The last few hectic weeks, I’ve taken a warm liking to Grand Theft Auto 4. Its been the soft, tasty biscotti for the coffee that is my PS3. Make that an americano, actually. Four shots.
I’m admittedly a hooker-killing virgin; it’s my first game in the series. But while I’m completely amazed by the game, I’m still not convinced that this iteration has achieved anything different as far as gameplay. Instead, there are some wonderful additions to the main design, all in the name of technology. You use texting to control the frequency of most of your social life. You use dating sites on the internet, while checking your mail and deleting spam. The only thing missing? In-game blog posts, with comments from leading roles in the game.
This is all very real and all very cool, but it also allows for a heavy waiting period for something many players would call the Actual Game. If I hadn’t heard rave reviews from practically everyone, I may have been convinced this game was purposely distracting itself from the story of the game. But of course, it’ll all come in due time. I’m 10 hours in, and the missions are finally starting to mean something more than small, unnecessary deviations from major characters and themes. Protagonist Nico Bellic, an eastern European immigrant new to New York Liberty City, isn’t developing much personality thus far sadly, aside from making obvious mistakes as far as who to deal with, and who to kill. But he’s still likable. And slightly more complex than GTA’s previous ugly, testosterone-controlled gun-toters. Maybe eventually I’ll learn something about his war-heavy background. Maybe that’s my prize at the 20 hour mark.
Sure, it’s a “sandbox” game: one where you are free to roam around Liberty City, pushing pedestrians, killing hookers, getting drunk, and crashing helicopters (yes, even into buildings — gasp!). But by playing the first few hours there’s a sense that the missions won’t ever amount to anything.
It’s as if Nico took a trip to Liberty City planning on doing nothing but commit petty crimes, for people he barely knows or cares about. And that’s all that keeps happening. I feel like I’m stuck in the asscrack of his shitty self-fulfilling prophecy.
Beautiful game, though.