The official Grand Theft Auto 4 GAMEPLAY thread.

[Kestastrophe]

i'll try that.  the cell phone looks terrible and i have to guess sometimes what i'm choosing on it.

You can change the size of the text on the phone.

[GilloD]

so i poped in saints row just for the hell of it and its amazing/sad how much better it plays than gta4

Jesus christ, Calcifer. Make a fucking real post or go post somewhere else. Do you just fuck around all day? I don't get it. Just. Give me some content for christ's sake.

Anyway- Mups, I didn't co-op it. I suspect I would have had a better time, but gaming is really a solo pursuit 90% of the time for me. As for the cellphone, I pumped the brightness and contrast a smack and I haven't had a problem.

[Mupepe]

i'll try that.  the cell phone looks terrible and i have to guess sometimes what i'm choosing on it.

You can change the size of the text on the phone.

where?

you never answered if you want to go on that date 

[AdmiralViscen]

i'll try that.  the cell phone looks terrible and i have to guess sometimes what i'm choosing on it.

You can change the size of the text on the phone.

Oh shit you can? That'd be great.


I really can't wait to get out of class and pop the game in again. I actually look forward to unlocking new places to visit and meeting new people. They really took that aspect of SA to the next level. I just hope that the goofy ass driving doesn't suck the fun out of the later missions, so I can actually finish the game. I'm already getting used to it but it's just not FUN to bop around the city - and wasn't that the whole basis of enjoyment of the PS2 games? Or at least GTA3.

[Mupepe]

i'll try that.  the cell phone looks terrible and i have to guess sometimes what i'm choosing on it.

You can change the size of the text on the phone.

Oh shit you can? That'd be great.


I really can't wait to get out of class and pop the game in again. I actually look forward to unlocking new places to visit and meeting new people. They really took that aspect of SA to the next level. I just hope that the goofy ass driving doesn't suck the fun out of the later missions, so I can actually finish the game. I'm already getting used to it but it's just not FUN to bop around the city - and wasn't that the whole basis of enjoyment of the PS2 games? Or at least GTA3.

seriously!  The driving makes it so difficult to just speed around down dodging cars and running from the po-po.  that's what pisses me off about the driving the most.

but i will give it this, i've never done this many consecutive missions without going on a killing spree. 

[AdmiralViscen]

Same here.

I don't have much problem getting away from the cops, but I don't have fun doing it.

I can get why they went for the cinematic focus on character interaction, plot, graphics, etc. but they really didn't need to carry that to basic things like running and driving. But then the driving isn't even realistic because you get the same antigravity bumper cars bullshit when you tap some shit. The running is probably even worse than the driving, actually.

[Kestastrophe]

In your phone, go to options > text size > large 


Also, I have to say that getting away from the cops is easier that in Saints Row, at least with only 1 or 2 stars. Once there are helos on you though, it is about impossible. And they nerfed Pay N Spray, so if a cop sees you enter, it doesn't reduce your wanted level.

[Mupepe]

In your phone, go to options > text size > large 


Also, I have to say that getting away from the cops is easier that in Saints Row, at least with only 1 or 2 stars. Once there are helos on you though, it is about impossible. And they nerfed Pay N Spray, so if a cop sees you enter, it doesn't reduce your wanted level.

i haven't even tried the pay n spray yet.  only on that mission.  and yeah, it's easy as hell to get away.  Just don't shoot a cop because that's like automatic 3 stars.  You're fucked after that :'(

thanks for the info

[tiesto]

still, gta4>>>>>>>>>>>>>gta3, gta:vc, gta:sa

I still think the original GTA3 is the best, due to the whole novelty factor of it... when it came out, there really wasn't anything else like it on the market, and it was much easier to overlook its flaws. GTA4 I guess I like better than VC and most definitely SA, from what little I've played.

[Don Flamenco]

Just avoid as much driving as possible by riding taxis, you can even ride them during missions

can you ride them in missions where you have to ram someone off the road, because i chased that old fuck for ten minutes only to nick a pump at the gas station and immolate myself

Nah, unfortunately you gotta deal with thie shitty controls

Kafka, why do you plug your ears? You act like we are the only ones who notice this.

okay, I'll give up. 


Hell, I'll even contribute something to bitch about that annoys me-- something about the game's graphics and color palette is off.  I think the draw distance blur is cool, but too strong--like everything a mile ahead of you has been glomped in vasoline. 
The color's are odd sometimes...when the lighting is at a certain level everything looks pastel-ish.

