Ready Up

Accept the truth already!

Okay, I know this is going to be a controversial blog, but seriously GTA IV sucks…I’ll give you a moment to let that thought enter your head. Don’t get me wrong, it does what it says on the tin but there’s nothing new, nothing impressive, and certainly nothing that screams next gen. I must admit I wasn’t in to all the hype that came before the launch but I still bought a launch day copy and expected a decent game – instead I seem to find myself playing Lost Cities over GTA IV, with my other half remaining on Burnout! It’s just GTA again, and seriously, aren’t we getting bored of that?! The addition of a self-loathing main character makes the game very depressing, and lets face it, as fun as GTA can be, it’s no bag of kittens and sunshine to start with.

Not only does nothing jump out and impress me but I find the achievement list disappointing. GTA has always been a game that made you wish for achievement points before they even existed. Y’know – max out stats, kill 50 of each gang etc. but with so many being for bowling or FPS style “kill x people with x gun” in multiplayer it just looks like they tried too hard.
Was the hype really justified?
You may wonder what triggered my rant, and I’ll be honest, it’s been brewing since I first played the game but at the time of this blog the in game time of day hasn’t changed in 30 minutes (i appear to have endless night) and I’m playing pool with my girlfriend who seems to have come down with a case of something that rhymes with blinvisible!

So there we have it folks, not only an uninspired game with nothing to really grab you, lame achievements and a strange multiplayer tagged on but also glitched. This game makes me crave Crackdown 2 and that is the only lasting impression I am yet to pick up. Rockstar, what are you doing guys? You’ve lost your spark and we all hope you get it back soon.

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9 responses to “Accept the truth already!”

  1. Dave avatar
    Dave

    I must confess, my first impressions weren’t great. The opening credits were well handled and I thought “Hey, this could be good”…but very quickly I found myself thinking “oh, good old GTA, erm, great but I’ve played this 3 times already”.

    Early days, maybe it’ll have hidden depths. I really hope so!!

  2. James avatar
    James

    Nahh, I quite like this one 🙂
    So what if its got rubbish achivements, like I bought the game for that to begin with.
    Yes its GTA again but lets face it, it it wasnt close to the last few games it just wouldnt be GTA now would it?

    I dont get that ‘But its all the same’ argument… If it wasnt what would be the point? They minght as well have called it something totally different then… :/

  3. Simes avatar
    Simes

    “We all” don’t think they’ve lost their spark. Some of us think GTA4 is pretty damn good.

    I love these “not next gen” arguments people bring up for games they don’t like. If you don’t like the game, fine, but I remember what previous games in the series were like and this is *certainly* next gen.

  4. Shaz avatar
    Shaz

    GGGGARARRARGH! You all know what I think about achievements!

    Sorry to hear GTA IV is not keeping you. Personally I think GTA IV has taken a leap in the series.

    I can see your point in “it’s all just the same old again” but so is a lot of things, take the majority of the RPG’s for example.

    Well I think it’s good to voice your opinion. Everybody has a different sense of gaming.

  5. Martin avatar
    Martin

    I must confess I wasn’t looking forward to this too much but each hour I play draws me in further. I’ve had some great multiplayer moments with it and the single player is inspiring. There is great humour in it and the longevity is entirely dependant on how you play it. Try it again for a few hours, the magic may come. If not, we are all different so no biggie if you don’t like it.

  6. Tony avatar
    Tony

    Not “next gen”? Have you actually looked at the screen when the game was on?

    I normally keep a close eye on Ready Up and see articles just an hour or two after they are posted. The reason this took me a day to see and comment on was GTA IV – it’s magnificent. Sure its the same at its core but its got so much next gen polish if it was a door it’d five feet thick. Not next gen? Honestly!

  7. Zoey avatar
    Zoey

    Ok, maybe I phrased some things badly but at the time I was pretty enraged by the glitches. Still not particularly enjoying it but that’s life!

  8. Dave avatar
    Dave

    I think San Andreas is the series low point – far too big and ambitious for it’s own good. All of its numerous elements (tattoos, hair cuts, gang building, hitting the gym etc.) seriously detracted from the core game play mechanics that made the series great to begin with.

    GTA IV fixes this and more. I wasn’t sceptical with IV though, as I think III has been the best version so far. So a return to a ‘next-gen’ Liberty City was a tantalising prospect.

    Plus, the script quality raises the bar for many (not all) developers for years to come.

    It has it’s problems sure, but no game is perfect 🙂

  9. Andy Turner avatar
    Andy Turner

    My two additions to this one is that for me the pinnacle of GTA’s glory remains Vice City ( I just love those 80s vibes)

    and having played both my perhaps controversial addition here is…I kind of think Saints Row is a lot more fun than GTA these days and not just because I made my character into the Joker either.

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