GTA IV: Not very impressed.

[Huleboeren]

snip

I'm not fond of the whole social aspect either, taking people out and having them call at the most annoying times - Pretty funny feature for like an hour, then it kills everything.

snip

I found that saying yes, when they call you on the phone and ask if you wanna play, and THEN calling them to cancel wont make them go all (N) on you :p

Great way to postpone

[Dc'1]

I thought it was too dark, so I put the brightness up full lol. The details on doors to places you cant enter seem a bit weird... It looks so fake.

[Dazog]

I thought it was too dark, so I put the brightness up full lol. The details on doors to places you cant enter seem a bit weird... It looks so fake.

Your TV is crushing the blacks if its too dark.

It's not the game, it looks damn good on my SXRD.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

You know, when I saw this thread title from the Home Page, Iactually got pretty excited. Let me explain.

I too am not overly impressed with GTA IV on a whole.

Call me crazy, but to me, all GTA IV truly is is the natural progression of the series itself, meaning based on the prior titles, it is really nothing that different than I would expect the GTA to be or what it actually should be for that matter.

Then I read your reasons for not being impressed, and here is what I have to say to them (basically why I completely disagree)

As others have said, with the darkness issue, first off change the IN GAME settings. I had to crank the brightness to the fullest to see at night. Changing those settings only affect the game itself when it is in, not your entire TV settings. Pretty much everyone I know had to change those settings, so was it an oversight on their behalf? It looks that way, but it is not a deal breaker, not even close.

Not great graphics? Pop In? For a game of this scale, both are not only 100% acceptable, but honestly they are truly expected. Thinking they were capable of something more is just unrealistic. The highest end PC could not pull it off at an acceptable frame rate if the graphics were the best out there, so thinking a console could is just unrealistic. What they have pulled off is remarkable actually, and while not the best looking game, it looks absolutely amazing looking for the type of game it is. The graphics are better than I personally thought they would be.

So I too happen to think the game is incredibly over hyped, but for none of the reasons you did.

And even though I feel this way, I still absolutely appreciate the level of detail involved in making a game like this, and really do not think many developers besides R* could pull off what they pull off. I give them every bit of respect in the world.

However I just do not think this game is the end all be all game it is being made out to be by some. I would say it is a great game, I definitely would, but not sure if it is even in my Top 15 games of all times (Personally Vice City ranks higher for me due to relevance of the time it was released). I also still think the series suffers from the same things it always has... tedious and repetitive missions, some questionable choices with pacing, and an overall ability to make me care enough after such a long SP campaign to actually make me want to complete the game (although I am really, really going to try this time around). I also still am not a fan of the shooting mechanics even with the much, much needed improvements to them, but as many know I am a huge FPS player above all else, so pretty much every 3rd person perspective games leave something for me to be desired in the shooting department, but GTA has always, and still does, feel not so great to me. Obviously the inclusion of MP is MASSIVE, but from my little experience playing it, while it seems fun, it is IMO pretty mindless fun, and my choice of MP differs from what it has to offer. I will still play the MP, and have a damn good time doing so, but I already want to throw COD4 in to play my kind of MP game. That obviously all just boils down to personal preference.

Again, I do not want it to be mistaken, I am a fan of this game, however I am not saying it is one of the best games ever. I just cannot do it. And I hope I made a decent argument as to why I feel this way. With all of that said, I cannot wait to get back into the SP campaign right now, but that is how it has always been with the GTA games for myself. Then I just lose interest, and with a few titles that I am interested in coming out pretty soon, including Battlefield Bad Company, it is fairly safe to say history will repeat itself.

[Matrix XII]

I have to agree with the OP on the graphics, I think they look average at best. The AA looks bad and it is SO BLURRY! (and yes I'm on a Samsung 1080p HDTV). Everyone is so far down Rockstar's pants right now no one can find a fault with the game, but almost all your comments I have to agree with. My eyes KILL when I play GTA IV. I have a hard time playing for more than an hour. The cover system is pretty bad, and the combat still needs work.