[demi]

In your phone, go to options > text size > large 


Also, I have to say that getting away from the cops is easier that in Saints Row, at least with only 1 or 2 stars. Once there are helos on you though, it is about impossible. And they nerfed Pay N Spray, so if a cop sees you enter, it doesn't reduce your wanted level.

OMG I know, I was at fucking 4 stars I think, and every time I'd get to the edge of the circle, a fucking cop would pop up out of the blue and BAM my circle would restart. I finally just barely got to a Pay and Spray and lost my stars. I was getting so fucking annoyed, thanks to the SHITTY DRIVING.

[hyp]

hyp and dcx, why weren't you talking?

sorry bro, didn't have my mic hooked up last night.  it was pretty fun for the short time it lasted.  we definitely needed more folks to play though.  such a bitch driving to find you guys.

[Kestastrophe]

I hated the driving at first, but then I started to do some Taxi missions and other side missions and I really enjoy it now. The handbrake is completely useless as it makes you instantly spin out of control in turns, but I kind of like how the cars feel now. I found myself enjoying just driving around doing the sidemissions, whereas in previous games the driving portions always felt like a chore.

[hyp]

if it weren't for the story, i don't think i'd have the desire to attempt to finish the game.  i actually feel invested into Niko's character after about 4 hours.  pretty used to the driving and nuances of the game mechanics though they're still shitty.  but overall i'm having fun, which is what matters i guess.

[demi]

Niko is a no-name character, so far. He's just "the guy" like GTA3's. He's maybe touched on his "story" maybe twice so far. Other than that, I'm just going to these random guys and going "Ya, I need de moooney, so I weel do de job" and off I go.

[hyp]

i shed a tear after he talked about his comrades dying and him seeking revenge.   :'(

OSCAR WORTHY

[demi]

You meet the guy he was looking for, or someone he knows, but other than that nothing so far

[GilloD]

Oh shit guys, I just encountered my first toll booth! Time to put in Disk 2!

I love blowing through those

[Mupepe]

Yes! I just fucked my girlfriend and it confirmed my suspicion of her being a total freak.

Also, I figured out how to save cars. You gotta park in the yellow area in front of your house and save. If you don't save you'll lose the car or bike you parked there, and don't touch the thick yellow lines, if you do that they'll come and tow whatever was there away.

I just park outside my house and save.  i'm not sure if it's in any lines or something, but it's always there when i load up.

[Fragamemnon]

GTA4 sorta strikes me, judging from this thread and other things I have read, as the greatest combination of fantastic and shitty ever made, sort of like if you took cheap government-supplied peanut butter and served it with a premium Belgian chocolate.

All this talk really makes me want Mercenaries 2 to come out. The original game knew exactly what it wanted to do (and what it didn't), fired on all cylinders, and was the best "sandbox" game of last gen in my book.

[Robo]

I'm digging the steering controls.  While the added realism takes away some of the fun of driving around taking turns at 90mph like a half-cocked maniac, the "float" some of the cars have returns that feeling of recklessness.  A careful combination of brake and handbrake are required just to get around making the shorter stop-and-go trips a chore, but I'm loving cruising around the city.  

Motorcycles are as great as they were in SA, but a bit of a death trap.  Snag a corner at a decent speed and you literally find yourself propelling through the air 50 feet off the ground.

[AdmiralViscen]

I hated the driving at first, but then I started to do some Taxi missions and other side missions and I really enjoy it now. The handbrake is completely useless as it makes you instantly spin out of control in turns, but I kind of like how the cars feel now. I found myself enjoying just driving around doing the sidemissions, whereas in previous games the driving portions always felt like a chore.

I like how you have people on one side saying the driving is perfect once you learn to use the handbrake constantly, then others who say they got used to it by not using the handbrake at all. It shows just how solid and well-thought out the driving is.

[demi]

No multiplayer for me until I beat story, so I can spoil people in multiplayer

[FatalT]

No multiplayer for me until I beat story, so I can spoil people in multiplayer

Niko kills Dumbledore.

[demi]

I just read the ending, teehee

[pilonv1]

Is it just me or is the music fucking hopeless? I can't find a good station yet, the classic rock channel has Smashing Pumpkins and the only "indie" station seems to be synth-rock.

