If you haven't yet scored a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV, here are some things you might want to know:
- GameStop stores reportedly have been selling preordered copies to people who walk in off the street due to some corporate directive apparently aimed at maximizing sales (maybe that's why you didn't get your copy? If so, pick it up somewhere else and then cancel your pre-order - that'll show 'em!)
- The Xbox 360 version has achievements
- The PS3 version has a 7-minute mandatory install and some tacked-on Sixaxis controls that you thankfully can (and should) turn off
- Both Xbox 360 and PS3 players have reported some freezes and lockups, and the PS3 version has been iffy when it comes to online multiplayer
- Be sure to turn on subtitles - you'll thank me later
- Driving is more like the Midnight Club series than past GTA iterations, and that's a good thing
I had not heard about the selling of reserved copies. I thought you had 3 days before they sold them to walk-ins. I know my Gamestop ran out of 360 versions during the midnight selling. But they still had mine the next day. I am about an hour into it, my only complaint; I cannot turn that much while breaking. I am used to breaking into a turn and accelerating out, gotta play around with the hand break. I am hitting pedestrians left and right.
I don't know why, maybe all of the time playing driving games (including Midnight Club II), but driving is pretty easy for me. I just wish I could keep the camera a little higher up when I'm driving instead of having to constantly put it back where I want it. Why does it have to always auto-center vertically, and why can't I control whether it does or not (at least while driving)?
I'm about 10 hours in now and just got to the second safe house. Overall I like it better than the last three console outings, but there are a bunch of things that bother me too. Maybe I'll blog them up soon.
I'm sure I'd get stoned by most GTA fans for saying so, but Saint's Row got some things right. For instance, rather than go pick up a specific car that has scripted events around it, I'd rather run around trying to find cars that only spawn in certain locations until I locate the right one. Go ahead and make them specific orders too - that's part of the fun. And give me a big list to fill. You might be driving around and suddenly see a car that you know is one that a collector wants, and you're off!
It makes the sandbox more fun if you can have lots of mini objectives running at once instead of one mission at a time. That said, I'm enjoying GTA IV more than past outings and I'm focusing on the main story more. So maybe it works.
-=Gamewatcher