GTA IV Impressions

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 24 Apr 2008 09:08 pm

That was a rough couple of hours. I was afraid I wouldn't have it for the long weekend. Ended up having to pull a few strings from a local distributor and a mate of mine.

OK. Impressions time.

Music is fucking fantastic and moody at the start up screen. PS3 version is currently installing data to the disk drive. It looks to be a 6-8 minute install.

Post up boys. What do you want to know?

Shaneus · Post by **Shaneus** » 24 Apr 2008 09:11 pm

How much sooner would you be playing if you didn't have to install it?

Oh, you wrote that. Um, that's all I needed to know! Continue...

Madmya · Post by **Madmya** » 24 Apr 2008 09:12 pm

What colour were the strings that you pulled?

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 24 Apr 2008 09:12 pm

Talez wrote:It looks to be a 6-8 minute install.

Madmya wrote:What colour were the strings that you pulled?

Rainbow. I had to do some things I'm not proud of.

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 24 Apr 2008 09:20 pm

On to the intro...

Very well done. Nice voice acting and THE MUSIC. The music is godlike. Character models are pretty nicely defined. Incredible first set of cut scenes.

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 24 Apr 2008 09:43 pm

The missions are very easy to navigate using the interface. It's very minimalist and very clean. I love it.

flipswitch · Post by **flipswitch** » 25 Apr 2008 07:54 pm

How do you like the handling of the cars?

(stupid question) why is there an installation?

favourite radio station?

size of the city that's available at start up?

have fun.

Ambrose Burnside · Post by **Ambrose Burnside** » 25 Apr 2008 07:59 pm

LAZLOW???

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 25 Apr 2008 10:51 pm

flipswitch wrote:How do you like the handling of the cars?

Not too bad. Pretty similar to GTA3. Gotta be heavy on the brakes.

(stupid question) why is there an installation?

No idea to be honest.

favourite radio station?

The rock station. They have Stevie Nicks!

size of the city that's available at start up?

have fun.

About a third of it as far as I can see.

Blotto · Post by **Blotto** » 26 Apr 2008 11:06 am

I have also played it.....

to be honest, my first impressions arent all that good.... dont get me wrong its good but I havent been blown away like I thought I would...

1. cars are way to floaty to be able to pursuit someone... They handle like shit... I feel im always fighting to control the car. I have tried different cars and its the same deal across the board... (a potential game killer for me at the moment)

2. The graphics arent bad but they're nothing fantastic (not a major gripe)

3. I dunno, I played it for a couple of hours last night (it was late so it might have not been the best time to play it) I kinda felt bored after an hour or so into the game. (im gunna sit down with it this morning while not being so tired)

The good.

The storyline is typical Rockstar... very humourous. Its playing out like a real quality gangster flick which I love (Think Lock, Stock etc)

The music. Fucking fantastic. I turned on the rock station and they had the song that was in Lock, STock and 2 smoking barrels after Ed gets done in the game of poker as he's leaving... I love that fucking song but have no idea what its called. Also heard 'Remedy' by the Black Crowes (also love that song....)

The cars looks fantastic (if only they handled as good as they look)

going in and out of stores/building etc is so fluid.

They stole the GPS idea from Saints Row... great addition.

The mini games are cool and good fun

ok.. just gunna go play some more now... i'll add some more impressions during the day.

dont be alarmed guys. Im sure i was only tired last night when I played it. Im sure once I really sit down with it i'll fall in love with it like I have all the other GTA...

lestat · Post by **lestat** » 26 Apr 2008 12:35 pm

I totally agree with your impressions blotto, got a chance to play it and wasn't impressed at all. Visuals are meh, car handling leaves a lot to be desired, the new car physics feel overdone and after a few hours I got bored too, the action just isn't all that exciting. Melee is dreadful and slow, shooting is improved but still not as fluid as I would like.

Threw in saints row for a bit of perspective, I think saints rows looks better, just seems crisper and cleaner, gta is too muddy. Plus the melee, shooting and action is far more enjoyable.

Story wise, it's so cliche and some of the acting to me comes off really corny, humor though is top notch, hehe I liked watching tv in your apartment, republican space rangers.

Blotto · Post by **Blotto** » 26 Apr 2008 01:03 pm

yep the TV in your apartment is a fucking pisser... The poker show is halarious..... I like the bit in the Weasel News ad when the guy is on fire.. 'Hey you, the guy on fire, can you please turn around for the camera?'

Also had a private lap dance... was petty tame.. Im not sure if im playing the censored version (im starting to lean towards every PAL version is censored) or not as im yet to see a tit and the blood isnt exactly flowing when I fuck people up... I remember in older GTA after you killed someone you would leave bloody footprints on the pavement.. There doesnt seem to be much 'Claret' anywhere in this game....

I've played a bit more and yeah its good.. but its not the '2nd coming of Jesus' that a few of us here were expecting...

yep I agree with ya lestat, the melee is hit & miss. I was over at Nath's last night and he was playing it and he said exactly the same thing. He kind of preferred Saints Row...

I'm sure though once we get past all the 'bullshit' intro missions this will get better... The first couple of hours are not exactly 'gripping stuff'.....

