The Official Grand Theft Auto 4 Thread - Page 3 - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

Grendel · 04-21-2008, 06:02 PM

Found this preview over on neogaf

Quote:

We've finished Grand Theft Auto IV, and without spoiling our upcoming set of reviews in Electronic Gaming Monthly and here on 1UP, the game truly serves as a commencement ceremony for the series. While we wait for the slow passage of time between now and the game's release, here's a quick orientation for when it arrives:

* Niko Bellic has done some bad things. He's a drifting merchant marine lured to America by the promise of false dreams, which are inflated by his cousin Roman -- a man who is best described as "sketchy." It's a setup that's typical of the previous GTA games (ne'er-do-well arrives on the scene with grand plans, and crime ensues), but as Niko?s story unfolds, it does so in a manner that's considerably more focused and restrained than what we saw with Tommy Vercetti in Vice City or CJ from San Andreas. The script is penned by Rupert Humphries and Dan Houser, and rarely do they stray from their goals: believable and likable characters, a solid, traditional crime story, and the usual splash of irreverent social satire. It's the opposite of San Andreas' massive sprawl, in terms of both geographical landscape and plot ambitions.

* Rockstar are true masters of the videogame cut-scene: They're framed and blocked with proper film techniques and interesting camera angles, the animation is completely natural (never too slow, jerky, or overexaggerated), the voice acting is properly emotive, and they're just the right length.

* Like any good character-driven tale, there are twists and turns, deaths and betrayals...but in a first for the GTA series, there now are choices -- and they're significant ones at that. A big theme of the game is how Niko's free-agent approach to his work changes the balance of power in Liberty City's underworld. You'll be involved with the Irish, Puerto Ricans, Rastafarians, government agencies, and, of course, the ruling Italian crime families. You'll be doing something for one group to the detriment of another, and at certain points you're asked to make final allegiances that affect what missions you can select and how the story unfolds. And because the characters are so easy to get attached to, those decisions can be surprisingly difficult.

* Niko may be the main character, but Liberty City -- and the life it exudes -- is the star. Many new elements are at play that go beyond the usual pedestrian foot traffic and wisecracking radio DJs -- this time, it's a cross-referencing multimedia assault. Driving around the city, you might hear a radio spot for WEAZEL News mentioning that the bridges and tunnels remain closed due to a terror threat. During your first visit to an Internet café, The Liberty Tree's website has an actual story with more background info on the closures. Then you spot a banner ad at the bottom of the page for a social networking site called Craplist. Perusing the "women seeking men" listings, you find a post, reply to it, and set up a date for Thursday night. And while you're checking e-mail, your pal Brucie has located another car you can boost for him for a quick afternoon's work.

* The missions, characters, locations, Internet, radio, television, dating...everything bleeds into each other, and the new cellphone gives you a new sense of mobility and flexibility that bridges the game's story with the roaming, make-your-own-fun chaos that made GTA famous. Plus, if you're so inclined and not in any particular hurry, you can take a full-length real-time cab ride anywhere in the city while looking out the windows and listening to the cabbie's preferred radio station. You know, see the sights.

* You'll likely notice the same graphical "quirks" that the series has dealt with since the jump to 3D. The same filmlike, grainy framerate exists and usually holds steady, but it can momentarily dip when things get frantic. There's some long-distance graphical fade-in as well as some street-level hazards that appear only after you hit them. Traffic will be nonexistent one second, then three cars deep when you rotate the camera back around, and then completely disappear when your wanted level gets to two or three stars (which is oh-so-fun when you desperately need a getaway vehicle). But even these problems have been "upgraded" in a sense for GTA4: An artistic application of filters hides some of the uglier character models, there's more types of cars to choose from, and overall, the feel of the city trumps any of the shortcomings we're familiar with by now. But you'll be able to see that in the screenshots and eventual videos.

* As previously mentioned, GTA4's story is focused. So much so that you won't be seeing any amusing yet totally out of context missions like invading top-secret government alien research bases. There's a lot of driving, following, shooting, and evading as you do your freelance work around the city. But that's not to say there aren't climactic moments or centerpiece events -- they just seem a little more spaced out along the lengthy campaign. It'd be silly to call this more "realistic," but it's definitely more in line with the genre's representations in television and film.

