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The Official Grand Theft Auto IV thread: The World Is Yours

F

flipswitch

Member
1UP have a PS3 preview of the game:
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3167410&p=37

We've finished Grand Theft Auto IV, and without spoiling our upcoming set of reviews in Electronic Gaming Monthly and here on 1UP, the game truly serves as a commencement ceremony for the series. While we wait for the slow passage of time between now and the game's release, here's a quick orientation for when it arrives:

* Niko Bellic has done some bad things. He's a drifting merchant marine lured to America by the promise of false dreams, which are inflated by his cousin Roman -- a man who is best described as "sketchy." It's a setup that's typical of the previous GTA games (ne'er-do-well arrives on the scene with grand plans, and crime ensues), but as Niko?s story unfolds, it does so in a manner that's considerably more focused and restrained than what we saw with Tommy Vercetti in Vice City or CJ from San Andreas. The script is penned by Rupert Humphries and Dan Houser, and rarely do they stray from their goals: believable and likable characters, a solid, traditional crime story, and the usual splash of irreverent social satire. It's the opposite of San Andreas' massive sprawl, in terms of both geographical landscape and plot ambitions.

* Rockstar are true masters of the videogame cut-scene: They're framed and blocked with proper film techniques and interesting camera angles, the animation is completely natural (never too slow, jerky, or overexaggerated), the voice acting is properly emotive, and they're just the right length.

* Like any good character-driven tale, there are twists and turns, deaths and betrayals...but in a first for the GTA series, there now are choices -- and they're significant ones at that. A big theme of the game is how Niko's free-agent approach to his work changes the balance of power in Liberty City's underworld. You'll be involved with the Irish, Puerto Ricans, Rastafarians, government agencies, and, of course, the ruling Italian crime families. You'll be doing something for one group to the detriment of another, and at certain points you're asked to make final allegiances that affect what missions you can select and how the story unfolds. And because the characters are so easy to get attached to, those decisions can be surprisingly difficult.

* Niko may be the main character, but Liberty City -- and the life it exudes -- is the star. Many new elements are at play that go beyond the usual pedestrian foot traffic and wisecracking radio DJs -- this time, it's a cross-referencing multimedia assault. Driving around the city, you might hear a radio spot for WEAZEL News mentioning that the bridges and tunnels remain closed due to a terror threat. During your first visit to an Internet café, The Liberty Tree's website has an actual story with more background info on the closures. Then you spot a banner ad at the bottom of the page for a social networking site called Craplist. Perusing the "women seeking men" listings, you find a post, reply to it, and set up a date for Thursday night. And while you're checking e-mail, your pal Brucie has located another car you can boost for him for a quick afternoon's work.

* The missions, characters, locations, Internet, radio, television, dating...everything bleeds into each other, and the new cellphone gives you a new sense of mobility and flexibility that bridges the game's story with the roaming, make-your-own-fun chaos that made GTA famous. Plus, if you're so inclined and not in any particular hurry, you can take a full-length real-time cab ride anywhere in the city while looking out the windows and listening to the cabbie's preferred radio station. You know, see the sights.

* You'll likely notice the same graphical "quirks" that the series has dealt with since the jump to 3D. The same filmlike, grainy framerate exists and usually holds steady, but it can momentarily dip when things get frantic. There's some long-distance graphical fade-in as well as some street-level hazards that appear only after you hit them. Traffic will be nonexistent one second, then three cars deep when you rotate the camera back around, and then completely disappear when your wanted level gets to two or three stars (which is oh-so-fun when you desperately need a getaway vehicle). But even these problems have been "upgraded" in a sense for GTA4: An artistic application of filters hides some of the uglier character models, there's more types of cars to choose from, and overall, the feel of the city trumps any of the shortcomings we're familiar with by now. But you'll be able to see that in the screenshots and eventual videos.

* As previously mentioned, GTA4's story is focused. So much so that you won't be seeing any amusing yet totally out of context missions like invading top-secret government alien research bases. There's a lot of driving, following, shooting, and evading as you do your freelance work around the city. But that's not to say there aren't climactic moments or centerpiece events -- they just seem a little more spaced out along the lengthy campaign. It'd be silly to call this more "realistic," but it's definitely more in line with the genre's representations in television and film.

