are you ready for more GTAIV?

[Jansen]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2008-11-19-gta-damned_N.htm

The upcoming episode of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV looks to be a wild one.

GTA IV, which was released in April for the Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3, focused on former Eastern European soldier Niko Bellic and his escalating life of crime in the boroughs of Liberty City. This new episode, available Feb. 17 via download exclusively for those who own the Xbox 360 version (no price yet), stars Johnny Klebitz, a member of Liberty City biker gang The Lost.

"Johnny is a very different character than Niko, with a very different background," says Dan Houser, vice president of creative development for Rockstar Games. "I can't go into too much detail on the story, because we try not to give away too much plot before the game is released. But I can say that the story will show you a different side of Liberty City."

The episode, titled The Lost and Damned, requires players to have the full version of the Mature-rated GTA IV (ages 17 and older) and an Xbox Live membership to download. It's likely to carry an M rating, too. (Parents can use the Xbox 360's parental controls to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content.)

In the original game, Niko crossed paths with The Lost several times. This time, Niko has only a bit part, Houser says. "The story is not directly impacted by decisions you took in the main game," he says. But "tons of details and mysteries from the main story get explained, so it will add a lot of color to the main story."

Rockstar Games has been fine-tuning its explorable 3-D virtual worlds since launching its first "sandbox" game with Grand Theft Auto III in 2001.

The new game will let you download more sandbox time. "We feel like we've only scratched the surface in terms of the depth and detail in" GTA IV's mythical Liberty City, says Houser.

Previous games have used downloads to add "new stages, weapons and costumes," says GamePro Media features editor Dave Rudden, "but GTA IV's content will reportedly add hours of gameplay."

Rudden hopes the episode costs $15 or less, but Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter expects a $20 price and says Rockstar could sell 2 million to 3 million downloads. "I see episodic content as a natural progression of the quality of downloadable content."

i wonder if they'll add fun with this dlc?

[Mr. Gundam]

I got so fed up with GTAIV I never finished it. Why would I bother with DLC?

[MyNameIsMethodis]

I'm excited, even though I sold the game right after I beat the lame story because that LC was in no way any fun.

[littlemathletics]

I'd rather spend $20 on booze. Unarguably more fun.

[demi]

lol, nobody is gonna buy this

[cool breeze]

I'd buy this if I had it on 360 pending good impressions, but I don't, so I won't.

The only way I'd play GTA4 again at this point is if there are tons of mods for the PC version and they some how got it to suck less.

[cool breeze]

That won't do anything, GTA sells and Saints Row doesn't because of the titles.  I am curious to see how this DLC will sell considering 100% of rational people thought GTA4 was a letdown.  Then again, some xfans think avatars are good and 'matter'.

[pilonv1]

id pay for less GTA thanks

[Bebpo]

So in other words, no new environments or gameplay systems, just new biker missions in same old city.

And it took them almost a year....lol

[brawndolicious]

Why do you guys dislike GTA4 but like the other 3D ones?  Did anybody find GTA3, Vice City, or San Andreas playable?

[demi]

Yes, a lot

[brawndolicious]

Yeah, the $50M was some weird temporary thing but I'm sure the dlc will eventually be released on PSN.

Yes, a lot

Maybe you think they were a lot playable.

But they sucked.

[demi]

And GTA4 breaks the mold how...

[brawndolicious]

Well it definitely sacrifices the story and humor but it ends up getting completely overhauled (and better imo) shooting and driving controls plus the framerate and AI do not attempt to ass-rape you virtually.  I think that Saints Row does the wangsta simulation a lot better so GTA should stick with the more realistic gameplay.

Hopefully this DLC has decent side-missions and a more interesting story.

[TVC15]

Why do you guys dislike GTA4 but like the other 3D ones?  Did anybody find GTA3, Vice City, or San Andreas playable?

They fucked up the driving.

[brawndolicious]

They fucked up the driving.

yeah, they made it a lot more realistic so you can't drive as fast but it's more technical and funner (to me).  I liked the motorcycles less though and that's going to be a big part of this DLC.

[The Sceneman]

you could go fast enough, but the suspension in all the vehicles just wouldnt stop wobbling all over the place. realistic my ass, Saints Row 2 owns this shit so bad

[The Sceneman]

and the 'realistic gameplay' argument will never hold any water. Who cares if its truer to 'real life' (supposedly)? Its a fucking game designed for entertainment, why not make it fun?

[TVC15]

But they DIDN'T make the driving more realistic.  They just made it fucking floaty.  It's just as unrealistic as the driving in previous games, but at least then it was fun.

[brawndolicious]

The brakes locking and powersliding around corners felt more realistic (read: hard).  It took me a couple hours to get used to which is longer than it takes for most car racing games.

[demi]

And that's a problem with racing games because...

[littlemathletics]

Given huh much the bike controls especially sucked balls, I can't imagine why anyone would pay for a bunch of missions that will involve solely riding a fucking bike.

