Grand Theft Auto IV has the best driving physics of any open-world game, ever

Wow. I couldn't agree more. Nothing says "awesome driving physics" like IV. So much better than the physics of diving real cars, actually. I've driven a LOT of real cars and it's really hard to find that realistic feel of driving a Mississippi River sand barge in a road legal automobile.

So yeah. IV is a better driving experience than real life.
 
Agree with OP.

Rockstar are IMO the kings in physics. All their games are crazy good in that regard. Europria engine is awesome. Wonder why only a few games in total are using it.
 
Yeah. I kind of understand what you mean. I know some people don't like the car physics in GTA, but then what car exactly are you talking about?

The truth is, every car feels different in GTA, and that is why it is a lot more interesting to me. In Sleeping Dogs, the handling of each car doesn't feel all that different. I suppose in GTA what they did is exaggerate the handling of each car a little. What that does is give each car a distinct, noticeable difference.
 
I couldn't believe it when I first booted up GTAIV. The cars handle like shopping trollies made from depleted uranium.

I drive a car almost every day, and it sure as hell doesn't feel like that.
 
XANDER CAGE said:
I looooove the weighty physics of GTAIV. I guess I'm in the minority on that one, but I found it incredibly satisfying. The disappointing part of GTAIV is the mission design.
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yup, the driving was great and took some actual time and skill to master. I guess that's why many gamers didn't like it.
 
PaulloDEC said:
I couldn't believe it when I first booted up GTAIV. The cars handle like shopping trollies made from depleted uranium.

I drive a car almost every day, and it sure as hell doesn't feel like that.
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You drive your car like you are being chased by the cops everyday?
 
This thread got me thinking about some of the really great mods for gtaiv. Some of the custom cars and handling mods really extended the life of that game for me on PC. Probably my favorite was the McLaren F1
1338467102_zps8f4460fd.jpg


Fragile as glass, but so fun to drive.
 
GTAIV is great, but Driver San Fransisco is better, particularly for the feel of performance cars. You can hold drifts in a more realistic manner, and the suspension travel is less exaggerated.
 
Driving in GTAIV is one of the greatest gaming experiences i have had in recent times

it takes so much focus especially in a multiplayer race where you can see the noobs who dont know how to drive completely overshoot turns because they didnt use the brake
 
Setsuna said:
Driving in GTAIV is one of the greatest gaming experiences i have had in recent times

it takes so much focus especially in a multiplayer race where you can see the noobs who dont know how to drive completely overshoot turns because they didnt use the brake
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Or you're so busy trying to shoot someone in front you don't notice the turn.

GTA race is our go to Friday night fun. No other game has caused so much sheer laughter and entertainment. I hope V sticks to its guns.
 
The driving in Grand Theft Auto IV definitely took getting used too since I was used to that more responsive driving in the previous 3D Grand Theft Autos. The only thing now that bothers me is the camera tends to veer off more than I would like it to.

But yeah, the driving is pretty good and welcomed.
 
GTA4's Driving is nowhere NEAR sim level

It's like they forgot tires aren't made out of oil coated glass, and a car's suspension isn't looser than Megan's Foxhole

God help the motorcycle physics in that game

Just play with your toes and blindfolded if you want to 'have fun skillfully managing the car's physics and balance' or some artificial bullshit. It controls like shit, so just admit you like playing with Brown smelly defecation instead of trying to convince me 'it's actually Modeling Clay, it just takes a bit more skill to get it to do what you want'.
 
It's a good driving model. It's not realistic, but it requires some skill and finesse. It's better than the rocket-bricks in Saints Row or the earlier GTA games.
 
EvilKatarn said:
Funny guy. It's maybe most physics, not the best physics.

No car in any sane universe skids and slips around like the abominations in GTA IV.

Still, it's fun.
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no, the GTA IV driving physics aren't necessarily realistic, but driving in GTA is much much more fun than any other open world game. the driving in sleeping dogs is just gross, the cars feel magnetized to the road like slot cars.
 
Agreed with OP. Took some getting used to, coming off GTA: SA, but once you got it down, felt very realistic. A lot of people I know were turned off by the driving physics, killing the game for them, but I'm the opposite and still enjoy it. Hopefully, it continues in V.
 
Jim E. Rossler said:
GTA4's Driving is nowhere NEAR sim level

It's like they forgot tires aren't made out of oil coated glass, and a car's suspension isn't looser than Megan's Foxhole

God help the motorcycle physics in that game

Just play with your toes and blindfolded if you want to 'have fun skillfully managing the car's physics and balance' or some artificial bullshit. It controls like shit, so just admit you like playing with Brown smelly defecation instead of trying to convince me 'it's actually Modeling Clay, it just takes a bit more skill to get it to do what you want'.
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Nice rant.

However, the people saying it's sim-like are those that don't like the controls, not the other way around. It takes time to get used to, that's all. That's what makes it such a satisfying experience in the end. Also, bike controls were vastly improved in the expansion.
 
