This is my first ever attempt at a review, I imagine it will be my last as well
so bear with me...
The year was 1997 and I was 14, I was stood in my local Game store with my best friend, and for the first time I can ever recall, the staff at Game were actually asking for ID before letting you buy a game.
The game was called Grand Theft Auto, and I knew that I had to have it.
Some swift thinking led to me asking a guy in the store if he could purchase it for me, and 5 minutes later, I had the game in my hands.
This event was a historic day in my life, and whilst I generally prefer FPS games, I have purchased every single GTA since then.
Fast forward over ten years, and I am sat at my desk almost 2 weeks ago, watching live streaming of some lucky kid playing GTA 4, yes, I have read the previews, seen the trailers, soaked up every droplet of information available... and like a junkie looking for his next fix I simply had to have more.
So I sat there fore 2 hours watching SOMEONE ELSE play the game.
Looking back it is not something I am proud of, but hey, it says a lot about the game, and indeed the hype, that I would do this.
The night before the release date, I hear my local store is selling them early, so I jump into my car and shoot down and grab a copy. (I also had an Amazon pre-order which I later cancelled).
I turned to my girlfriend and said "Honey, have you ever heard of something called a gaming all-nighter?"
She got the message, and the TV was mine for the night.
A 7 hour session ensued, and since then I believe I have clocked up around 25 hours of gaming. But, despite all this, the game is giving me a hollow feeling, I wouldn't go as far as to call it disappointing, but there is certainly something there that doesn't please me as much as I had expected.
If anyone can relate to this hollow feeling, perhaps let me know, and we can hopefully figure out why it is, but for me I think it may be due to the hype... afterall, not even GTA can live up to that hype machine!
Or perhaps it was the fact that I watched the live streaming, and therefore spoilt a few of the surprises?
I have only had one freeze, so it is not a technical issue, even the occasionally jittery framerate is not bothering me.
So what could it be?
Honestly, I don't know the exact answer. But despite improvements in so many areas, it still just feels like the others.
Yes, I am aware that the city is amazing, and the level to detail is the best I have ever seen... I enjoy the story, the cut scenes are good, and even the fighting is pretty good... but to me, it still just feels the same.
I imagine it is like fxxking a friend after she has had plastic surgery... it all looks better, but at the end of the day, it all just feels the same.
There is no doubt I WILL continue to play GTA 4, and I really have only played a few hours of multiplayer, but this is one of those rare occasions in life when very good just doesn't feel good enough. Yes, we are spoilt, the bar was set high, perhaps too high, and yes, it still is one of the best games of the year... but my question is this:
Is GTA IV great, or very good?
Thanks
Announcements
New Releases
Upcoming Releases
Breakout Champion!
3rd
Linear Mode