[Great Rumbler]

Given huh much the bike controls especially sucked balls, I can't imagine why anyone would pay for a bunch of missions that will involve solely riding a fucking bike.

[tiesto]

Only GTA game I ever liked was III on PS2, and that was mainly for the novelty factor.

[Don Flamenco]

I got very used to the driving controls, didn't think they were bad, but the motorcycles sucked shit.  no way I'm playing a full game with just that.

They need to make the next GTA less realistic and more fun.  That goes for the story and gameplay.  They need jetpacks and shit.

[AdmiralViscen]

They fucked up the driving.

yeah, they made it a lot more realistic so you can't drive as fast but it's more technical and funner (to me).  I liked the motorcycles less though and that's going to be a big part of this DLC.

It makes you drive slower, but it is NOT realistic. They didn't even bother getting the basic dynamic differences between fwd and rwd right.

[Himu]

Sigh.

/seppuku

[MyNameIsMethodis]

GTA3, VC, and SA were amazing games. Anyone who says otherwise is a fucking nintendo taco or just mentally distinguished mentally-challenged.

[Don Flamenco]

GTA3, VC, and SA were amazing games. Anyone who says otherwise is a fucking nintendo distinguished effete fellow or just mentally distinguished mentally-challenged.

here we go again with you

[MyNameIsMethodis]

Except this time i'm not the one making distinguished mentally-challenged statements.

[ManaByte]

What ever happened to the sfaqs at GAF who bet their accounts thinking this would just be a few new Nico missions and nothing more? New character? Story? Huh?

[Bloodwake]

What ever happened to the sfaqs at GAF who bet their accounts thinking this would just be a few new Nico missions and nothing more? New character? Story? Huh?

That's me. I'm currently eating some crow.

And probably going to buy me a 360 copy.

[ManaByte]

What ever happened to the sfaqs at GAF who bet their accounts thinking this would just be a few new Nico missions and nothing more? New character? Story? Huh?

That's me. I'm currently eating some crow.

And probably going to buy me a 360 copy.

Check Fry's. They've had the SE for $59 lately.

[Bloodwake]

What ever happened to the sfaqs at GAF who bet their accounts thinking this would just be a few new Nico missions and nothing more? New character? Story? Huh?

That's me. I'm currently eating some crow.

And probably going to buy me a 360 copy.

Check Fry's. They've had the SE for $59 lately.

I'll probably just get a used copy from GameStop.

[GilloD]

Oh cool, more bullshit missions in the same fuckin' city

[Bebpo]

I like how people thought they were going to REMAKE ALL OF SAN ANDREAS with next-gen visuals and sell it as a $20 expansion pack...lolz

Once again showing that developers don't assign many resources to DLC.

[brawndolicious]

It makes you drive slower, but it is NOT realistic. They didn't even bother getting the basic dynamic differences between fwd and rwd right.

yes, you can't brake and speed around corners as fast because the weight of the car feels more realistic.  Maybe the way the tires grip the road doesn't match what any racing game does but..it's not a racing game.

The only RWD cars that I can remember are the Banshee and the Benson and they definitely turned differently than the FWD cars.  Maybe realistic was the wrong word but it takes more skill to get around the city without crashing.  It takes an especially long time to get used to the bikes but I liked them.  Even with all the faults in the driving controls, they're godly compared to the last games.

[Cheebs]

After playing Saint's Row 2 I can't see how anyone could go back to GTA IV.

[Rman]

Why did they wait so long?  It would it make more sense before the Christmas season, where new console adopters might pick this game up and thus splurge on DLC?

[Robo]

Is it strange to enjoy GTA4's driving BECAUSE it's completely shitty?  I got a kick out of being so unintentionally reckless.  No amount of effort could match the amazing stupidity forced on you through those physics.  

I feel like I might be alone on this one, but fuck it, I'm ready to play some more.

[bud]

all the cars control like the crappy the diablo cars in gta3

the body roll's ridiculous

[Himu]

They do control like the muscle cars.

[bork]

lol GTA4. Play a good game-- play Saint's Row 2.

[AdmiralViscen]

It makes you drive slower, but it is NOT realistic. They didn't even bother getting the basic dynamic differences between fwd and rwd right.

yes, you can't brake and speed around corners as fast because the weight of the car feels more realistic.  Maybe the way the tires grip the road doesn't match what any racing game does but..it's not a racing game.

The only RWD cars that I can remember are the Banshee and the Benson and they definitely turned differently than the FWD cars.  Maybe realistic was the wrong word but it takes more skill to get around the city without crashing.  It takes an especially long time to get used to the bikes but I liked them.  Even with all the faults in the driving controls, they're godly compared to the last games.

There are way more RWD cars tahn that, but you wouldn't know it because they didn't make them control differently. Hold the E-brake and jam the gas to see what's waht.