Also, the handling of the cars is one word: AWFUL.

Edited May 11, 2008 by Matrix XII

[Boz]

@Ruiz

I think Gametrailers comparison shows exactly the amount of loss in detail on PS3 version. That's why I had to pick it up on my PS3 as well just to see if it's BS or not, but it really is indeed pretty blurry not to mention that you actually see more things in the background with the Xbox 360 too (look at the choper in the sky and the city in the background).

Here are the screenshots from Gametrailers HD comparison video at 720p (you can see the full video on Gametrailers):

[Huleboeren]

@Ruiz

I think Gametrailers comparison shows exactly the amount of loss in detail on PS3 version. That's why I had to pick it up on my PS3 as well just to see if it's BS or not, but it really is indeed pretty blurry not to mention that you actually see more things in the background with the Xbox 360 too (look at the choper in the sky and the city in the background).

Here are the screenshots from Gametrailers HD comparison video at 720p (you can see the full video on Gametrailers):

snip

Need to see more chopper screenshots - to me, that just looks like a case of popup :/

That last screenshot actually looks better on the PS3 version - its just too sharp on the X360 version which makes it look crap somehow :s

I got the X360 version btw..

[crazzyyfool]

Does anyone know why the PS3 version is natively rendered at 630p instead of 720p? Whereas the X360 version is native at 720p?

[Jimmy0]

At night I can barely see anything sometimes, I completely forgot about setting the brightness higher :rofl: so thanks for reminding me guys. (Y)

[I am Reid]

That last screenshot actually looks better on the PS3 version - its just too sharp on the X360 version which makes it look crap somehow :s

I dont think anyone here will agree with you on that one.

[Huleboeren]

I dont think anyone here will agree with you on that one.

Have you seen the X360 version?

The shadows look like the graffiti brush from paint and its too damned sharp the jaggies become too visible ^^

[acies]

Not great graphics? Pop In? For a game of this scale, both are not only 100% acceptable, but honestly they are truly expected. Thinking they were capable of something more is just unrealistic. The highest end PC could not pull it off at an acceptable frame rate if the graphics were the best out there, so thinking a console could is just unrealistic. What they have pulled off is remarkable actually, and while not the best looking game, it looks absolutely amazing looking for the type of game it is. The graphics are better than I personally thought they would be.

I agree with your points for the most part, but I have had some series issues with pop-in and frame rate, it's seems to get worse each time I play. I really hope there's some way to patch this. But yea, for someone to be disappointed with the graphics... It's obvious that those people had very unrealistic expectations, not of R* but of the power of the consoles.

Also, the handling of the cars is one word: AWFUL.

Not at all. Handling of the cars is near perfect IMO(at least with a 360 controller). If you play for more than 30 minutes you should get used to it. They're certainly less forgiving than previous GTA's, as in you can't just press brake and turn. But IMO that added depth to the driving makes it all the more fun.

[Matrix XII]

I've played for 20+ hours lol

I know how to drive them, but I don't like it how they're so heavy.

[gigapixels Veteran]

Does anyone know why the PS3 version is natively rendered at 630p instead of 720p? Whereas the X360 version is native at 720p?

I would think it's pretty obvious. The PS3 simply couldn't handle it while keeping a steadier framerate. Now whether that's the fault of Rockstar or the PS3's hardware, we probably will never know, but it's definitely the reason.

[Matrix XII]

Wasn't it a rumour that the reason GTA was delayed because they were having trouble developing it for the PS3?

[Alfista]

ok after reading all of you guys i wanted to tell you my precious and exact and accurate thoughts about this game..

This game is NO WHERE near 10 as gamespot gave. It is fun yeah, huge yeah, but san andres and vice city were both fun and huge so they did not take a huge step in GTA4...

