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A Nitpicker’s Opinion of Grand Theft Auto IV |
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Written by Derek "Dewar" Harwell
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Tuesday, 20 May 2008 09:00 |
Pretty much everyone who owns an Xbox 360 or a PS3 has bought Grand Theft Auto IV by now, but if you haven’t yet been swayed by the glowing reviews all over the internet, you might find my opinion useful. I love this game, I think it’s one of the best to come out on the 360 since the console’s release, but you’ve already heard all the good things about the game, so let me tell you three reasons why the game sucks, or at least why it might deserve a score slightly less than a perfect ten.
First off, most of the cars handle like they have Jell-o for suspension. It’s possible to get some of them to roll just by swerving back and forth on the road. None of the cars in the game have anti-lock brakes either, so it’s impossible to slow down and turn at the same time. The hand brake is also difficult to use due to its ludicrous sensitivity, great for making snap 180 degree turns, but horrible for maneuvering in regular traffic. All this adds up to make driving around town a hassle, so much so that it’s often easier to flag down a taxi.
As far as multiplayer goes, free mode over Xbox Live has been insanely popular, but the game is missing a lot of simple options that could really make these sessions shine. Rockstar really should have taken a page from Bungie for this one. Options like starting weapons, starting vehicles, health levels, etc would make free mode truly awesome. It’s always a buzzkill to trying to set up a certain type of game, and have to spend the next ten minutes collecting weapons and vehicles just to die and spend ten more minutes collecting again.
By far the worst bit though is fighting the camera while driving. It always feels as if the chase camera is too low, especially when the vehicle is particularly large like a semi or a moving van. However, nudging it up a bit with camera controls doesn’t help because it autocorrects and moves it right back down. It’s even worse when flying a helicopter, because the camera insists on pointing the way you’re moving, instead of out the front, which makes it near impossible to hit anything with the chain guns and tends to make passengers motion sick as the pilot struggles to control the vehicle and the camera at the same time.
Are any of these problems deal breakers? Probably not, but they mar an otherwise incredible game. I guess it’s something to work on for Grand Theft Auto V.
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