Most accurate representation of a city in a gta game

[GKZ]

Which GTA city is the most accurate to its real life counterpart? 

Edited June 1, 2019 by GKZ

[.Ryan.]

The HD Liberty City of course. R* hit it out of the park when they said they wanted something closer to NYC.

[Lord Criminal]

HD LC.

[Dr_Sprunk]

HD LC.

 

It has a lot of identical architecture and places that exist in NYC.

SoL, ESB, Brooklyn Bridge, Trump Tower, the Plaza, Times Square, Central Park, etc.

Edited June 2, 2019 by Leone_Son

[Lord Criminal]

1 minute ago, Leone_Son said:

SoL

I guess I misread this at first @SonOfLiberty.

 

[.Ryan.]

2 hours ago, iiCriminnaaL 49 said:

I guess I misread this at first @SonOfLiberty.

 

NYC has the Statue Of Liberty and GTAF has the Son Of Liberty.

[Adminsaredicks]

Im talking about HD era

LC feels like New York.

LS is inconsistent in terms of quarters and feels nothing like real city...Even 3D era LS capture this better.

[universetwisters]

Las Venturas because, albeit more scaled down, it captures what Las Vegas really is; a tourist trap surrounded by suburbs and nothing. 

 

Liberty City in IV would’ve gotten my vote, had I not actually gone to NYC and realize how small and desolate LC is to the real McCoy. Hell they could’ve replaced Alderney with Staten Island but noooooo

[billiejoearmstrong8]

When I can look at a real map of Manhattan and pick out the equivalent Algonquin areas in the right places as if I'm looking at a GTA map then I know I have to pick HD Liberty City. It simply has the "feel" of it down too.

[.Ryan.]

1 minute ago, billiejoearmstrong8 said:

When I can look at a real map of Manhattan and pick out the equivalent Algonquin areas in the right places as if I'm looking at a GTA map then I know I have to pick HD Liberty City. It simply has the "feel" of it down too.

When I was into CSI NY many locations used throughout the show reminded me of what I had seen in GTA IV. Now I'm not claiming to be an expert, but speaking as someone who's actualy never been to NYC if I ever do someday I think all the time I've spent playing GTA IV would give me a good starting point.

 

Yes that's how good of a representation it is. It's more fascinating when locals praise just how good it is too (objectively).

[billiejoearmstrong8]

12 minutes ago, SonOfLiberty said:

When I was into CSI NY many locations used throughout the show reminded me of what I had seen in GTA IV. Now I'm not claiming to be an expert, but speaking as someone who's actualy never been to NYC if I ever do someday I think all the time I've spent playing GTA IV would give me a good starting point.

 

Yes that's how good of a representation it is. It's more fascinating when locals praise just how good it is too (objectively).

As a geography nerd nothing pleases me more than the accuracy of GTA IV's map. The other boroughs are good on it too but Algonquin is the best due to being made so big with so many different areas included. I can indulge in learning more about the geography of New York through GTA lol

 

I will say GTA V's Los Santos is pretty good geography wise as well. As far as having the feel of the place down though, I'm not so sure. Also the balance of different areas is off in a way that isn't fun (the "hood" being way too small for example).

 

Oh and I have to give a shout out to Vice City. I know it's not an amazingly good geographic representation, and it is on the small side with some wasted space, but the Miami feel of it is just perfect. 

Edited June 2, 2019 by billiejoearmstrong8

[Yinepi]

Been to LA before and GTAV has LA down quite well in terms of atmosphere. But the layout of the city is very odd and disorganized. It feels like Rockstar got really lazy in several parts of the map, or maybe they got distracted by the countryside and pointless underwater.

LC HD has some weird disorganized parts too, such that stupidly high freeway(?) that goes around Alderny and the area where Packie lives is a total crap design.

Edited June 2, 2019 by Yinepi

[billiejoearmstrong8]

5 hours ago, Yinepi said:

Been to LA before and GTAV has LA down quite well in terms of atmosphere. But the layout of the city is very odd and disorganized. It feels like Rockstar got really lazy in several parts of the map, or maybe they got distracted by the countryside and pointless underwater.

LC HD has some weird disorganized parts too, such that stupidly high freeway(?) that goes around Alderny and the area where Packie lives is a total crap design.

The high freeway (Plumbers Skyway) isn't very well designed and not very useful but it is based on a real thing (the Pulaski Skyway) and helps make it look like New Jersey I think. Did for me anyway as I recognised it from seeing it in the Sopranos opening titles. I like the look of it from a distance/below, just should've been implemented better.

[Gtaman_92]

HD LC didn't really felt like a true representation of NYC that much to me and I been there a plenty of times. HD LS on the other hand felt much closer to LA in terms of the looks, layout and atmosphere. 

Edited June 3, 2019 by Gtaman_92

[Dr_Sprunk]

.

Edited November 24, 2024 by Dr_Sprunk
It was a bad move.

[Grotti Vigilante]

I’d say the HD era does a good job of capturing the atmosphere of the cities they’re supposed to represent, at least from an outsider view. HD Liberty City feels like it could be New York with its tight streets, grid road system, diverse cultures, skyscrapers and dense subway network. HD Los Santos was one of the strong points of GTA V with its high class Hollywood vibe as well as south central ghetto vibe, and it does a good job with lighting. It feels like the city actually has the Mediterranean climate that Los Angeles is known for. I can’t decide which is better though. 

Edited June 3, 2019 by Grotti Vigilante

[.Ryan.]

I don't get the comments about the HD Liberty City being smaller compared to the real NYC. I mean that should be a given because it's a video game and I bet next gen consoles would struggle for a full representation of NYC in its entirety including geography and population density let alone a game that's over 11 years old designed for 7th gen consoles.

 

R* weren't out to recreate a 1:1 scale replica. 

 

[CryptReaperDorian]

I recall True Crime: New York City having a to-scale Manhattan on the PS2. Of course, that's a very small part of NYC (by area), and many compromises were made (such as copy-and-pasted interiors), albeit not quite to the extent of True Crime: Streets of LA.

 

Of course, I will say that GTA IV has perhaps the most immersive recreation of NYC within video gaming.

[DaSizzlingPenguin]

Toronto feels a lot like Liberty City