Dan Ackerman | Apr 30, 2008
If you're reading this, there's a good chance you're very interested in a video game that' just been released called
Grand Theft Auto IV (actually something like the eighth game in the series, depending on how you count).
We previously
tried the game out a couple of times while it was still in development, and now that we've had a chance to give the final shipping version a serious run-through over this past weekend, here are our initial thoughts on the final game's pluses and minuses.
Grand Theft Awesome:
The main attraction is the city itself, and it's beautifully rendered and
full of activity. The game's random characters occasionally get involved in
amusing bits of action--we saw a pedestrian get hit by a car, and a minute
later, an ambulance pulled up and a paramedic got out (he just stood around
after that, but it was still impressive).
The game starts out slowly, giving you a chance to get comfortable with the
environment and controls, and giving the story and characters a chance to
breathe.
The on-foot segments of the game no longer feel tacked on. A decent
targeting system and the ability to take cover behind objects is a huge plus and
makes shootouts fun instead of frustrating.
The dialog and voice acting are about as good as you'll find in a video
game, and long, talky scenes give the characters a chance to develop.
Multiplayer is not as an integral part of the game as it was to Halo
3 or Call of Duty 4, but the ability to play various multiplayer
modes online over the entire city map is great.
The in-game radio stations are still a big highlight, and we loved that the
on-air DJs include cult figures such as Roy Ayers and Femi Kuti.
Grand Theft Annoying:
Main characters like Niko Bellic and his cousin Roman look great, but many
of the secondary characters are sometimes ugly, looking a bit like clunky PS2
holdovers.
The camera still has a little trouble with tight, indoor spaces, making
navigation difficult.
Some of the cars are especially hard to control, and using the handbrake to
pull off hairpin turns is more difficult than in previous GTA games.
We wouldn't play most of the mini-games, such as bowling and darts, more
than once or twice, and activities like shopping for clothes have an awkward
interface, making it a chore to try on different looks.
One area that hasn't really been updated is the save system. Missions can be
long and complicated, and often require split-second timing, so not having a
more modern save-anywhere system can turn off mainstream and casual gamers (or
anyone who only has 15 to 20 minutes at a stretch to play).
Via
Crave CNET
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