Grand Theft Auto Grieving Thread - Yep, I've been drinkin' again...

[Syaoran Li]

One thing I really like about IV is how nuanced it is, compared to nearly every other Rockstar game. RDR2 had rather good character and (sometimes) thematic writing, but fell flat in regards to social and political writing. GTA IV, on the other hand, already starts off with funnier political satire. Then, the main thematic element is definitely the American dream and immigration. You'd expect the story to go full on "America isn't any better than Serbia and Niko is completely innocent", but it instead examines whether Niko contributes to his circumstance in any capacity. He didn't like working at the taxi company at all, and he felt a compulsive need to be violent (a very obvious commentary on the player), so he kept pushing situations further and further past the several points he could have willingly stopped. Then, after the game ends on a rather nasty note and scrutinizes the typical "rise to the top" GTA story, it still heavily implies that Niko can still put this all behind him and accept a decent lot in life. It's shockingly good writing on Rockstar's part, and the only game that comes close is the best parts of Max Payne 3.

The saddest part about Grand Theft Auto IV is that it had the best writing of any GTA game but the game itself overall kind of sucked outside of the story and writing. The driving mechanics especially sucked ass and there wasn't much to do outside of the story missions. Weapon and clothing choices were also extremely limited.

Don't get me wrong, GTA IV is good but it's also a game of extremes. It has the best story and writing in the series hands down, but in terms of gameplay, it's one of the weakest in the series, especially since San Andreas was so massive and detailed by comparison and even Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories seemed more fun and complete than IV did at times.

That's part of why it's sorta controversial within the GTA fandom and why "IV vs. San Andreas" threads were such a big deal on places like GTA Forums up until GTA V came out.

 

[HeyYou]

The driving mechanics especially sucked ass and there wasn't much to do outside of the story missions.

I loved the driving mechanics, and I think you're missing some of the really fun things you could do. There was the dating minigame, stunt jumps, random characters, finding cars, exotic exports, the last game before V to have vigilante missions, races, hanging out with friends, the arcade game, assassinations and drug running. And the shooting mechanics are definitely my favorite in the series, even though it did lack some iconic weapons. Really, the biggest flaw I have is that they removed some iconic vehicles and vehicle types.

 

[Syaoran Li]

I loved the driving mechanics, and I think you're missing some of the really fun things you could do. There was the dating minigame, stunt jumps, random characters, finding cars, exotic exports, the last game before V to have vigilante missions, races, hanging out with friends, the arcade game, assassinations and drug running. And the shooting mechanics are definitely my favorite in the series, even though it did lack some iconic weapons. Really, the biggest flaw I have is that they removed some iconic vehicles and vehicle types.

I hated the dating minigame and the hanging out with friends (mainly because of the annoying cell phone calls) and most of the really good side missions in IV came with the two DLC's.

I never understood how anyone could like the driving mechanics of IV, especially with the very sensitive ragdoll physics that the game had. I'll grant you the shooting mechanics were pretty awesome in IV.

 

[Cod of War]

Slightly off topic, but has anybody preordered GTA IV (or any GTA) for launch?

I remember trading in some games and having somebody wait out for me for GTA IV. Line was long I heard.

I did but it wasn't a huge event where I went. There were like 30 people there and the first person in line wasn't allowed to show off the game. Good thing was the store was inside a mall so we weren't stuck outside.

 

[TANK JESUS]

rockstar for some fuck all reason tries to cater to griefers like me
game kinda sucky when you have a sniper rifle that shoots explosive rounds

 

[TrippinKahlua]

>Music Station

My favorite station for GTA V is the pop station with Cara Delevinge. I can play that one on a loop and not get bored of it. The 90's hip hop station is good as well because they picked some great old rap songs from that time to listen to. I haven't played San Andreas yet, but I really want to hear the music from that one since the 90's songs got me interested in it.

I used to enjoy some of the talk stations on GTA 3 although I can't remember what those ones were. The Vice game had some hilarious talk stations as well.

I love it when Cara puts on Tell it to my Heart.