I haven't found anything remotely amusing on the chat channels either. The story about the Jingoism bill is fucking distinguished mentally-challenged too. LOUL CITIZENS CANT SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT

Saints Row music

[AdmiralViscen]

Motorcycle chase mission 

[pilonv1]

what an epid fail the driving is. TOO MANY CHASE MISSIONS

[Don Flamenco]

Omg I was like standing on the street and this ped just walks right into me and wouldn't go around me, then  I brushed his shoulder and got into a fight with him.  Then I started shaking my controller around maniacally and niko wouldn't fight back on his own and got his ass kicked and died.  Now I'm stuck in Roman's apartment and can't figure out how to wash the dirty dishes in the sink or leave the apartment at all.  On top of that, the game won't stop spouting it's politically satirical messages at me, which totally reveal Rockstar's liberal bias!  Fuck this, I'm playing 24 hours of saint's row in protest.   

[Eel O'Brian]

i can't decide if you're fighting the good fight or just having a hard time reconciling differing opinions

[demi]

Or trying to be funny

NEWSFLASH

[Eel O'Brian]

i wonder why they even bothered to have red/yellow/green lights in gtaiv

i don't pay attention to them, and the mongoloid ai sure doesn't

[pilonv1]

in mafia you had to obey the road rules or the cops would come after you.

Another sandbox game better than GTA.

[Don Flamenco]

In driv3r, you could drive through buildings without having to worry about shit like collision detection and clipping.  Another game better than GTA.

[GilloD]

Oh god. The best is hailing a cab drunk "HEY YELLOW MAN" "TAAAAXXXIIIII"

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

This game has the weirdest graphics ever.  I can't decide if it looks like complete shit or if it's incredibly beautiful.  My opinion seems to change every minute I play it. I think the further I sit from my TV, the better it looks.

Seems like the only radio station I can handle at the moment is the classic rock one.  I miss the country music from SA already.

[BlueTsunami]

Electronic Music station

Ambient Electronica is only good for driving around and this game is like 90% driving around. I also dig the R&B station. I laughed when I stole some old ladies truck and old timey music was playing

[TVC15]

Is Lazlow on any of the stations?

This game has the weirdest graphics ever.  I can't decide if it looks like complete shit or if it's incredibly beautiful.  My opinion seems to change every minute I play it. I think the further I sit from my TV, the better it looks.

For me, the lighting totally makes the game.  if it weren't for the well-implemented lighting, I think the game would be pretty ugly.  As it stands, I think it looks pretty decent.

[BlueTsunami]

I haven't heard him yet

[AdmiralViscen]

I heard him talking about Web 2.0 and Radio 2.0.

[TVC15]

According to Wiki, his station is Integrity 2.0, which, well, isn't in the game.

[Mupepe]

Ok so walking around drunk was the best thing i've done in this game.  so fucking awesome.  watching roman trip over the curb and lean up against the car for support was awesome as balls.  it made me nauseous

[BlueTsunami]

The first time I got drunk was on my 3rd date with Michelle. I felt like a dick because I got Niko tumble drunk but Michelle seemed to handle her liqour better.

[TVC15]

I got drunk with Roman, and we were tripping over each other for like 2 minutes.  The new ragdoll is fuck awesome.  Then I walked into the road to try to hail a cab, and the cab lightly hit me head on, while stopping, and I just tumbled onto the hood of the car.  Then I slipped off it and the cabbie started yelling at me.

[Don Flamenco]

oh shit, Black Devil Disco Club is in this game?!!  oh my oh my fucking oh my fuck...talk about unexpected.  <3 Rockstar *swoon*

[demi]

I'm on this mission, where I have to lure a guy out... and one of the ways is by calling his phone you can see in the window. Unfortunately, due to the shitty textures, the number on the ID is extremely aliased and blurry so you cant make out shit.

[Hollywood]

Do you get anything besides cash for doing the missions for Roman with the taxi and the packages with the Jamaican dude? I did a couple, but it seems like its not leading anywhere, just infinite side missions to get money with no end reward.

Oh, and if anyone ever noticed in the start menu, the stat tracking for this game is ridiculous. Also helpful is the general stats, one shows a percentage of how well you are getting along with your chick friend.

[Robo]

Do you get anything besides cash for doing the missions for Roman with the taxi and the packages with the Jamaican dude? I did a couple, but it seems like its not leading anywhere, just infinite side missions to get money with no end reward.

Oh, and if anyone ever noticed in the start menu, the stat tracking for this game is ridiculous. Also helpful is the general stats, one shows a percentage of how well you are getting along with your chick friend.

On a similar note, do the police car mini-missions count for anything eventually?  They're actually some of the most fun I've had with the game so far -- that is, when I can get to the objective before it disappears, as it so often does.

