Things GTA IV gets criticised for you actually like

[iiCriminnaaL 4,425]

13 hours ago, American Venom said:

I like how GTA IV and EFLC all have their own unique features. People usually sink the boot into GTA IV for not including things from EFLC, but what about the other way around? EFLC doesn't include things from GTA IV like the vigilante missions, most wanted, clothing stores etc, but it (particularly TBOGT) usually gets a free pass. Though besides the clothing stores I don't care about those other things from GTA IV not being in EFLC. It's just a point that never seems to be raised. If it's going to work one way than it needs to work the other. The unbalanced bias against GTA IV is really stupid.

 

Anyway the only thing I think should've been interchangeable are the radio stations, but beyond that it really just drives the point that Johnny and Luis only cross pass with Niko and that TLAD and TBOGT are indeed separate entities. Having features shared across all three would make them feel unnecessarily bloated (like San Andreas). I paid extra money to get a different experience so it should stay that way.

 

 

Totally true.

 

Actually, gang warfare in TLAD and drug wars in TBOGT don't really serve as "additional side-missions" as much as being alternatives of the vigilante missions, even though they are not exactly the same.

[billiejoearmstrong8 5,869]

17 hours ago, American Venom said:

I like how GTA IV and EFLC all have their own unique features. People usually sink the boot into GTA IV for not including things from EFLC, but what about the other way around? EFLC doesn't include things from GTA IV like the vigilante missions, most wanted, clothing stores etc, but it (particularly TBOGT) usually gets a free pass. Though besides the clothing stores I don't care about those other things from GTA IV not being in EFLC. It's just a point that never seems to be raised. If it's going to work one way than it needs to work the other. The unbalanced bias against GTA IV is really stupid.

 

Anyway the only thing I think should've been interchangeable are the radio stations, but beyond that it really just drives the point that Johnny and Luis only cross pass with Niko and that TLAD and TBOGT are indeed separate entities. Having features shared across all three would make them feel unnecessarily bloated (like San Andreas). I paid extra money to get a different experience so it should stay that way.

 

 

Agreed, and it gives me a reason to keep playing TLAD and TBOGT after the story is over. If IV had all the same features I'd just play that (because Niko is the best :P), but because EFLC has parachuting, drug/gang wars, the clubs/dancing, cool bikes, other mini games and races and different radio stations I'll revist them for those features and IV for other stuff. Three different games to play instead of one.

Edited February 4, 2019 by billiejoearmstrong8

[Algonquin Assassin 51,116]

Phone cheats. I don't mean the cheats themselves (which are admittedly pretty lacking), but the idea of being able to use the phone and store them. People complain that Niko puts the phone away when being shot at. Well just don't use it while you're being shot? How hard is that? If I use the cheats I just go into cover or something where I'm NOT being shot at and it's never been a problem. 

 

I think it's a brilliant idea and way better than the the old button mashing of the past. If GTA IV had more cheats I think it would be more appreciated.

[iiCriminnaaL 4,425]

The "repetitive" storyline missions.

 

I really appreciate how grounded and very appropriate for a hitman protagonist they are. And since I tend more to grounded, classic types of missions than over the top ones, I can easily say that I didn't enjoy any GTA missions as much as I did in GTA IV (with honorable mentions to GTA III and TLAD).

[Minalessa 14]

On 2/7/2019 at 3:23 PM, SonOfLiberty said:

Well just don't use it while you're being shot? How hard is that? If I use the cheats I just go into cover or something where I'm NOT being shot at and it's never been a problem. 

Some cheats are used in police pursuits e.g. "health recovery" and "remove wanted level" cheats. In higher-level police pursuits, you'll be surrounded once in a while, have your health decreased to a tiny sliver and by that point you don't want to risk police interrupting the process of cheat entry. This is more frequently experienced by aggressive players who like going on rampages, think Trevor.

That being said, if I want a better cheat method, I'd pick something from Scarface. In that game you enter, store and activate cheat codes through the pause menu, so you don't have to mind what happened in the in-game world that way.

Edited August 23, 2019 by Minalessa

[Beato_dim 739]

On 2/4/2019 at 3:33 AM, SonOfLiberty said:

EFLC doesn't include things from GTA IV like the vigilante missions, most wanted, clothing stores etc, but it (particularly TBOGT) usually gets a free pass.

Perhaps 'cause they are more of expansion packs and not 'full games', so they are not expected to have as many features; GTA IV, on the other hand, is a major installment of the series.

[god speed 1,780]

Nevermind

Edited November 28, 2020 by perennial

[Bolototu 58]

The driving 

[Max.pain 1,748]

repititive missions. what’s wrong with them when the game is 10/10? 

graphics 10/10

shooting 9/10

story 10/10

atmosphere 10/10

driving 10/10

dialouge 10/10

protagonist 10/10

characters 10/10

physics 10/10

movement on foot 6/10, one of the few things i dislike about the game, rest is a masterpiece

Edited September 18, 2019 by Max.pain

[eyeballs 70]

The friend meetings, which I actually enjoyed. A lot of people say they're boring and needless and they get tedious, but I think if you've ever gone for a 'date' with a friend that description is right on the money.