* The oft-maligned mission structure, where death or capture at any point of the process means restarting from the beginning, is partially redeemed by the cellphone: You still have to start from the beginning of the mission, but now you can skip from jail or the hospital immediately to the starting point. And to help placate those with restart fatigue, Rockstar threw in some different character dialogue for the second try (if you have to try for a third time, your accomplices will suggest that you all be quiet and just listen to the radio until you get there). It's still frustrating to fail a mission in its final stages due to random traffic interference or lucky cops, but that just appears to be the nature of the open-world beast.

* And, oh yes, the shooting. Pulling the left trigger halfway on the 360 controller lets you aim a weapon freely, while a full pull locks on to the closest enemy or nonplayable character in your camera's view. It's still not perfect since there doesn't seem to be much of a priority system in place that determines what enemy poses the more imminent threat, but the bonus is the new cover system, which gives you enough time to settle down your shot and lock on to your intended target

* * *

Believe it or not, all of these notes barely scratch the surface.There's much, much more that can be said about GTA4 that you'll undoubtedly hear us and other outlets say as we get closer to (and even beyond) release. Be sure to monitor our coverage hub page for the most recent updates, participate on our message boards, and look forward to our review, videos, and podcast discussions in the coming days.

Oh, and make sure to set aside some time the week of April 29. You'll need it.

Original thread: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278678

Sooooo amazing, I can't wait

lol... awesome avatar i saw on neogaf

*exitspeed* · 04-22-2008, 07:51 AM

One...more...week!

*Yuri* · 04-22-2008, 09:42 AM

Now it's a race to see if my xbox will be fixed and sent back before GTA4 hits.

*exitspeed* · 04-22-2008, 09:46 AM

IGN will have a new editorial each day this week. Today's makes me all that much more excited.

*Yuri* · 04-22-2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exitspeed

IGN will have a new editorial each day this week. Today's makes me all that much more excited.

The one yesterday you had to buy a membership to read.
Will they all be like that?

*exitspeed* · 04-22-2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yuri

The one yesterday you had to buy a membership to read.
Will they all be like that?

Today's is not.

s14_legend · 04-22-2008, 09:56 AM

heck yeahhhh been waiting to get my hands in this game

Quote:

Originally Posted by exitspeed

One...more...week!

*exitspeed* · 04-22-2008, 10:05 AM

I still have to see if Walmart is going to have it at midnight. We only have one 24 hr Walmart near me. I'm REALLY hoping they do. I hate having to send my wife to a half dozen stores trying to hunt down a game for me.

But I will if I have to...

*Yuri* · 04-22-2008, 10:14 AM

Just saw some of the new screens.
Car Customizing shop?
Awesome!

I also saw:

C5 Corvette
Buick Grand National
1970 Oldsmobile 442
BMW 7 series
Chrysler Minivan.
1st Gen Honda CRX

Can't wait to see what they end up having for vehicles.
I hope for a return of the "Bobcat", the first gen Ford Ranger.

*exitspeed* · 04-22-2008, 10:18 AM

I want to see 4 wheelers.

There's so many things I look forward to.

-Trying to find all the jumps. Especially the huge insane ones.
-Finding the hidden packages.
-Going to the top of a tall building and jumping off.
-Driving around like a madman

There's just so much. All the little details make the game.

*Yuri* · 04-22-2008, 10:24 AM

Anyone know if you can customize your online character yet?
If you can I'd like to be this guy, with the awesome hat and sunglasses.

And roll around in the $4000 Phoenix Craigslist Special.

*exitspeed* · 04-22-2008, 10:27 AM

^
Ask and you shall receive.

Quote:

You won't get to play as Niko. Instead, you'll create a custom character (dude or babe) from about a half-dozen options. While the options we were shown were fairly limited, new clothes and accessories unlock as you rank up. Ranks run from 0-10, with experience earned by collecting cash in multiplayer. Cash is dropped by opponents and can be nabbed by anyone and is also automatically earned for performing certain tasks in the various modes. We didn't get to experience the leveling system, but it appears fairly simple. It's meant to reward you for playing a lot of multiplayer, but leveling up your character isn't the focus as it tends to be in Call of Duty 4 and Rainbow Six Vegas 2.