* The oft-maligned mission structure, where death or capture at any point of the process means restarting from the beginning, is partially redeemed by the cellphone: You still have to start from the beginning of the mission, but now you can skip from jail or the hospital immediately to the starting point. And to help placate those with restart fatigue, Rockstar threw in some different character dialogue for the second try (if you have to try for a third time, your accomplices will suggest that you all be quiet and just listen to the radio until you get there). It's still frustrating to fail a mission in its final stages due to random traffic interference or lucky cops, but that just appears to be the nature of the open-world beast.

* And, oh yes, the shooting. Pulling the left trigger halfway on the 360 controller lets you aim a weapon freely, while a full pull locks on to the closest enemy or nonplayable character in your camera's view. It's still not perfect since there doesn't seem to be much of a priority system in place that determines what enemy poses the more imminent threat, but the bonus is the new cover system, which gives you enough time to settle down your shot and lock on to your intended target

* * *

Believe it or not, all of these notes barely scratch the surface.There's much, much more that can be said about GTA4 that you'll undoubtedly hear us and other outlets say as we get closer to (and even beyond) release. Be sure to monitor our coverage hub page for the most recent updates, participate on our message boards, and look forward to our review, videos, and podcast discussions in the coming days.

Oh, and make sure to set aside some time the week of April 29. You'll need it.
Click to expand...
 
P

painey

Member
im so glad the mods came to and let the official thread go up early, the 1 week before release nonsense for a game this big. 13 days, i've only been this excited for 4 games in my life.. Pokemon Blue, San Andreas, FF8 and now GTA4.
 
C

Chrange

Banned
Saw a preview on AICN that said there's no local multiplayer - anyone know if that just means split-screen, or are my LAN play dreams crushed?
 
T

Tr4nce

Member
Wow, you already started one! Great job, Himuro. By the way, I thought that this thread title would be slightly better: 'The Official GTA IV Thread of Drunk Driving!'

But that's just my 2 cents!
 
X

XenonOxide

Member
Whoa 100 hours of game time in the single player! Thats great, it might actually be Better Than Life :D

I'm glad I pre-ordered my copy now.
 
T

Tr4nce

Member
Wow, in that new TV Ad I thought I saw something which looked like a prison riot or something, right in the beginning. That TV Ad is awesome, look at the lighting when Niko walks by that church (?) and feel the atmosphere when he walks by that firetruck. I can not wait 2 more weeks! Oh well, this thread should keep me busy until then!
 
Yoshichan

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
It BEGIIIIIIIINS :D
 
M

mileS

Member
Himuro said:
Ditto. This is apart of the reason I can't get into Crackdown or Saints Row much. The whole entire city is open from the get go and it's so overwhelming.
Click to expand...

I had that same problem with Oblivion :lol

I really enjoy the way it works in GTA games.
 
I

industrian

will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
I preordered mines from Amazon USA last night. Special Edition PS3 version with the exclusive license plate. $89.99. Significantly cheaper than the UK/EU version due to lack of VAT.

I've not followed GTA4 whatsoever, so I know very little about it (well, I've seen the trailers and read a few old previews), but I figure it's a GTA game so it'll give me value for money. Plus it's a Scottish developer so I've got to do my part for the boys up in Edinburgh.
 
J

Jel0man

Junior Member
OPM UK has also given the game a 10.

GTA IV is richer, deeper and more involving than it's predecessors. By the time the story threads start to to tie up, the mission trees finally shaken out, you're totally invested in the characters and their world. I'm actually jealous of everyone about to experience it for the first time. The greatest testament to GTA IV's brilliance is that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since putting the pad down. I miss hearing from the characters. I miss the spinning plates feeling of trying to keep them all happy. More than anything I miss driving out on another fool's errand, knowing with absolute certainty that betrayal and bullets are waiting at the objective marker. Tune the radio to The Journey, gun the Infernus, and let's go...
Click to expand...

