After failing the Out of Commission mission for about the sixth time, I have to voice a huge complaint I have against Grand Theft Auto IV: You can no longer improvise and take on a mission how you see fit. Instead, you're practically forced to do things the way Rockstar wants you to. Sometimes you get lucky and you can do things in unique and clever ways, but it's all based on chance. ("Chance" being, "I sure hope the game engine remembers that I parked that car there.")
This will happen quite often: You're forced to chase a guy and you fire everything you have at him and he remains unscathed. Not even a FUCKING ROCKET will kill the bastard. Instead, you have to keep chasing the miscreant until Rockstar decides you're at a point where you can kill him for real. What? That's realistic, all right.
I remember in the PS2 days, you could take a bunch of cars and make a barricade so that the guy you where chasing would run into it and you could then start to shoot the proverbial fish in a barrel. Not so anymore -- now the cars disappear. Do the mission the way Rockstar wants you to. Do not think. Do not deviate. Do as they say, or else.
That's one thing, here's another: Why aren't there checkpoints in these games? Why do I have to sit through a 5 minute chase scene again and again so I can get to the mission proper? This is boring and provides no real challenge, so just get to the point already!
I'm at a place now where I don't want to pick up the game for a while. Even if I did, there'd be no way to just mess around, because whenever I load up my last save, I get a phone call and the final mission is started for me, whether I like it or not.
The latest edition of the 1UP Yours podcast addresses other issues I have, but surprisingly (or not so surprisingly, given the nature of the show) the GFW Radio podcast gives even bigger reasons why the game is so infuriating at times.
If you care to reminisce about the good ol' days of Grand Theft Auto, might I suggest this lovely Retronuats podcast? [Note: I do not work for 1UP or Ziff Davis, I merely enjoy their programming and their honest and intelligent style] One thing I found especially poignant was that GTA III was essentially "broken" in many ways, but this allowed you tackle missions in a variety of ways. And you know what? Rockstar didn't care, because that's part of what made it so fun. I really miss that aspect in IV.
This will happen quite often: You're forced to chase a guy and you fire everything you have at him and he remains unscathed. Not even a FUCKING ROCKET will kill the bastard. Instead, you have to keep chasing the miscreant until Rockstar decides you're at a point where you can kill him for real. What? That's realistic, all right.
I remember in the PS2 days, you could take a bunch of cars and make a barricade so that the guy you where chasing would run into it and you could then start to shoot the proverbial fish in a barrel. Not so anymore -- now the cars disappear. Do the mission the way Rockstar wants you to. Do not think. Do not deviate. Do as they say, or else.
That's one thing, here's another: Why aren't there checkpoints in these games? Why do I have to sit through a 5 minute chase scene again and again so I can get to the mission proper? This is boring and provides no real challenge, so just get to the point already!
I'm at a place now where I don't want to pick up the game for a while. Even if I did, there'd be no way to just mess around, because whenever I load up my last save, I get a phone call and the final mission is started for me, whether I like it or not.
The latest edition of the 1UP Yours podcast addresses other issues I have, but surprisingly (or not so surprisingly, given the nature of the show) the GFW Radio podcast gives even bigger reasons why the game is so infuriating at times.
If you care to reminisce about the good ol' days of Grand Theft Auto, might I suggest this lovely Retronuats podcast? [Note: I do not work for 1UP or Ziff Davis, I merely enjoy their programming and their honest and intelligent style] One thing I found especially poignant was that GTA III was essentially "broken" in many ways, but this allowed you tackle missions in a variety of ways. And you know what? Rockstar didn't care, because that's part of what made it so fun. I really miss that aspect in IV.
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