*PBucch* · 04-22-2008, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BustedS13

april 29. OM NOM NOM

fucking OG'er!!!

my bro ordered it, but my xbox red ringed on monday!

Can someone post a list of the online game modes? all teh gaming sites are blocked at work!

s13poop · 04-22-2008, 04:45 PM

some pics from the 55 page thread on nasioc

looks friggin sickkk

HyperTek · 04-22-2008, 05:02 PM

i hope the online play isnt full of wreckers.. you know.. vehicle kills. lol

s13poop · 04-22-2008, 05:17 PM

the online games are gonna be dope with upto 8 teams on most modes

projekt_s13 · 04-22-2008, 06:27 PM

Its already leaked???? WTF?

[ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=lU_rgKmMpDA[/ame]

626 FC3S · 04-22-2008, 07:28 PM

aww how fucking gay lol hahaha

626 FC3S · 04-22-2008, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yuri

Now it's a race to see if my xbox will be fixed and sent back before GTA4 hits.

haha dont count on it

projekt_s13 · 04-22-2008, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 626 FC3S

haha dont count on it

Well they shipped mine back very quickly, took 2 weeks max for the whole process.

***Future240*** · 04-22-2008, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by projekt_s13

Well they shipped mine back very quickly, took 2 weeks max for the whole process.

Sounds about right, I am on my second one, hopefully this one lasts longer than the 3 months the replacement unit did

Also if anyone is planning to play GTA IV online, you should head over to my online gaming thread and post your Username and what console you will be playing on.

*exitspeed* · 04-23-2008, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by projekt_s13

Its already leaked???? WTF?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lU_rgKmMpDA

Damn no longer availible! I wanted to see it!

Anyway here's IGN's story today.
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/868/868629p1.html

Dutchmalmiss · 04-23-2008, 10:57 AM

6 more days....I reserved the SE edition only because I need a duffel bag haha. FUCK, and spending $55 on a Dual Shock 3 better be worth it too.

*PBucch* · 04-23-2008, 12:13 PM

yo white mel, paste that article brother, you know we cant see that shit at work!

*exitspeed* · 04-23-2008, 12:41 PM

It's 4 pages long...

Read it when you get a chance at home though. Man MP is going to be just as awesome as the single player.

Helghast · 04-23-2008, 02:24 PM

Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON
Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON
Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON
Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON
Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON
Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON

See you onlineeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Gamertag: Maaaaarc

*exitspeed* · 04-23-2008, 02:30 PM

Gamertag: exitspeed

I let my Live account expire a while ago. THIS is going to make me renew it finally.

HyperTek · 04-23-2008, 02:58 PM

Walmart employees are ready

I think you gonna have to practice your GTA skills just goin there to get teh game lol

Dirty Habit · 04-23-2008, 03:03 PM

Damn you bastards. Dont you know that the PS3 is king?!

I dont feel like renewing my xbox live or pulling that POS 360 out of storage.

*exitspeed* · 04-23-2008, 03:06 PM

^
Oh shit. That means the 24 hour stores will have it at midnight. F yea. I'm going to go wait in line as soon as I get off work I think!

04-22-2008, 07:51 AM	#62
exitspeed aWingThing.com Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 41 Posts: 20,898 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	One...more...week! __________________ What I do for a living...www.mhrussell.com

04-22-2008, 09:46 AM	#64
exitspeed aWingThing.com Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 41 Posts: 20,898 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	IGN will have a new editorial each day this week. Today's makes me all that much more excited. __________________ What I do for a living...www.mhrussell.com

04-22-2008, 10:05 AM	#68
exitspeed aWingThing.com Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 41 Posts: 20,898 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	I still have to see if Walmart is going to have it at midnight. We only have one 24 hr Walmart near me. I'm REALLY hoping they do. I hate having to send my wife to a half dozen stores trying to hunt down a game for me. But I will if I have to... __________________ What I do for a living...www.mhrussell.com