[demi]

Yes, you get an achievement for getting all the most wanted fugitives

[fistfulofmetal]

This game has the weirdest graphics ever.  I can't decide if it looks like complete shit or if it's incredibly beautiful.  My opinion seems to change every minute I play it. I think the further I sit from my TV, the better it looks.

My thoughts exactly. Sometimes it looks great... then a minute later it looks like garbage.

[demi]

Holy shit, I just did an epic Bank Heist and got $250,000 reward money! LMAO

I also unlocked all islands too afterwards

[The Fake Shemp]

Cops 'n Crooks and Team Mafiya are great multiplayer shenanigans.  If it was more polished, I'd be a permanent native to Liberty City online, but it's not and it'll likely wear out its novelty soon enough.

[The Fake Shemp]

Oh, and both the single player and multiplayer feel they're close to being AWESOME OMG AWEZOME!!!1! material - maybe one installment away.  If Rockstar can tweak the driving mechanics, offer more customization and mission variety, along with polished and tighter multiplayer... the next installment would be worthy of the perfect scores this one is getting.

This feels very raw.  Good, but raw.

[pilonv1]

I just went online at the internet place, tried to go to the underage beauty pagent website and got an instant 4 star wanted level

[pilonv1]

OH MY GOD THAT BIKE MISSION IS THE WORST THING IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

EPID FUCKING FAIL

[Kestastrophe]

Oh, and both the single player and multiplayer feel they're close to being AWESOME OMG AWEZOME!!!1! material - maybe one installment away.  If Rockstar can tweak the driving mechanics, offer more customization and mission variety, along with polished and tighter multiplayer... the next installment would be worthy of the perfect scores this one is getting.

This feels very raw.  Good, but raw.

I agree. While I am having a fun time with the game, I can't help but feel that I am fighting with the controls some of the time (i.e. shooting whilst driving).

[Mupepe]

Oh, and both the single player and multiplayer feel they're close to being AWESOME OMG AWEZOME!!!1! material - maybe one installment away.  If Rockstar can tweak the driving mechanics, offer more customization and mission variety, along with polished and tighter multiplayer... the next installment would be worthy of the perfect scores this one is getting.

This feels very raw.  Good, but raw.

I agree. While I am having a fun time with the game, I can't help but feel that I am fighting with the controls some of the time (i.e. shooting whilst driving).

shootin while driving is pretty awful, but i'm getting better at it.

I got drunk with Roman, and we were tripping over each other for like 2 minutes.  The new ragdoll is fuck awesome.  Then I walked into the road to try to hail a cab, and the cab lightly hit me head on, while stopping, and I just tumbled onto the hood of the car.  Then I slipped off it and the cabbie started yelling at me.

That is really the best thing I've seen in the game.  Those are probably the best animations I've seen in any next gen game.  And the way they react to the other objects is incredible.  Roman was leaning on me for support and I was using my hands to try to hold him and when I started to move i tripped over him and we both fell.  And then sometimes you'll trip over your own feet and fall flat on your face.  Incredible

[AdmiralViscen]

OH MY GOD THAT BIKE MISSION IS THE WORST THING IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

EPID FUCKING FAIL

Don't even try shooting him. After a few attempts I realized that he's invincible until he's joined by his gay ass friends. So just follow him closely. But not too closely, because there are cars that will make sharp turns to run you over every single time for no reason. Then when he joins with his gang, don't follow closely, because they just suddenly stop in the woods and you don't want to be in the thick of them when you gun them down.

That mission felt PS1 era.

[Kestastrophe]

OH MY GOD THAT BIKE MISSION IS THE WORST THING IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

EPID FUCKING FAIL

Don't even try shooting him. After a few attempts I realized that he's invincible until he's joined by his gay ass friends. So just follow him closely. But not too closely, because there are cars that will make sharp turns to run you over every single time for no reason. Then when he joins with his gang, don't follow closely, because they just suddenly stop in the woods and you don't want to be in the thick of them when you gun them down.

That mission felt PS1 era.

I made it through that part by hopping off my bike after I drove through the main group and then spammed the shit out of shotty. SO far I only have micro-smg, pistol and shotty, but shotty seems unbalanced at this point. It works at a decent range and is fairly accurate.

[Mupepe]

Have you guys driven drunk in front of a cop?  They'll try to bust you.  I was right by the cabaret when he lit me up so I crashed and flipped my car and stumbled into the cabaret.  Mid-show we were busted by the cops.