Cletus · Post by **Cletus** » 26 Apr 2008 01:50 pm

It sounds like some of you were expecting something beyond GTA. People like me and Offline and Kanga and Juz would say that it's so easy to look past some gameplay flaws and graphic details due to the atmosphere and freedom the games provide. In all my pimping of the game I've NEVER expected GTA IV to be anything more than an improved installment over last gen's titles. The game's focus has always been on the humour and freedom to misbehave. The slow unfolding of the map..the progression of the story. The collection of weapons and safehouses.

The cars have always handled as you describe. I wonder if anyone has found a banshee or a cheetah or driven a cop car. A lot of the cars actually do handle like shit. Much as you'd expect a car that you randomly steal would handle. An old toyota does feel like a boat. I think once you drive a lot of different cars then you'll start noticing a difference. One person I know who is playing it is 9 hours in...and hasn't opened the next island. Not because he's shit but because there is a lot to explore. It pays to take your time.

But you're not going to like it if you were expecting this to redefine the genre. If the game is rubbish I'll be first to admit it. But I only expect something slightly better than San Andreas. If I get that the game will live up to every hyped up 10 out of 10 glowing gushy fanboy loving comment I've made or read. And by all accounts (even based on the complaints ) it's exactly what I expected it to be. A new GTA.

Scullibundo · Post by **Scullibundo** » 26 Apr 2008 02:26 pm

So basically HALO 3 is GotG. This is what I've been saying for a while now.

Madmya · Post by **Madmya** » 26 Apr 2008 03:00 pm

Scullibundo wrote:So basically HALO 3 is GotG. This is what I've been saying for a while now.

Agreed.

jizzlobber · Post by **jizzlobber** » 26 Apr 2008 04:10 pm

from what I understand the cars handle differently than in previous GTA titles... i'm hearing they are overly heavy and floaty so you'll lock up and slide a LOT more, and taking corners fast is a LOT more of a challenge.

chases sound like a real bitch, hopefully it's just a matter of getting used to it.

it's hard to rag on the visuals though, I mean every GTA game i've played looks like shit, which is fair considering the scale.

finally, like ANY big game it's almost impossible to live up to the hype, and people will naturally pick at it a lot more.

Blotto · Post by **Blotto** » 26 Apr 2008 04:12 pm

Scullibundo wrote:So basically HALO 3 is GotG. This is what I've been saying for a while now.

nope... this shits on Halo 3.... Halo 3 was overated beyond belief.. COD4 would have a more justifiable claim to that than HALO 3 would...

Blotto · Post by **Blotto** » 26 Apr 2008 04:16 pm

jizzlobber wrote:from what I understand the cars handle differently than in previous GTA titles... i'm hearing they are overly heavy and floaty so you'll lock up and slide a LOT more, and taking corners fast is a LOT more of a challenge.

chases sound like a real bitch, hopefully it's just a matter of getting used to it.

it's hard to rag on the visuals though, I mean every GTA game i've played looks like shit, which is fair considering the scale.

finally, like ANY big game it's almost impossible to live up to the hype, and people will naturally pick at it a lot more.

everything you have said here Jizz is correct... Cars are a bitch to control, persuits are made harder because of the cars. I cant ever remember fighting with the cars as I am here with III, VC or SA....

You do get used to it but its still not as sharp as it should be. Its like a shopping trolley with a fucked wheel.. you push it around for long enough you adjust, but it still gives you the shits.....

Madmya · Post by **Madmya** » 26 Apr 2008 10:45 pm

It's funny how GTA's graphics are allowed to be shit because of the scale yet Halo 3's can't... even though it didn't have shit graphics.

Scullibundo · Post by **Scullibundo** » 26 Apr 2008 10:54 pm

Nah GTA IV can be forgiven because it has a 4p co-op mode for the campaign.

Oh wait.

Blotto · Post by **Blotto** » 27 Apr 2008 12:12 am

and yet neither actually made Halo 3 any good hence why its being played by nobody as we speak......

Madmya · Post by **Madmya** » 27 Apr 2008 02:31 am

Well that's a good argument! INSERT ROLLING EYES HERE

Blotto · Post by **Blotto** » 27 Apr 2008 03:02 am

and here you are in a GTAIV impressions thread pimping a game (Halo 3) that no one gives a rats arse about...

INSERT OOPS HERE

Nath · Post by **Nath** » 27 Apr 2008 10:29 am

I've played a fair amount of this over the past few days and while its enjoyable, I cant say I've had even one 'WOW' moment where something really impressed me.

Its as addictive as I expected, but it just doesnt feel like it brings anything new and innovative to the genre...it just feels like I am playing San Andreas with a new story.

I'm sure the majority of people on here will disagree, but when I first played Saints Row it felt more like a 'newer' game than this does.

Having said that, I am off to play some more

Looking forward to checking out the multiplayer this week.

lestat · Post by **lestat** » 27 Apr 2008 10:34 am

I've been playing it a bit more, gotten used to the way the cars handle, once you compensate for their weight and the breaks locking easily, you can get around much better. Just using enough handbreak works well too once you get the hang of it, the car handling has that 'driver' feel to it now.

The world is pretty rich and detailed, it does have a lifelike quality to it, just wish the textures were a bit sharper. Framerate is ok, better than previous GTAs most of the time it's 30fps.

Still not a fan of the melee, but I've gotten used to it, but I'm with you nath in that so far I can't say I've had 'WOW', it's still fun but just not that terribly new or exciting.

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GTA IV Impressions

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