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by Lizard_King 06/05/2008, 9:39pm PDT |
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Last wrote:
I haven't played GTA4 yet since it's not out for PC and I don't have a next-gen console. Is it pretty bad, then? I am a fan of the earlier GTAs (even Vice City and Liberty City Stories) so I will forgive the design flaws in 4.
It's not bad, by any reasonable measure. It has serious problems in many of the areas people regard as its strengths (story, "immersive" bullshit), and the action and setpieces in between almost carry it through. Almost.
But the lack of a reasonable checkpoint system, the amount of busywork at the beginning of missions that must be replayed in order to get to the actual part that you died at, and stupid, stupid choices like temporarily invulnerable enemies and making the death-by-terrible-ai of allies a failure condition ultimately made the game more trouble than it was worth.
I'd tell you why the story bothered me (it's sure not because it was too violent or misogynistic or any of that other shit I keep hearing), but it's not a good conversation until you've played it. I can tell you up front that the relationship stuff is incredibly intrusive, annoying and unrewarding in gameplay terms. The sidequests, of which some are ok (assassinations, police) and many are terrible (everything else) lack decent rewards, as well, which I found really puzzling. The police system irritates the hell out of me. Etc, etc.
I still got over 30 hours out of it, so I'm not really saying you shouldn't get it, not that it would make a difference. I'm grateful to Rockstar (mainly for being a gateway to much better games like Scarface, Godfather, etc). I'm just adding a fat fucking asterisk to all those 10's the reviews were dishing out.
This trailer for Saint's Row looks like it is taking the worst parts of GTA, the wacky side activities, and proclaiming them to be 2 Xtreme 4 my granddaddy's console. Is spraying shit and streaking in Saint's Row going to be more fun or immersive than putting out fires and flying RC planes in GTA? Nope.
That's entirely likely. What I can tell you is that zeroing in on things that I despise about GTA4 and assuring me that I won't get that from them is the sort of development I want to encourage. I just started SR1 today, and while I can see where the "immersive" types might find it ridiculous, I like the combat a lot so far, the missions make sense in terms of the rules they lay down, the save is generous, and I can see the glimmers of a soon to be addictive turf system (I might have to try San Andreas at some point if this keeps up, although I'm not excited about the RPG element implementation via busywork, if I understand it correctly. It's enough of a pain in the ass to work out in real life).
The first season was good. Also, the bad parts of the rest of the series aren't the parts with Tony in them.
Then GTA4 is an excellent analog, if that's good enough for you. The bad parts aren't really Niko's fault, in a way.
Yeah, I played both of those and liked them pretty well. Also, Mafia (there's a sequel to this coming out soon) was a very good game aside from the traffic law simulator.
I tried Mafia on the pc back in the day, but as you hint at it made olden times tedious instead of the ass kicking good time the Godfather managed. On the Wii garroting and beating the shit out of people is really enjoyable. |
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Saint's Row 2 seems to have the right idea by Lizard_King 06/04/2008, 11:37pm PDT 
Targeting me directly: Gary Busey is their spokesperson by Lizard_King 06/05/2008, 7:37am PDT 
Spraying sewage or streaking through town are no better than bowling. by Last 06/05/2008, 7:47am PDT 
Then GTA4 is perfect for you. by Lizard_King 06/05/2008, 5:15pm PDT 
Whoa, I bitched about the GTA IV missions because it's what I do, I bitch. by Worm 06/05/2008, 5:43pm PDT 
Re: Whoa, I bitched about the GTA IV missions because it's what I do, I bitch. by Lizard_King 06/05/2008, 9:56pm PDT 
SOUNDS LIKE YOU KIND OF SUCK AT THE GAME NT by Creexuls, a monster >:3 06/06/2008, 5:38am PDT 
Re: Then GTA4 is perfect for you. by Last 06/05/2008, 8:20pm PDT 
Re: Then GTA4 is perfect for you. by Lizard_King 06/05/2008, 9:39pm PDT 
Re: Then GTA4 is perfect for you. by N 06/05/2008, 10:49pm PDT 
Hey, Niko covered wars yano NT by Grumah 06/06/2008, 12:13am PDT 
I read that as Chinese boy at first, which sounded awesome. NT by I need clarification 06/05/2008, 11:08am PDT 
best part: WATCHING TV IN THE GAME ON YOUR TV by Grumah 06/06/2008, 12:18am PDT 
They're STILL doing Lazlow? by FABIO 06/06/2008, 1:28am PDT 
No. by Creexuls, a monster >:3 06/06/2008, 5:37am PDT 
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