-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
The Official Grand Theft Auto IV thread: The World Is Yours
- Thread starter U5230
- Start date
MaizeRage25
Member
Himuro said:
If it is there, it is nowhere near as bad as it used to be. I've only noticed it a couple of times.
Somehow I read this as "Bish hours in" and it amused me very much.EviLore said:
As for your impressions, um... wait for the PC version, I guess? I think it's a bit silly to be overly nitpicky about the quality of the graphics in this game when you consider how much it's doing. I mean, the only thing I have a serious problem with is the character models, the brightness (wayyy too dark by default) and maybe a little pop-in (360 version), and those are actually pretty good under these circumstances. Oh, also the flame effects could be better I guess, but again, nitpicky. Sure, the framerate could be a little bit better at times, but it's an easy sacrifice to make for having this much onscreen. I'm not knowledgeable enough about cars to be able to address your issues there, but I don't really see how things like the radio station having an awesome variety of content--obscure or not--is a legitimate complaint? I'm really happy they have so much variety, and the constant interruptions etc. actually improve the immersion; it means you don't just keep listening to the same channel. I know I'm just focusing on the negatives, but only because I feel they're mostly unjustified; the positives I agree with.
Xdrive05
Member
woodchuck said:
Also,
Everything's brand new in her apartment, she's always asking point questions about whether so and so is doing anything "criminal" or knows "criminals" "illegal" etc. She cares more to talk about that than the date itself.
I've only made it through a couple of them, so I don't know how that turns out. But it seems so suspicious it's almost obvious.
Imperial Hot
Banned
Here's my good word.
-The lighting is phenomenal. The way the whole setting changes based upon the time of day is pretty amazing. The cool green-blue tint in the mornings and the orange-red hue at sunset is gorgeous.
-Besides the dithering the shadows are pretty impressive. The sudden casting of shadows during lightning storms is impressive.
-The pop-in is barely noticeable, you have to be looking for it.(360 version)
-Euphoria animation and physics is the greatest thing known to mankind. The way the characters interact with the world is phenomenal and is what breathes life into the city.
-Speaking of the city, the artistry and texture work going into the city is crazy. Everything looks unique, and after about ten hours I know my way around Bohan without referring to my map based upon architecture.
-The cover and shooting mechanic is pretty slick. It took awhile to get used to RB as being my primary cover button it works pretty well when you get the hang of it. The gun-fights are on par with that of a dedicated TPS like Gears of War.
-The story has got me hooked. I really empathize for Niko and I really want to know what is going to happen next.
-Social interactions and dating is a lot more compelling than I thought. There were multiple times when I was given the option to advance the main mission but instead I decided to take a break by bringing Roman to the strip joint, Little Jacob to go drinking, or Michelle to a comedy club. I really enjoy spending time with my "friends".
....class is over I'll add another post with the rest of my impressions. I have been playing the Xbox 360 version and I am 25% through the game.
-The lighting is phenomenal. The way the whole setting changes based upon the time of day is pretty amazing. The cool green-blue tint in the mornings and the orange-red hue at sunset is gorgeous.
-Besides the dithering the shadows are pretty impressive. The sudden casting of shadows during lightning storms is impressive.
-The pop-in is barely noticeable, you have to be looking for it.(360 version)
-Euphoria animation and physics is the greatest thing known to mankind. The way the characters interact with the world is phenomenal and is what breathes life into the city.
-Speaking of the city, the artistry and texture work going into the city is crazy. Everything looks unique, and after about ten hours I know my way around Bohan without referring to my map based upon architecture.
-The cover and shooting mechanic is pretty slick. It took awhile to get used to RB as being my primary cover button it works pretty well when you get the hang of it. The gun-fights are on par with that of a dedicated TPS like Gears of War.
-The story has got me hooked. I really empathize for Niko and I really want to know what is going to happen next.
-Social interactions and dating is a lot more compelling than I thought. There were multiple times when I was given the option to advance the main mission but instead I decided to take a break by bringing Roman to the strip joint, Little Jacob to go drinking, or Michelle to a comedy club. I really enjoy spending time with my "friends".
....class is over I'll add another post with the rest of my impressions. I have been playing the Xbox 360 version and I am 25% through the game.
