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.
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…
