This games finally out and I really have to say this edition is most definitely brilliant. You know it's a good sign when a bunch of different critics and reviewers give the game perfect marks. Kind of goes a long way in enticing you to buy something.

So the game series I believe has grown up. The game play is the same "open" atmosphere that we've grown accustomed to having the opportunity to experience with all of the other GTA games. They've taken a lot from the older games and incorporated them into this new one. The game is much more cinematic no doubt given the opportunity with coming out on the next gen consoles. With more memory means more creativity can be granted to the developers. The Developers in this case used the extra storage to make the games storyline very cinematic. You really do feel as though you're involved in a movie rather then a video game.

One thing they've added to this game that was present in the previous versions is map guidance or rather if you have a mission, instead of just having a point on the map as a reference, the game has incorporated a GPS like feature that guides you through the streets from point A to B. If you miss a turn, the game "re-routes" you just like any GPS unit you can purchase for your car including computer voiced directions. This really helps considering the size and magnitude of the city you're driving around in. On a scale, the games area is smaller then San Andreas, which is why they got rid of the airplanes from this version. The city is 100 times more detailed then San Andreas though. It will take even the avid GTA series fan quite some time to become familiar with all of the areas of Liberty City.

I would definitely recommend this game to GTA gamers and non-gamers.



Smoochie Boochie

good review... i wanna go get it now!

Also a new feature in this version is the use of the cell phone. Once you get to know different characters, they'll be added onto a handy cell phone. YOu can receive both calls and texts from the different contacts. If you do multiple missions for some people, they'll become your friends, and instead of just receiving calls for missions, you'll also be given the option on the phone to call them to do different leisure activities such as darts, bowling, billiards. And yes, you actually get to play those mini-games. There's also the restaurants and bar options but those are cinematic and you don't actually get to "do" any of those.

There's an internet access cafe in the game that is both used for fun and for missions. You receive emails from people on your phones friend list. There's also a dating site "online" that gives you the opportunity to click on potential dates in the game. Email is also how you end up performing the "car theft" portion of the game which has become a regular thing with the GTA games. A change to this version is instead of being given a list of cars to run around the city and find like the old versions, you're emailed specific cars (one by one) and directed to the cars location. Once you arrive at the car, the game finds different ways to make it difficult to deliver your car to it's destination.

One thing i haven't found in this game yet is the "packages" that were present in the old versions. In the previous versions, there was always this seek and find mini task where you would find (normally 100) "packages" in hidden areas throughout the map and once you collected a certain amount (10), the game would give you weapons that would show up at your safehouse. I guess in the grow up process to this game, they've decided to do away with those mini tasks in this version.



Smoochie Boochie

i have it to it is really good
i can only drive it inside the car though otherwise i focus on the car and not on the road

If you get the chance Maxi, steal or at least enter a cop car. Instead of the old way of starting a "Vigilante" mission by clicking a single button, now you use the cops onboard computer. You can choose different police calls such as Criminal on foot, or Gang Activity or even Stolen cars to go after. Also you can look up people from the game and see their police record.



Smoochie Boochie

kewl

i leapt to my death on it a good 50ft fall from a bridge onto a car

This game is awesome!

What bugs me the most is that, I have killed a lot of people by now, and I should be rather well-known with the cops but when you search for criminals by name, they do not find a Bellic

if your not on record already they wont have your name file surely

Oh that was new too. If you hit a divider, wall, curb, road, structure hard enough, Bellic can be thrown from the car through the front window! Yeah, oww.



Smoochie Boochie

Also like that if you damage the car enough, it won't necessarily blow up like all of the other GTA's. This time the car won't re-start. Very realistic.



Smoochie Boochie

It never blows up, unless you make it burn, which is difficult but can happen. I've caused two explosions throughout my (according to the game) 12 hours of play. One, I sort of hit a gas station and died. Other, I crashed into a car big time when followed by police, and some 5-10 seconds later, his car blew

I did the super car wreck thing once with it exploding. The other time i was retarded and tried to throw a molotov cocktail at a bad guy and ended up throwing it at my feet, lighting myself and a nearby car on fire. After i put myself out, the car exploded, killing me.



Smoochie Boochie

myner stalled with a pack of coppers behind me and just restarted as the cops got out on foot to my door

Damnit, it sucks i'm at work today. If given the chance, i'd play that game all day.



Smoochie Boochie

link [ap.google.com]

Here's a bulls**t story. I guess MADD or Mothers Against Drunk Driving are complaining about the games rating not being high enough because in the game you have the ability to drive drunk. Here's a prime example of a group making comments about a game before ever actually playing it to see what happens in the game for themself. In the game, yeah you can drink and then drive, but holy s**t is it difficult and throws your equilibrium off. I tried it and holy crap i was dizzy after seeing the screen. If anything, it will ward off any potential DUI'ers. The screen makes it so you see a distorted and sickening image.



Smoochie Boochie