It seems the Rockstar and Take Two anti-hype has worked wonders. Secret screenings, minimal TV skits and a few huge posters have seen GTAIV obliterate anything before on opening sales, eclipsing even hollywood movies.

The secret to the GTA series’ success is not complicated or classified information, the “sandbox” personified but seemingly impossible to replicate. Games such as Saints Row and various others have tried but failed to recreate the X-Factor Rockstar have captured. It’s this simple yet illusive recipe that means any future release with a GTA in the title will no doubt shatter sales record yet again, regardless of quality.

I have always loaded a fresh copy of any GTA game into the drive with the thought “they can’t have ruined it, can they?” and this expereince didn’t differ. A new generation of console, improved visuals will be a given, but the revised physics engine has the potential, however remote, to ruin the special something that sets this series apart. I took a deep breath and pushed in the tray…..

As expected the presentation, where Rockstar have always excelled, is nothing short of perfect. Simple, clean with a well chosen soundtrack and ultra classy cinematic intro set the scene and immerse you in the world. The visuals are, given the next gen hardware, as expected. More could have be done, including resolving the very occasional tearing experienced along with some frankly pretty poor shadowing but this will never detract from the experience. GTA has never been the most graphically precise game and this is always excused by the player whos mind is elsewhere. As with any relatively new platform the best is yet to come once the dev guys have got their enormous noggins around the hardcore zeros and ones.

Soundtrack, check. Fresh, vast and perfectly presented. Add in the simple yet brilliant ZiT function for Track ID and you couldn’t ask for more.

The real plus points and leaps forward in GTAIV are two fold. Firstly the storyline is epic, absorbing, expertly written and directed and the improved cut scenes mean you are never tempted to skip them to get back to the action. All of them hold important information as Nikko’s new life unfolds.

Secondly the implementation of the mobile phone as the game portal. This controls the interaction, mission allocation and various other features that make the experience that bit sweeter than the previous San Andreas jaunt. Its a joy to be hold.

Does GTAIV fall over? In my view, it’s more of a stumble. The basic premise of the entire game remains the same as every other GTA game. Drive somewhere, accept a mission, drive somewhere else, shoot some one, drive back. Variations on the theme provide some respite but these amount to perhaps 2 hours of true entertainment amoungst the other 40 hours of auto-targeting uzi firing and setting waypoints in the map and navigating A to B to A. It can become tiresome for all but the hardened GTA g33ks.

Taking nothing away the overall package is clearly the most entertaining game available today and sets a new benchmark for others to follow. The mission structure will need to be refreshed for GTAV to keep this at the top of the pile but another 3 years will pass before then so time is on our side.

The extras such as Multiplayer, enjoyed previosuly by PC gamers on San Andreas, will keep you entertained following completion of the main story as will collecting packages and shooting pigeons chasing the illusive 100% achievement.

As good as it is, I can’t help feeling San Andreas was a leap forward whereas this is rather more of a large stride. On the bright side, Rockstar have lots more potential to extract from the platform and no doubt vast reserves of creative talent to exploit. It should keep us carjacking, gun tooting, empire building, burger munching addicts hooked on the series and emptying our pockets when the big V turns up.

Lets hope the next one isn’t strangled by the badge of EA as the takeover looms. Get back to work boys, the holiday is over.

Rating	Description
9.5	Presentation Cinematic, atmospheric, mesmerising and distinctively GTA.
9.0	Graphics Yep, it’s all there and makes the game fresh and pretty. A hugh improvement, immersing you in the world like never before. However, this platform does have more to offer….
9.0	Sound Never going to dissapoint, you will still be discovering new tracks after 5 hours play. Liberty Rock for the win!
8.5	Gameplay Sandbox perfection as expected, but the drive..shoot..drive with minor variations is getting ever so slightly tired
9.5	Lasting Appeal 40 hour main game, multiplayer, flying rats, secret tunnels and vehicles. You could play if for the rest of your life. Longevity thats never been seen before
9.0	OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average)

]]> http://spoonz.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/grand-theft-auto-iv-was-it-worth-it/feed/ 0 spoonz http://spoonz.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/archive-when-hamilton-blew-it/ http://spoonz.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/archive-when-hamilton-blew-it/#comments Tue, 29 May 2007 15:23:00 +0000 spoonz http://spoonz.wordpress.com/?p=6 ]]> Monday morning and England yet again awakens to the bitter taste of defeat, snatched from the jaws of victory. The intricate excuses are forming and the rumblings of foul play are being spoken in between mouthfuls of sour grapes. Inevitably, the million monkeys with typewriters we call the internet will bare many conspiracy theories over the next few days, no doubt all more vastly entertaining than reality. The story of surely the most bizarre Sunday of little Lewis’ life, may I feel, have a much more simple explanation than Ron Dennis et al would have you believe.

The leading questions seem to be, How do you freeze petrol? and Why stop 3 times when 2 was enough for just about everyone else in Sao Paulo on Sunday? What ever the answers to these questions may be, it still sounds like they have both been grabbed from the McLaren “bad day at the office” Box of Official Race Straws. In my personal and truly unprofessional armchair view the race was lost well before Ron was questioning the FIA as to why telemetry data doesn’t include a thermometer on the nozzle of the BMW fuel rig.

It was Anthony Hamilton’s post race speech that encompassed it all for me. We all expected a speech of “disappointeds”, “unluckys” and “these things happen” but it seems these words don’t exist in the Hamilton mindset and very admirable it is too. Questioned by a downbeat sounding Louise Goodman on ITV Mr Hamilton replied “To be quite honest, none of us are in pain – trust me, we feel great,” “We’ve just had one of the most fantastic Formula 1 seasons ever.”…… “We lost it by one point, and we’ll come back next year.” A great attitude and a very good example for Lewis, no doubt this is the mentality that has got him where he is, positivity drilled into him no matter what dilemmas, disappointments and set backs he faces. To quote Lewis himself “There is always another race”, no doubt words echoed from his father.

Don’t get me wrong I really wanted Hamilton to do enough, and just enough. This however is something he didn’t seem to be aware of, “enough” that is, not me and my F1 bandwagon delirium. It was plain to see on that fourth corner his decision making was not that of an experienced driver but of a scared young man. Yes he looks calm and collected but take a minute to stand in his shoes and put yourself in that seat, on that day, in that position. A billon pairs of eyes, a 50 strong team of mechanics doing there all, sponsors pressing flesh and introducing child hood heroes, the hopes and fears of the British nation. It’s impossible to imagine he didn’t feel any pressure at all behind that iron mask, after all, he’s only human.

Is it plausible that the neutral he found after running wide was momentary panic? Is it possible that the apparent gear box vs engine 40 second parting of ways was a human error? Maybe, maybe not, but I cant imagine for one minute that pressure wasn’t involved in at least some of his decision making on those fateful opening laps.

It was truly destroying to sit motionless, mouth and eyes wide open, watching him fall back through the field, I so desperately wanted him to prevail through all the doubters and not least to kick Alonso right in the castanets. Yes, he will be back and he will be a world champion but the greatest loss, and the one that brings a tear to my eye is that he will never be the rookie again, and a rookie world champion my friends is now something we will probably not see in our lifetime. You have probably just witnessed the greatest sporting achievement of your life, almost!