Radio stations and sample songs:

We Know The Truth (WKTT) / Genre: Right wing talk radio
Radio Broker / Genre: Alternative Rock / Sample: Get Innocuous - LCD Soundsystem
San Juan Sounds / Genre: Latin
Integrity 2.0 / Genre: Speech / DJ: Lazio
Tuff Gong Radio / Genre: Reggae/Dub / Sample: Rebel Music - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Liberty City Hardcore (L.C.H.C) / Genre: Punk/Hardcore / Sample: Right Brigade - Bad Brains
Electro Choc / Genre: Dance / Sample: Tits & Acid - Simian Mobile Disco
Liberty Rock Radio 97.8 / Genre: Classic Rock / Sample: Turn You Inside Out - R.E.M.
Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 / Genre: Dance Hall
The Vibe 98.8 / Genre: Soul/R'n'B / Sample: Criticise - Alexander O'Neal
International Funk (IF99) / Genre: Funk / Sample: Galaxy - War
PLR - Public Liberty Radio / Genre: Call-in speech
The Classics 104.1 / Genre: Old-skool hip-hop
The Beat 102.7 / Genre: Contemporary hip-hop / Sample: War Is Necessary - Nas
Jazz Nation Radio 108.5 / Genre: Jazz / Sample: Move - Miles Davis
K109 The Studio / Genre: Disco
Fusion FM / Sample In The Hole - Roy Ayers
Vladivostok FM / Genre: Eastern
The Journey / Genre: Ambient/Chillout / Sample: Oxygene - Jean Michel Jarre
 
N

N.A

Banned
Getting OPM scans now, will post any new info.

'Press O to try your luck press X to say goodnight' :lol
'Features a working subway, you can even run down the tunnels dodging the trains'
Comedy club spoiler:
discover a household name performing on stage
Main story missions: About 40 hours.
'If you're looking for a single feature that makes GTA IV special, it's the phone'
Controller vibration mimics phone vibration.
You can ring anyone at any time, though they won't always be in.
A few days after I killed one of Niko's bosses I called his number to see what would happen and found an answer machine message form his grieving wife.
You can jump back to the start of failed missions by just hitting 'Yes'.

On the controls:
'Anyone who has played Uncharted will feel at home immediately.'
You can blind fire with any weapon except the sniper'

What you do in GTA IV:
5% - Pinwheeling through the air after flying off a speeding bike
20% - Flicking between The Journey, Integrity 2.0 and Radio Broker.
33% - Weeping tears of relief that the combat system really does work.
3% - Debating which of the three levels of service to pay the hooker for. Going Deluxe.
18% - Waiting to steal a Turismo because you won't be seen in anything less.
21% Making excuses over gunfire why you can't go bowling right now.
 
T

Tr4nce

Member
N.A said:
Getting OPM scans now, will post any new info.

'Press O to try your luck press X to say goodnight' :lol
'Features a working subway, you can even run down the tunnels dodging the trains'
Click to expand...


Is that when you get arrested??:lol
 
P

Psychotext

Member
I wasn't hyped at all when I first heard about the game (I didn't rate San Andreas) but it's been building slowly and it's caused me to work some pretty long hours so I can have a little spare time to play it! :D
 
8

8bit

Knows the Score
Radio Station list from PSM :

* We Know The Truth (Talk)
* Radio Broker (Alternative Rock)
* San Juan Sounds (Latin)
* Integrity 2.0 (Talk featuring Lazlow)
* Tuff Gong Radio (Reggae)
* Liberty City Hardcore (Punk/Hardcore)
* Electro Choc (Dance)
* Liberty City Rock Radio 97.8 (Classic Rock)
* Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 (Dance hall)
* International Funk IF99 (Funk)
* Public Liberty Radio (Phone in speech)
* The Classics 104.1 (Old school Hip hop)
* Jazz Nation Radio 108.5 (Jazz)
* K108 The Studio (Disco)
* Fusion FM (Soul)
* Vladivostok FM (Eastern European)
* The Journey (Ambient/Chillout)

* Vibe FM (Soul)
* The Beat (Contemporary Hip Hop)

Hmm, maybe one missing?

edit, updated now, one too many. Also, Yay for Simian Mobile Disco. Electro Choc is going to be awesome.
 
