First off: Yes, this "review" only includes negative points about the game. That doesn't mean there's nothing good about this game, I just feel the positive aspects have been pointed out more than enough.
Also, this is not from a Rookie's point of view who has been blinded by all the praise this game got from every possible source. I have played every game in the series (well, except for Liberty City Stories, but anyway) and draw comparisons from experience.
That being said, let's get to the point.
GTA IV does not deserve the insane amounts of praise it gets.
Sure it's a great game, but scores of 10/10 are not justified.
Let me tell you why I think so:
Motivation:
Seriously, what's all this talk about those guys from Niko's past that he's trying to find? It's not until quite a few hours into the game that you get at least a tiny bit of information about who those people are and why you're trying to find them. By then it's simply too late to really get into the whole revenge thing. How am I ever supposed to identify with Niko if even I don't know what the hell he's on about.
Character development:
GTA:SA introduced those great possibilities of developing your character in pretty much any way you wanted. Working out in order to become a beefy bastard or stuffing yourself with fast food to be a fat blob, running instead of driving to improve your stamina, riding motorcycles or bikes to improve your skills, get a tattoo and change your hairstyle. All that. I loved those aspects and as far as I can tell most other people did too. They already had them developed and only needed to port them to the current engine, why drop them?
And it's not just the physical character development, but also the social one I'm missing. I'm halfway through the game and still doing nothing other than random hits on people my sponsors don't like for one reason or another. Where are the gangs I took over, the territories I gained control of? The only difference to the beginning of the story is that I'm now working for more influential people, which doesn't exactly make me any more powerful. I'm still just a low-life crook, only now I'm getting paid more. Which leads me to my next point:
Money:
As I said before, I'm about halfway through the game. What you didn't know is that there's over $300,000 on my bank account by now. Why is that? Simply because there is absolutely fucking nothing to spend it on. It's not exactly satisfying to spend 300 grand on hamburgers and a handful of clothing (see next point). It's a shame there are no more nice mansions to buy. This leaves you in no way bonded to the random apartments you got at some point in the story without any effort. Oh, and while I'm at it. If food refills your health, then why the hell is there no food in the fridge? I mean, that's what your "safehouse" should be there for. Getting your act back together.
Those three points are the ones that throw me off the most. I've been sitting around at home all day and I didn't even feel like playing. With San Andreas I couldn't stop, but I just can't seem to get involved in the story of GTA IV. It's just not going anywhere. You're not getting any closer to your goals (whatever they might be). You're not on the point of gaining any power or control over the city. Yeah, you keep on making money, but as I said, what's the point of money if there's nothing to spend it on.
I keep on comparing IV to San Andreas not just because SA is the most recent of the other games, but also because in my opinion, it is the best of the whole series so far. You knew where you wanted to go. You wanted to gain control over the city and you were getting closer to that one step at a time. Not just by regaining control of your gang, but also owning a record company and spending your money on mansions. Generally just advancing in your social (reads: criminal) status.
GTA IV has nothing of that. It's just one random mission after another, none of which really seem to take you anywhere. Niko's character is not developing in any way and neither is the whole storyline.
Anyway, on to some other things that annoy me.
Locations:
4 clothing stores? Two of which are identical? Are you kidding me? Liberty City is supposed to represent New York and there are some 4 bars, two strip-joints and a handful of fast-food restaurants. They've designed a huge city with incredible amounts of details and a little versatility when it comes to these things is too much to ask for?
On the other hand it's probably a good thing there aren't more clothes to buy since you still have that incredibly clumsy way of changing where you have to flip through every single item you have with the screen going blank for a few seconds each time.
Physics:
Back in 2000, in Hitman, you'd brush away every leave of a bush when you walked by. Now, 8 years later, in GTA IV, supposedly one of the greatest games ever created, you still walk through them like they were holographic. That's just a minor issue, but for some reason it really annoys me.
What's even worse about the physics are the collisions with vehicles. Any car will send you to the ground in a vicious hit, even if it goes only 2 mph. But it doesn't get any better if you're the one driving. You barely need to touch another car to smash your headlights and the next time you go over 20 mph your engine hood is guaranteed to go sailing over your head. It's near impossible to get from one point in the city to another without getting your car damaged unless you're willing to spend a good half hour and go with the speed of the other drivers (who still seem to have an irrational fear of going any faster than a midget in flippers).
AI:
OK, the enemies have become smarter than before. They take cover and some even seem to attack coordinately (at least the SWAT teams). But they still can't drive for shit!
If they're planning to make that left turn, they will. Regardless of the fact that you're currently only a foot to their left. And don't even get me started on streets with more than one lane. Damn, I don't feel like going 10 mph on a one mile-straight only because every other driver feels the need to randomly swerve all over the lanes for no apparent reason.
All in all I have to say GTA IV turned out to be a huge disappointment to me. They did make a few improvements compared to SA, but they just dropped way too many of the great things they introduced in that game.
For the next game in the series, I say Rockstar should take the engine of IV, the concept of San Andreas and go from there.