 

[The Last Stand]

That's part of why it's sorta controversial within the GTA fandom and why "IV vs. San Andreas" threads were such a big deal on places like GTA Forums up until GTA V came out.

I may be in the minority, but I prefer IV over San Andreas.

San Andreas set the foundation for IV and V for what open world games can achieve: big open world, customization, activities, relatable protagonist. IV took what San Andreas brought to the table and refined it. San Andreas's free aim shooting was improved with the cover system. The dating system was more nuanced and rewarding. Its story was more grounded into reality.

Less is more, the city was varied enough with character and satire in almost every aspect. The DLCs helped introduced 3D era gameplay with IV's serious tone. Gang wars came back with Lost and Damned. Silliness came back with Yusuf Amir and The Ballad of Gay Tony. The weapons were fun to cause mayhem with.

San Andreas did not age well with gameplay. Yes, there were a lot of activities but most of them barely provided replayability. Some were just filler.

 

[The Last Stand]

Bumping this thread.

Based on Gtaman's recent video, there may be a Casino Heist DLC for GTA Online.

As a jumping off point, do any of you watch GTA Youtubers? Gtamen and Vadim M are my favorites, informative unlike MrBossFTW or LispyJimmy.

 

[HeyYou]

Bumping this thread.

Based on Gtaman's recent video, there may be a Casino Heist DLC for GTA Online.

As a jumping off point, do any of you watch GTA Youtubers? Gtamen and Vadim M are my favorites, informative unlike MrBossFTW or LispyJimmy.

Only one I watch(ed) is that GTA V speedrunner who talks about the glitches involved. DarkViperAU, I think.

 

[The Last Stand]

Only one I watch(ed) is that GTA V speedrunner who talks about the glitches involved. DarkViperAU, I think.

I watched a couple of his streams from YouTube; he's very well versed in GTA V. His 100% runs help with completionists. Not to mention he's very entertaining with his accent and commentary of how GTA V works from a speedrun perspective. He literally breaks the game to make it work for him.

Hugo One is a personal favorite of mine. He's also a GTA speedrunner, but mainly does GTA 3D era games. His Twitch interactions make me laugh; his Cheat runs always make for good salty fun. Would you believe he's in his 30s? He sounds so young. He makes San Andreas look like a cake walk, I still can't believe he can do 20 hours worth of 100% for that game.

 

[Vault Boy]

Based on Gtaman's recent video, there may be a Casino Heist DLC for GTA Online.

Gee, that would've made for some decent DLC content for single player, imagine all the new vehicles and minigames that could've helped flesh the campaign out. If only Rockstar hadn't turned a cold shoulder towards us lowly campaign fans and catered solely to Online...

Yep, six years later and I'm still bitter. I know it isn't fair on the game itself, but all this does is sour my view on the whole thing.

 

[TANK JESUS]

Bumping this thread.

Based on Gtaman's recent video, there may be a Casino Heist DLC for GTA Online.

As a jumping off point, do any of you watch GTA Youtubers? Gtamen and Vadim M are my favorites, informative unlike MrBossFTW or LispyJimmy.

whatever57010 and darkviper. whatever makes some interesting videos about gta games in general and points out oddities and errors and other cool shit

 

[The Last Stand]

Vadim M offers great beta informative pieces on the GTA series. Differences from ports, leftover assets unused from development, even analysis about their coverage.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

I love it when Cara puts on Tell it to my Heart.

Omfg taylor dayne is in it?!

I only played on 360 and beat it but got the ps4 one on sale. Just finished franklins first mission. Lotta new songs. Heard one by Kylie Minogue and the Take That guy.

What other things are new?

 

[The Last Stand]

What other things are new?

The current-gen & PC ports of GTA V have a first person view option, increased player count to 30 for GTA Online, an extra mosaic side mission for Micheal and more updates for the GTA Online mode.

The first-person camera option is more than just interior view. It's new animations, detailed dashboards and interiors for vehicles, revamped controls for the new view, and customization between first and third person perspective. You use the SELECT option on PS4 to switch to first person view.

Say you like it for driving, but not on foot tranversal, you could change the settings for it in the options menu to be able to switch automatically. And vice versa.

