GTA IV Appreciation Thread

[Deffpony]

Alot of members on the forum are quick to judge GTA IV for where it falls short, including myself. I have be a very vocal critic of IV and its so called short comings.

 

But I have been playing through GTA IV again and I am appreciating alot of things that I really cant see V going without.

 

So the purpose of this thread is to list 3 MUST HAVE aspects or features from IV to be carried over to V. Dont list obvious things, but rather things that were first done in IV, or even best done in IV.

 

Heres my list.

• Taxi Cabs- By far the best thing to happen to the GTA series was the addition of the cab system. I cannot tell you how much I would rather pay a cab to drive me to my location rather than deal with the horrid Liberty city traffic. Even the act of hailing a cab gave the sense of great atmosphere and immersion. I dont see how V cannot have this.

   

• Dialogue Improvements- GTA IV was a leap forward in terms of story telling and it really shows in the dialogue. I love that if you fail a mission, the second time you play through there will be different dialogue from the characters. The rhetoric and banter of your comrads as you make your way to the task at hand was very refreshing and kept the drives from feeling stale. Im sure V will improve upon this.

   

• Story-based Decisions- Decisions were a huge part of GTA IV and I think that V should further explore that avenue. When given the choice to kill Derrek or Francis my heart wanted to kill Francis for being a crooked cop ass hole, but I knew that I might have more to gain from doing what Francis wanted. I like the feeling of consequences, even if they are bitter sweet.

What are your 3???

[KawakSallas]

That feature in TBOGT that allows you to replay missions from your phone.

[Davidx123]

I love GTA's IV story line, hands down. the best so far. Original story, not influence from any movies for the whole storyline (maybe for some missions, but otherwise, an original story.) .

 

that's why like the fact Houser said that GTA V is not going to be inspired story wise by movies. Original ideas are ussually the best.

[golf wang]

I love the amount of detail that was added to the NPCs. For example, when you run into someone and they cuss you out or they would fall down if you hit them hard enough. Second would definitely the checkpoints that were added TBoGT. Lastly, the driving physics. They're not perfect by any means but they're a great step up from the III era. Hopefully in V they can fix the suspension for sports cars so they grip to the ground better.

[Deffpony]

That feature in TBOGT that allows you to replay missions from your phone.

Yea that was a good feature. I hope that they improve the mission stats too. Make it less in your face

[epicluca]

I swear there's already a thread like this.

[PlaystationGamer266]

gay tony was the only good gta game, in this gen

[EncryptedReality]

TBoGT and TLAD aren't really games, they're just additions to already existing game -> IV

 

Kind of dumb that Rockstar adressed them as new games though, it's just 20 or so missions per episode...

 

 

Goes to show how big moneywhores they are.

[DlZZEE]

TBoGT and TLAD aren't really games, they're just additions to already existing game -> IV

 

Kind of dumb that Rockstar adressed them as new games though, it's just 20 or so missions per episode...

 

 

Goes to show how big moneywhores they are.

They are games

[NikoBellic1993]

TBoGT and TLAD aren't really games, they're just additions to already existing game -> IV

 

Kind of dumb that Rockstar adressed them as new games though, it's just 20 or so missions per episode...

 

 

Goes to show how big moneywhores they are.

They are a different game entirely if you put both of the together, also at least they are quality DLC unlike most other ones .

[K-Malo94]

That feature in TBOGT that allows you to replay missions from your phone.

Yea that was a good feature. I hope that they improve the mission stats too. Make it less in your face

they should have the begining cuts scenes before the missions too. There was no reason not to have them.

[STOGE]

its not untill i recently played sleeping dogs that you truly realise how GOOD all the gta,s are. from the animations,driving control,the camera controll everything is spot on compared to games that TRY to be like gta.

 

the getaway for the ps2 was a classic example of this-great graphics but sh*t controls and road handling.

 

also remember driver2?? they tried to incorporate the gta style of jacking cars and running around on foot but to fail miserably.

 

why do these games fail?? although they are not trying to be gta games,they are trying to emulate gta options/controls/driving. the user automatically compares these "similar" gameplay traits to gta and therefore realises..........ITS NOT THE SAME.

 

i thought IV was brilliant,i still play it today. yeah its replay value was not as good as previous titles but the graphics and story were amazing.

 

i remember just panning the camera round on all the different cars to look at the lighting and shading etc and thought it was brilliant.