04-22-2008, 10:18 AM	#70
exitspeed aWingThing.com Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 41 Posts: 20,898 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	I want to see 4 wheelers. There's so many things I look forward to. -Trying to find all the jumps. Especially the huge insane ones. -Finding the hidden packages. -Going to the top of a tall building and jumping off. -Driving around like a madman There's just so much. All the little details make the game. __________________ What I do for a living...www.mhrussell.com

04-22-2008, 04:45 PM	#74
s13poop Post Whore! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Pomona, SOCAL 909 Posts: 3,288 Trader Rating: (3) Rides Gallery: s13poop Feedback Score: 3 reviews	some pics from the 55 page thread on nasioc looks friggin sickkk __________________ Insta: @OAKernie

04-22-2008, 05:02 PM	#75
HyperTek Post Whore! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cali Posts: 13,222 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	i hope the online play isnt full of wreckers.. you know.. vehicle kills. lol __________________ Keep it Classy

04-22-2008, 05:17 PM	#76
s13poop Post Whore! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Pomona, SOCAL 909 Posts: 3,288 Trader Rating: (3) Rides Gallery: s13poop Feedback Score: 3 reviews	the online games are gonna be dope with upto 8 teams on most modes __________________ Insta: @OAKernie

04-22-2008, 06:27 PM	#77
projekt_s13 Post Whore! Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chico/Pittsburg, CA Age: 35 Posts: 2,801 Trader Rating: (5) Rides Gallery: projekt_s13 Feedback Score: 5 reviews	Its already leaked???? WTF? [ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=lU_rgKmMpDA[/ame] __________________

04-22-2008, 07:28 PM	#78
626 FC3S Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pasadena Age: 36 Posts: 405 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	aww how fucking gay lol hahaha

04-23-2008, 10:57 AM	#83
Dutchmalmiss Post Whore! Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Socal (323) Age: 35 Posts: 3,475 Trader Rating: (13) Feedback Score: 13 reviews	6 more days....I reserved the SE edition only because I need a duffel bag haha. FUCK, and spending $55 on a Dual Shock 3 better be worth it too. __________________ Pignose, biaaatch.

04-23-2008, 12:13 PM	#84
PBucch Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: miami beach Age: 36 Posts: 1,039 Trader Rating: (0) Rides Gallery: PBucch Feedback Score: 0 reviews	yo white mel, paste that article brother, you know we cant see that shit at work! __________________ section ef&ec changed my life

04-23-2008, 12:41 PM	#85
exitspeed aWingThing.com Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 41 Posts: 20,898 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	It's 4 pages long... Read it when you get a chance at home though. Man MP is going to be just as awesome as the single player. __________________ What I do for a living...www.mhrussell.com

04-23-2008, 02:24 PM	#86
Helghast Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: killllacali Age: 37 Posts: 1,568 Trader Rating: (2) Feedback Score: 2 reviews	Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_MULTI5_PAL_READNFO_XBOX360-iCON See you onlineeeeeeeeeeeeeee Gamertag: Maaaaarc __________________

04-23-2008, 02:30 PM	#87
exitspeed aWingThing.com Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 41 Posts: 20,898 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Gamertag: exitspeed I let my Live account expire a while ago. THIS is going to make me renew it finally. __________________ What I do for a living...www.mhrussell.com

04-23-2008, 02:58 PM	#88
HyperTek Post Whore! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cali Posts: 13,222 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	Walmart employees are ready I think you gonna have to practice your GTA skills just goin there to get teh game lol __________________ Keep it Classy

04-23-2008, 03:03 PM	#89
Dirty Habit Nissanaholic! Join Date: May 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 2,069 Trader Rating: (3) Rides Gallery: Dirty Habit Feedback Score: 3 reviews	Damn you bastards. Dont you know that the PS3 is king?! I dont feel like renewing my xbox live or pulling that POS 360 out of storage. __________________ 1982 280zx Turbo

04-23-2008, 03:06 PM	#90
exitspeed aWingThing.com Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Milwaukee, WI Age: 41 Posts: 20,898 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	^ Oh shit. That means the 24 hour stores will have it at midnight. F yea. I'm going to go wait in line as soon as I get off work I think! __________________ What I do for a living...www.mhrussell.com

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