Grand Theft Auto IV
By Tim Letteney
Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Publisher: Rockstar North
Developer: Rockstar Games
I have just returned from a middle of the week weekend. I took Tuesday and Wednesday off of work and drove my ass to Plymouth, MA to play GTA IV on my buddy's bigger than God screen. The set up was hugley in the game's favor. We had a 1080i HD projector, surround sound, no windows, rows of leather seats, cases of Sierra Nevada and Sammy Hagar's passable tequila. Capitilism baby, sign me up. I have played the game again (sober) on my 37 inch SD Sony just to balance off my take on the game. As you have read from countless reviews already the game is near flawless and worth about twice its asking price. So, I am going to focus on the flaws. These comments are based upon the 360 version of the game.
1. Pop in
There is in fact some pop-in when your car gets moving. It is nowhere near as bad as San Andreas's phantom foliage but it is noticeable and does detract from the immersion of the game.
2. Slow Down
The game is for the most part pretty smooth, but once multiple cars star exploding and peds are getting thrown around like rag dolls there is a noticeable slow down. For a game that has gained its notoriety for its mayhem it is a little irritating to have the experience marred by the equivalent of Max Paine bullet time.
3. Multiplayer Connection Issues
Both at my house and at my friend's we had some connection issues with Live. It took multiple attempts getting into a game and on more than one occasion we got stuck on the loading screen when going back to the single player. I found that bringing up your cell phone and loading a single player game works better than just quitting a multiplayer game. These issues are to be expected and I am sure they will be resolved.
4. Control
This is by far and away the best control scheme of any GTA game. The cover system is great and the free aim is solid. Issues arise if you rely on auto aim though. The auto aim function is just not smart enough to distinguish threat from non threat. If an NPC is walking down the street while you are in a gun fight with the cops, don't be surprised when your gun is all of a sudden tracking some little old lady. The easiest solution is of course, don't use auto aim. By lightening up on the left trigger Niko will go to a free aim mode making those cops yesterdays news and Ice Tea proud.
After three days, loads of tequila and two cases of Sierra Nevada's spectacular Summer Ale I have barley scratched the surface of this game. I will keep you posted if any other detractions pop up. This post is by no means a deterrent, just an alternative to the wildly positive reviews. I won't say that this is the best game in the past 10 years like some jokers, but it is a great game and worth every penny. Go buy it and for the love of God, take a break for two hours and go see Iron Man.
Review brought to you by [8bitreview.com]
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