IV vs V in terms of atmosphere/vibe

[HOW'S ANNIE?]

To be honest, I felt that IV had a much better atmosphere and vibe than GTA V did. I mean yes, Liberty City was a dark and gloomy place, but I really felt connected to it more so than LS and Blaine County. Following San Andreas much of the fanbase has come to the assumption that Grand Theft Auto is just some bright and sunny mountain climbing simulator.

 

The fact of the matter is that in a dark urban jungle you actually feel as if crime is going on all around you, whereas in GTA V it really felt as if your character were a part of just handful of criminals situated around the city. But like I said, that's simply my own opinion.

 

Which do you feel has a better vibe to it?

[casper13]

GTA V, end of discussion.

[Algonquin Assassin]

GTA IV makes me feel like I'm apart of a crime ridden sh*thole whereas GTA V feels like a holiday.

 

The gleaming skyscrapers, cold, trash filled streets, the sound of the subway smashing the tracks, seagulls near the water etc just make GTA IV that more atmospheric to me.

[undrtow218]

Because I have been to NYC and not LA, I felt more connected and more relatable to IV. That sounded a little stuck up, but made sense in my head. The cold, hard feeling of Liberty City was more real to me than the glamour and shine of all the fast cars and that 'east coast vibe' that Los Santos gives off. None the less, I still find both games to be quite amazing.

[Officer Ronson]

I really liked LS, it had more of an ''alive'' vibe. Pedestrians actually talking to eachother or focused in updating their LifeIndaver statuses. Police Officers on foot that travel on pairs stopping at Homeless people commanding them to move along, the sound of Sirens and Firetrucks, the ambulances responding to somewhere and Police on pursuit of vehicles, the unique pedestrians you can find around like Jesse or Baygor The Epsilonist.

 

The Highway filled with vehicles and that change from LS to BC, where you can actually see that LS is filled with smog and such, the gardeners taking care of the Country club and Road Workers drilling holes.

 

Mirror Park with the hipsters and that really nice lake, the normal suburban area.. the beaches with the people that are bathing or gettin' themselves a natural tan, Sports freaks; Joggers runnin' around with their dogs or people in bicycles doing some sort of race.

 

Solomon's studios with the Sec Guards and the Alien or Astronout dressed Actors plus that Italy scenary being worked on by Staff, Michael going around showing Jim that hes happy with the outcome

 

East LS/Strawberry with the Gangs hangin' around the Projects and Grove Street with their pimped up cars, sometimes goes up in a fight, the Families greeting Franklin but with Michael or Trevor they're hostile to.

 

The ports filled with actual workers going about their day transporting trailers from here to there and the weird French Disorted Police Siren sound that goes around plus that beeping.

 

I really feel LS has more vibe rather than LC

 

 

Edited November 6, 2013 by Tenxax

[Official General]

GTA IV makes me feel like I'm apart of a crime ridden sh*thole whereas GTA V feels like a holiday.

 

The gleaming skyscrapers, cold, trash filled streets, the sound of the subway smashing the tracks, seagulls near the water etc just make GTA IV that more atmospheric to me.

 

Count me in, I'm with you on this

 

Felt exactly the same way.

 

@ NikoVercetti112

 

Very true indeed. GTA IV has more of that organized crime/gang feel in it's atmosphere because those elements were heavily involved in the storyline. GTA V just feels like a a few bunch of criminals causing havoc in the city, while everybody just goes about their everyday business. If V had more of a gang/OC element to it's storyline, then I would have felt differently, but they hardly figured.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Official General

[Fuzzknuckles]

They both have very different atmospheres.

 

This thread is, essentially, like the age-old debate of East coast vs West coast hip hop, Pepsi vs Coke, SNES vs Genesis/Mega Drive.

 

I liked both. Haven't really decided which I like most yet, as I haven't had 5 years to play V yet.

[Tashan]

On the contrary, V is way better for the atmosphere where IV falls short.

[Officer Ronson]

What Official General wants is C.J 2.0 Implemented into the game.

 

Without taking consideration that the game is based more of ''HEAT'' rather than the Gangster approach of S.A

 

GTA V haves it's gangs, mobs are scarce but Gangs. Gangs there are a lot.