Xdrive05 said:
Yeah, she seems really shady. I was online in the game checking out the personals and found someone who was in the witness protection program. I haven't contacted the person, but after the odd questions she's been asking I figured that could be her, or she's just an informant. Just a guess though.
scissorfight
Banned
AirBrian said:
i couldn't find any consistent way to get strikes at full power. sweet spot seems to be about 18mph...so push back, small delay, push fwd. check your mph on the scoreboard and adjust accordingly. two steps left and a straight swing without any aftertouch should be a strike consistently.Smokey Bones said:
i could probably throw a perfect game after a few more tries but i have no desire to mess around with it anymore.
psycho_snake
I went to WAGs boutique and all I got was a sniff
Just been messing around for about an hour or so. Great stuff so far.
The physics is amazing. Its a huge improvement over the previous GTA games.
The physics is amazing. Its a huge improvement over the previous GTA games.
scissorfight said:
Cool I'll try that. I've been going after achievements since I woke up.
Cleaned the Mean Streets
Order Fulfilled
Courier Service
and I just got 'Walk Free' which is the one where you have to escape from the police with a 4 star rating. SHIT it was hard and took me a good 10 minutes. Their radius is huge, plus you've got a police helicopter on you as well. I will say it was fun though. You just can't run into a Pay n Spray like you used to. You've got to switch it up: take back alleys, run on foot etc. to try and lose them.
Powerslave
Banned
Judging by the various impressions I gathered from my journey over the net, I can safely say that this game is nothing more than a next-gen San Andreas with improved physics and a few gimmicks added. People talk more about the storyline/characters and the graphics than the game itself.
psycho_snake
I went to WAGs boutique and all I got was a sniff
Some of the stuff the people say in the game is great. I burst out laughing when you pick up roman and he says "nightclubs...women...TITTIES" :lol
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
Powerslave said:
When did storyline and graphics stop being part of a game?
Also, you haven't even played the game yet you are now some sort of expert on it?
Powerslave
Banned
dskillzhtown said:
I meant everything besides those two. Gameplay etc.
It's a valid concern, though. With limited RAM and a lot heavy compression (at least for the 360 version) and data constantly streaming off the disc, it's not really feasible to have high-quality textures and seamless character models on everything, at least not with such an open-ended game. Obviously the engine could have been optimized somewhat to improve the framerate, but at some point you run into the limitations of the hardware. Would you prefer better textures but frequent loading? Or a solid 30 fps but fewer buildings? More to the point, it didn't actually bother me all that much. Maybe it's because I'm mostly a Wii / pretty undemanding PC gamer, but if the framerate dips during a huge explosion I barely notice because I'm too busy running away. And I really haven't noticed many textures I would categorize as terrible; they're all more than good enough to not jolt me out of the game, which is the whole reason I'm playing--immersion. In any case, that wasn't all I was addressing. I still think your "music too obscure" thing was silly.EviLore said:
Powerslave said:
The phone adds much more to the game. Little things which make the game feel much more personal and alive. Like I was on a mission where I was supposed to kill this guy. I phoned one of the employers (who wasn't really agreeing with the killing) if I should go and finish the mission. He said to do what I felt best and left me with an option.
psycho_snake
I went to WAGs boutique and all I got was a sniff
Yeah I hope you can still do that too. Otherwise I'm never going to get used to the layout of the city.Himuro said:
JPBrowncoat
Member
Dammit. I skipped the phone conversation after (story spoiler)
by mistake by pulling out my weapon because I was being shot at. Anyone have a recap? I tried calling back but of course it goes straight to voicemail. :lol
killing Faustin
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
Powerslave said:
I don't understand what you mean. That was pretty much exactly what gta fans had been asking for. What's missing?
psycho_snake
I went to WAGs boutique and all I got was a sniff
The first time I try getting into a car, I get into a fight.
It was worth it though. When I got back into the car one of the guys that started the fight grabbed onto the car and wouldnt let go for ages.
It was worth it though. When I got back into the car one of the guys that started the fight grabbed onto the car and wouldnt let go for ages.
MaizeRage25
Member
JPBrowncoat said:
This does piss me off. After I had completed one missions I got a phone call and I was just walking around listening, until some asshole in a taxi cab ran into me and I immediately hung up. I tried calling back but the person didn't answer.
I am in near full agreement with what Evilore said. The graphics leave much to be desired. I'm not saying it looks bad, but the 10s for graphics are a big stretch.Sharp said:
The music is too obscure. I was pretty let down when I read what they were planning on having for radio stations. The radio stations in SA all had a purpose and were all very listenable. A lot of the music on this one feels tacked on and the stations have little identity.