Old GTA driving kicks the shit out of this.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

No thank you. I don't want more shitty story missions.

[Oblivion]

Call me when we get more Saints Row.

[trippingmartian]

Day 1 download. There may not be much in the way of new games around Feb 09 anyway, and this should be sub-$20.

[brawndolicious]

There are way more RWD cars tahn that, but you wouldn't know it because they didn't make them control differently. Hold the E-brake and jam the gas to see what's waht.
Old GTA driving kicks the shit out of this.

I played it like 6 months ago, I don't remember the names of the cars.  It sounds to me like people just don't get that you would lose control of a car if you do an e-brake turn in rain.  It's basic knowledge but everybody wants the cars to control the same as they did in GTA2.  I was fine with the car controls.

[WrikaWrek]

 

[y2kev]

after seeing your vitriol for like every major game released this year, I really can't understand why you like gta4 so much :\

[AdmiralViscen]

There are way more RWD cars tahn that, but you wouldn't know it because they didn't make them control differently. Hold the E-brake and jam the gas to see what's waht.
Old GTA driving kicks the shit out of this.

I played it like 6 months ago, I don't remember the names of the cars.  It sounds to me like people just don't get that you would lose control of a car if you do an e-brake turn in rain.  It's basic knowledge but everybody wants the cars to control the same as they did in GTA2.  I was fine with the car controls.

The problem is that Rockstar thinks that sluggish = realistic. They made no effort to make the cars truly realistic. So if you try to drive realistically you are still fucked.

[brawndolicious]

yeah, realistic is a bad word for describing it.  it's not that they made the cars sluggish, I think the acceleration and top speed are better than older GTA cars.  It's just A LOT harder to do a high speed turn.  I liked the challenge personally since it made you learn the traffic flow of the streets and the braking characteristics more.

[Don Flamenco]

Except this time i'm not the one making distinguished mentally-challenged statements.

There's plenty not to like in GTA 3, VC, and SA.

[demi]

I had no idea it would look like GTA4

[bork]

I think maybe we should censor the terms "Grand Theft Auto IV" and "GTA4" make it so that whenever anyone types them, they get replaced with "Saint's Row 2 is fucking awesome" and "SR2 >>>>>>>>>>>>> GTA4 lol."

[demi]

I think we should just bump all of Himuro's threads instead

[bork]

Also I like that the protagonist of this DLC is another white shaved-head guy.  Pretty diverse and nothing like Nico! 

[chronovore]

Why did he walk on a tilt???

THAT'S whatever the damned EUPHORIA or BLISTERIA or HYMNEMNIX middleware, emulating natural human motion, so players can enjoy a natural walking animation while ENTIRELY LOSING THE ABILITY TO TURN IN PLACE.

And to whomever was asking if the GTA III era games were fun, yes, they were a freaking blast. I've been meaning to start a thread here called "GTA:VCS is much more fun than GTA IV." Srsly, I was playing it on PSP prior to GTA IV coming out, and set it aside because I was sure IV would just make VCS seem crappy. After playing XBL's big GTA IV weekend and coming away with an overwhelming sense of ennui about the title, I picked up VCS again.

It's stunningly fun. Really fun. Esp. in comparison to IV. The humor is there, there is PLENTY to do, and the soundtrack is top-notch. What I really like is that Vice City is just this big playground, and I can pretty much do anything I want and be rewarded for it with in-game goodies.

What IV tries to do is work everything into the big, grandiose, urban story that they see as being the core. I don't think I'm alone here in saying, "Fuck your story. I'm here to have fun and do side missions, and I will play the story ones when I need a break from my empire-building, vigilantism, firefighting, pimping, etc." In IV, even the side games were tied to other characters initiating them with you (how many times did YOU call someone to play pool or go bowling?), and the games themselves involved NO SKILL. It was seriously hard to finish 12 levels of Vigilante in any GTA III game, but they made darts, bowling, pool and that so insanely BRAIN DEAD that it was nearly impossible to fail. QUBED was the hardest side game... and hey, it had to be player-initiated, not NPC-initiated.
/rant

So when I see in the description that the big goal with the DLC is to flesh out the story more, I'm not hopeful. In all honesty, I did enjoy the story of Nico Bellic, and there were a couple sequences where I felt emotionally engaged... but I was really hoping the DLC would add the R3 missions back into the game.

Or Claude Speed. Fuck continuity.

[littlemathletics]

Look gorgeous, but seriously:

VC>>>>>>>GTA IV

[WrikaWrek]

after seeing your vitriol for like every major game released this year, I really can't understand why you like gta4 so much :\

I don't know. It just clicks with me. I love the driving, the car chases rock, i love the shooting, i love some of the missions, i love some of the characters, i just....

...look i understand why some people don't like it, it's not "dumb fun, hilarious" etc whatever as Saints Row 2 and others, but i love it. Dude i played that game 2 times, back to back. In a fucking week.