 

The Koreans

 

Los Santos Triads

 

The Ballas

 

The Families

 

The Vagos

 

Varrio Los Aztecas

 

The Lost MC

 

Madrazos Cartel

 

The Armenian Mafia

 

The Rednecks (Survivors of Trevor's passage on the O'Neils farm)

 

Marabunda Grande

 

Assasins and even the Gambettis are referenced (You get to save Sonny/Sammy's daughter during a random event)

 

 

Edited November 6, 2013 by Tenxax

[Gtaman_92]

IV had the best atmosphere.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Gtaman_92

[Journey_95]

OP I agree with you GTA IV had a much better atmosphere and overall Liberty City was filled with various gangs who inhabited different areas of the city whereas there are apparently no criminals in Los Santos apart from the Families & Ballas and of course annoying rich pricks like Devin Weston

Edited November 8, 2013 by Matty H

[Journey_95]

What Official General wants is C.J 2.0 Implemented into the game.

 

Without taking consideration that the game is based more of ''HEAT'' rather than the Gangster approach of S.A

 

GTA V haves it's gangs, mobs are scarce but Gangs. Gangs there are a lot.

 

The Koreans

 

Los Santos Triads

 

The Ballas

 

The Families

 

The Vagos

 

Varrio Los Aztecas

 

The Lost MC

 

Madrazos Cartel

 

The Armenian Mafia

 

The Rednecks (Survivors of Trevor's passage on the O'Neils farm)

 

Marabunda Grande

 

Assasins and even the Gambettis are referenced (You get to save Sonny/Sammy's daughter during a random event)

 

 

The Problem is there is no real connection with the Gangs whereas in GTA IV or San Andreas or even Vice City you interact with the various gangs in the missions

in GTA V they are just there

[seventhreeo]

To me it's like, GTA 5 to GTA 4 can be compared to GTA SA (or VC) to GTA 3. Crap-load of features, much brighter, less dark, less of a creepy tune.

 

Playing GTA 5 a lot made me want to play GTA 4 again, like a bad craving. Only thing stopping me is the driving. Hard to come back from GTA 5's new driving.

[Mukaparska]

Well, I like the countryside atmosphere in GTA V, but GTA IV managed to create a city atmosphere a lot better. It really felt you're in the middle of a crime riddled, dirty, busy and grey city. I didn't mind about the game not having much colors, it created that kind of an urban feeling. In GTA V, the city just isn't as deep, and you don't feel like you're part of it. '

 

Overall, I think GTA IV has better atmosphere.

 

E: And also, I liked how the gangs looked pretty normal, not like they all have same kind of colorful clothes.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Mukaparska

[Officer Ronson]

Because V doesn't shove every in-game gang into you making them your enemies or being the bitch or lap dog for them , there is a lot but the story only incorporates The Cartel, the Triads, The Families, The Vagos and the Ballas, the Lost, The ONeils and a PMC. While the others are just presented to make the game feel even more alive.

[spamtackey]

I wouldn't say either really had better atmosphere but rather completely different atmosphere. It's like comparing Gotham City from Batman Begins to Metropolis in Man of Steel. Gotham is obviously meant to be a crappy place to live and stay and you can see it all over the place. It's one of the things I was most disappointed that they didn't keep up when they made The Dark Knight and Rises. Everything suddenly became clean and the city looked nicer and average. (And where the hell did the tram go? Did they just pull it down because nobody wanted to rebuild ONE section of track?)

 

In GTA IV we're supposed to be in a gritty crime infested rathole of a city. In GTA V we're supposed to follow an ex-bank robber to a place where he gets away from crime. Two different stories, two different cities, two different presentations, two different feels. Neither is really better or worse except by personal preference IMO.

[Journey_95]

Because V doesn't shove every in-game gang into you making them your enemies or being the bitch or lap dog for them , there is a lot but the story only incorporates The Cartel, the Triads, The Families, The Vagos and the Ballas, the Lost, The ONeils and a PMC. While the others are just presented to make the game feel even more alive.

 

but the problem is not even those gangs you listed have real presence in the game apart 1-2 missions

the only "Gang" V which is important is the FIB (throughout the whole story we are lapdogs of them) and Merryweather ( enemies the whole story)

[TabooV2]

V > IV

[Tashan]

V = IV > SA > VC

[JustOneMonth]

That's, just, like, your opinion man.