[Cheatz/Trickz 2,765]

17 hours ago, eyeballs said:

The friend meetings, which I actually enjoyed. A lot of people say they're boring and needless and they get tedious, but I think if you've ever gone for a 'date' with a friend that description is right on the money.

 

I get that not many people liked the hang outs, and as someone who likes to glean as much depth from characters as I can even I grew tired of them. But they are completely optional, so criticising them is invalid. 

[Max.pain 1,748]

friendship system is really well made as an option to feel niko more with people he cares about. one of the best side activities if you ask me. they never get old.

[Algonquin Assassin 51,116]

On 9/19/2019 at 8:46 AM, Cheatz/Trickz said:

 

I get that not many people liked the hang outs, and as someone who likes to glean as much depth from characters as I can even I grew tired of them. But they are completely optional, so criticising them is invalid. 

Remember when Osho used to make a big deal about it and the stubborn troll wouldn't listen to anyone trying to drum it into his head that they're "optional"? 

 

If you needed to hang out with the friends in order to unlock more missions I would understand the angst, but as they are even with the frequency of phone calls considered they're pretty harmless. The only way they become mandatory is if you aim for 100%, but then again I can think of much worse activities to partake in from other GTAs required for 100% and not everyone pursues 100% anyway.

 

The thing I've never understood is people who clearly have no interest hanging out with them they complain about losing the "perks" if you don't hang out with them after a while, but if you don't care about hanging out with them in the first place then why does it matter? The way I see it you get the perks as a reward for gaining trust with them and no one's going to give out freebies forever .It would work the same in real life. If I had a friend that was doing me favour with something i wouldn't expect them to keep doing it if I wasn't doing something in return. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

 

I've only lost a perk once in the entire time I've been playing GTA IV and it was Dwayne's backup when I stopped hanging out with him and his "like" wasn't up high enough, but it wasn't a bother to get it back.

 

 

[Cheatz/Trickz 2,765]

12 hours ago, SonOfLiberty said:

Remember when Osho used to make a big deal about it and the stubborn troll wouldn't listen to anyone trying to drum it into his head that they're "optional"? 

 

If you needed to hang out with the friends in order to unlock more missions I would understand the angst, but as they are even with the frequency of phone calls considered they're pretty harmless. The only way they become mandatory is if you aim for 100%, but then again I can think of much worse activities to partake in from other GTAs required for 100% and not everyone pursues 100% anyway.

 

The thing I've never understood is people who clearly have no interest hanging out with them they complain about losing the "perks" if you don't hang out with them after a while, but if you don't care about hanging out with them in the first place then why does it matter? The way I see it you get the perks as a reward for gaining trust with them and no one's going to give out freebies forever .It would work the same in real life. If I had a friend that was doing me favour with something i wouldn't expect them to keep doing it if I wasn't doing something in return. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

 

I've only lost a perk once in the entire time I've been playing GTA IV and it was Dwayne's backup when I stopped hanging out with him and his "like" wasn't up high enough, but it wasn't a bother to get it back.

 

 

 

Only too well. 

 

Tbh I once lost Jacob’s gun perk, so I called him up to go drinking in order to get it back and he just scolded me for ignoring him and declined (though he accepted the following night). It was just one of those things that made everything seem more realistic.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Cheatz/Trickz

[ThatBenGuy 3,023]

Bump but this thread deserves it so why the heck not?
 

I think I’ve heard of some people on YouTube or whatnot refer to GTA IV/EFLC as a “love story.” In all honesty, I think GTA IV/EFLC did the whole love story aspect the best out of all GTA games. That game honestly feels like so much like it had a fair amount of both action and romance, and it did both very well. Additionally, there have been quite a bit of books, movies, and TV shows that combined action and romance, which I think did it very well, including but not limited to, Indiana Jones, Rocky, The Godfather, Scarface, Red Sparrow, The Sopranos, Sons of Anarchy, and The Spy Next Door (even though this one has quite a bit more comedy than the others on this list). GTA IV/EFLC is absolutely no exception to this rule IMO. Other games such as Max Payne, LA Noire, and Red Dead Redemption also did it pretty darn good in my honest opinion.

Edited November 28, 2020 by ThatBenGuy

[FanEu7 602]

- Dark tone. I like how GTA IV is a gritty crime drama that really shows how screwed up the criminal lifestyle is, the other GTA's glorify being a gangster and are power fantasies where everything goes right for the protagonist  

- "Repetitive" missions & that its realistic, I'll take that over over the top stuff like Jetpacks, stealing military jets, fighting against mercenaries, tanks, infiltrating FIB headquarters etc. if GTA IV had those types of missions it wouldn't be as good. 