Also, this is not from a Rookie's point of view who has been blinded by all the praise this game got from every possible source. I have played every game in the series (well, except for Liberty City Stories, but anyway) and draw comparisons from experience.
That being said, let's get to the point.
GTA IV does not deserve the insane amounts of praise it gets.
Sure it's a great game, but scores of 10/10 are not justified.
Let me tell you why I think so:
Motivation:
Seriously, what's all this talk about those guys from Niko's past that he's trying to find? It's not until quite a few hours into the game that you get at least a tiny bit of information about who those people are and why you're trying to find them. By then it's simply too late to really get into the whole revenge thing. How am I ever supposed to identify with Niko if even I don't know what the hell he's on about.
Character development:
GTA:SA introduced those great possibilities of developing your character in pretty much any way you wanted. Working out in order to become a beefy bastard or stuffing yourself with fast food to be a fat blob, running instead of driving to improve your stamina, riding motorcycles or bikes to improve your skills, get a tattoo and change your hairstyle. All that. I loved those aspects and as far as I can tell most other people did too. They already had them developed and only needed to port them to the current engine, why drop them?
And it's not just the physical character development, but also the social one I'm missing. I'm halfway through the game and still doing nothing other than random hits on people my sponsors don't like for one reason or another. Where are the gangs I took over, the territories I gained control of? The only difference to the beginning of the story is that I'm now working for more influential people, which doesn't exactly make me any more powerful. I'm still just a low-life crook, only now I'm getting paid more. Which leads me to my next point:
Money:
As I said before, I'm about halfway through the game. What you didn't know is that there's over $300,000 on my bank account by now. Why is that? Simply because there is absolutely fucking nothing to spend it on. It's not exactly satisfying to spend 300 grand on hamburgers and a handful of clothing (see next point). It's a shame there are no more nice mansions to buy. This leaves you in no way bonded to the random apartments you got at some point in the story without any effort. Oh, and while I'm at it. If food refills your health, then why the hell is there no food in the fridge? I mean, that's what your "safehouse" should be there for. Getting your act back together.
Those three points are the ones that throw me off the most. I've been sitting around at home all day and I didn't even feel like playing. With San Andreas I couldn't stop, but I just can't seem to get involved in the story of GTA IV. It's just not going anywhere. You're not getting any closer to your goals (whatever they might be). You're not on the point of gaining any power or control over the city. Yeah, you keep on making money, but as I said, what's the point of money if there's nothing to spend it on.
I keep on comparing IV to San Andreas not just because SA is the most recent of the other games, but also because in my opinion, it is the best of the whole series so far. You knew where you wanted to go. You wanted to gain control over the city and you were getting closer to that one step at a time. Not just by regaining control of your gang, but also owning a record company and spending your money on mansions. Generally just advancing in your social (reads: criminal) status.
GTA IV has nothing of that. It's just one random mission after another, none of which really seem to take you anywhere. Niko's character is not developing in any way and neither is the whole storyline.
Anyway, on to some other things that annoy me.
Locations:
4 clothing stores? Two of which are identical? Are you kidding me? Liberty City is supposed to represent New York and there are some 4 bars, two strip-joints and a handful of fast-food restaurants. They've designed a huge city with incredible amounts of details and a little versatility when it comes to these things is too much to ask for?
On the other hand it's probably a good thing there aren't more clothes to buy since you still have that incredibly clumsy way of changing where you have to flip through every single item you have with the screen going blank for a few seconds each time.
Physics:
Back in 2000, in Hitman, you'd brush away every leave of a bush when you walked by. Now, 8 years later, in GTA IV, supposedly one of the greatest games ever created, you still walk through them like they were holographic. That's just a minor issue, but for some reason it really annoys me.
What's even worse about the physics are the collisions with vehicles. Any car will send you to the ground in a vicious hit, even if it goes only 2 mph. But it doesn't get any better if you're the one driving. You barely need to touch another car to smash your headlights and the next time you go over 20 mph your engine hood is guaranteed to go sailing over your head. It's near impossible to get from one point in the city to another without getting your car damaged unless you're willing to spend a good half hour and go with the speed of the other drivers (who still seem to have an irrational fear of going any faster than a midget in flippers).
AI:
OK, the enemies have become smarter than before. They take cover and some even seem to attack coordinately (at least the SWAT teams). But they still can't drive for shit!
If they're planning to make that left turn, they will. Regardless of the fact that you're currently only a foot to their left. And don't even get me started on streets with more than one lane. Damn, I don't feel like going 10 mph on a one mile-straight only because every other driver feels the need to randomly swerve all over the lanes for no apparent reason.
All in all I have to say GTA IV turned out to be a huge disappointment to me. They did make a few improvements compared to SA, but they just dropped way too many of the great things they introduced in that game.
For the next game in the series, I say Rockstar should take the engine of IV, the concept of San Andreas and go from there.
Last edited by maef (2008-05-12 14:18:39)
