Everything you expect and miss from the GTA franchise
This is my first review for GB but my second review on the web that I've posted for GTA4. my first review is on Gamespot/ynfive
This is my second time through playing GTA4. I had followed the storyline and played this game all before. When I first played the game I gave a two week marathon where I haven't even called my own real life friends to go hang out. That said the game's story line is engrossing. Now the second time through is still kindof is. One of my original complaints of GTA4 is that the mission types were a little repatative. I stated that you start at point A, drive to point B, kill everybody, evade the cops, and get to point C. The missions still can be that way, but the second time around I have found some innovative "choices" that stand out more or less this time around. However do these choices add to the world other than a few different story line changes it really is all for naught. Still once you finish the storyline thats is it. There are some character jobs or vehicle races, but no matter what GTA4 is DONE when its done, and the entire city offers little when there are none of the awesome storyline elements added into it. I guess I'm still bumbed about no Top Fun vans, especially when there are parts of the map that looked like they were designed for it.
The Downloadable addons will keep the game intriguing in the future, but currently when I can pick up a heli whenever I want and wander around without finding anything on the entire map worth interest, and have to call a character or wait for a call to have a repeated event to make the game interesting, I feel GTA4 has taken a step backwards from the evolution to where it should have been after Vice City and San Andreas.
GTA4: (insert here) City although will kick ass just like how Vice City and San Andreas made such a remarkable add-on to what the first GTA3 offered. I like to look at it that way and know the horizon of this franchise is still an immutable forefront in gaming. I do wish though that any evolutionary gameplay moments of the past games were not ommited. Firefighting, taxi, and ambulance missions... which in past games added to your armor and health stats... should be brought back in. Even if some things that may have been old GTA3 things, should still be left included just because it is the GTA universe.
GTA4 felt like it just maybe almost had those things but got left out (maybe for development time?). So hopefully the DLs can give that back, but wait and see. An interview with a GTA developer suggested a parachute like SA, but to this date its just a rumor. IMO bringing back some awesome if not even neccessary gameplay elements from San Andreas will make my GTA universe complete.
Can I fly an airplane please? I'll take at least a Dodo.