 

im at a stage with IV now that i drive with the cinematic camera on and the viewpoints you get are amazing............yes you cant drive full pelt with the cinematic camera view,but if you take your time it looks awesome.

 

Even if gtav is just an improvement on IV id be happy but i know its going to be MILES BETTER AND BIGGER.

[Happyness]

Every game that is open world and like Saints Row or Sleeping Dogs is a damned game that tries to be like GTA? This is stupid, just because GTA is widely known and the most successful of it's type it doesn't mean that any game tries to be like it or try to copy gta, get off gta's wheeney.

[Fail_At_GTA]

1.) Mission replay feature from TBoGT

 

2.) Hidden cars (like the Sultan RS, Futo GT, Sentinel XS)

 

3.) Fun ragdoll physics but improved a bit

[Deffpony]

1.) Mission replay feature from TBoGT

 

2.) Hidden cars (like the Sultan RS, Futo GT, Sentinel XS)

 

3.) Fun ragdoll physics but improved a bit

congratulations on being the first person to follow the format of the OP

[Johnny Playert]

- They should definitely keep the executions

 

- Keep the GPS waypoint system (duh)

 

- Keep and improve on the decisions on who to kill. But don't implement it to much

[NONative]

1) The taxi feature was by far my favorite in IV. This made the whole dating feature barible. The AI on IV was stupid for the most part.

2)The mini games, I'm a mixed GTA/Yakuza fan so seeing pool and other mini games was great.

3) The drunk driving/cops DUI feature was awesome.

[Dick Valor]

1) Since no one has mentioned it... the cell phone. Yeah, you had a phone in VC and SA, but you couldn't make outgoing calls. IV's was fully interactive: you could use the phone to call friends to hang out, access or advance select missions and side activities, and you could even use it to detonate bombs. Sure, it would've been nice if the camera actually saved pictures, but overall the standard flip phone along with its customizable themes, ring tones, etc., was a vital resource in IV and I hope this continues with the iFruit and other smartphones in V.

 

2) Another somewhat controversial, but related feature that IV brought to the table was the friends system. No one cares now, but it blew my mind that in IV we could finally befriend and have real relationships with mission givers. Despite the constant phone calls, I enjoyed earning perks from friends and girlfriends by partaking in fun mini-games like pool and drunk driving. I know this is feature is being toned down a bit in V (friends won't call as much, if at all and no more dating), but I love that we'll still be able to golf and play tennis with friends, among other things. Hopefully, friends with still come with "benefits."

 

3) Another new feature in IV I haven't seen mentioned yet is the wanted radius/system. I thought it was a brilliant move to introduce the search radius and some sense of line of sight, even if both could have been implemented better. I love now how you must use the Pay-n-Spray discreetly, can pass by cops unnoticed when you jack another car, or simply avoid cops to make your escape. Before IV, I generally rampaged to the death because driving through floating star icons or disappearing into a Pay-n-Spray in front of several Rhinos just didn't feel right to me. With IV, there was finally a means of evading the police that I found satisfactory, even if there is still lots of room for improvement.

 

Of course, the OP already mentioned some other awesome features from IV that must continue, such as the taxi system and story-based decisions.

[Algonquin Assassin]

1) Since no one has mentioned it... the cell phone. Yeah, you had a phone in VC and SA, but you couldn't make outgoing calls. IV's was fully interactive: you could use the phone to call friends to hang out, access or advance select missions and side activities, and you could even use it to detonate bombs. Sure, it would've been nice if the camera actually saved pictures, but overall the standard flip phone along with its customizable themes, ring tones, etc., was a vital resource in IV and I hope this continues with the iFruit and other smartphones in V.

 

2) Another somewhat controversial, but related feature that IV brought to the table was the friends system. No one cares now, but it blew my mind that in IV we could finally befriend and have real relationships with mission givers. Despite the constant phone calls, I enjoyed earning perks from friends and girlfriends by partaking in fun mini-games like pool and drunk driving. I know this is feature is being toned down a bit in V (friends won't call as much, if at all and no more dating), but I love that we'll still be able to golf and play tennis with friends, among other things. Hopefully, friends with still come with "benefits."

 

3) Another new feature in IV I haven't seen mentioned yet is the wanted radius/system. I thought it was a brilliant move to introduce the search radius and some sense of line of sight, even if both could have been implemented better. I love now how you must use the Pay-n-Spray discreetly, can pass by cops unnoticed when you jack another car, or simply avoid cops to make your escape. Before IV, I generally rampaged to the death because driving through floating star icons or disappearing into a Pay-n-Spray in front of several Rhinos just didn't feel right to me. With IV, there was finally a means of evading the police that I found satisfactory, even if there is still lots of room for improvement.

