GTA IV

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Fri May 02, 2008 12:40 pm

Maybe it'd feel more Lynch-esque with better animation or character models. Uncharted spoiled me.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:32 pm

Murph wrote:I think the cabaret is meant to be crappy on purpose. I'm assuming as we progress through the game, better entertainment places open up.

(without mentioning names) I know there are a number of 'name' comics that do stand-up in the game, might be here. I bet a new cabaret opens up for u in Manhattan or something that has the "real" talent.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:51 pm

Hm... always best for an entertainment product to put its worst foot forward. Good strategy, Rockstar!

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:54 pm

Slumberland wrote:Hm... always best for an entertainment product to put its worst foot forward. Good strategy, Rockstar!

Yeah because EVERY game on the planet gives you the good stuff right up front right? Last time I checked you gotta work to advance in a game. Hell, that's how they get you to continue to play the game...the better stuff on the other side of the hill.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Fri May 02, 2008 3:55 pm

I'm just talking about some of the writing, at the cabaret in particular. Yeah, it's supposed to be "bad", but that only accounts for part of how uncomfortable the whole thing was. The wit is super hit-and-miss in GTA, and I suspect that any criticism or negative reinforcement that would really shore up the writing gets lost in the maelstrom of general awesomeness and controversy that otherwise ends up defining the game.

One of my buddies had a birthday party at one of the Russian cabarets on Coney Island a few years ago. It was truly one of the worst, most hilarious things I've ever seen. Epic in its weirdness. I couldn't even look after a while, it made me laugh so hard. I wish I could describe it in detail, but it's all a blur of feathers, earnest dance numbers and whitefish.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Fri May 02, 2008 4:59 pm

I love we're critiquing the cabaret shows in a videogame. how far games have come...

Murph · Post by **Murph** » Fri May 02, 2008 5:18 pm

Hell, even the game characters boo some of the shows at that place, like the dumbass cowboy rolling around on stage. I only wish I could pull out a gun from my seat (in the game) and shoot the idiot!

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Fri May 02, 2008 5:33 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:
Jimmydeicide wrote: at some of the responses in this thread.

What does my avatar have to do with disrespecting women? I didn't realize having a chuckle at some s*** humor meant I was supposed to be supportive of sexist jokes that openly mock a significant achievement for women. I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around that one fathead.

It had to be done.
It's called context Jimmy.

Making euphemisms in a Grand Theft Auto discussion seems par for the course.

Inferring that women are only good for sexual favors in a discussion about a significant achievement for them, not so much.

If that makes me a hypocrite so be it.

I was joking around as you lot are , context maybe but one could dig thru this thread and argue the same thing if they wanted to.

Sorry just thought it was ironic realy carry on with your regular scheduled programming.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Fri May 02, 2008 6:45 pm

Slumber,

I have to agree with you. Everybody jumped on me in MP the other night when I said that the writing and cut scenese were laughable. I just finished Portal recently (I know!) and am almost through with Mass Effect, and the writing in those games, while two totally different styles, is just miles ahead of what Rockstar has done.

There are a million great things about GTA, but the story and writing are not among them IMO.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri May 02, 2008 7:02 pm

RobVarak wrote:Slumber,

I have to agree with you. Everybody jumped on me in MP the other night when I said that the writing and cut scenese were laughable. I just finished Portal recently (I know!) and am almost through with Mass Effect, and the writing in those games, while two totally different styles, is just miles ahead of what Rockstar has done.

There are a million great things about GTA, but the story and writing are not among them IMO.

Videogame writing is pretty laughable if you actually open a book once in a while. That said, I have an appreciation for what GTA has done. It might have a lot of cheesy cliches but then again that's what it's going for.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Fri May 02, 2008 9:11 pm

LMAO!

Just car jacked a Greek cabby....used the words malaka and kolo treepa...jagoff and asshole...."Dont f*** with the Greeks" when he kicked me back out...

He mispronounced the second Greek word but it was some funny s*** none the less...

I must have been in Astoria?

Games getting a 10 for entertainment...

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Fri May 02, 2008 9:52 pm

JRod wrote: Videogame writing is pretty laughable if you actually open a book once in a while. That said, I have an appreciation for what GTA has done. It might have a lot of cheesy cliches but then again that's what it's going for.

Believe me, I'm not comparing it to Hemingway. I'm saying the writing is no better than average by videogame standards. Again, that's not to say the game isn't awesome and fun...

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Sat May 03, 2008 11:30 am

So, how the hell do you do the Police missions? Every time I get in a Police car and try to access the computer is says something like the network is down and to try again later.

Also, where do I find weapons? I don't have any weapons stores open yet it seems.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Sat May 03, 2008 11:31 am

Spooky wrote:So, how the hell do you do the Police missions? Every time I get in a Police car and try to access the computer is says something like the network is down and to try again later.

Also, where do I find weapons? I don't have any weapons stores open yet it seems.

It comes as you play the SP missions. Keep playing. They'll open up...

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Sat May 03, 2008 11:34 am

tealboy03 wrote:
Spooky wrote:So, how the hell do you do the Police missions? Every time I get in a Police car and try to access the computer is says something like the network is down and to try again later.

Also, where do I find weapons? I don't have any weapons stores open yet it seems.

It comes as you play the SP missions. Keep playing. They'll open up...

Thanks Teal!

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Sat May 03, 2008 11:43 am

Spooky wrote:
tealboy03 wrote:
Spooky wrote:So, how the hell do you do the Police missions? Every time I get in a Police car and try to access the computer is says something like the network is down and to try again later.

Also, where do I find weapons? I don't have any weapons stores open yet it seems.

It comes as you play the SP missions. Keep playing. They'll open up...
Thanks Teal!

No problem!