D

DrXym

Member
Traffic will be nonexistent one second, then three cars deep when you rotate the camera back around, and then completely disappear when your wanted level gets to two or three stars (which is oh-so-fun when you desperately need a getaway vehicle).
Click to expand...

I utterly fucking despise that behaviour in GTA. It's somewhat understandable in the PS2 or PSP due to system constraints. It sure as hell isn't on the PC, 360 or PS3. Twirling the camera should not cause things to respawn around you.
 
T

Tr4nce

Member
Well that radio list doesn't get my hopes up too high, but I'm happy there is a
Ambient/ChillOut
radio station! Awesome!! By the way, I hope that the
Electro station doesn't only play electro, but also Trance and House and stuff :D
.
 
MMaRsu

MMaRsu

Member
8bit said:
Radio Station list from PSM :

* We Know The Truth (Talk)
* Radio Broker (Alternative Rock)
* San Juan Sounds (Latin)
* Integrity 2.0 (Talk featuring Lazlow)
* Tuff Gong Radio (Reggae)
* Liberty City Hardcore (Punk/Hardcore)
* Electro Choc (Dance)
* Liberty City Rock Radio 97.8 (Classic Rock)
* Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 (Dance hall)
* International Funk IF99 (Funk)
* Public Liberty Radio (Phone in speech)
* The Classics 104.1 (Old school Hip hop)
* Jazz Nation Radio 108.5 (Jazz)
* K108 The Studio (Disco)
* Fusion FM (Soul)
* Vladivostok FM (Eastern European)
* The Journey (Ambient/Chillout)

Hmm, maybe one missing?
Click to expand...

R&B station?

Also finally a official thread! I've been waiting forever...the new ad is great, gonna check the OPM review in a bit..just 13 more days woohoo!
 
A

Anasui Kishibe

Banned
this will be my first GTA.
I kinda played the others, but never really got into it. When I looked at some of the features in the official site the humor blew me away. The satire in this game is going to be one helluva fun.
From the dating service to the small trailers, to the stunning radios, to the gossip news..I think I'm going in for a real treat here

I'm obviously not going to play it for the humor alone, but it's nice to know it's here, it's consistent and it's great quality.
 
I

Illuminati

Member
Where is this "multiplayer thread" the OP is referring to? I just want to know if players can drop in and out of games mid-game.
 
A

AniHawk

Member
Hard to believe it's been four years since the last GTA. Really looking forward to this.

This has got to be the biggest April in video game history. ...Or at least the last decade.
 
B

Bossman

Member
Multiplayer is going to be awesome. Just imagine playing Team Mafiya Work with four teams of four players and you all try to steal the same armoured van for your team and drive it back to a safe location.
 
8

8bit

Knows the Score
Radio stuff updated a bit.

WKTT - Right Wing Talk Radio
San Juan Sounds - Latin
Integrity 2.0 - Talk Radio (e.g. Lazlow)
LCHC (Liberty City Hardcore) - Punk/Hardcore (e.g. Bad Brains - Right Brigade)
Liberty Rock Radio - Classic Rock (e.g. REM - Turn You Inside Out)
The Vibe - Soul/R'n'B (e.g. Alexander O'Neal - Criticise)
PLR (Public Liberty Radio) - Talk Radio (Call-in)
The Classics - Old School Hip-Hop
Jazz Nation Radio - Jazz (e.g. Miles Davis - Move)
Vladivostok FM - Eastern European Radio
Radio Broker - Alt Rock (e.g. LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous)
Tuff Gong - Reggae/Dub (e.g. Bob Marley - Rebel Music)
Electro Choc - Dance (e.g. Simian Mobile Disco - Tits & Acid)
Massive B - Dancehall
International Funk - Funk (e.g. War - Galaxy)
The Beat - Contemporary Hip-Hop (e.g. Nas - War is Necessary)
The Studio - Disco (DJ Karl)
Fusion FM - Fusion? (e.g. Roy Ayers - Funk In The Hole)
The Journey - Ambient/Chillout (e.g. Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene)

BTW, DJ Karl is Karl Lagerfeld. François K is François Kevorkian, who is active in modern music with that moniker.
 
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