 

Of course, the OP already mentioned some other awesome features from IV that must continue, such as the taxi system and story-based decisions.

Pretty much this.

[monsterjamp]

The physics and gltiches were epic...

[Deffpony]

1) Since no one has mentioned it... the cell phone.  Yeah, you had a phone in VC and SA, but you couldn't make outgoing calls.  IV's was fully interactive: you could use the phone to call friends to hang out, access or advance select missions and side activities, and you could even use it to detonate bombs.  Sure, it would've been nice if the camera actually saved pictures, but overall the standard flip phone along with its customizable themes, ring tones, etc., was a vital resource in IV and I hope this continues with the iFruit and other smartphones in V.

 

2) Another somewhat controversial, but related feature that IV brought to the table was the friends system.  No one cares now, but it blew my mind that in IV we could finally befriend and have real relationships with mission givers.  Despite the constant phone calls, I enjoyed earning perks from friends and girlfriends by partaking in fun mini-games like pool and drunk driving.  I know this is feature is being toned down a bit in V (friends won't call as much, if at all and no more dating), but I love that we'll still be able to golf and play tennis with friends, among other things.  Hopefully, friends with still come with "benefits."

 

3) Another new feature in IV I haven't seen mentioned yet is the wanted radius/system.  I thought it was a brilliant move to introduce the search radius and some sense of line of sight, even if both could have been implemented better.  I love now how you must use the Pay-n-Spray discreetly, can pass by cops unnoticed when you jack another car, or simply avoid cops to make your escape.  Before IV, I generally rampaged to the death because driving through floating star icons or disappearing into a Pay-n-Spray in front of several Rhinos just didn't feel right to me.  With IV, there was finally a means of evading the police that I found satisfactory, even if there is still lots of room for improvement.

 

Of course, the OP already mentioned some other awesome features from IV that must continue, such as the taxi system and story-based decisions. 

Pretty much this.

You know I totally agree on the friend system being really cool, I just think they need to work out the kinks as far as the little annoyances go.

 

And the wanted system was honestly amazing. Really blew me away at how much better it was than the old system. I hope that they build upon that as well

[SimteiGTA]

1) The Internet. I loved sitting on the computer and reading hilarious stuff on there. Krapea comes to mind, I laughed so hard at that whole page when I first saw it.

 

2) The Cover-system. Sure, it could have been even better, but it was a huge step up from the previous games in the series.

 

3) The choice-missions. I loved them. Some were easier choices than others, but I always had to give them some thought before I made a choice.

[dyspoid]

1) Car handling. I know a lot of people will disagree, but I absolutely loved the way cars handle in GTA IV. The only time they felt "boat-like" was when you first put the disc in the tray, and didn't know how to drive yet. The handling meant that pulling off cool turns - or even just casual driving, was highly satisfying.

 

2) The little things. The way the character walks, the little flames that shoot from the exhaust pipe of high powered cars. These things really polish the game. They breathe life into it.

 

3) Character diversity. While realistic, the range of different characters was refreshing. We played as an Eastern European guy, who was friends with an Irish crime family, a gun-dealing rasta-man, steroid junkies and the whole show. None of it felt like it couldn't truly happen.

 

The funny thing is, I only recently discovered how much I really love GTA IV. I recently played through IV and the episodes, and I appreciate them more than ever before. GTA IV is easily my favourite game of all time.

[Algonquin Assassin]

You know I totally agree on the friend system being really cool, I just think they need to work out the kinks as far as the little annoyances go.

 

The friends system isn't even that bad. I don't find it as annoying as others do. Atleast to me it's really no more annoying than the turf attacks in SA.

 

I love it because it adds more vibrance and depth to the world the other games lack. I'm glad they're keeping it for GTA V.

[theNGclan]

TBoGT and TLAD aren't really games, they're just additions to already existing game -> IV

 

Kind of dumb that Rockstar adressed them as new games though, it's just 20 or so missions per episode...

 

 

Goes to show how big moneywhores they are.

If this is the case, then Vice City wasn't a game. Vice City was originally going to be a DLC. And guess what? EFLC was just the DLC!

[Woody112]

You know I totally agree on the friend system being really cool, I just think they need to work out the kinks as far as the little annoyances go.