MACTEPsporta · Post by **MACTEPsporta** » Sat May 03, 2008 2:02 pm

Rob,

I've read numerous reviews on this game and all of them state that the writing is exceptional. Many say, unequivocally, that this is the best writing EVER in the videogame. I tend to agree. I know you are not trying to knock the game's overall value, because I am sure you will agree - it's second to none in that regard, but I feel you are underestimating the writing and the voice acting.

Of course, it could be so impressive for me personally, since I understand Russian and I just can't help but appreciate the acting and the personalities in the community. It's dead on, and not just from an outsider's prospective, but from someone within as well.

Also, keep in mind, the story gets much better as you go along, and it is when you are faced with choices that you fully understand the genious of the writing.

P.S. Hemingway? What has he written, other than a bunch of really long sentences?

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sat May 03, 2008 2:20 pm

Hemingway was famous for laconic sentences which nevertheless packed a emotional wallop.

I thought Bioshock was praised for the script.

Video games scripts are derivative of movies and other popular culture. I remember replicants in Flashback. All elements borrowed from other sci-fi movies and books. Yet it was still poignant in the end.

Guess the game wasn't popular enough to rate sequels.

Ico didn't have dialog but the story was hypnotic, archetypal.

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Sat May 03, 2008 2:35 pm

The online is classic.

Playing some serious cops&crooks last night. I was escorting the "vip/boss", cruising on an overpass, cops show-up, tires get shot-out, I flip the car over the rail & fall 3 stories. Me & the boss crawl out of the car (now on fire), run away with the cops shooting from up above, pull a lady out of car, VIP jumps-in & we're off to the destination again. There's nothing else like it online...

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sun May 04, 2008 3:58 am

Try driving little Jacob around when you have broken windows, it's hilarious.

His smoke is coming from the car.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Sun May 04, 2008 11:29 am

I had the most intense video game car chase ever on one of the early Brucie missions... at night, dude led me from Broker to Bohan, and on the "Triboro" Bridge, he nicked a flatbed carrying tree trunks that then got loose and spilled all over the bridge, causing total chaos. Finally shot out his back tire in Bohan, spun him out and shot him in the driver's seat, then that great head-on-the-horn thing they do. I was totally fired up.

Just love all the new "rules" that apply to firefights now... like being able to degrade cover with bullets, and using free aim to target the feet of a cop hiding behind his vehicle. So much of it just makes more physical "sense" now... it's scarily immersive.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Sun May 04, 2008 11:34 am

Slumberland wrote:I had the most intense video game car chase ever on one of the early Brucie missions... at night, dude led me from Broker to Bohan, and on the "Triboro" Bridge, he nicked a flatbed carrying tree trunks that then got loose and spilled all over the bridge, causing total chaos. Finally shot out his back tire in Bohan, spun him out and shot him in the driver's seat, then that great head-on-the-horn thing they do. I was totally fired up.

Just love all the new "rules" that apply to firefights now... like being able to degrade cover with bullets, and using free aim to target the feet of a cop hiding behind his vehicle. So much of it just makes more physical "sense" now... it's scarily immersive.

I did that mission yesterday and twice saw flatbeds spill debris onto the highway. Impressive stuff, even though that damn mission saw me waste about 150 SMG rounds

Also I found that the game has different degrees of drunkenness. I went drinking a few times with Michelle, and while my car was wobbly driving home, it wasn't too bad. Then yesterday I tried drinking with Roman and I was totally wrecked! I fell flat on my face while attempting to walk to the car (losing health in the process), and was all over the road. To make things even worse, when you are that drunk you get a 1 star wanted level just by driving by a police car. Ugly business.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun May 04, 2008 12:00 pm

Is there some reason they can't call it the real NYC instead of these fictionalized names?

I guess cities get money from movie studios which film on location. But is there some trademark or copyright issue in using the likeness of actual cities in video games?

There are racing games which attempt to render real cities. Do they pay for the right to do so?

Or Rockstar just doesn't want to generate controversy from NYC politicians?

But is anyone really fooled that NYC is being represented here?

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Sun May 04, 2008 12:12 pm

wco81 wrote: I guess cities get money from movie studios which film on location. But is there some trademark or copyright issue in using the likeness of actual cities in video games?

As far as I know, the only 'monies' NY gets from movies or TV shot here are called 'taxes.' Taxes from services and goods purchased, taxes from payroll, etc. etc. You don't need any special license to shoot on public streets, nor do you need to pay any exorbitant fee to get a film permit to be able to put sticks down or clear parking for trucks and trailers, or even to lock streets. When the TCD cops are on set to lock up streets, I don't even think production has to pay for that themselves at all, but I'm not 100% sure there. They do get fed, though. Certainly, shooting inside private property, you have to work out a deal with the owners of that property, but in public areas you can shoot just like you can shoot personal photographs.

As to Libery City being NYC: well, it's not. It's like a lego-land version of it, so to that degree it makes a lot of sense not to call it NYC. To pretend they are trying to hide the fact it's representing NYC is pretty silly. It's more like a homage than a copy, and as a New Yorker, it freaking awesome how many little details they crammed in. And I've barely touched the damn game yet!

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Sun May 04, 2008 12:18 pm

RobVarak wrote:
JRod wrote: Videogame writing is pretty laughable if you actually open a book once in a while. That said, I have an appreciation for what GTA has done. It might have a lot of cheesy cliches but then again that's what it's going for.
Believe me, I'm not comparing it to Hemingway. I'm saying the writing is no better than average by videogame standards. Again, that's not to say the game isn't awesome and fun...

To be fair Rob maybe you should play it beyond the "First Date" mission before you pass judgment on it. That's the mission I saw you playing last night before we started multiplayer and that's like the fourth or fifth mission.