secure myself a JRPG or two (Infinite Undiscovery and/or The Last Remnant would both put a smile on my face). Whatever games I don’t get round to playing immediately will be confined to The Big Drawer of Gaming for a rainy Sunday. Sounds like a plan, right? What’s your Christmas gaming agenda?
Tags: Christmas, Grand Theft Auto IV, Infinite Undiscovery, The Last Remnant, Tomb Raider Underworld
Posted in Asides | 7 Comments »
Monday, December 15th, 2008
I don’t usually find myself watching The HipHopGamer Show, mainly because hip hop isn’t my scene. Now if it was called The SillySkaDancingGamer Show, I might tune in a little more often. Regardless, their latest episode caught my eye because of the title ‘Microsoft Slowing Down? Sony Stays Hardcore While Xbox Test The Casual Market‘. It’s something I’ve found occupying my mind a little recently, so much so that a friend and I had a rather interesting discussion about it the other day.
(more…)
Tags: Alan Wake, Avatars, Grand Theft Auto IV, Halo Wars, Microsoft, Nintendo Wii, RRoD
Posted in Rants | 7 Comments »
The Tomb Raider series means a lot to me, and while I admit it has lost its footing in recent years, I’ve always stuck by Lara. The latest Tomb Raider, however, has been completely re-imagined and – at some points – doesn’t even feel like a TR game. It’s a welcome change, though, and has me well and truly hooked.