 

The friends system isn't even that bad. I don't find it as annoying as others do. Atleast to me it's really no more annoying than the turf attacks in SA.

 

I love it because it adds more vibrance and depth to the world the other games lack. I'm glad they're keeping it for GTA V.

They pretty much fixed all the kinks in the friend system in EFLC, so there's really no need to worry there.

[ForumName]

I've always thought IV was an okay game, not as good as San Andreas, but still great. Aside, no matter what anyone says, Grand Theft Auto IV is the highest rated game of all time on Metacritic with a score of 98...So....

[Capricornus]

This topic must be complete heaven for MiamiViceCity. Let's get to it:

 

Car Physics - Simply put, I f*cking loved them. GTA IV was the very first GTA game in which I heavily looked forward to simply driving around, cruising at a normal pace, every time I put the disc into my PS3. The car physics just made it fun and relaxing to drive in GTA IV. I swear, the car physics are one of the only things that just needs to be carried over from GTA IV, and just tweaked a tiny bit if at all.

 

Dating/Friends/Activities - I have said this many times on these boards; I think I am one of the only people that really enjoyed dating in GTA IV. I felt that is was nice to sometimes drive around and call your GF just to simply talk, or show up to her place in a nice car to pick her up and take her out, and listen to the conversations that Niko and the said GF were having. Friends (Brucie, Little Jacob, Dwayne ect) were also a great addition. It was an excellent implementation to have the protagonist finally hang out with the same people that gave you missions, when not on a mission of course. The past GTA games always introduced us to awesome characters that just disappeared after the last mission that they gave you. I remember in GTA SA, I would always thought about how great it would be to hang out with Woozie or Truth after you completed all of their missions. sh*t, Sweet was your brother and you couldn't even hang with him outside of missions. Activities were a great way for Niko to relax and blend in with the environment more. Being that Niko was a character with great, strong emotion and went through a lot of things, these activities were probably soothing to his mind.

 

Swing glitch - Extremely fun and never got old. There are not many instances in which a glitch should return, but this one should.

 

Euphoria Engine - I cannot express how I loved going at full speed whilst on a bike, ram into an object and fly off, witnessing the physics as Niko goes flying. This is another thing that should be carried over to GTA V and enhanced a bit.

 

All in all, GTA IV was superb for me and I enjoyed every minute of it. Its not perfect by any means, but its such an excellent piece of work.

[Algonquin Assassin]

This topic must be complete heaven for MiamiViceCity. Let's get to it:

 

Car Physics - Simply put, I f*cking loved them. GTA IV was the very first GTA game in which I heavily looked forward to simply driving around, cruising at a normal pace, every time I put the disc into my PS3. The car physics just made it fun and relaxing to drive in GTA IV. I swear, the car physics are one of the only things that just needs to be carried over from GTA IV, and just tweaked a tiny bit if at all.

 

Dating/Friends/Activities - I have said this many times on these boards; I think I am one of the only people that really enjoyed dating in GTA IV. I felt that is was nice to sometimes drive around and call your GF just to simply talk, or show up to her place in a nice car to pick her up and take her out, and listen to the conversations that Niko and the said GF were having. Friends (Brucie, Little Jacob, Dwayne ect) were also a great addition. It was an excellent implementation to have the protagonist finally hang out with the same people that gave you missions, when not on a mission of course. The past GTA games always introduced us to awesome characters that just disappeared after the last mission that they gave you. I remember in GTA SA, I would always thought about how great it would be to hang out with Woozie or Truth after you completed all of their missions. sh*t, Sweet was your brother and you couldn't even hang with him outside of missions. Activities were a great way for Niko to relax and blend in with the environment more. Being that Niko was a character with great, strong emotion and went through a lot of things, these activities were probably soothing to his mind.

 

Swing glitch - Extremely fun and never got old. There are not many instances in which a glitch should return, but this one should.

 

Euphoria Engine - I cannot express how I loved going at full speed whilst on a bike, ram into an object and fly off, witnessing the physics as Niko goes flying. This is another thing that should be carried over to GTA V and enhanced a bit.

 

All in all, GTA IV was superb for me and I enjoyed every minute of it. Its not perfect by any means, but its such an excellent piece of work.

It's heaven on earth.

[TonyResta]

- Wanted radius system was perfect in my opinion.

 

- The storyline was top notch.

 

- Also the random characters you find on the streets were a real nice touch, and according to the preview it will feature even more on V.