GTAV Thoughts?

[Alatar]

So, $1 Billion opening weekend, crazy right?  But is it any good?  Well, the reviews are all raving about it, and thanks to a fortunate deal here I managed to pick up a copy for only €26.49!  So, I jumped.  My first ever GTA game, I'm an actual GTA Virgin...

To explain how I got such a good deal, Gamestop are selling GTAV and a bunch of other games for €9.99 when you trade in any 2 games off a list.  Now I didn't have any of the games on the list, but Xtravisions closing down sale did!  So I picked up Dungeon Hunter Alliance Vita for €6, and Street Fighter Vs Tekken Vita for €10.50 and toddled off to Gamestop!  Also did the same trick to get a copy of Diablo III for PS3.  :)

[Falin]

Good work!  I only paid £20-ish for my copy as I had £10 Sainsbury's vouchers + £14 Nectar points.

 

In terms of polish and mechanics it is probably the best GTA game yet (even if I later decide it doesn't quite conjure up the magic of Vice City).

Car handling has been lightened from GTA IV and is much more enjoyable, on foot combat seems less clunky and the seamless cut scenes are very impressive - you are walking along in real time and it just switches to a cut scene without the camera angle even changing, very clever stuff. You can now also skip a mission after failing three times, handy for those horribly tough missions that drive you crazy.

 

I was a little sceptical about the multiple characters and switching between them, but in the end it just adds variety and also more of a TV/movie story arc in the way the characters end up together.

 

Otherwise this is business as usual, although a return to the sunny west coast makes it the perfect game to combat the approaching winter blues...

[Neil O'Loughlin]

After playing a fair bit of Saint Row 3, I probably have more interest in SR4. GTA seems to be trying so hard to be the Sopranos (go visit your therapist) meets the Wire (the inter linked stories good & bad) it's off putting. 

Much like I did with GTA 4 I'll wait and hope it's not as dull at it was. 

--
Neil O'Loughlin
Tel # : 0044 (0)7894088352

[Falin]

GTA seems to be trying so hard to be the Sopranos (go visit your therapist) meets the Wire (the inter linked stories good & bad) it's off putting. 

I would not go that far, but there are certainly Soprano influences in the Michael character who is more interesting than the other 'guy from the hood' character that you also play.  I have not come across crazy Trevor yet!

SR4 is meant to be quite good, I don't think it's for me - but they seem to have escaped GTA's shadow by doing their own thing with super heroes and slapstick comedy.

[Armand]

On Monday, 23 September 2013 15:56:27 UTC+1, Falin wrote:

Car handling has been lightened from GTA IV and is much more enjoyable, on foot combat seems less clunky and the seamless cut scenes are very impressive - you are walking along in real time and it just switches to a cut scene without the camera angle even changing, very clever stuff. You can now also skip a mission after failing three times, handy for those horribly tough missions that drive you crazy.

 

I do have to say that, while I’m not a GTA fan. The skip mission stuff very much interests me especially since I have always found GTAs control suspect.  However they worked well in LA Noire and if they have a story that is more interesting than previous incarnations. Given how much I have enjoyed InFamous, Assassins Creed, Red Dead & Saints Row I’m sure eventually I’ll find one GTA game I enjoy.

[Falin]

Given how much I have enjoyed InFamous, Assassins Creed, Red Dead & Saints Row I’m sure eventually I’ll find one GTA game I enjoy.

I think you'll like this one.  No difficulty spikes to worry about, the sopranos style story is engaging with other inspiration from Heat (the heists are the meat and potatoes), and the controls are the same as Red Dead...