YES! I really liked how cars actually felt heavy, and also... Wobbly, most road going beige sedans and city cars/suvs have a really really soft and bland suspension setup, and theyre really wobbly IRL

Besides that, damage modelling and all the details, it added A LOT to the game IMO.
 
Make a game with a road layout in grids, give chase missions with perfectly scripted driving npcs who are also "invincible" (wtf I am playing gta here right?), and give you cars with severe under steer, braking, and body roll. Something something oscars, something something "serious game now" something something the end.

From the issue of Game Informer that was released yesterday, Rockstar stated that they will be vastly improving many mechanics in the game, such as driving, shooting, and melee combat to name a few. Describing the way driving will feel in “GTA 5,” Dan Houser states that “the cars hold to the ground a bit better. We thought they were big and boatlike in GTA IV, and we feel like it has really leaped forward because we're able to run a little more physics on them. There are not a lot of high level racing games out there at the moment, and that itch is going to be scratched by this game in a way maybe it hasn't been in previous GTAs.”
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Oh the realized that about 4 and are fixing it?

sweet! sign me up!

Now hopefully we have actual "Shit to do™" in the game, also with "Shit to spend money on™" and I can be proud to call myself a gta fan again.
 
The cars in GTA IV were heavy in a completely unrealistic way. Especially noticeable on the sedans

Even controlling Niko felt like maneuvering a bus
 
Lol @ people expecting GTAV's physics to be back to the old GTAs style of handling.
Yes in GTAIV they were boatlike, according to Houser, but he also says "we are able to run more physics on them", so they'll probably be even more nuanced and hard to master.


Which is amazing, imo... unless you want the turn 90° button like Saint's Row or Sleepy Dogs.
 
UrbanRats said:
Lol @ people expecting GTAV's physics to be back to the old GTAs style of handling.
Yes in GTAIV they were boatlike, according to Houser, but he also says "we are able to run more physics on them", so they'll probably be even more nuanced and hard to master.


Which is amazing, imo... unless you want the turn 90° button like Saint's Row or Sleepy Dogs.
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I dont expect that, I dont expect many sequels to games that were good in the past to be good in todays gaming landscape, AAAA budgets, focus groups, accountant ran game design.

If the cars are actually fun to drive, that will be nice, if not, Ill abuse the taxi system like in 4. 4 was a good taxi simulator at least.
 
ZombieSupaStar said:
I dont expect that, I dont expect many sequels to games that were good in the past to be good in todays gaming landscape, AAAA budgets, focus groups, accountant ran game design.

If the cars are actually fun to drive, that will be nice, if not, Ill abuse the taxi system like in 4. 4 was a good taxi simulator at least.
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Focus tests have nothing to do with the changes from San Andreas to GTA 4, R* was free to do as they pleased and instead of listening to the fans wanting them to simply 1up SA in content, they took a completely different route.
A smart move in the long run, imo, though GTA4 wasn't a good game in and out of itself.

But the question is: why would you buy and play a GTA, when you hate the driving, it being the central part of the gameplay?

Gravijah said:
Some GTA fan you are!
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Well most people became fans from GTA3, when the Housers took control.

I loved GTA 1, personally.
 
I'm with you MrOogieBoogie, the turn on a dime physics of Sleeping Dogs and the Saints Row games is the worst, I really dislike that style of driving physics. There's literally no such thing as suspension in those games.

Hopefully GTA V has the same vehicle physics with a few tweaks like less body roll, other than that IV is perfect.
 
UrbanRats said:
Focus tests have nothing to do with the changes from San Andreas to GTA 4, R* was free to do as they pleased and instead of listening to the fans wanting them to simply 1up SA in content, they took a completely different route.
A smart move in the long run, imo, though GTA4 wasn't a good game in and out of itself.

But the question is: why would you buy and play a GTA, when you hate the driving, it being the central part of the gameplay?



Well most people became fans from GTA3, when the Housers took control.

I loved GTA 1, personally.
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Because up until 4 (well 3, vc even though it was flat, and sa) had fun driving. 4 didn't to me, yes I beat it, but if you didn't like the driving in 4, well there wasn't much else to do except going on dates with cousin*.

I hope they got some of the people who worked on RDR on gta4, RDR >>>>> GTA4, Hell I'd rather ride a horse in gta5 if the driving is unchanged from 4.
 
ZombieSupaStar said:
Because up until 4 (well 3, vc even though it was flat, and sa) had fun driving. 4 didn't to me, yes I beat it, but if you didn't like the driving in 4, well there wasn't much else to do except going on dates with cousin*.

I hope they got some of the people who worked on RDR on gta4, RDR >>>>> GTA4, Hell I'd rather ride a horse in gta5 if the driving is unchanged from 4.
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See that's my point though.
Driving is the central gameplay element in GTA, if you don't like it, to the point of taking a cab to go everywhere, why play the game? Of course you're free to spend your time and money as you see fit, just an honest question.
 
GetemMa said:
they handled like shopping carts.

I don't care if the driving is realistic in GTA. That game has nothing to do with reality.

No reason to decrease the fun factor for the sake of making the driving "realistic"
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What the fuck is "fun factor"? Such a shitty, meaningless phrase.

