GTA IV: Final Thoughts

COMPLETE!

Finally, after taking a brief-brief-brief GTA IV sabbatical, I returned to the game, alternating missions with RoboRoommate v.2, and then, two nights ago, it happened. I beat the game. At first the final mission, which involves an epic car chase, a massive gun-fight, a dirt-bike v. motorboat chase, a helicopter v. boat chase, and then, finally, an execution on "Happiness Island" (aka Ellis/Liberty Island), seemed difficult. But, like all the missions in GTA IV, if you take your time with it, it's much easier than first glances would seem.

So now, here, finally, is my GTA IV, post-game post-mortem. As you can see here, the game has gotten amazing reviews coming out its pores. I'm not going to review the game, as much as say that the reviews are a little overstated, and that the game, while really, really great, is not perfect, but, rather, is a delightful bit of foreplay for what (hopefully) will be a real culmination of all that this game sets up.

Let's start with gameplay. As I stated waaaaaay back here, the mechanics in this game are so much better than previous GTAs. The gun fights are no longer the frustrating, terrible, shoot-outs with terrible aim that the previous games brought. The Gears-of-War style duck-'n-cover system lends a much more strategic element to the game, and makes the gun-fights themselves more exciting. Unfortunately, it also makes the gunfights, for the most part, too easy. Which isn't necessarily a huge complaint -- the game is incredibly fun -- but I imagine in the next outting they will balance the system more, as well as give a greater variety to the shoot-outs. I mean, as much fun as it is heading down a hall and eliminating baddies, one by one, you do it so many times in GTA IV that it quickly becomes rote.

The driving mechanics are also greatly improved. While the motorcycles are still perhaps a smidge too troublesome, the driving in this game is top-notch. I had a lot of fun cruising around the city, power sliding, and hitting motorcyclists at top speed for amusement. Also, the car chases in this game are incredible, epic, and tough. They did a real solid with this.

Also, it need not be said, because so many have said it so much better than I can, but the world these developers, programmers, and engineers created is amazing. Liberty City is a great, living, breathing place. I can't wait to see where they go with GTA next. 

Really, my biggest problem with the game is the story. The American Dream is the underlying theme, for all the characters, all who talk about making an easy buck the hard way, then using that money to improve the city. Noble, but the irony is, of course, that no one ever fulfills this promise, because most end up with a bullet in their head.

The characters are GREAT, though, don't get me wrong. And Niko is a pretty great protagonist for us to control on his quest for vengeance. Sadly, though, this quest for vengeance is underdeveloped, and never really amounts to much. The emotional depths they could have gone to aren't realized, and ultimately so many of the characters we meet are tossed aside as the spindly narrative reaches its stuttering conclusion. For instance, there are two possible finales. And in one of them, a good friend's sister -- and Niko's romantic interest -- is killed, and so you must get revenge as your final act before settling down into the American dream.

But in this ending, only two other characters lend a hand -- the dope-smoking, unintelligible Little Jacob, and your nervous, just-married cousin, Roman. The dead chick's brother and crime family? Not involved. The array of characters you do missions for? Not involved. At least if the narrative had crumbled under its own weight, it'd be admirable. This starts building that bridge... but gives up halfway through.

GTA IV is a great, great game. It's a hell of a lot of fun to play, it's engrossing, but, perhaps more importantly, it sets the stage for a truly grandiose game. This is the great student film that leads to the next project being The Godfather of games (though Birth of a Nation would be a more apt metaphor, history-of-film-wise). If they can get the narrative under control, they have the opportunity to truly blow our minds.

Until then, time to blow-out some brains in Liberty City.

-RoboNixon