Grand Theft Auto IV

  • Thread starter Thread starter Christhedude
  • 2,251 comments
  • 147,659 views
I'm disappointed about the lack of airplanes, but I do wonder if that includes helicopters too? Size of the map isn't a big deal to me since this will be so much more detailed than before.
 
donbenni
The map is smaller than San Andreas, but a hell of a lot more detailed. No countryside or desert.
Click to expand...
No countryside or desert? Aw nuts! I hope they make up for it with plenty of parkland for off-roading.
Apparently there are no planes because there is only one city in the game.
Click to expand...
That doesn't make sense. There's planes in Vice City Stories and there's only one city in that game. :confused:
edit: Even GTA3 and Vice City gave you a plane to fly thought those games consisted of a single city. If Rockstar have decided to exclude planes from GTAIV, it's not because "there's only one city in the game".


KM.
 
I think the cell phone tidbit is very interesting, as well as the improving graphics. It's always good to know the main character's name, a little bit of background info and some insight into the location.

A lot of people will rejoice about multiplayer, and I'm sure it will improve a lot on San Andreas multiplayer. And I'm now very interested about the mission structure and everything surrounding that. I've been happy so far. Don't get disappointed, either way. It's only May, and the game comes out in October. Rockstar have to keep people interested without giving too much away until October, otherwise a lot of people will fade out of interest before October comes.

Also, don't get too disheartened about no planes. I'm almost positive there will be helicopters, but there's no use for planes in only one city.

It's also been said in the magazine that they have really crammed every bit of detail possible into every inch of the city, and that they haven't just wasted space on vast landscapes of desert and country, so I'm really looking forward to the city. I'm fairly impressed with the size, too. Although it's not bigger than San Andreas as a whole, it's still one city almost the size of San Andreas all together. And to put that much detail into quite an amount of space.. I'm impressed.
 
well if theres a representation of central park then I don't think off roading will be a problem, I too think that there will be helicopters but not having other aircraft seems silly, I was looking foreward to having a Harrier in amongst all the tall buildings.
 
matthewjlcoleman
Also, don't get too disheartened about no planes. I'm almost positive there will be helicopters, but there's no use for planes in only one city.
Click to expand...
The "use" of planes is simply an alternative for flying around the map apart from helicopters - not as a transport between cities, although they can be used as that, just like cars, boats and helicopters can be used for transport between cities. I regularly use(d) planes in San Andreas and it wasn't just for a shortcut between cities - it was just fun and useful to have a plane for screwing around in - flying in between buildings, a quick route to the top of Mt. Chiliad, stunting around and under bridges, flybys over Area 69 to arouse the authorities, etc. The fact that there's only one city isn't a good reason to exclude planes. As long as the map is big enough, planes are a cool addition as a much faster, but less manouevarable and harder to land alternative to helicopters. We don't need to have 747s or anything, just a similar selection to the airplanes in San Andreas.


KM.
 
Full Summary of the Preview (thanks to GTA4.net)

* The protagonist's name is Niko Bellic - an Eastern European immigrant who has come to Liberty City to live the "American Dream." The game is set in Liberty City in 2007, but it is bigger than the Liberty City we saw in GTA III.

* The GTA 4 equivalent of the Statue of Liberty is called the Statue of Happiness, and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is known as BOABO (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass).

* In Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar have recreated 4 of the 5 boroughs in New York, as well as part of New Jersey. Broker is the GTA IV equivalent of Brooklyn, Manhattan is now called Algonquin, Queens is now Dukes, the Bronx is Bohan, and New Jersey is Alderney. The map is smaller than San Andreas, but considerably more detailed. No countryside or desert, we are led to believe.

* Pedestrians are far more realistic in GTAIV than in previous GTA games - they sit on benches, smoke cigarettes, read books and generally act like any real pedestrian would in the middle of a street.

* The screenshots in the preview are not representative of the final quality of the graphics, Rockstar insist. The game will only look better as the release draws closer..

* Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who claimed to be living a wonderful life there with two beautiful women, fifteen sports cars, and lots of money etc, but he was infact telling a lie in order to hide his own failures. Roman is the only person you know in Liberty City at the beginning of the game, and he becomes one of your major connections at the start. Niko is a tough character whereas Roman is friendly. Roman is heavily in debt and a lot of people are after him - he needs Niko's support. They are constantly bickering.

* The demo (which was played on Xbox 360) begins with Bellic standing inside of the taxi depot, which Roman operates in the borough of Broker in a converted industrial garage. Roman works at a cluttered desk in a shabby environment, and at this point the graphical improvements are extremely evident. Bellic walks to a brownstone house in Broker, where he pushes open the door and pulls out a pistol. The living room however, is not occupied. He then moves onto the kitchen, which he also finds to be empty. He pushes his way through the back door and smashes the window of a red four-door car using his elbow. The broken glass falls onto the street and onto the seat of the car, as Bellic unlocks it from the inside. He hotwires the car and sets off to his next destination. The camera angle behind the car is closer to the vehicle than in previous GTA titles, which enables more detail on the car to be seen. After selecting a radio station, Bellic navigates to a section of the BOABO arriving at a dockside with a terrific view of the city skyline. Pigeons can be heard in the sky, and waves can be heard rustling in the water. Bellic then pulls out his cellphone which has options for Phonebook, Messages, Organizer and Camera on it's LCD screen. He selects Phonebook, and he is then presented with another set of options: City Contact, Docks Friend, and Cab Contact. After a brief conversation he informs the reciever to meet him at the docks.

