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- A Private Eye
- Rep: 77
Re: GnREvolution Arcade Madness - Discussion and Results Thread
^ Completely agree with this. As much as I enjoyed IV it was a dissappointment compared to San Andreas and for the reasons you mentioned. The fun had somehow gone, it almost took itself a little too seriously, combined with the fact that whilst Liberty City looked amazing it was quite disorientating and somehow didn't have the magic that the previous 3 titles cities did.
I think III will be remembered simply because it was the first of the GTA titles to go 3D and having such freedom in a game that felt so real was almost unheard of. I remember at school me and all my friends got the game for christmas and we must have talked about what we got up to on that game every day for 4-5 solid months. For me VC and then SA built on this which resulted in SA being the near perfect game imo.
It's a shame SA and VC had to face off in the elimination because I think SA is a better game than IV and it should SA and VC left representing GTA at this stage and not IV.
Re: GnREvolution Arcade Madness - Discussion and Results Thread
The problem with Liberty City in GTA IV was simple... it was all steak, no potatoes. The big things they got right. Detail was god damn flawless and the best ANY city, ANY open environment in ANY game has EVER looked. Wow, great job.
Now what do I do with it? Absolutely nothing. And there lies the problem.
Short of little mini-games in bars n' shit, which have been around since San Andreas, there was just nothing to do. With that massive HD engine, they should for the first time ever, tried to incoporate 'destructable' buildings. Blow shit up, knock the city down.
Another problem was... no soul. Not one tiny bit. This was enhanced by the lack of a good soundtrack, which was another massive downgrade. Short of a couple Queen, Elton John & Genesis tracks, the soundtrack was downright awful, and possibly even lower than the 'non-licensed' days of GTA III. I'd rather listen to Game radio or Double Cleff or Flashback or Chatterbox, than to listen to any of the shit on GTA IV, short of Integrity 2.0 with Lazlow.
The soundtrack became INTEGRAL to developing the soul and spirit of Vice City & San Andreas and why those games and cities are remembered so fondly. I'm telling you, I know it seems small, but tone and atmosphere were a massive part of developing the legendary status of those cities. Driving around in Vice City 1986, blasting anything from Diamond Dave to Ozzy to Priest to Megadeth to Michael Jackson to Mr. Mister to Toto to Wang Chung, etc. It gave the city life and made it memorable.
San Andreas... same thing. What made you 'feel' the coolness exuding from Vice City? It's the music that stays with you. San Andreas felt like a Concrete Jungle because of NWA and Dre and Snoop and GN'R and Faith No More and Alice In Chains. It gave it it's dark vibe. The country side was related through the music of artists like Skynyrd and Foghat amd Kansas and Jerry Reed and Conway Twitty and Merle Haggard, etc.
Music gave those cities their soul, and GTA IV is soulless because it's musicless.
- A Private Eye
- Rep: 77
Re: GnREvolution Arcade Madness - Discussion and Results Thread
Depends what you're looking for. I'm not sure I'd say VC is the best game ever but then I wouldn't say Sonic or Mario are either. They played a massive part in computer game culture but that doesn't make them the best games. I've got piles of PC, PS1, 2 and 3 games in my house all of which I'd rather play than Mario and Sonic for several reasons. The main reason being that they're just out and out better games from graphics to concept to story.
I can only assume nostalgia is playing a massive part in this nomination (which is understandable) because there's not a chance in a hell one of Mario or Sonic is the greatest game ever.