So I try to carjack someone right in the middle of the street and I end up fighting her and kicking her ass. Just when I think the fighting is over two guys come out of no where and start to wail on me. Luckily I had my knife stabbed them both and took off in the ladies car. :lol
Patrick Bateman
Member
So, I typed in neogaf.com in the GTA4-browser and this is what came up:
:lol :lol
:lol :lol
Powerslave
Banned
Himuro said:
How about the part where they kept the awful friends/girlfriends mini-game? I personally thought that was something Rockstar tried and would dump afterwards because it's just very mediocre. Maybe they have improved it. But I don't think so. Building up relationships to use new features isn't a new thing, SA had that too.
And there are some other things that bother me. Like the fact that they still haven't implemented a god damned speed-meter. How hard can this be, Rockstar? Do we have to wait for GTA 8 for it to finally appear in the game?
I have also noticed that the camera is still very, very low behind the cars you drive. This has been the case since Vice City and San Andreas made it even worse. You have to tilt the camera up every few seconds with the right stick to see what the fuck is in front of you. I can't believe they think it is a good decision to put the cam low behind your vehicle. At least program the game so that you can 'lock' the camera with the R3 button or something. This is inexcusable. GTA3 didn't have this problem. Plenty of camera settings and you could see well ahead of you with most of them. They took a step back after that game regarding this.
It's just the whole "this game will be revolutionary" hype Rockstar always makes people believe, then churns out a little updated GTA game, again. Never gonna fall for GTA hype again. I think you have to skip a few of the future GTA's and then play GTA 7 or something to notice a big difference in overall things. It's annoying how Rockstar keeps taking little steps with each installment.
I've been playing for something like eight hours, and I've barely scratched the surface. Gun play is so much more fun in this game. The cover system works nicely, and I love the free-aim/lock-on system - it even feels slick with the PS3's non-triggers. Just taking pot-shots at members of the public is a joy - something I never really felt with the standard guns in a GTA game before.
I am surprised that there's so little to find throughout the city. There isn't a huge incentive to explore. I've stumbled upon some random firearms, but I'm sure I remember weapons being scattered around more liberally in previous games. Even a few more melee weapons in back alleys would be nice, or perhaps a couple of hundred more pigeons just so I see them more often.
The friendship system is awesome. The cellphone thing works perfectly, and the rewards I've gotten for being sociable are definitely worth the time. I wonder if they can be lost if your appeal rating goes down - anyone know?
Not experiencing any glitches on my 60GB PS3, so my only major complaint is the lack of a custom radio station. It's a bizarre omission, and including it would enhance the gameplay experience to no end. I remember Rockstar saying that it wouldn't fit the tone of the game, but we all know that's a shower of lies. Surely it's conceivable that Niko might have a CD of his own music? I'm more irritated because I don't care for many of the licensed tracks this time around. No big deal, my tastes are pretty narrow; and I did surprisingly well with GTA3 and VC. But with hard drives as standard, custom soundtracks should be programed into far more games - especially 'real world' games like GTA.
Overall though, I'm very impressed. The graphical flaws are mitigated by the art style as they were in previous GTA games, and the animation is almost flawless. Gunplay is far, far more fun now, and that really elevates the GTA experience to a new level.
I am surprised that there's so little to find throughout the city. There isn't a huge incentive to explore. I've stumbled upon some random firearms, but I'm sure I remember weapons being scattered around more liberally in previous games. Even a few more melee weapons in back alleys would be nice, or perhaps a couple of hundred more pigeons just so I see them more often.
The friendship system is awesome. The cellphone thing works perfectly, and the rewards I've gotten for being sociable are definitely worth the time. I wonder if they can be lost if your appeal rating goes down - anyone know?
Not experiencing any glitches on my 60GB PS3, so my only major complaint is the lack of a custom radio station. It's a bizarre omission, and including it would enhance the gameplay experience to no end. I remember Rockstar saying that it wouldn't fit the tone of the game, but we all know that's a shower of lies. Surely it's conceivable that Niko might have a CD of his own music? I'm more irritated because I don't care for many of the licensed tracks this time around. No big deal, my tastes are pretty narrow; and I did surprisingly well with GTA3 and VC. But with hard drives as standard, custom soundtracks should be programed into far more games - especially 'real world' games like GTA.
Overall though, I'm very impressed. The graphical flaws are mitigated by the art style as they were in previous GTA games, and the animation is almost flawless. Gunplay is far, far more fun now, and that really elevates the GTA experience to a new level.