* As Bellic walks, you can feel the weight behind each step he makes. Variations in the terrain cause realistic changes in the walking animation. The physics have also improved and character movements are more realistic.

* In previous GTA games you were like a slave because you had to constantly take orders from people when doing missions. There is still an element of that in Grand Theft Auto 4, but you can also choose how you want to spend your time, for example "I want to hang out with him and her. I want to hang out with this guy because he always has fun things to do." Call him up and maybe you can hang with him. Maybe he'll answer. You have a lot of choice over what you want to do.

* In GTA 4, Rockstar is giving its players more freedom, more choice, and more sense of control over their destiny - the structure of GTA4's storyline is quite different to it's predecessors as it can be told in a number of different ways. You can talk to people in person, by cell phones, and there are a bunch of other ways of giving the player information. In general it's a different experience, with new ways of interacting with the characters and the game world.

* Rockstar consulted crime experts and ex-policemen when making the game, and they learned that being a criminal is a lot harder these days than it was during the 80s and 90s (for example) and they have tried to reflect this in the game. This means you can expect to see a lot of people getting arrested - the police are a heavy presence in Liberty City.

* There are no planes in GTA IV because there is only one city, and Rockstar want the game to seem realistic. That means there will be no rollerblades, no unicycles, probably no jetpacks and indeed no planes. Rockstar are giving choice and variety which feels right for the character. However there will be motorbikes.

* Rockstar North is approaching the recruitment of voice actors in a different way. This means that we will probably hear less familiar voices in GTA 4, as R* are looking for voices which suit the attitude of the characters, and are not just looking for big names. A similar approach is being done with the soundtrack - Rockstar are looking for great music which works with the 2007 Liberty City.

* After an initial load sequence, the game will never load again. Not even during exterior-interior transitions (and vice versa).

* Both versions of the game (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) will likely be identical, but the Xbox 360 version will have exclusive downloadable episodic [sizeable] content. Rockstar have now spent over 3 years developing the game, and Dan Houser compares the leap from GTA III to GTA IV, to the leap from GTA to GTA III.

* GTA IV will have multiplayer, but it's not going to be a massively multiplayer online game, says Dan Houser. They are trying to make something that is interesting, fun, progressive and which goes along nicely with the single-player game.

Just an extended version of what was already posted.
KM
The "use" of planes is simply an alternative for flying around the map apart from helicopters - not as a transport between cities, although they can be used as that, just like cars, boats and helicopters can be used for transport between cities. I regularly use(d) planes in San Andreas and it wasn't just for a shortcut between cities - it was just fun and useful to have a plane for screwing around in - flying in between buildings, a quick route to the top of Mt. Chiliad, stunting around and under bridges, flybys over Area 69 to arouse the authorities, etc. The fact that there's only one city isn't a good reason to exclude planes. As long as the map is big enough, planes are a cool addition as a much faster, but less manouevarable and harder to land alternative to helicopters. We don't need to have 747s or anything, just a similar selection to the airplanes in San Andreas.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's understandable, and I do think a few people will be a bit disappointed with that, but the game is moving in a different direction (though without trying to lose the feel of Grand Theft Auto as we know it). I think they're looking for more realism and a distinct feel, and although having planes in the game once again might be fun, it's not a necessity and I'd think that as soon as people play the game, they probably won't be as disappointed as they are prior to the game's release.

Either way that's just an individual opinion on the subject, and probably quite evident that I'm not going to miss the planes all that much. :p
 
I never really used planes on San Andreas. As long as there are ample helicopters I will be happy.
 
No planes? Boooo. I suppose there won't be a military base aswell :rolleyes:

Otherwise, it's all sounding very good. I like this little impreovement aswell.
He pushes his way through the back door and smashes the window of a red four-door car using his elbow. The broken glass falls onto the street and onto the seat of the car, as Bellic unlocks it from the inside. He hotwires the car and sets off to his next destination.
Click to expand...
 
I hope he lost heath for putting his elbow through a glass window. Or at least stood their bitching that his funny bone hurt. Where’s the realism!?
 
Wasn't Driver: Parallel Lines in New York too?
 
ultrabeat
Wasn't Driver: Parallel Lines in New York too?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I own it, the graphics do look really good but the gameplay sucks compared to GTA, its so hard to do anything even shoot!

Im also hoping there are other locations in GTA IV other than NY.

Robin

edit, I just read the article on the previous page... hmm abit dissapointed and NO PLANES!!!
 