 

 

 

 

LC, but i liked both anyways.

[Officer Ronson]

Well, i'd rather be the Lap dog of a goverment agency and have cool things to do like rappel down a building and extract a presumed dead person rather than go and simply kill a Mob boss just to create a war between two Mafias.

[Journey_95]

Well, i'd rather be the Lap dog of a goverment agency and have cool things to do like rappel down a building and extract a presumed dead person rather than go and simply kill a Mob boss just to create a war between two Mafias.

WTF dude its GTA not f*cking COD where you do this stuff like fighting terrorists and infiltrating buildings

Edited November 6, 2013 by gtarules_95

[The Jungz]

I have never been to either NYC or LA in my life but, I felt more like I was really in New York City when playing IV. I kinda feel like I am in LA when playing V but .. only when Im at the beach or looking at the LS Skyscrapers.

Edit: Perhaps it's because IV utilized the cold, gritty vibe of NY right from the get-go. The story of Niko made sense in the city it was told in. I think V did not do that. V's story could have been told anywhere IMO. Unfortunately, every plot points where it would have made sense for this story to be told in LA, were barely used, (if used at all). e.g: The hood story with Franklin, or Trevor with the Lost MC ( could have been A.O.D, for a more quality storyline ), heists that made more sense. Etc.

Edited November 6, 2013 by ThroatSlasher2

[Officer Ronson]

1st. of all, Im not your Dude, Buddy.

 

2nd. There were a lot of Corrupted Goverment Officials and Police Officers in most of the games, I remember Colonel Cortez giving you missions such as to steal a tank from a Military Convoy and stop the french GIGN and other agencies from Arresting him.

 

3rd. You're not fighting Terrorists all the damn time, the only time where I've killed a Terrorist was on the Hostile Negotiation mission, other missions had me kill G-Men and yeah make me infiltrate facilites.

 

4th. Just because I like those missions doesn't mean I want Grand Call of Theft Duty: Modern Autos, making those assumptions just make you seem a Little bit sutpid.

[Tashan]

Grand Call of Theft Duty: Modern Auto

LMAO

This game will rock. 3 games in 1 packaged deal to offer, cool!

[RPhilMan1]

I also prefer the atmosphere of IV.

 

I just feel too disconnected in V.

[RolfStarGames]

I also prefer the atmosphere of IV.

 

I just feel too disconnected in V.

Same here, for some reason GTA V reminds me the PS Home.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2013 by RolfStarGames

[Gnocchi Flip Flops]

I prefer IV. I just think Los Santos feels too superficial and, well, I prefer darker environments/whether sometimes. I enjoy the real Southern California vibe though. The Southern California vibe in V feels a little too twisted around, I honestly found it disappointing. I want I lot of clear sky days, less rain, dryer land, and better car culture.

 

Something about IV's atmosphere just attached to me though. Feels believable, serious, and just plain better. But that is just me. I know how fisty you V section people get when you partially read different opinions.

[CorporalBean675]

f*cking finally someone who takes atmospheres and vibes into account. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who cares.

 

Anyway like you said, in a sense I feel more connected to GTA IV somehow. I can't explain it but it feels like I'm really there trying to live a normal life in Broker or w/e. In GTA V, like someone else said it seems more like a holiday than anything really.

 

When talking about vibes and whatnot, I tend to look at how I feel emotionally personally as well in different environments. In GTA IV, I loved the atmosphere almost always and it was a really nice place to roam in. In GTA V, I get this superficial feeling where I don't like it in that emotional sense even though the game itself is awesome. Only some places are nice in GTA V. But it's starting to grow on me I can tell....just like GTA IV initially.

[Display_0]

Liberty City is a sh*thole compared to L.S/S.A.

 

That can be good for the "sh*thole" vibe, but it makes for little variation, and a terrible playground for online. Which is why IV had the best Story in the IV saga, but TboGT had the best Online in IV saga (Because it kinda brightened up the sh*thole)

 

What I'm saying is, for random freeroaming and exploring, Liberty City dissapointed. The fact it was a sh*thole only benefited the Story.

Edited November 6, 2013 by haythem09