"Fun factor" can mean anything. To me, and many others, it's derived from challenging gameplay. I have much more "fun" learning to drive in GTAIV than I do getting to my destinations essentially on-rails in other open-world games.

It's like how "fun" to me is playing on the highest difficulty. That's fun. I need to be challenged, because that's where the reward comes from.
 
UrbanRats said:
See that's my point though.
Driving is the central gameplay element in GTA, if you don't like it, to the point of taking a cab to go everywhere, why play the game? Of course you're free to spend your time and money as you see fit, just an honest question.
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Because I already bought the game? trust me I can probably count the number of times ive turned on gta4 since I beat it on one hand, and most of those were to fool around the mods on the pc version.


And I guess I'm just used to series I am a fan off taking a turn for the worse, See: Xcom, Fallout, Diablo, Shadowrun. So when the sequels end up shittier and shittier, I'm not terribly surprised.


edit: Ill check back in later, Im off to play Natural Selection 2 which is (shock) not as good as natural selection 1.
 
MrOogieBoogie said:
What the fuck is "fun factor"? Such a shitty, meaningless phrase.

"Fun factor" can mean anything. To me, and many others, it's derived from challenging gameplay. I have much more "fun" learning to drive in GTAIV than I do getting to my destinations essentially on-rails in other open-world games.

It's like how "fun" to me is playing on the highest difficulty. That's fun. I need to be challenged, because that's where the reward comes from.
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Exactly my POV too.

I found it fun learning and teaching myself how to drive the cars in game properly, how to turn effectively and what I can do to make sure I can drive well in game.


It didn't take long or sound as hard as I may make it sound, it was simple ocne you understand the basics and FORGET the logic of handing from other games and accept IV's handling is different.
Sure you might have to learn how to drive in game unlike other games were it's pick up and play but it's worth it since once you do this you REALLY get to appreciate the quality and amazing physics IV has ( same with M2)


The results were me winning many many online races, getting away from helis in MP free roam/ surviving heli attacks and getting away easily against people who try to shoot me.

It was very fun and rewarding.


IV physics are not all that realistic, they are just really in depth, from tyre lock, understeer and breaking properly/timing for breaking.
To me it was fun learning how each car handled, SD/SR or JC has like 50 to 100 vehicles yet all feel the exact same to me and the ability to turn tight angels at full speed is NOT fun or entertaining to me, it's cheap and lacks quality.
 
The Stig said:
sleeping dogs isnt driving. its piloting a tram.
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GTA4 is being the drunk captain relaying his orders via 1500ms Delay satellite feed to a drunk navigator who walks down the hall to the pilot to suggest he might want to turn left, but not too much as the pilot controls an under-steering top heavy hovercraft.
 
I agree with OP. The driving physics in GTAIV is the best IMO. All the other open world games feel like you are glued to the road. Especially in Saint Rows and Sleeping Dogs.
 
MrOogieBoogie said:
What the fuck is "fun factor"? Such a shitty, meaningless phrase.

"Fun factor" can mean anything. To me, and many others, it's derived from challenging gameplay. I have much more "fun" learning to drive in GTAIV than I do getting to my destinations essentially on-rails in other open-world games.

It's like how "fun" to me is playing on the highest difficulty. That's fun. I need to be challenged, because that's where the reward comes from.
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Fun factor is a subjective phrase, this thread alone shows that people enjoy different aspects of GTA in different ways.

Personally I don't want traversing a large map to be a challenge of its own, I drive around in GTA to either explore the city, get to missions, or ditch the cops. I understand that there are those who enjoyed the challenge of learning the vehicle physics in GTA. I did not because I felt that it hindered my ability to move around the city they way I wanted to. Saint's Row and a few other games added some fantastic additions, like adding shortcuts to your map, GPS markers to the road so you would not need to constantly look at the minimap, cruise control to make it easier to shoot and drive, etc, to assist with moving around the map.

They could add QWOP control for walking around to add to the challenge (I'm exaggerating here), but I believe that player movement shouldn't be a hindrance or require a large learning curve. The Saboteur for example requires players to climb buildings by slowly jumping from ledge to ledge. Assassin's Creed simplifies this movement. The Saboteur is the more challenging in terms of climbing, but I doubt anyone would consider it more rewarding.

You choosing higher difficulties in games isn't the same, because frankly while you enjoyed getting better at the driving, I never got any better at it, and the game never required my skills to be at a better level. I hope either the next game either requires players to get better at the driving, or goes to an arcade style, or somewhere in between.
 
I could understand the GTA IV hate, but it's even in discussion if it has the best driving physics of any open-world game? Sleeping Dogs what? It's just... so fake in everything. I like it, but come on, is not even comparable.
 
Driving is so fun in this game. It's honestly what keeps me coming back. If I have a few buddies over, we have so much fun just outrunning the cops and taking turns. Game's from 2007 too, it's pretty crazy to think about.

Driving is definitely a little boat-like, but to be honest, it hooked me. I never liked driving in previous GTA games. I also really liked how the common beige car with shit suspension that you see everywhere handles just like my uncle's shitty beige car.
 
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