No planes don't bother me at all, I never really liked the planes in GTA SA. Although I did enjoy the jetpacks for fun replay value.
 
VIPERGTSR01
No planes don't bother me at all, I never really liked the planes in GTA SA. Although I did enjoy the jetpacks for fun replay value.
Click to expand...

The best part of the planes was that they allowed you to easily use the parachutes. Flying them was a dull but quick way of getting around, jumping out of them was far more fun.

Regards

Scaff
 
Scaff
The best part of the planes was that they allowed you to easily use the parachutes. Flying them was a dull but quick way of getting around, jumping out of them was far more fun.

Regards

Scaff
Click to expand...


Yes true, that is pretty much the only thing I enjoyed about them.
 
Well that all sounds quite good really, despite what i said before. I don't really mind about the lack of planes etc., you know they'll be there in future releases again. I like the sound of how they're making it a bit more realistic; i hope this doesn't mean that it's going to be slightly less fun though.

Really looking forward to seeing proper shots of more vehicles including the confirmed motorbikes :)
 
I wonder what the deal with the episodic content will be, I remember hearing that it was coming to the ps3 too (although different from what 360 gets). I wonder if it will really come out for both.
 
Robin ///////
Im also hoping there are other locations in GTA IV other than NY.

edit, I just read the article on the previous page... hmm abit dissapointed and NO PLANES!!!
Click to expand...

Yea, hopefully the place would be bigger than what we can imagine is the size only of the Liberty City that we knew of. Hopefully there'd by additional locations to go to.

I was a bit sad too when I read there'd be no planes. Maybe it'd be too much of a strain already for R* to make additional animations for aircrafts that's why.
 
KieranMurphy
That doesn't make sense. There's planes in Vice City Stories and there's only one city in that game. :confused:
edit: Even GTA3 and Vice City gave you a plane to fly thought those games consisted of a single city. If Rockstar have decided to exclude planes from GTAIV, it's not because "there's only one city in the game".
Click to expand...

I suspect it's because of what that one city is. All you'd need is someone Youtubing a video of himself nailing a passenger jet into a skyscraper and Jack Thompson would 🤬 his lips in apoplexy. And get support.
 
But New York has 3 major airports!
JFK, La Guardia and another who's name I forget.

Surely they could encorporate that in somewhere along the way.
 
Famine
I suspect it's because of what that one city is. All you'd need is someone Youtubing a video of himself nailing a passenger jet into a skyscraper and Jack Thompson would 🤬 his lips in apoplexy. And get support.
Click to expand...
So you have a secret missile base that blows the crap out of any planes that fly near.


(And couldn't you do something like that in MS Flight Sim?)
 
In no way am I a GTA fan. I bought one of the games, and wasn't impressed with it. But, IV looks good.

I didn't like the version I bought because it felt like the same things over and over again. Some of the tasks were retarded. I need to participate in a car race? I'm supposed to be a hit man and I need to do a stupid road race? Come on!

I hope this game series has gotten better than that. If so, I think I'll get this one on October 16.
 
Famine
I suspect it's because of what that one city is. All you'd need is someone Youtubing a video of himself nailing a passenger jet into a skyscraper and Jack Thompson would 🤬 his lips in apoplexy. And get support.
Click to expand...
Ah, I hadn't thought of that. I'm sure all sorts of people have had fun crashing the flyable passenger jet in San Andreas into buildings.


KM.
 
Or maybe it's just because since the game takes place over a fairly small area there is little point, or little realism in having airplanes available to use?
 
I'd at least like an alternative to places. It would be cool to pilot a blimp, then get up and walk around the cabin.
 
ultrabeat
But New York has 3 major airports!
JFK, La Guardia and another who's name I forget.

Surely they could encorporate that in somewhere along the way.
Click to expand...
Actually, New York has only 2 major airports : The JFK airport, and LaGuardia International airport. The other nearest one is in Newark, New Jersey and it's called Newark International Airport.

------------------------

OK, it didn't take too long for me to be wrong on the "less violence" prediction that I had before :lol:, as now I know what R* meant when they said "things will be different".

The lack of planes does not bother me one bit, nor the lack of the jetpacks ad other stuff. What excites me the most is
matthewjlcoleman
* After an initial load sequence, the game will never load again. Not even during exterior-interior transitions (and vice versa).
Click to expand...
Now that's hot!, less time wasted is always a plus.


So far so good I'd say :)
 
Famine
I suspect it's because of what that one city is. All you'd need is someone Youtubing a video of himself nailing a passenger jet into a skyscraper and Jack Thompson would 🤬 his lips in apoplexy. And get support.
Click to expand...

Yes i can picture the news articles on that. Even though it isn't R*'s fault for what people do in the game (in situations like that), i'm sure the media would go balistic: "A computer game that encourages children to reconstruct the 9/11 suicide bombings"... see the 'selling porno to kids' example from a recent similarly-ridiculous article quote.
 

Latest Posts

Back