tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3275337364422494842.post6020488593445507095..comments2023-10-23T12:54:57.702-07:00Comments on Games: GTA IVUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3275337364422494842.post-2235109600760935772008-05-07T16:12:00.001-07:002008-05-07T16:12:00.001-07:00Oh, and re: dates - I think you can call 'em back,...Oh, and re: dates - I think you can call 'em back, cancel the date/appointment, then reschedule at a later time.Seppohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293851799643818221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3275337364422494842.post-57143188528856181152008-05-07T16:12:00.000-07:002008-05-07T16:12:00.000-07:00I'm a handful of missions past the acquisition of ...I'm a handful of missions past the acquisition of your second safehouse - the narrative is quite excellent, but the car physics still suck. Even if during high speed chases it feels right (though I still don't think it does), during low-speed driving, the cars feel horrible.<BR/><BR/>And it definitely doesn't need to be like that. Brake response at low speed is horrific. Turning radius at low speeds are terrible. In real cars, those things vary with speed. Why not here?<BR/><BR/>Niko's *completely* inconsistent, IMO - not only is the response of the world to your actions inconsistent, his character almost never acknowledges the things (apart from the main storyline) that he's done. Again, this isn't a completely impossible thing - they track a lot of the data you'd need to script those interactions already - they never actually do anything with that data in-game (so far).Seppohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293851799643818221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3275337364422494842.post-89829315619696520662008-05-07T15:56:00.000-07:002008-05-07T15:56:00.000-07:00I disagree!You wanted more than that?Oh well ...I ...I disagree!<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>You wanted more than that?<BR/><BR/>Oh well ...<BR/><BR/>I think the rating is perfectly fine because game reviewers are idiots. 99? Whatever. I don't put much credence in anything they have to say so I'm not particularly impressed that they would give it such amazing scores.<BR/><BR/>Nevertheless, I can't think of a better game. I think GTA IV is so good in so many ways, it deserves to have the best score. Is it literally almost perfect? I don't give a shit. Make the top score a 110 and keep GTA IV at 99.<BR/><BR/>Car physics: I love the car physics. Each category of car is very distinct and anything except a big truck is tossable and fun.<BR/><BR/>They tuned the physics so the resulting display is dramatic like the chase scene in Bullitt. (video)<BR/>http://tinyurl.com/3qqzjk<BR/><BR/>Watch that chase and tell me that GTA IV isn't like that (waits). From the skidding, the fishtailing, the smacking of parked cars, overshooting turns, to the traffic. Everything. There's no car game that recreates the feel of that video like GTA IV. None. <BR/><BR/>Indeed, I giggle like an idiot every time I pull off a perfect 180 or skid perfectly into a parking space. <BR/><BR/>I have no problems taking turns with a judicious use of the parking brake and the regular brakes. Using the regular brakes is lousy, but a few quick taps of the A button will kick the end around and I'm on my way.<BR/><BR/>The only thing I don't like about driving is the uncertainty over whether certain things are breakable. Oh, and the number of cops that randomly bang into me and set off another chase.<BR/><BR/>The bowling is awful, the pool "meh", and the darts is OK. You're not going to get much of a defense of that out of me. I think the inclusion is a great idea. The execution is sorely lacking.<BR/><BR/>"I feel guilty for doing the stuff the game requires me to do because the narrative is REALLY confused about what kind of guy Niko Bellic is."<BR/><BR/>I agree, with the caveat that it might be that his character was being developed as time went along and I wasn't paying attention. I'm about 30% of the way through the game (don't know how much of that is extra crap I've done or the Main Story) and I do like the Bellic that has developed. At first I didn't really understand him. To the extent one can "understand" a video game character, he makes a lot more sense to me now.<BR/><BR/>Nevertheless, the problem I have with all the GTA games is the fact that the main characters are such conflicted bad guys. Bad guys with good hearts, that I can't resolve the fact that one of the primary game mechanics is car jacking people. The person that you portray, generally, isn't a psychopath, but the ease and necessity of yanking people out of their cars is troubling.<BR/><BR/>And I won't drop any spoilers, but he seems to have no trouble getting involved in activities later (for the money) that he claimed to not want to get involved with earlier on. He is a liar, but I didn't think he was lying at that time. Well, who knows?<BR/><BR/>Sometimes I wonder if he's becoming a worse person as part of the story, but I just can't tell. At the point I'm at, it seems he'll do anything for money regardless of the rational for doing it. <BR/><BR/>At the beginning, he didn't want to get yanked around doing goofy shit for people. Now, the first thing he asks is if the money is good.<BR/><BR/>I don't mind the chores in the game like going on dates and such, but I do mind the fact it's either "in an hour" or never. There needs to be some flexibility in your responses.A_Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214186417771738691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3275337364422494842.post-85350267377068189372008-05-05T14:26:00.000-07:002008-05-05T14:26:00.000-07:00If you were to take the shooting controls in *this...If you were to take the shooting controls in *this* version of GTA and throw them in San Andreas (with the graphics of 4, of course), I think you'd have an *awesome* game.<BR/><BR/>I really like the world they've created and I like the times in the game where I *do* feel like an immigrant struggling in America. However, like you said, it seems like the narrative can't decide if he's a good guy in a bad place or a bad guy period.<BR/><BR/>It's strange - despite its flaws, I'm enjoying the game more than some of the previous games. Not that far into it, mind you, but I'm having a decent time. But, when looking at the game from the perspective that it is *supposed* to be a 10, it makes my brain hurt.hapacheesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08884807684781762684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3275337364422494842.post-81231406669459427002008-05-04T09:40:00.000-07:002008-05-04T09:40:00.000-07:00I totally agree. After a while you do get used to ...I totally agree. After a while you do get used to the cars more, but most chase scenes painful because you have the option of possibly not making the turn or slowing down to a crawl. Also, once I learned the taxi would move me around almost instantly I stopped driving around town because it was just too much of a pain.<BR/><BR/>It really worries me that most of the gaming press see this game as the peak of the medium so far. If something as fundamentally sloppy as GTA4 is the what designer should aspire to to get praise, gaming is not going to move forward at all.Sethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11287969762723092154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3275337364422494842.post-12591134249674437132008-05-03T07:03:00.000-07:002008-05-03T07:03:00.000-07:00I'm only about two hours in and so far I'm in the ...I'm only about two hours in and so far I'm in the same boat. Nothing too impressive yet (other than the quality of the world they have created). You're mention of Crackdown is perfect. I can't quite understand why someone can't make a sandbox style game of this quality with something other than the cheesy "realistic" gangster style. Give me a Blade Runner style game in this genre and I will be in love.Jeremyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169859294964366459noreply@blogger.com