- the gray look of LC, it fits the story and gives the city more of an identity

-Hanging out with friends, its not tedious at all and I like how the characters are explored more. Bowling is fun too

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by FanEu7

[Wayne Kerr 2,707]

I like that IV didn't have a countryside portion in the map. To me it makes the map feel more unique/distinct with the urban jungle focus especially between the sprawling maps of SA and V. Might be a stupid explanation and maybe I'm just used to the IV map so that's why I feel so but I like the smaller feel of the map it fits with IVs more measured approach (rather than the bigger is better approach SA and V have, not that it is bad just that i think the focus on a smaller but denser map fits IV and tbf LC feels huge anyway) 

[TWIST_OF_HATE 371]

1 hour ago, Utopianthumbs said:

I like that IV didn't have a countryside portion in the map. To me it makes the map feel more unique/distinct with the urban jungle focus especially between the sprawling maps of SA and V. Might be a stupid explanation and maybe I'm just used to the IV map so that's why I feel so but I like the smaller feel of the map it fits with IVs more measured approach (rather than the bigger is better approach SA and V have, not that it is bad just that i think the focus on a smaller but denser map fits IV and tbf LC feels huge anyway) 

me personally, I love countryside

but still, countryside would not save a bad game, for example GTA V

I installed it recently just to drive on countryside, but I got bored pretty quickly anyway

 

as for IV, I would like it to have at least a portion of countryside, comparable with GTA III

but with counryside or without, this game is great

Edited January 9 by TWIST_OF_HATE

[Thelema93 1,896]

Friends calling me all the time, feels good..friends irl must forget my number or something haha 

 

 

Edited January 9 by Thelema93

[Bigglo145 458]

-I loved the serious tone of missions

-i loved the driving

-i loved the shooting and only holding ONE of each weapon type at a time

-the fighting, you dont knock npcs out with one punch

[Americana 6,209]

Everything.

 

Many people condemn Grand Theft Auto IV for things I absolutely love.

[Panzermann11 131]

I just like the slow n' steady car handling because it helps me control the car better than San Andreas. If I wanted to do quick turns, I'd turn & handbrake.

Edited March 4 by Panzermann11

[thehambone 2,933]

The "heaviness" of the controls in this game. The way Niko feels when you control him on foot and in a car just has weight to it. When you fall of a bike or jump out of a helicopter you have a ton of momentum. Most people are offput by the car controls but to me they feel the most realistic of all the GTA games because of how heavy they feel.

[Niobium 11,806]

"GTA IV is too bland and gray"

[Lucas wester 236]

Probably the statue of liberty easter egg alot of people feel like the statue was wasted bc of the "beef" between R* and hillary i find it funny

[NikoLiberty2008 55]

The driving.
Some people says that the driving sucks, and I don't blame them, because if you're used to another GTA game like San Andreas, Vice City or even 5, you'll be stranged with GTA gameplay. But, in time you learn how to drive properly, and personally, the first time I played GTA 4 back in 2010, I spent hours just crashing the car and throwing Niko by the windshield, for me it isn't bad, it's just different, although funny.

Edited February 19 by NikoLiberty2008

[Algonquin Assassin 51,116]

On 2/20/2021 at 2:50 AM, NikoLiberty2008 said:

The driving.
Some people says that the driving sucks, and I don't blame them, because if you're used to another GTA game like San Andreas, Vice City or even 5, you'll be stranged with GTA gameplay. But, in time you learn how to drive properly, and personally, the first time I played GTA 4 back in 2010, I spent hours just crashing the car and throwing Niko by the windshield, for me it isn't bad, it's just different, although funny.

 

For me it's the complete opposite. After I've spent a considerable amount time playing GTA IV driving in other GTA games feels off and I've mastered driving in all of them.

 

But yeah. GTA IV's driving is still contentious even to this day. I still think some people exaggerate and make it seem worse than it really is though. Some criticisms are valid, but others are just blatantly false without any evidence to back it up. Anyway I can leave GTA IV for a few months, pick it up again and driving becomes natural to me. It's the best driving of any non-sim game I've ever played. Nothing else comes close.

Edited March 4 by Algonquin Assassin

[Americana 6,209]

In my opinion driving physics in Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the best things in this game. I love driving slowly around Liberty City, so maybe that's why. 

[Mindshower 123]

The greenish brown filter. It's very 2000s, like a Matrix film caked in oil pollution. 

[dantedenirodeniro 610]

On 9/19/2018 at 1:53 PM, Official General said:

4. Dark, gritty environment, colours and feel. This criticism I did not understand. LC is based on New York, and in real life, NYC's physical look is based on a depressing, colour palette with huge tower blocks and skyscrapers that shadow over the streets, which gives it a dark, gritty feel. Go to NYC and most buildings are either brown, grey, charcoal, or very drab beige, cream etc. LC in IV got this done near perfectly, and I loved the feel of it, especially knowing for myself what NYC is like having been there many times. 

I do like the GTA IV's color scheme, but sometimes the game is basically one step behind turning completely black and white, which is cool because it adds to the game atmosphere, but we can't say it's realistic