Sharp said:
Reality is that the framerate is consistently low, objects in the distance are muddy, and everything is too soft & bloomy (latter point is probably gonna be specific to the PS3 version with its sub-HD res and softness filter crap hiding the jaggies). I am not sitting here debating what score to give the graphics for some review where I have to consider the scope of the game and the necessary concessions made to retain it. I made it clear that I think the scope of the game is *very* impressive, but at any given time, looking at the screen in front of me, there's a hell of a lot to complain about graphically, mostly in the image quality & framerate department.
*shrug*, that's not my main complaint about the soundtrack. I'm okay with exploring less mainstreamy music, and I get what they were going for since this is modern day, not a setting where it's easy to pack the soundtrack full of classics. I just don't seem to have much of an opportunity to with all the non-music crap thrown in between.
Dead Prince
Banned
well shit. after doing the mission for Vlad
I manage to finish that, Call up Vlad and stupid people ended up talking on the phone while IN the traffic. Pretty sure I got ran over by a green truck. :lol
awesome man. This is probably the ONLY GTA game where I actually do missions. past games I would just fool around and hit on hookers.
Taking the Car from what's his face
awesome man. This is probably the ONLY GTA game where I actually do missions. past games I would just fool around and hit on hookers.
scissorfight
Banned
i found a free armor pickup that should be helpful for the later missions. located here, near the circular drive with the bumper posts in the first island. it's next to a stairway.
The framerate really bugs the shit out of me. Crysis in DX9 "Very High" mode with full motion blur ran smoother at 720p on my PC. It's still smoother than Saints Row, but not by as much as I would have liked.
I quite like the appearance of the game, however. The soft & bloomy look is something I've always appreciated.
The framerate really has me wondering about the 360 version, however. I don't really want to bother swapping at this point (and my launch 360 may not even like it), but if the difference were dramatic, I would consider it. Then again, I've viewed a LOT of 360 footage and it really doesn't seem all that much smoother. Maybe just a bit, but the game is so variable that it's difficult to say.
I just want a PC version.
As for the soundtrack, I must admit, I think I'm enjoying the audio here more than I have in any other GTA game. I hated the 80s mix of Vice City (not a fan of 80s music, for the most part) and wasn't overly fond of the other games either. There is some really catchy and obscure shit in GTAIV that I'm loving, though. It's really strange and rather different from what I normally listen to, but I like it. The audio portion of the game is much more compelling overall (both the result of the radio itself as well as the 5.1 audio).
BobsRevenge
I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
Its a GTA game. Shouldn't have been expecting much dude. They've never been pretty.EviLore said:
IcebergSlim3000
Member
Goddamnit people start setting way points if your a fucking passenger already!
dskillzhtown
keep your strippers out of my American football
EviLore said:
I hear ya, especially on the music part. I was switching the stations last night and just about all of them were on a commercial or DJ talking. Maybe Rockstar decided to make the game more lifelike, but it is kind of hard to get a favorite station when they all are mostly people talking and not music.
As far as the graphics...I do keep finding myself trying to remember that "well, this is an entire city they are displaying with no load times". Last night an entire skyscraper popped up in front of my car while driving. It was a lil thing, but it was really jarring. The game looks good, but all the reviews had the graphics looking like 11 out of 10 when that is definitely not the case.
With that said, I am loving the game and wish I had an entire day to play the shit out of it.
dark10x: yeah, I eagerly anticipate running GTA IV in 1080p with AA/AF and maxed out detail and draw distance at 30+ fps. Probably doable with one of those upcoming nvidia teraflop cards as long as the PC port job doesn't suck.
RE: the current discussion, GTA IV is a huge step forward in many ways. It's not a mere incremental update to last gen's GTA titles at all. The driving, animation/physics, and shooting are all new from the ground up and vastly improved. The basic idea of the mission structure is the same, but with multiple paths and seamless integration of side elements (dating, chillin' with the bros, side jobs) via the cell phone and internet. The storyline this time is far more developed and knit into framework of the game.
RE: the current discussion, GTA IV is a huge step forward in many ways. It's not a mere incremental update to last gen's GTA titles at all. The driving, animation/physics, and shooting are all new from the ground up and vastly improved. The basic idea of the mission structure is the same, but with multiple paths and seamless integration of side elements (dating, chillin' with the bros, side jobs) via the cell phone and internet. The storyline this time is far more developed and knit into framework of the game.