Using first person view for driving and walking feels immersive, although the view is limited compared to third person. Shooting feels more natural and precise in first person, having the option to switch to third person for cover is very useful. I play FPS, so it's not too different from that control wise. Aiming is a bit slower, and auto aim is very snappy.

 

[TrippinKahlua]

Omfg taylor dayne is in it?!

I only played on 360 and beat it but got the ps4 one on sale. Just finished franklins first mission. Lotta new songs. Heard one by Kylie Minogue and the Take That guy.

What other things are new?

The Ps3 and 360 versions dont have it. The next gen updates added a lot more songs. I had the game for 360. Back then, the only thing I had to jam was Stevie Nicks' - I Cant Wait.

 

[Billy "the Bot" Bobson]

I was going to post about how GTA IV is the best GTA, but it seems everyone else has beat me to it. San Andreas and V are over-rated; SA is a bit dull despite it's good combination of satire, fun, and sincerity. I think the 3d era has the best balance between these three elements. V is way too over the top and up its own ass in satire. Of the 3d era games, I love Vice City the most. I think it has to do with the Main Character being a truly sociopathic yet charismatic asshole and completely embracing it. Overall, when I think GTA, I think IV. A lot of people deride how "gritty" it is, but GTA games have always been cinematic love-letters to the era and genre they focus on, and nothing encapsulates late 2000's crime-thrillers more than "grittiness".

To shift gears completely; RDR 1 is a far more coherent and enjoyable game than RDR 2. John is far more interesting and likable than Arthur. The general style of the game is more coherent as well. Something about the character designs is wrong. Everyone's just a little too well put together and colorful. I'm not opposed to the occasional dapper gentleman, but it seems like there was an overabundanace of it. Maybe it's not everyone, but it's specifically Dutch and Javier that stick out as being incredibly out of place for who they are, where they came from, and what they do. Javier is "too cool", I much prefer his appearance in RDR 1 where he's as much a dirtbag as John and Bill. Dutch being so overly ostentatious doesn't sit right with me. I get that it's meant to be a revelation of his true character, but RDR 1 does it so much better by having him use a Semi-Auto Pistol rather than a Revolver. Honestly, I never really thought it would be interesting to see John's origins. It'd have been better to have just shifted to a different story altogether, or just do a Redux of RDR. Take the good parts of RDR 2 (the horse handling, the miscellaneous interactions, etc.) and the good parts of RDR 1 (story and gun-handling) and you'd have an amazing game.

Or they could just remake Red Dead Revolver in all of it's campy glory.

 

[TrippinKahlua]

I couldn't get far in GTAIV. I didnt like Roman to begin with, and I guess fool me for having GTA:SA as my first GTA game since it spoilt me with all the open space areas, Bigfoot mysteries and even entering water safely

(This may sound a bit racist, but it's ironic how CJ can swim, being a black man, but no one else except the GTAV cast can)

 

[BigTimeSamurai]

Why is Hit & Run not included in the list? It is objectively better than any of these other games.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

I couldn't get far in GTAIV. I didnt like Roman to begin with, and I guess fool me for having GTA:SA as my first GTA game since it spoilt me with all the open space areas, Bigfoot mysteries and even entering water safely

(This may sound a bit racist, but it's ironic how CJ can swim, being a black man, but no one else except the GTAV cast can)

Wow, I never thought about that. And yes, it's racist, but completely correct.

I had this experience once at a camp (not a summer camp, but like a week-retreat thing for some school club) and there were a TON of Blacks there, because apparently inner city schools did this club a lot.

They went canoeing one day, and while all the White kids went out and had a ball canoeing and deliberately flipping their canoes, the Blacks hung around the shorelines, really nervous.

Because God is ashamed of my racism and wanted to teach me a lesson, I ended up getting stuck with a Black guy and girl in a canoe. They weren't having a bad time, but they were nervous/chattery the whole time.

Blacks really can't swim. They're scared of water. It's a consequence of most of them growing up in poor urban neighborhoods where they don't have access to swimming pools. Give it a few generations, and an economic cause like that becomes a cultural trait, even long after the economic reason has gone away.