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I challenge you to take the 10-15 minutes to read the review. Seriously, see why they rated it that way. I'm sorry Deni, but based on what you said, it's far too transparent that you looked at the score and simply dismissed it completely. I'm not dismissing the possibility or likelihood of exaggeration, but after reading the review, I'm going to give the game its chance without thinking back on any judgments from previous titles.
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I read it and it looks like exaggeration to be sure. They even awarded a ten to each individual category. This reminds me of how EGM gave Vice City and San Andreas straight tens even though they were each variations on a theme with slight upgrades here and there. Oscar-caliber story? Connecting with Niko in a way that one rarely does with game characters? More parts of the game are better than anything she's seen in gaming for the past ten years? In all honesty, it sounds like what I expected, but with the importance of each enhancement pumped up to be something out of this world just because it happens to be in a much-anticipated GTA title. So now it incorporates over the shoulder aiming and a more melodramatic story where morality choices (which the review admits hardly affects the outcome of events) play a factor. Say hello to RE4 for the former and
numerous RPGs for the latter. Seven pages worth of words to basically say that it's a more detailed GTA title that adds a couple of new things to the mix.
So it takes what other GTA games did and makes each element a bit better. That's what a sequel is supposed to do, and I'm not sure how it merits a ten in this case. I seriously doubt that it does, actually. I have no doubt that the game is going to be great fun, but the review hypes it up like if it's some remarkable
artistic achievement, when it's just using the same formula that made GTA3 so successful. And I definitely noticed when she admits that it's more subtle than GTA3 in terms of taking a leap forward.
Anyways, GTA is GTA. Fun games, but the exceedingly high ratings are the result of media hype. Casual gamers buy these games in droves, and I've enjoyed a few myself, but the GTA games aren't going to show up in the top ten or twenty favorite game of all time lists of hardcore gamers. They just aren't inspired enough. The sandbox gameplay surely offers something to any kind of gamer, but the general 'Scarface fantasy' approach is so obviously targeted towards the casual gamer. If I want to see a story with tortured souls, I can play Valkyrie Profile and get 10x the artistry in my experience.
In short, GTA3, Vice City (I got tired of the formula after this one), and San Andreas all got built up to be god's gift and they paled in comparison to games like Deus Ex and System Shock 2 (which both came out in the last ten years) in terms of artistry, originality, and lasting impact on a person (on me, but I bet that most seasoned gamers feel similarly). Nothing in the review suggests that GTAIV will be any different. The Chrono Triggers, the Marios/Zeldas/Metroids, and the Metal Gear Solids of the gaming world have nothing to fear from the technical prowess of GTAIV.
Also, Earthbound rules.
How ya doing, buddy?
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