Talkin’ About a Revolution!
Well, folks – the time has come. Below you can read my first impressions…
HOLY SHIT THIS GAME IS FUCKING CRAZY GOOD! LOOK AT THE PEOPLE AND THE SOUNDS AND THE MUSIC AND JESUS CHRIST LOOK AT THE SUNSHINE AND THE SHADOWS EVERYWHERE AND HEY IS THAT BROKEN GLASS? LOOK OUT NIKO! SHIT SORRY I RAN YOU OVER LADY WATCH OUT I’M TRYING TO DRIVE HERE!
Ok, now that i’ve got that out of the way, I’ll try to come up with ONE word to describe my first play session last night…In a word? Chumfizzle. In a word that actually exists, REVOLUTIONARY. Simply stunning so far, and I like Niko already. I really took my time last night, and after watching the slick opening with unchecked glee, I was happy to just run around for a bit before tackling the first mission – which I promptly failed because i couldn’t figure out exactly what, where, and who the fuck I was supposed to do. Once I failed that, and got Roman pissed at me ["Fuck you, Niko!" made me chuckle, and i actually apologized out loud] I decided to just drive around and soak up the scenery before restarting to do the mission again.
All I can say is “WOW!” It was definitely worth the wait. Though the controls took a little getting used to [until I discovered that I could change the controller configuration to "Classic" in the Options menu that is] and the opening screens can’t be skipped, I was still really bowled over by the extent to which this game has improved over San Andreas. It’s like comparing an Apple II vs. a supercomputer! The sheer level of detail in the city, from the gorgeous light and shadow interplay to the shine on the vehicles, to the amazing-looking water, to the weather, to the amazing sky, to the pedestrians, to the hilarious programs on Roman’s TV, to the much, MUCH more realistic car damage, this just takes the entire idea of Grand Theft Auto and brings it into a whole new age. I am really going to enjoy taking my time to discover everything this game has to offer – and i see massive replayability with just driving around, getting into trouble. Which brings me to the multiplayer…
I got into the multiplayer after going back and finishing the first mission successfully, then saving my progress. I joined a couple of deathmatches and then got into a Free Mode game. I explored the area first, then I drove from Broker [Brooklyn] into Algonquin [Manhattan], via a detailed recreation of the famed Brooklyn Bridge, I somehow found myself in GTA’s version of Times Square, called Star Junction. And yes, to answer my own burning question, my office building is indeed in it’s real-life spot in Star Junction — and the’ve even drawn the exact entrance I go in everyday at 44th and Broadway! Sadly, the building is not able to be entered, but just to stand there, and look around to compare the virtual view to the real one, was a trip! I had terrific fun just seeing what was different from the real place I go to everyday – and I finally had the opportunity to clear out some of the silly tourists who block my path to and from the subway daily, with EXTREME PREJUDICE…heh heh!
Overall, I’m very, very impressed – I feel like I got to experience a lot of the game in the 90 minutes I had available to play last night. I can’t wait to get back from my trip this weekend and dive right back into Niko’s life in the incredible, amazing and nearly flawless GTA IV!!