As i mentioned earlier in another post the graphics are like having a geforce 6600 GT with some sucky beta drivers. The graphics are so outdated that even echochrome has better graphics than GTA4. At times the colors also look worse than a 1980s flinstones cartoon.

but the game is good. Although i dont like the controls much especially in car controls, still its ok.

The conversations and variety is cool.

It is definitely a game to buy but the multiplayer is boring at its best.

So although i had given this game a 9 before.. now i will give it a 8... Anyone out there who says GTA4 is the best game ever, you guys are hypnotized by the long wait of the GTA4 game and after spending 60 bucks or so you do not want to hammer the game..

it is a GOOOOOD game but NO WAY CLOSE THE the best game ever.

i enjoyed vice city more...

anyway.

adriana lima for the president...

[MightyJordan]

You're not the only one that isn't impressed by GTAIV. To me, it's same old same old. The graphics are sub-par, framerate drops still occur (and I'm talking major drops), and the game is too repetitive.

Only gets a 6/10 from me.

[crazzyyfool]

I would think it's pretty obvious. The PS3 simply couldn't handle it while keeping a steadier framerate. Now whether that's the fault of Rockstar or the PS3's hardware, we probably will never know, but it's definitely the reason.

Surely its just poor/lazy programming on the developers front. There are plenty of games out for the PS3 with MUCH better graphics and gameplay, some of these are native at 1080p and only use a small percentage of the PS3's core power.

[EveryOtherUsernameTaken]

It's a mint game IMHO

Just completed it yesterday so that's the only downside a bit short

[popisdead uk]

I would think it's pretty obvious. The PS3 simply couldn't handle it while keeping a steadier framerate. Now whether that's the fault of Rockstar or the PS3's hardware, we probably will never know, but it's definitely the reason.

Its not obvious at all. Plenty of other games look and run fantastic. Its lazy coding. Its quite clear that the 360 was the lead platform.

[Huleboeren]

Surely its just poor/lazy programming on the developers front. There are plenty of games out for the PS3 with MUCH better graphics and gameplay, some of these are native at 1080p and only use a small percentage of the PS3's core power.

Perhaps - but none of them are the scale of GTA

Did anyone really expect GTA to run at Crysis graphics?

Get real :rofl:

[+virtorio MVC]

Surely its just poor/lazy programming on the developers front. There are plenty of games out for the PS3 with MUCH better graphics and gameplay, some of these are native at 1080p and only use a small percentage of the PS3's core power.

Few games exist on the scale that GTA IV does, there is a huge ton of detail, there is a lot going on all the time and it does all of this with pretty minimal loading time.

For me GTA has its flaws - the graphics aren't perfect, the controls can be a bit fiddly and I spend of as much time controlling the camera as I do controlling the character (though I do this to make it seem more like a movie than a game), but these points aren't enough to change the 10/10 rating I'd give it.

[Michael1406]

It's the first GTA on either console - it' not gonna be perfect first time round. I think they leave room for improvement on purpose, otherwise they'd have nothing to make better.

What I don't get is that for the first week everyone was saying how GTA4 looked better on the PS3, now it seems to be switching.

[crazzyyfool]

It's the first GTA on either console - it' not gonna be perfect first time round. I think they leave room for improvement on purpose, otherwise they'd have nothing to make better.

What I don't get is that for the first week everyone was saying how GTA4 looked better on the PS3, now it seems to be switching.

Hmm, no developer should leave room for improvement on purpose, thats just being lazy. They should develop each game with 110% commitment to make the best game they can, both with gameplay and graphics etc. That way, when it comes to a sequel, they would strive even further to produce a better game again.

If I left room for improvement on purpose in my job I would get the sack.

Edited May 12, 2008 by kraized

[popisdead uk]

It's the first GTA on either console - it' not gonna be perfect first time round. I think they leave room for improvement on purpose, otherwise they'd have nothing to make better.

What I don't get is that for the first week everyone was saying how GTA4 looked better on the PS3, now it seems to be switching.

Not for me. I still think the PS3 version looks, and performs better.