Re: GTA IV
I didn't actually buy this one yet due to wanting to wait for it to be more affordable to me. But I caved in and rented it anyway. Good thing I was playing alot of Vice City and San Andreas for XBOX on my 360. IV meshes in with the previous games perfectly in terms of gameplay and other stuff. Glad like CJ from San Andreas, Niko can also swim. I got to find as soon as you know what you're doing, use waypoints and followed the GPS, it's actually easier driving around and getting to where you're going compared to the "III series". Only thing I didn't like about some cars was the damn GPS lady automated voice, I sorta found that irritating when I was doing missions or hanging out with characters.
Hell, I enjoy the game so much, I regretted I had to return when the rental time was up. I got up to around 26.4% completed in the game and I was working on the Playboy X mission about the Mafia guys doing the Union construction thing before stopping. Damn, I can't wait for the next game in the "IV series". Maybe it'll take place in the early 1970's with an asian protagonist in a perhaps San Francisco-inspired city? Or perhaps since Niko is from Eastern Europe, the next game should go for more European cities. I also enjoyed the cars were slightly more difficult to handle in rainy conditions. AND that the controller rumbled when there was thunder.
Oh, the radio stations I listened to the most? The Journey, JNR, Liberty City Rock and a couple of the Talk ones. Was fun moving the camera around and looking at all the new details Rockstar put into this one that they couldn't for the previous ones. I even say brake pads and more while I was driving! Even getting the car/vehicle a little smashed up and the hood flying off I saw more detail in the engine and such. Even flipping it over there was detail! Funny thing about flipping the cars over. First time I flipped one over in this one, I immediately pressed the "Y" button to exit the vehicle and started running away. Cause you know in the "III series", soon as you flipped that sucker over, it goes BOOM. Well, I did get sorta disappointed it didn't automatically catch on fire and explode. Also liked the fact if the vehicle gets too smashed up, it stops and Niko tries to start it up again.
I also quite liked the cellular phone interface. I'm quite liking Niko Bellic and Liberty City in 2008.
Maybe IV.whatever, you know, it'd be the summation of Vice City for the III series, would be in 1969 London-type city? Somewhere in Europe where it also snows. Even Tokyo-inspired would be great. Keep a fresh feel on the games. Perhaps a Japanese-American in 1974 or whenever travels to his relatives place for the winter to take care of him. But in fact his Uncle is a shopowner which he's being hassled by the Yakuza (reference to the overhead first two games in the series). In order to stop the Yakuza from pressuring your Uncles business, you can either a) join the Yakuza and have them be respectful and even friendly towards you, b) Join the Law Enforcement (no idea how that could be incorporated) or c), say fuck all and just go for one of the multiple endings. It'd be interesting hearing characters speak Japanese and drive on the left hand side of the road. Of course it'd be heavily inspired by those Sonny Chiba Yakuza films.
1960's London Engerland-inspired city would be great too. Heavily influenced from the films at the time and the music would also be great.
Of course even 1930's-1950's would be fun too. Or do like GTA2, unknown point in the future inspired by BLADE RUNNER. Instead of top-down, now it'd use the game engine from IV but just remade. Perhaps the three gang system? It was where you get more favoured in one gang and less so from a direct rival one. Would be great to do that.
Can't wait to finally buy it and play the rest of it!
